The White Mountain Classic

The White Mountain Classic

1/11/2026

Results: https://live.starksmountain.org/

Photos: https://www.tombartol.com/photos

The ominous snow forecast for the White Mountain Classic left people guessing about what was going to happen.  With only a few hours to go, a variety of scenarios could play out.  More than a few woke in the wee hours before the race and wondered whether heading to Jackson was the right decision.  Toko even updated their Wax Recommendation.  A lot was in the air with Jackson on the cusp of a weather event that could go one way or another, significantly destabilizing snow conditions. Or as we found out, both! 

After a stellar Jackson Jaunt, the attention turned to the overnight weather forecast that was calling for a warm snow event with some wintry mix.  We all knew that things would be different on Sunday morning, but how different would they be?  It was anyone’s guess, and I am not sure if anyone guessed what actually happened.  Restless sleep had me looking out the window, trying to figure out what was going on and where I should set up the team wax bench.  It was of no use.  It was dark out, and I could not see what was happening.  Perhaps a little sleet, I saw a coating of snow on the cars, but different cars had different amounts, and then I thought I was just seeing things and should probably just try to rest.  There is no point in worrying about the weather.  I cannot control it.

We awoke to about an inch of dense new snow.  Early risers reported seeing some rain, but at breakfast, it was snowing lightly.  With the temperature already above freezing and slowly rising, was this good or bad news?  Jessica and I had breakfast with the Doucetts (CSU), Gina and John (Craftsbury), and Jud (NWVE).  We all had our own opinions and takes, and resolved to see what it would be like in an hour when the final decisions for wax needed to be made.

Like Saturday, the clouds parted, and the sun came out!  People went about preparing their skis, and there was a mix of what people were working with.  Some tried hard wax, some were on zeros, skins, and a majority on a universal klister.  Gina had made her own universal, by applying green klister as a base, then a layer of blue, and a layer of violet klister.  She was happy, and that is all she needed.  Jessica and I had committed to using skin skis, Dhyan Nirmegh (NWVE) showed up with a few minutes to spare, and applied a generous coat of some old Toko Yellow hard wax we have in our team kit over his klister. Zeros were working too.  The sticky snow seemed to be forgiving, and people were confident that conditions would not change significantly during the race with the break in the weather and the thin but solid new snow that freshened everything up!  For heading into the day with low expectations, the conditions were a pleasant surprise.  Most of NWVE stuck with the cooler side of our Wax prediction.  Rode’s KM3 – Multigrade, but better!

The course was the Homologated 5km loop again.  We doubled yesterday’s distance and added a parade lap around the field for the start.  Two of the loops were tough on Saturday; four on Sunday were sure to double the fun?  The new snow was quite fast, and people were getting charged up for the race.  With ten minutes to start, many took a final lap around the field and lined up.  Self-seeding was fairly good, and funneling in the Eagle Mountain Field was much more forgiving than the start, with a hard left we have used across from the lodge in recent years.

The field lined up for the mass start, and after a countdown, we were off!  The start was clean, and racing got underway.  There were at least three tracks set for the parade loop, and then we climbed the steep hill up to the Airport.  This gave the field plenty of room to sort itself out, and there were no significant bottlenecks as things got underway. The loop has 171m of climb per loop, so an aggressive start would have latent consequences for a majority of the participants.  Rob Riley (Gunstock) had an early mishap, breaking a pole strap, but he found a replacement quickly.  He decided not to let it upset him as he patiently raced his way back into position on the opening lap. 

Up front, Nathan Livingood (No Limits) dominated the field.  Training seriously for professional-level biathlon, he was one of the few who could attack the course from the start. He lapped much of the field and came by me so early that I was convinced he must have been a skier who missed their start and was making up time.   But no, he was that much faster than I was.  Matthew Clarner (Clarkson) was also away early on.  Thomas Clayton (NWVE) was more methodical and worked his way up through the field.  He picked off skiers one at a time and eventually moved into third overall, where he stayed.  Colin Pogue (Unattached) was in the mix with Thomas, along with Morgan Perlman (SDXC).  They were able to put enough separation on some of the next contenders to slowly slip away.  Chris Burnham (NWVE) and Dennis Page (Nansen) dueled for much of the race.  It was a matter of kick endurance as grip sheared away with each grueling lap, making the next even more of a challenge.

Rob Riley worked his way up through the field following his mishap.  He was able to follow David Herr (Unattached) as he executed his usual strategy of putting in a big effort after the excitement of the start has tired people out.  It seems rather effective as David conserves energy during the chaos of the mass start, waits for the field to spread out, puts in a surge while passing is quicker and less risky, and then settles in.  Rob connected with David at just the right moment and eventually caught Michael Dillon (MNC), staying there to the finish of the race.  Jessie Donavan (Unattached) distanced herself from the rest of the women in the field.  Gabe Perkins (Colby) should be quite pleased with his improvement from last season.  Skiing healthy this year put him right behind the former Ironman winner, Jessie Donavan.

