The Jackson Jaunt
- Damian Bolduc
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Jackson Jaunt
1/10/2026
Friday’s wild weather that cancelled some of the Senior National events gave way to a beautiful Saturday morning in Jackson. It was hard to know what we would awake to after a night of howling wind. On the drive to Jackson, there was some wind damage, and the snowpack was greatly reduced from just a few days before, when we traveled through on a visit to Maine. Upon arriving at the Jackson Touring Center, we were pleasantly surprised by excellent race conditions! Warm temps and sunny skies added to the energetic vibe!
The Jackson Jaunt has been held in all kinds of conditions. Today’s were the best that I can think of for the few times I have participated in the event. The race was held on the FIS Homologated 5km Loop at Eagle Mountain. The fast snow had people wondering what the race would be like and if there would be icy sections. It has been quite a while since we have had a race on fast-transformed snow. But the crew at Jackson had everything ready for the race, and the course was expertly prepared. Strava files showed a lot of segment PRs on the day, but most skiers were in control with ease, and the snow held up well.
The race started in the Eagle Mountain Fields, climbed to the Airport, rolled on John, and then climbed up the well-placed Henry. After the climbing was done, skiers descended on the Wave, with the S-curve at the bottom a concern but not really a problem. Skiers completed two laps for the Jackson Jaunt.
The surface was firm, transformed snow, on a firm base. For the most part, there was not an ice base, but there were a couple of thin spots where there was some ice underneath the snow. The track had been prepped well, and problem areas had been shoveled, leaving great conditions after a daunting forecast may have scared away some participants. You could get air off some of the rollers if you wanted to! The track was very well prepared and you could ski it with confidence.
The start order was interesting. The Master Men went off first in 15-second intervals in ascending order by age, then a break, then the Master Women, followed by the Senior Men and Women, and finally the College Men and Women. This spread the field out nicely, and there was plenty of room on the course. There were a few sections where things got a little tight with a disparity of speed (those more comfortable with being airborne), but again, it was easy to control the skis, and participants were in great spirits and courteous on the trail.
Racing got underway quickly, and some were surprised by the speed of the interval start. A few participants early in the start order, missed the start, but then the field organized and starting went more smoothly. Chris Burnham (NWVE) was ready on time and led off the race. Ace Serianni (MNC) was also properly prepared, leaving on time. The first and third starters also joined Ace, who was the 4th starter. After that, Fred Bailey (Nonstop Nordic) set the tone, and people were lining up early not to have to scramble to get to the line. Kristopher Dobie (Unattached) was ahead of me and caught the skiers that started late by the end of the field. Rob Riley (Gunstock) wasted no time reeling me in, and for the second week in a row, I was caught much sooner than I would have liked. Rob was on a mission, and as long as someone was within sight in front of him, he was determined to catch them. A strategy that served him well for the day.
Jeff Palleiko was the tenth starter, followed by Tim Van Orden (Prospect Mountain) and Anders Vikstrom (Team Hamp). This group stayed together a little longer, working not to get caught by Nat Lucy (Unattached), who was not much further down the order and closing in. Charlie Gunn (Black Water) and Roger Wilson (SDXC) represented the M9 division well. Charlie was a big fan of the course and loves skiing the Wave. Everett Ingalls (Unattached) rounded out the Master Men starts.
With the Master Men on course, there was a brief pause in the starts. There were several changes in order while the men raced, but the groups generally stayed together without much overlap from other groups of racers.
The volunteers were so excited, yelling for 419 Jessica Bolduc (NWVE), but didn’t realize there was a 6-7-minute gap between the fields, and they were happy with the efficient, well-prepared women. Jessie Donavan (Unattached) wanted to know the gap was, as she was very intent on using that as motivation to catch the men’s field. Sarah Pribram was thinking the same thing. Cipperly Good (NWVE) and Angeline Andrew (Maine West) lined up after Jessie. Amy Patenaude Gunn (Black Water) was the last Master Woman in the start order.
Racing got underway for the women much like the men. There were some quick overtakes early in the race, and things settled in for the two laps. The spacing of the fields was such that they did not mix much, but some of the women did bridge to the men, and some of the men did catch the women, but for the most part, the cohorts raced among themselves. That is, until the Senior and Collegiate divisions started entering the course.
Thomas Clayton (NWVE) was the only senior to start for NWVE. He was joined by Griffin Smith (Paul Smiths), Colin Pogue (Unattached), and a few others. Thomas cheered, offering great encouragement as some of the skiers lapped through while waiting for his start. Soon, he was on course and getting into the mix. No Senior Women participated in the Jackson Jaunt. The Collegiate participants got on course following the Seniors.
While everything was operating smoothly and conditions were excellent, the rapidly warming snow under sunny skies did change during the race. Much of the course was protected in the woods. However, the snow in the field portion was beginning to slow. This section of the course was short, but those with early starts had a significant advantage over those with late starts.
The influx of the collegiate skiers as the Master fields lapped through brought a new dynamic of competition to the second lap for many. There were a few hot shots, but for the most part, the fresh skiers added some good company and motivation to what was becoming a lonely race as things spread out.
Some of the early starters, like Chris Burnham and Rob Riley, were away and done before the collegiate skiers could really mix in, but a little further back, Jeff Palleiko, Steven Moreau, Nat Lucy, and Charlie Gunn were motivated to keep pushing as new energy entered the race. This is about when the top women started catching some of the men, adding to the excitement. Amy Patenaude Gunn, who has been having a lot of fun with Master Alpine racing, found herself tucked in the tracks going down The Wave. The move caught Everett Ingalls a little off guard as he was making room for Jessica Bolduc to pass. All made it through clean and continued on, though the moment was a highlight in the discussion after the race.
As the Masters event wound down, the Collegiate race was heading into its second lap. As we were cheered during our race, we reciprocated the enthusiasm during theirs. Cheering for different teams and some of the youth we have supported along the way was fun. It was a great day to do it, too. It felt good to be in the warm sun, and everyone stayed after the race to ski around and hang out for the awards. The NWVE Brownies returned and were enjoyed. As at the Bogburn, the Men’s Podium had representation from the Senior to the M10 divisions!
At the awards, Ellen Chandler thanked the participants for believing there would be an event. And what an event it was! Fun skiing, on a fun course, with great company on a great day!
Damian
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