Submitted by Denise Jordan, Arrowhead Nordic Ski Club
This year’s Muskoka Loppet became yet another casualty of the global pandemic, so instead Arrowhead Nordic Ski Club is hosting the Muskoka “Noppet” (the Not-Loppet). Club members can still participate until Sunday, March 21.
Skiers ski a specific distance—five, 15, 30, 45, 60 or 80 km—and record their time online. They can choose to either classic or skate ski, or even do a bit of both.
There have been some challenges in our Noppet. After two months of beautiful ski conditions at Arrowhead, the trails suffered a major setback. There was not only a thaw, and a rain, but the park’s grooming machine suffered a major breakdown and was out of commission for the first week of the Noppet. The trail conditions were difficult, and attendance at Arrowhead plummeted. As a result, the closing date of the Noppet has been extended to March 21. The machine is now repaired, and most trails are in excellent condition—in spite of the lack of new snow.
There’s still time to get out there and participate. For more information go to: arrowheadnordic.ca/blog/noppet/.
Some club members have already entered their results online.
Several speedy young skiers completed five km in around 20 minutes with Matthew Shalla breaking the 20-minute barrier.
Steve Jones, in the 60-69 category, scorched the trail in 12-and-a-half minutes.
In the regular Muskoka Loppet (a classic event only), if skiers want to ski the 30 km category, they must complete the first 15km in under 90 minutes. This is not an easy feat. Two 15km classic Noppet participants achieved this milestone: Harvey Chapman and Dave Ross. Steve Jones burned through the course in 46 minutes!
Three brave skiers completed the 30 km challenge. That’s almost the distance from Huntsville to Bracebridge.
Two were skate-skiing (a much faster technique) and one was classic skiing (which is normally the only technique allowed in our regular Loppet). Congratulations to Dave, Steve and Ken as you can see in the chart below:
Finally, Steve and Ken could not be held back—they both completed the 60km category (equivalent to a round-trip to Bracebridge). Ken Hawthorn finished 60 km in under four hours, while Steve Jones came in under three hours. Congratulations to both.
Again, there is still an opportunity to participate. Head out to Arrowhead this weekend and ski the Noppet. No need to register. Simply enter your results online. For more information visit arrowheadnordic.ca/blog/noppet/.
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Mary Spring says
How fortunate we are to have Arrowhead Provincial Park on our doorstep. Cross country skiing has really helped me to get through this long pandemic winter. Thanks, as well, to the volunteers at Arrowhead Nordic Ski Club who have organized some fun events to keep us fit and healthy!
Dave Gibson says
Great idea and some great performances from local athletes! Congratulations!