Upcoming Cross Country Events - January

One on skis, and the other on foot. This weekend, Jan. 14-15, is the 39th Annual Chama Chile Ski Classic. All kinds of fun up in the Chama valley including freestyle and classic xc-ski events, snowshoe combined events, folks in costume, folks on vintage gear, folks getting their skiing-on with babies strapped to their backs, folks in skin-tight racing onesies and top line boards and race bindings (I'm looking at you Los Alamos). Did I mention the beer sampling, live music, telemark and avalanche clinics? This event is sweet. I attended last year and wrote-up a few of the happenings. You can find me and Schroeder at The High Country Saloon this Saturday night with pints in hand.

The other upcoming event is the annual Corrida de los Locos, scheduled for Sat. January 28th out near the Caja del Rio here in Santa Fe. 5.7mi of cross-country style running over hardpack, snow, surface gravel - lots of fun. I didn't compete last year but lent a hand to the race directors and wrote-up a recap of the racing in addition to a few photos. One of the many area races last year that featured a local professional that showed up to get in a workout. Pretty stacked race. I've got the inside scoop that race prizes this year will be cowbells which ought to make all subsequent races in 2012 a whole lot louder.

Several other upcoming ski and snowshoe events are profiled over at snowshoemag.com by Santa Fe writer and swift-of-foot runner Whitney Dreier. We'll see if I can't update the Events Tab up there for the 2012 year before long.