Sarah Pribram (NWVE) had an outstanding race as well.  She tried a couple of ski options but settled on the KM3 Klister because Chris Burnham said it had more bite.  This proved to be a good decision and sound judgment.  After all, there is 171m of climbing each lap.  Annavitte Rand (SDXC) found herself in a battle with some of the most tenacious racers in the field.  Jim Burnham (CSU), Bill Donahue (Gunstock), and Nat Lucy (Unattached) are all familiar with each other's styles and difficult to shake, especially on a course like this, where their individual styles complement each other, keeping the momentum going. Bob Burnham (NWVE) was marking his old CSU teammate Ari Ofsevit.  Bob elected to use zeros due to a lack of prep time, opting to make sure Ann Burnham’s (NWVE) skis were in top shape for the race.  Bob’s skis started slipping more as moisture was added to the snow with a light drizzle that passed through around the midpoint of his race. Jessica Snyder (CSU) found good company with the steady effort of Anders Vikstrom (Team Hamp) when she needed it late in the race.  Anders is very patient, methodical, and consistent with his effort throughout the race. He does not react much, but has remarkable determination.  Stuart Kremzner (Enevoldsen Coaching) was also hanging on to Anders, though Stuart has a more excitable approach to competition.

Jeff Palleiko (Gunstock) was not very consistent in his race.  He started fairly conservatively, then moved up, but then lost kick with the slight change in condition.  He regretted covering his klister, but had enough to hold off Hans Larsson (Team Hamp) at the finish line.  Dhyan Nirmegh (NWVE) was very pleased with his race.  He carpooled with Jonathan Rodd (NWVE) and arrived just in time to race. In the race, Jonathan got an early gap climbing Henry well on the first lap.  Nirmegh saved some of his energy and skied with Jessica Bolduc (NWVE).  The two “worked” together, going back and forth several times on laps two and three, before Nirmegh was finally able to pull away.  He reeled in Jonathan and got a gap heading down the wave on the final lap.  Nirmegh settled a little too early as David Roberts (Nonstop) edged him for the M9 win.  I am sure if Nirmegh had known, his focus would have zeroed in on the M9 gold!

In the group with Jessica and Nirmegh were Russ Cone (Unattached), Lucas Desmond (Unattached), Colby Lapointe (etincelle project), and me, struggling to hang on.  The group kept in sight of each other for much of the race.  However, as fatigue set in, we spread out.  Nirmegh pulled Russ with him; the rest of us could not match their pace.  Skis made a difference in the final efforts for those who were on the course a little longer.  Moisture was added to the snow as we closed in on the finish, impacting those who chose different skis in different ways.  (Skins were improving, klisters were not.) 

Michele Smith (CSU) had a strong race and was closing on me as we made our way up Henry one last time.  Cipperly Good (NWVE) had good skis as well.  She worked with Ann Burnham (NWVE) some of the time, but pulled away as the race wore on.  Cipperly had accidentally put a little KR3 on her ski, which came in handy in the later stages of the race but was of no consequence early on.  Cipperly and Ann also had the company of Gina Campoli (Craftsbury), who had opted for the half-distance for two laps.  It was a good group, and there were surely mixed feelings as Gina pulled off to finish, and the rest were only half done.  But the skiing was good, so why not take it all in!

Jud Hartmann (NWVE) also connected with Cipperly’s group.  He fell off the pace a bit in the later stages, but finished the race with a strong double-pole effort and was pleased with how well things went.  Among Jud were several of the Marathon Series Challengers.  So, it may be a stretch to call a 20km a marathon, but this course was certainly challenging enough to serve as the Marathon Series Opener and get participants primed for the upcoming distance races.  I did not hear any calls for another lap or two.  Bruce Katz (Unattached) was happy to finish the race another year.  Gordon Scannell (SDXC) was inspired by the Bogburn report’s “love it or hate it – your hooked mentality” to continue skiing with passion even if it is not as easy as it used to be.  He skied with teammate Kimberly Moody (SDXC) for much of the race.  Daniel Baumert (PVSC) was also in action this weekend.  I hope his mental notes say that 171m of climbing per lap is wonderful for a race with Mountain in its name, but 96m of all-stride-able per lap is perfect for the race he directs - The Caribou Bog Classic!

Mixing it in with Daniel for half the race were John Wigglesworth (SDXC), Roger Wilson (SDXC), and Lisa Doucett (CSU).  These athletes were pulling for their clubs in the One Day Club Championship, and their efforts helped the teams get onto the podium.  With SDXC taking third for the Men, and CSU getting second for the Women!

The Jackson Weekend proved to be two days of exceptional skiing!  We should expect no less!  Jackson always pulls out all the stops to host events that everyone can reflect upon with a sense of accomplishment!  The inclusion of the USCSA athletes adds a great dynamic to the races, with good compatibility throughout the roster.  With the State and Club Championship components, every athlete belongs to something broader than their individual effort, showing the strength of the whole cross-country skiing community.  It is this community that puts events like this over the top, meeting old and new friends, sharing an experience beyond a race, and enriching the sport! 

Damian