The Long Hall Loppet

The Long Hall Loppet

3/8/2026

Results:

Long Hall - https://www.skireg.com/SR/a/107/LongHall_22K_FullResults-ab3596e6-fc2c-4146-b132-2b3be89dc48d.pdf

Short Hall - https://www.skireg.com/SR/a/107/ShortHall_22K_FullResults-dce4c45c-c19b-4ca0-ac60-a4779d0a2fa2.pdf

It was another beautiful springlike day for the Long Hall Loppet.  Conditions were similar to those of the Mount Washington Cup, except about 10 degrees warmer.  The overnight temps did not go under freezing, and there was an inversion with temperatures significantly warmer at higher elevations.  Regardless, the snow was good.  Not super-fast, but surprisingly medium-fast.  There was a strong wind, though the skiers were sheltered from it on the course.  But at the top of the Maple Mountain Loop, you could really hear it howling.

Skiers arrived and went about getting ready for the race.  There is not much you can do to prepare for this one.  You start, climb, climb, climb, survival mode, okay, seriously survival mode, geez, what was I thinking when I first went into survival mode, are we even halfway yet?, THAT WASN’T THE TOP!, ahh finally, THIS IS INSANE!, and, okay, I think I am safe to ski it in.  Anyway, with 1800 feet of pitchy climbing, the course throws a few punches.  So prep is more about hurt management or complete denial or lying to yourself that maybe this year it will be better.

The course was the same as years past.  We started on the Ellis River Trail, gradually climbing up to the North Hall Trail, where the proper climbing begins.  At the top, we ski the Maple Mountain Loop, just to add a little extra climbing for good measure, then descend on the South Hall Trail and Bengt Trail back to the Ellis River Trail and return to the Start/Finish area.  The snow was semi-transformed and firm at the lower elevations.  As we climbed, the snow was less transformed, softened, and the temperature rose, with bands of very warm, humid, tropical air mixing things up.  I found myself wanting to bend closer to the ground to get the cooler air I enjoy, and maybe take a midrace nap.  On the climb, there was an interesting anomaly where poles and skis would break through the snow in the middle of the trail.  The Hall Trail is not often groomed, and I wondered whether it had experienced some washouts that were only loosely covered, or if water was running beneath our feet.  Perhaps the mischievous snow snakes had burrowed a network of unpredictable tunnels to grab some ankles and take down some skiers – something that happened to more than a few. Whatever it was, it was something to think about while “enjoying”  the climb. 

Skiers get to choose their start.  Today, the snow was faster for earlier skiers, but remained pretty good throughout the competition.  It did not get chopped up, though there were some berms building up in the tricky spots.  Thankfully, the trail did not go to ice, so things were manageable.  There were also tracks the whole way, which were a fast option if you dared.

Skiers got on course and executed their plan for the day.  The field was very diverse, with many junior, collegiate, senior, and master skiers all jumbled together.   Paces varied, but people seemed to find others to ski with.  Skiing was rather polite.  People gave friendly notice as they approached, and those being overtaken moved aside.  One skier tucked in and drafted me for the first 5km of the race, thanking me as I was providing a lesson on technique, turnover, and transitions.  Due to the unique challenge of this event, mutual support is high.  No need to add difficulty to it, and there is a respect among participants that no matter their speed or experience, starting this race is admirable.

Nathan Livingood (No Limits) continued his streak.  Today, he outpaced Bennett Hutchison (Harvard) and William Riley (Bowdoin) by a couple of minutes.  Devin Wong (Harvard Assistant Coach) joined the team for an impressive top ten.  David Herr (Unattached) proved that an M7 could hang with the Harvard kids and got revenge on Rob Riley (Gunstock), who took the hand-carved bear at Rangeley last weekend.  Hanna Wilsey (Harvard) won for the women for the second day in a row.  Colin Pogue (Mt. Washington Reboot) and Ben Taska (Unattached) were some of the most cheerful and supportive participants as they started mid-field and worked their way up.  Bill Donahue (Gunstock) was back in action but broke a pole halfway up the climb and did not get another until Marianne Lucy (Mt. Wash) gave him one of hers, where she was stationed near the top.  The pole was short, but better than single poling it.  Bill was not the only one pole racer out there.  I wonder if this is as difficult as the Lake Placid Loppet with one pole? (A long-standing NWVE tradition, for when the hardest races are not difficult enough!)

