Kulshan Dispatch - MAY 13th 2026
The race is on in just three short days! Read up on all the details (I know there are a lot of them):
Snow Conditions:
Once again, Kulshan is making us work for it. We have had teams out every few days in the past two weeks assessing the snow conditions. Phil Straub, our Course Director and CMA guide, had a final evaluation yesterday and we are making the following course changes: 1) Eliminating the Park Butte Lookout portion of the course and instead 2) Sending teams higher onto the Easton Glacier and 3) utilizing the low mountain trail systems since they are predominantly melted out. The Short Course will add an ascent from Salad Bowl to the Squak CP, staying on the mid mountain and off the glaciers. Our new race course for both distances can be found below. Overall, we are excited about this change and the opportunity to explore new terrain on the Easton Glacier. It now makes a full loop with no repeated terrain! While this year has not given us the lower mountain snow we usually find, the mid and upper mountains are still in great shape (albeit about a month ahead of typical melt schedule; there are visible crevasses open). Our team has been able to not only flex, but in fact develop an even better course we may keep in future years.
A few details you might be wondering about:
- New Full Course is 16mi, 9,000’ gain (old Full 18mi, 10,000’ gain)
- New Short Course is 12mi, 5,500’ gain (old Short 8mi, 5,000’ gain)
- Teams will start in running shoes with skis/boots on pack, swap to boots at 4,400’, and carry shoes until the final descent, where shoes will go back on for more singletrack.
- Easton CP will have calories, but no water. No water on course until Feed Station at Salad Bowl CP (4,500’ cumulative gain). 2nd Feed Station at Squak CP.
- New cutoffs will be briefed at Friday Racer Meeting (est 9,000’ gain, 9hr overall Cutoff)
Weather Forecast:
BLUF: Not what we were hoping for. From Phil:
"We are looking at an unsettled and rapidly shifting mountain forecast through this weekend. Multiple weather systems will be moving through the region and bringing dynamic mountain conditions with heavy precipitation, poor visibility and strong winds expected. The course will likely see rain at lower elevations while the upper mountain picks up some notable new snow. The worst of the weather is expected to move through between early Friday and early Saturday.
"With this in mind, we are asking all checkpoint volunteers to travel to their stations on Saturday morning before the race starts. The conditions on Friday and overnight into Saturday will not be safe for sleeping on the mountain! We will be delaying the race start to allow for reasonable travel time allotments. Remember that this is a dynamic situation and that the final call on timing will be made on Friday evening at our Racer Meeting."
With no snowmobiles, we planned to have all CP volunteers move in Friday and camp. With blizzard like conditions peaking Friday into early morning Saturday, we have elected to delay CP infill until Saturday morning for volunteer safety. To both align with volunteer emplacement and clearing weather Saturday afternoon, we will delay the Race Start to 10:00am! You’re welcome for the extra sleep! With a little luck, we will have a pretty decent race day; but our setup crews tomorrow and Friday will beat the brunt of the storm.
Watch the Race Live
The race will be monitored with live GPS beacons on each racer, so you can watch virtually. We also plan to post some live streams through Instagram, so tune in midrace for the action.
Scholarship Team Spotlight: Sea to Sky Shenanigans
Team Sea to Sky Shenanigans living up to their name
Each year, SnowGoat Skimo and Cascade Mountain Ascents sponsors a team entry scholarship for one under represented team. Our goal is to bring the joy of Kulshan and ski mountaineering exploration to those who normally might not be able to attend. This year’s selection was team Sea to Sky Shenanigans, hailing from across the border in British Columbia. From Cathy, their fearless leader:
“We’re a Sea-to-Sky–based crew brought together by a shared love of mountains, movement, and big days out.
Cathy Sze (Squamish, born in BC) found skimo through early Cypress race nights and quickly got hooked on the mix of efficiency, challenge, and type-2 fun. As an Asian woman in a sport where representation can be limited, applying for this scholarship felt meaningful - both for accessibility and to help grow a more inclusive skimo community.
