A couple dozen people skied the Elkhorn Classic 30 km race, held January 19 at the high alpine Anthony Lakes ski area in the Blue Mountains of northeast Oregon.
What the race lacked in numbers it made up for in challenging terrain and spectacular scenery. The course began at 7100′ and climbed a steady 5% road grade to the top of the alpine ski area, then reversed direction and headed down to the start area. A hilly 10km loop followed, with many tight turns and sharp inclines.
Inversion conditions presented a sunny and calm day, but due to the high elevation, the snow remained cold and abrasive. Brenna Knowles won the women’s race. Dan Packman finished first overall, with a time of 1:35.
Report filed by Dan Packman of Team Torbjorn Sport
FasterSkier
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