Grace Connolly (Unattached) skied strong from midfield and steadily picked off racers throughout the course.  David Johnston (MNC) represented Mansfield for the day.  He enjoys the downhill part of the race, but looked great getting up the hill too.  It is neat to see the lines he carves on the descent, showing skill, confidence, and control, few in the Nordic world possess.  Frank Feist (Ford Sayre) had a late start and found Victor Golovkin (Freedom Trail) on the tricky S-turns near the end of the race.  Victor took the overall in the Short Hall.   Jeff Palleiko

(Gunstock), Bob Burnham (NWVE), and Robert Knapp (EMXC) chased Barry Kitch (EMXC).  Bob and Jeff dropped Robert on the climb and stayed together to the top.  Jeff’s skis were running good today, and in a rare event, got Bob on the downhill!   Dhyan Nirmegh (NWVE) had a solid race.  He is another who lets the skis run down on the downhill.  On the middle s-turns, there was a muddy berm that he jumped and just kept going.  He felt good after the Mt. Washington Cup, which was not the case for me and Jessica Bolduc (NWVE).  I felt that the watts used on Saturday were not replenished for Sunday, even after a few great meals.  Jessica was the same, and this is a course where you want all the watts you can get!  I skied with Art Copoulos (Ford Sayre) for much of the race.  He said I kept him going, and I say that he kept me going. 

Rose Wilson (Unattached) made a huge effort to get to the race; she started late and was comfortable in her summer duds as the temps went well into the 50s.  Todd Taska (Unattached) had a great race.  Bruce Katz (Unattached) had a good result too, but was still feeling the fall he had in Rangeley, and pulled out all his tricks today, ever so slightly bloodied and very happy to be done for the season.  Jane Henry (Ford Sayre) helped guide Jessica down some of the hills until Jessica gained a little more momentum.  The two finished close together in the race, and the results showed Jane had the advantage.  Michele Smith (CSU) returned to the race despite the hill getting longer every year.  This is a common sentiment among participants, though there was the year that the ungroomed snow kept getting deeper as the elevation rose, and Tyler Magnan (NWVE) was breaking trail in six inches of dense powder.  Ann Burnham (NWVE) had a solid top ten in the Short Hall skiing in a strong Women’s field that included Sheri Eng (Unattached), Sarah Reynolds (Unattached), Lea Kramer (Unattached), and Anna Cahill (Unattached).  It was good to see so many age groups represented here, with the M8’s being the most competitive!

Kris Collins (EMXC) chose this as her first non-TNR race.  She had skied 25km at Weston as prep to see if she could do the distance.  Though Mt. FOLJMS 10m elevation pales in comparison to the Popple Mt./Maple Mt. 600m gained on this course, she got through with a smile at the finish line, and that sense of achievement that keeps us coming back year after year. The Bates and UNH teams had late starts but brought a lot of energy to the finish line, while much of the field was recovering and deciding whether to head back to the lodge or ski back out on the course.  Both made it a team event with Casey Van Hefty, Nate Streubel, David Shycon, Araroa Styles, and Sophia Kelting skiing it together for UNH.  Elsa Sanborn and Meg Voisin did the same for Bates.  Scott Brown (Ford Sayre) took one for the team, earning a result after a drive from Binghamton, NY.  Lisa Doucett (CSU) looked great, completing the Marathon Series with Jamie cheering her in.  Ann Celi (EMXC) renewed her rivalry with Steve Grimaldi (Unattached) in her second Long Hall Loppet.  Steve knocked 40 minutes off his time from last year to get Ann this year.  In fairness to Ann, her psych-up music at the start was the Pirates of the Caribbean Theme, which just does not cut it for this course.

One of the big highlights was seeing Candice and Doug Armstrong (Mount Washington) near the top of the climb, supporting the racers! It certainly put a smile on my face when I needed a boost to crest the final steep climbs on the course.  The other big highlight was the positive energy of the participants throughout.   We were all in it together, and that really came through.  We also had great conditions and another gorgeous day to ski!  Participants were looking forward to the World Cup coming to Lake Placid!

Race Director Ellen Chandler was grateful for the competitors, believing that the event would be held, and making the day a success.  We enjoyed a quick awards ceremony on the sunny patio, eating our sandwiches from the J-Town Deli & Country Store.  We departed and contemplated what the rest of the season holds.

Damian