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The White Mountain Classic 2025

The White Mountain Classic

1/11/2025

Report #299


There was some uncertainty leading up to this year’s White Mountain Classic.  Jackson’s snow magnetism has not been working this season, and the Touring Center has found itself on the edge of snow systems and not receiving the big accumulations that often drop in the area.  With snow reports on limited terrain, the race was in question.  Around mid-week it was determined that a course could be linked together with some snowmaking, shoveling, hauling, and expert management.  Last-minute changes kept skiers on the edge of their seats, though the most dedicated made the decision to register.


The White Mountain Classic has it all.  It leads off the Marathon Series, and holds Zak, and Club designations.  The regulars were thinking that things would be pretty easy with the Skireg registration lists, but the White Mountain Classic was also a USCSA race with a few Eastern teams in attendance.  While the race description did make reference to collegiate athletes, most did not notice as they did not show up in the who’s registered list.  So, it was a surprise to pull into the parking lot to see Clarkson, Paul Smiths, UMF, and McGill testing wax and putting bibs on.


With the start moved up to 9:00 a.m., there was not much time to worry about that.  There was also not much time to test wax.  It was snowing much of the drive over with Bethlehem and Bretton Woods having the most significant amounts of fresh snow.  It was going to be interesting to see what was falling on the other side of Crawford Notch.  As those from the west pushed further eastward, the snow let up.  There was still significant snow on the side of the road, but it was evident that it was diminishing as we dropped in elevation.  Attitash held on to some, but it was looking lean.  By the turn onto Route 16, it could be seen why the Jackson Snow Report has been so limited.  Upon arriving at the touring center, the hard work of the staff and volunteers renewed optimism for snow in the racers.


Conditions were as described: a snowmaking base with natural snow on top.  It was snowing as forecasted and things were looking wintery in the parking lot. Skiers unpacked their cars, got the wax intel they needed, and prepped their skis.  It was going to be a situation of going with what you had on, as for most, the ski to the start was the warm-up and wax test.  Fortunately, many waxes were working, and the course was relatively flat.  NWVE ended up with some Rode Multigrade covered with a blue of your choice.  Some went as warm as violet, and there were even a few on Toko Red kick wax.  It was slightly cooler than predicted, and those who elected to be klister-free at the Bogburn last weekend were ready and did not even have to change their wax!


The big question was, what would the course be? The race instructions included a map with some unfamiliar trails. There were also some significant two-way traffic sections, and for those unfamiliar with the Hall Trail, it was on the “flat side of the road.”  The course did have some flat portions, but there were also a couple of hills.  The different gradients offered sections of hard effort followed by nice recoveries.  The distance was reduced, and the net effect was that skiers could hammer the whole way.  We started with a parade lap around the Wentworth golf course.  We then went over the bridge and through the tunnel to the Eleventh Hole Trail.  From here, skiers climbed to the Troll Trail on a fresh-cut herringbone section used for the first time today.  The trail is unnamed but was cut by Nat Lucy (Mount Washington Nordic) in November, so I’ll call it the Wild Man Wall. 

Skiers did a loop on Troll and then descended back to the Eleventh Hole, back through the tunnel, and over the bridge to the Wentworth Trail.  The total loop was about 3km, and skiers did four laps plus the parade lap, which put us at about 12.5km.


While it seemed like a lot to remember, it skied very well, and there were ample volunteers guiding the way. The two-way sections were not an issue, and even if there was a bit of a bottleneck, it did not seem to change the gaps in the race as everyone was impacted.  On the Wild Man Wall, skiers seemed to enjoy a break if there was a slowdown there, or you could cause a spin-out in the tall brush adjacent to the trail and move through easily.  There was a lot of double pole, but the snow was fast, and the skis moved free.  Some would have liked more striding, but no one really complained as the course was exciting, and the entire race for that matter.


With a few minutes to go, people gathered at the start. Everyone was reluctant to go to the line as there were the collegiate skiers in attendance. However, they seemed to want to concede to the front row as well. Eventually, some of the faster skiers moved up, and someone yelled, “Thirty seconds.” Then a horn blew, and we started.   Bob Burnham (NWVE), Jeff Palleiko, and I were toward the front of the field when we started. Jeff got a clean line while Bob and I settled in for a moment. Skiers began passing, and we switched tracks to keep up.  The start was rather clean, and it was not too long before the race sorted itself out. 


Near the end of the parade lap, Bill Donahue (GNS), Robert Burnham (NWVE), and Scott Magnan (NWVE) came by Jeff Palleiko (GNS) and me to establish the elite Masters pack. John Thompson (NWVE) was mixing it up with some of the collegiate skiers just ahead. Jeff and I were a little taxed from a quick start and could not latch on. The race spread out, but several mini-packs formed and stayed together throughout.  It was also interesting to see where people were in relation to each other on all the two-way sections.  Some gained, some lost, and some stayed the same. 


