The Rangeley Lakes Loppet 2025
3/1/2025
The 50km Freestyle Rangeley Lakes Loppet was held Saturday at the Rangeley Lakes Trail Center in Rangeley, Maine. For the event, many of New England's hearty Marathon Challengers were joined by collegiate skiers from Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby. It is nice to see a resurgence of college skiers at the event, supplementing the citizens' crowd over the last few years. I still remember the pity I had following the St. Lawrence van back to Vermont in a post-Rangeley blizzard. I know that was a long ride home.
Skiers this year were concerned with what it seems we have been concerned with all season long. How was the grooming after the recent snow? The mid-week warm-up had given way to a snowy cool-down overnight. Snow accumulated a few inches during grooming operations, and a couple of inches had fallen on much of the course after the final pass. Beneath was a firm track of semi-transformed snow with some spots still holding moisture in the base. This condition was similar to what we had for the 30 km skate at Craftsbury, but it was not nearly as slow. (Or at least skiers were better prepared.) The track was groomed well and held up during the day's event. There was certainly variability on the course and changing conditions during the race, so at some point, everyone's skis were better than in other parts of the race.
The course was a 22km loop skied twice. We started as usual in the stadium and had a nice downhill on Zapolsky to ease into the race. We skied many of the outdoor center's trails and had some long climbs and wind to contend with. The kilometers were marked, and skiers generally knew where they were on the course. The last section of the course was the Geneva Loop. Last year, this was very glazed and fast, causing a few wipeouts, but this year, conditions as they were, skiers stayed under control. The course skis relatively easily from a technical perspective, with no need to check speed in the fresh snow. That is not to say that it was a free ride. Skiers had to look for the fastest snow on the trail, and the skiability of everything tested the participants' endurance. Muscles complained, but there was usually enough recovery to keep things in check.
Large packs formed early in the race. The snow was relatively consistent, and the first several kilometers had a downward trend. Ski speed and ability matched up, and much of the field maintained contact. I started conservatively and settled in about where I have been all season. In an unexpected twist, David Herr (Unattached) broke out early, perhaps to avoid the potential calamity of the downhill start. I found myself feeling good, and my skis were moving on par with or better than those around me. I could see Roger Prevot (Craftsbury) pulling a large group in the pack ahead of me, with Eric Darling (NWVE) in second. Rob Riley (GNA) was moving through the group after starting back in the field. Sarah Pribram (NWVE) was working her way to the front of our pack, and Rosalie Wilson (Ford Sayre) was keeping an eye on every move. The collegiate skiers were working in an organized fashion and sticking to a predetermined strategy to finish strong. They were polite and made room if someone was advancing or gave notice when it was time to pass. People seemed happy to be skiing on another beautiful but windy day.
The wind was a factor that kept the skiers packed up longer than usual. It was going to take a big commitment to go it alone, and most knew they were better off sticking with a group. I knew that I regretted conserving energy last year, early in the race, when my skis were good, and I paid for it at the end of the race when the snow became tacky. There was the same transformation potential this year. The group in front of us was just dangling out there, so I decided I would try to bridge. Roger had been leading for several kilometers and was surely fatiguing, and I had been mostly drafting in my group. I made my way to the front, drawing a few others along, and set out to bridge on the long exposed climbs. Not the smartest plan, but it was my best chance. It worked, and I brought a few of the collegiate women up to the next group.
It was around this time that others in the field decided to make moves as well. The course in the section, from about 10 to 15km, goes from wide trails with long views and either a consistent up or downhill to narrower rolling trails with a lot of turns. A strategic move could stick in this section with good skiing. The big groups divided into smaller and smaller groups, leaving some skiers on their own. The Geneva Loop provided a bit of a different surface as it was the last section to be groomed, and little new snow fell on it before the race. Skiers regrouped a bit before heading out on loop two.
The sun-exposed snow had become tacky for the second lap, and this impacted some of the skiers. Bruce Katz (Unattached) felt it was a harder grind than the Lake Placid Loppet he skied the week before. A testament to an easy course usually does not equal an easy race. Sometimes, a steady effort deceives athletes into pushing themselves into an energy deficit, and the long sections of Rangeley consistency certainly taxed the skiers on the second lap.
Rob Riley (GNA) felt the effects of the long climbs on his quads. Fortunately, with more conservative skiing, he was able to overcome the worst of it and recover, salvaging a good race over the last 10km of the loop. Eric Darling (NWVE) used the second loop to move up in the field. He overtook Roger Prevot (Craftsbury) and set out feeling good. The move split the group, with Eric drawing Hannah Grohman (Bates) along. Roger went as well, but the rest of the group settled, knowing it was a long way to the finish. I had back issues at the start of the second lap, and Sarah Pribram (NWVE) passed me. Soon after Rosalie Wilson (Ford Sayre) and Finley Feist (Bates) came upon me, Rosalie was intent on catching Sarah and said we would have a good group if we could bridge up. I was not moving in that direction in the finish order at that point and continued fading. Finley would go on and nearly catch, Frank Feist (Ford Sayre), who had been skiing in Roger's group. Frank's skis were good at the start but were bogging down with the warming temperatures and glazing snow.
Racing continued to the finish line, especially with the collegiate skiers dialing it up, while the masters skiers were fading. Eric Darling continued his push and finished with a large margin over those he was with for the first lap. Sarah Pribram maintained her position with Rosalie and Finley unable to bridge. With a few kilometers to go, Greg Harkey (PVSC) was able to latch onto Ethan Butler (EMXC) and finish the race looking strong. I started to get a bit of a second wind on the Geneva loop, but it was not enough to hold off Frances Tafton (Bowdoin) on the final hill, nor a sprint to the line with Sage Freeman (Colby) and Meg Voisin (Bates). Skiers continued to come into the finish with big smiles for a challenge completed and the sunny spring-like weather.
After the race, we enjoyed a nice meal with hot dishes and plenty of cookies and treats. Skiers shared stories about their race experiences and when they felt good and not so good. The snow was a factor, starting as powder, then getting tacky, then some glazing, so ski selection made for interesting conversations. There was a brief awards ceremony where the hand-carved wooden Rangeley Bears and medals were distributed. Skiers enjoyed the sunny day and lingered a bit before heading out for their next adventure.
Damian
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