The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“If it looks thin, it’s probably thin. If it doesn’t look thin, it’s probably thin”
Irwin Rando Race co-director Bryan Wickenhauser said it last week: “At the end of the day, it is ski mountaineering.”
It may not have snowed much in the past couple of weeks but there’s enough out there to pull off the Irwin Rando Race on Saturday, December 10. The Irwin event is the first race of the Colorado Ski Mountaineering Cup (COSMIC) series.
Race co-director Jake Jones was at the venue on Tuesday with Irwin risk manager/snow safety director Billy Rankin and after some serious course inspection, they decided the race is a go.
“It’s thin but good,” says Jones. “I think people will have to be pretty heads up on the descents.”
“The uphills are great,” adds Rankin. “Obviously our concerns are on the downhills.”
The course is expected to be nearly identical to last year’s, with two loops totaling approximately 3,000 vertical feet of climbing and descending for the rec class and three loops and 4,500 feet for the race class.
“It’s looking better than we thought,” says Rankin. “It’s a really similar course, which is exciting.”
Rankin said the southern exposures had a nice supportable crust with about six inches of new sitting on top. Areas in the shade are obviously more faceted.
“It’s actually decent skiing out there,” says Rankin.
The one area in question is the boot pack climb, or “booter.”
Last year the booter was on the second loop and went right up a chute called dogleg. But with the apron below the booter thin and the dogleg thin as well, organizers may move it to a different chute with a little better accessibility.
“We may end up tweaking it a little bit,” says Jones. “We’re going to opt for a longer boot pack rather than no boot pack. There will still be a hand line for people to use.”
As of press time Tuesday there were still spots left for the race. People can sign up online at zapevent.com. There is no day-of registration. The mandatory racers meeting will be at Maxwell’s restaurant, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, December 9.
The weather forecast calls for a beautiful December day in the mountains. Jones has some advice as both a racer and race organizer.
“I would not discourage people using a fatter ski than they usually race on,” says Jones. “If it looks thin, it’s probably thin. If it doesn’t look thin, it’s probably thin.”
