Mt. Bachelor Vertfest 2014

Ski Mountaineering races ("SkiMo") are a growing sport here in the U.S. Of course, like most things related to ski touring, the sport has been popular in Europe for a long time. What is SkiMo racing? Well, it's pretty much like it sounds. Races involve a combination of skinning, boot packing, and skiing along a racecourse. First to cross the finish line wins! 

I had never done a skimo race before the Mt. Bachelor Vertfest. However, with the frustratingly dry December and January we had, it seemed I might as well have something to train for. The race was inbounds on Mt. Bachelor. There were three race course categories: beginner, recreational, and elite. The beginner race totaled around 750 vertical feet of climbing; the rec course totaled around 2300 vertical feet of climbing; and the long course totaled around 4000 vertical feet of climbing.  I figured if I was going to do it, I might as well get my money's worth, so I registered for the long course. Calling it the "elite" category just sounded pretentious and silly...there is nothing elite about my racing. 

Elevation Profile

Well, the snowball dropped a little after 10 am, and we were off. As I had never done one of these things before, I didn't entirely know what to expect. Typically, when out for a leisurely tour with friends, I average 1000-1200 vertical feet per hour. While training on the Palmer Glacier on Mt. Hood, I did close to 2300 vertical feet in an hour. Well, when the snowball dropped, the front line of skiers, many dressed in spandex and on skis the width of toothpicks, took off jogging. Not wanting to get left behind at the start line, I did too. Big mistake. Within minutes I was heaving, doing my best not to collapse. I was being passed on all sides, and we were only minutes into the race. I decided to let my heart rate drop, adopt a manageable pace, and make it to the first transition point. 

The cool thing about skimo racing is that it's not just about lung burning uphills, nor a blistering downhills. Significant time is gained and lost in transitions from skinning to skiing and back. While I had fallen toward the back of the pack on the first climb, I was able to make up some time in my transition. I quickly stripped my skins off my skis, slid my skins beneath the shoulder straps of my pack, locked my boots, and pointed my tips downhill. Toward the bottom of the run I dropped into a tuck, trying to scrape a few more seconds off my time. 

Next began first long climb, which stretched from near the bottom of the Outback chairlift to just below the Pine Martin lift. I struggled to maintain my pace, and was eventually passed by a handful of skiers midway up the climb. At that point, I was less focused on my time, and more focused on completing the course. I reached the top of the climb feeling winded. My transition was slower, but still pretty good. I dropped into a tuck near the top of the run, and was quickly going as fast as my light weight race boots would allow. In the blink of an eye, I was again at the bottom, applying my skins, and preparing for the final climb.

My second long climb was quite a bit easier than the first. I don't know if I had finally settled in to a rhythm, or if I was just content to hike slower. I'll admit that at that point my only goal was to not come in last. I reached the top, transitioned to ski mode, and zipped down to the Cone, the final leg of the race. 

If you know Mt. Bachelor, you know the cone is a satellite peak off the main volcano that requires a 200-300 foot boot pack to the summit. I did my best to jog up the boot pack, skis on my shoulder.  I was greeted on the summit of the Cone by a group of organizers and onlookers. I was handed an ice cold Pabst which I gulped down ceremoniously before beginning the final descent to the finish line. I didn't come in last, but I came in far from first. My final time was 2:04, good for 18th out of 22 racers. The fastest time came in over 50 minutes ahead of my at 1:13. However, I hiked better than 2000 vertical feet per hour, and I wasn't last, so all in all, it was a great success. 

Skinning through the rime covered trees on Mt. Bachelor ((Brian Becker Photography)

I will definitely race again. Hopefully next time I will be faster, but if not, no biggie. What I loved most about the race was the opportunity to meet all sorts of backcountry skiers that I might not have otherwise met. The funny thing about backcountry skiing is, the whole point is to get away from people. So, you don't really meet many new people in the mountains. It takes an event like Vertfest to bring all these reclusive skiers together in one place. When you do, you find a group of passionate, excited, and just all around awesome humans (except for the people on the podium...hiking over 3000 vertical feet an hour makes you a machine). I look forward to skiing with some of those new friends in the future. 

The Winners of the 2014 Mt. Bachelor Vertfest