Ian Blair (BOC), Jeff Palleiko (GNS), Anders Vikstrom, and Peter Madden formed a solid working group for much of the race, chasing the elite master's group of Bill, Bob, and Scott, as well as Dennis Claire and me, who were not in an organized pack. Eliza Deery (GNS) was the elite master's woman (M7), skiing an impressive race with Amelia Tinmouth (McGill) and Skylar Francis (Clarkson), who were vying for the Women’s overall. In a more refined pack of master skiers, Michele Smith (CSU), David Rand (SDXC), Jud Hartmann (NWVE), Ann Burnham (NWVE), Dhyan Nirmegh (NWVE), and Acadia Hegedus (Nonstop Nordic) rotated places throughout the race.  While things may have seemed cordial, the racing was real, and the group left it all on the course.  The dynamic of a group like this led all to better results. 


In a rematch of the Kendall Classic in December, Elizabeth Ransom (GNS) and Gina Campoli (Craftsbury) faced off again.  This time, with the mass start, the contest was head-to-head.  Elizabeth and Gina stayed together over the whole race.  Gordon Scannell (SDXC) was also in the mix, but Gina and Elizabeth made sure that no skiers came between them.  Bruce Katz (OLD) moved through the field on his own.  He is no longer unattached and seems to have formed an independent team apparently called OLD.  Skiers making the trip from Maine, Cipperly Good (NWVE) and Mark Lena (Maine Nordic), skied away from Andres Torizzo (MNC).  Andres was MNC’s lone competitor as they attempt to defend the NENSA Club Championship.  It was also great to see John Brodhead (CSC) putting a bib on in preparation for the Craftsbury Marathon. 


As the race continued, the collegiate leaders expanded the margin they had on the rest of the field.  The elite master's pack began playing some games to conserve energy as it appeared they were reeling in John Thompson (NWVE).  In reality, John was fading, and I was gaining.  Scott Magnan (NWVE) sensed this and tried to make a break.  Bob Burnham (NWVE) is very tenacious and showed his racing experience with the cat-and-mouse game.  In the final lap, the pace picked up, and Bob and Scott dropped Bill Donahue (GNS) as well as Noah Rehberg (Paul Smiths), who had pulled the train early in the race.  Bob played it smart to the finish, letting Scott fatigue himself before he went by on the final approach to the finish.  I caught and passed Gabrielle Perkins (Colby Club Nordic), but Noah out-kicked me.  It was a good thing as Ian Blair (BOC) had the skis I had heard closing the last time up the Wild Man Wall. 


The three elite women stayed together to the finish line.  Amalia Tinmouth (McGill) took the overall podium, and Eliza Deery (GNS) took second overall!  In the big pace line, Michele Smith (CSU) was able to put a little gap on the rest with David Rand (SDXC).  Jud Hartmann (NWVE) used his Bogburn fitness to out pace Ann Burnham (NWVE) and Dhyan Nirmegh (NWVE), proving that it always pays to SKI THE BOGBURN!  Gordon Scanell (SDXC) stayed clear of Gina Campoli and Elizabeth Ransom (GNS) as their battle ended today.  Elizabeth finished with a slight advantage.  Cipperly Good (NWVE) widened her lead over Mark Lena (Maine Nordic) on the final lap.  Wally Good was sporting a new beard as he cheered the team on.  His support was certainly helpful to NWVE, and the trim beard was a good look! 


Lisa Doucett (CSU) sprinted in with Roxana Arnet (McGill) in one of the many exciting masters collegiate match-ups.  John Wigglesworth (SDXC) led a pack into the finish that also included many of the younger skiers.  It was great to see these accomplished skiers modeling the way for aspiring skiers what patience, control, and technique can do to get through a race like this. 


There were four states that had complete teams in the Northeast State Championships.  Skiers from the entire roster contributed to the close race.  In the end, Vermont won back the title by one point over New Hampshire.  Maine edged Massachusetts by one point to take third!  In the One Day Club Championship, there were two complete men’s and women’s teams, respectively.   Cambridge Sports Union’s Lisa Doucett, Michele Smith, and Tala Klinck edged Gunstock Nordic’s Eliza Deery, Kathleen Aldridge, and Elizabeth Ransom by one point.  GNS only fielded FM7s, while CSU mixed it up a bit.  On the men’s side, NWVE retained the Club Championship with great performances from Scott Magnan, Dhyan Nirmegh, Jud Hartmann, and Bob Burnham.  SDXC, who was left off the podium last year, made a big comeback to take second with Gordon Scannell, Roger Wilson, John Wigglesworth, and David Rand.


The 2025 White Mountain Classic was a blast this year.  The race had suspense building up to it that carried all the way through it.  The course was unconventional, but it did its job of keeping athletes competitive with each other.  When I think of it, it was kind of like the BFA Alumni Race, where much of the race tightened as it progressed.  Jackson did an excellent job putting a course together where, just a few days ago, there was not one.  The staff and volunteers ensured everyone had a great time.  The dynamic of the USCSA skiers with the NENSA Masters worked out well for everyone.  Participants enjoyed the traditional meal after the race, where they shared stories about the race and planned their next adventures.  The awards ceremony was festive, with age group winners taking home White Mountain Puzzles!


Damian

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