Lack of early-season snow has made it pretty apparent why the 36th annual Winterstart cross-country ski event has been pushed back a week.
The important thing is the local Nordic kickoff event called Winterstart has been rescheduled for Saturday, Dec. 20 at Galena Lodge 23 miles north of Ketchum. That's a day before winter's official start.
Winterstart had been originally planned for Dec. 13, according to race organizer and Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation cross-country head coach Rick Kapala. By pushing it back a week, the Wood River Nordic community can focus on supporting Galena Lodge over the Dec. 20-21 weekend.
Winterstart will be followed on Sunday, Dec. 21 by "Ski for Free Day," at Galena Lodge.
Kapala said Winterstart registration will be held next Saturday from 9-10 a.m. followed by racing at 11 a.m. Format will be four-a-minute wave starts over the following distances—adults 10 kilometers or 5k, juniors 10k or 5k, and youth 1.5k.
Raffle prizes and awards will be given at Galena Lodge after the races. Entry fees are $10 for adults 20-and-older, $5 for juniors ages 14-19 and free for kids ages 13-and-younger.
Kapala, whose SVSEF team traditionally holds two holiday race events at the Lake Creek trail system three miles north of town, said he has canceled one of them to allow for the Dec. 20-21 Galena Lodge weekend of events. So, the Dec. 20 Holiday Relays at Lake Creek will have to wait for next year.
Still, two more Saturdays of ski races are set for after the Christmas holiday. They are the Christmas Classic USSA National Ranking List Race Saturday, Dec. 27 at Lake Creek, and the Snowmaker Classic Races Saturday, Jan. 3 at Prairie Creek in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area north of Ketchum.
