Aotearoa
Atop a mountain, in a country known by the native Maori as Aotearoa — land of the long white cloud — weather moves in and weather moves out. One day to the next can make all the difference. On Friday morning the U.S. team ran for 2 ½ hours up the Matukituki Valley in t-shirts, then put in a distance and on-snow specific strength session in the half-light of the evening sky. The nighttime brought heavy winds and precipitation, a mishmash of snow too sticky to groom. Instead of slogging through snow so heavy only a coastal skier with a pair of hairy skis ready to roll could love, the U.S. men’s team put in their 3 ½ hour classic rollerski and run combo in the valley below. What follow are pictures from the two day’s events.
Friday
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/oldsitearchive/upload/070813-104844-nz-torin-1.jpg width=350 height=263 border=1><br />
<font size=1 face=verdana>Running beside Lake Wanaka, en route to Mt. Aspiring and the Matukituki Valley.</font></center></p>
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