Julie Gourdeau (Squamish, originally from Quebec) is our resident skimo expert and the one who first got us excited about the Kulshan Randonnée. She’s drawn to the mountains for the sense of freedom, presence, and unpredictability they offer, and loves the efficiency and team aspect of skimo. Julie is also the kind of quietly strong crusher woman in the sport who inspires the people around her, especially Cathy, by being suspiciously fast while somehow still smiling.
Ralph Burden (Squamish, originally from the UK) brings a strong alpine background and usually prefers splitboarding, though he’s happy to click into skis for a special occasion. He jokingly claims he’s mostly here for the “Strava street cred” (despite deactivating his account), and has a habit of describing objectively massive missions as “pretty chill.”
Glen Healy (born and raised in West Vancouver, BC, now based in Vancouver for school) helped introduce Cathy to skimo through the Cypress race scene years ago and still brings the pace, positivity, and good vibes. He’s drawn to the mountains for the skiing, beautiful views, and community.
We applied because skimo is still a small and evolving sport, and the welcoming community around it has made a big impact on us. We’re especially excited about the Kulshan Randonnée because it’s the full package: glaciers, big mountains, efficient movement through complex terrain, and a huge day out with friends.”
Good luck to Sea to Sky and all the race teams!
North Cascade Glacier Climate Project Partnership
We are so delighted to announce that is the official artist of the 2026 Kulshan Randonnee is Jill Pelto! Jill and her father Mauri direct the North Cascade Glacier Climate Project, where Mauri has been studying the glaciers of Mount Baker every year since 1984. Jill, as both a scientist and an artist, weaves both together to produce artwork that showcases the science of glacial retreat. All racers and volunteers will receive a commemorative poster illustrated by Jill as part of their race gift. Even better, as part of our race briefings on Friday May 15th, we will hear more from the Jill about making art on Kulshan and watch the newest short film from the NCGCP.
This year our SnowGoat Kulshan course setting team is partnering with the NCGCP to install snow monitoring equipment to better understand how the mountain and our race course is changing, more on that soon. Two snow study stakes were installed along the race course as an additional data point during the NCGCP’s field days in August. Science, art and skimo together for the win!
Post Race Volunteer Appreciation Party
Wednesday, 7:30pm, May 20th, Kulshan Brewing Roosevelt (Bellingham)
Come relive the tales of adventure from the weekend with some post week refreshments, hosted by Kulshan Brewing! For any volunteer, your first round is on Dick! Racers are welcome too of course and are encouraged to buy volunteers a beer as well!
Gratitude
Throughout this entire venture, it has been my pleasure to work with such a great crew. This is our fourth year attempting this race, and every year we are thrown more curveballs than we can count. This year especially, with the low snowpack, and now the inclement weather race weekend (bookended by high pressure systems the week before and week after the race, come on!), we have had to continually adjust our plan over and over. But through it all, I am proud of the team’s effort to evaluate the situation, develop the best sound alternate, and go forward with smiles on all our faces. It truly is a joy to bring an event like this into creation to celebrate Kulshan, her people, and her stories. Gratitude to the team I am lucky enough to be able lead and to the racers who are able to come and have an experience like none other! See you in Concrete.
Kulshan Dispatch 4/22/26
The Big Dark is over. Winter didn’t show up the way we wanted - but above 6,000 feet, ski season is still very much alive. The mountains are running a month ahead of a normal melt schedule, but the Kulshan upper mountain is looking great and we’re confident in excellent race conditions. Spring volcano season is here. Let’s go! Here’s what you need to know:
Skiing the lower Easton Glacier.
Conditions:
Harrison and I got out today to the Squak CP with intermittent sun peaking through teasing us. On the upper mountain, the 1.5’ of dry snow we received last Wednesday has settled in to a weak refreeze cycle the last week. We are looking forward to a strong high pressure system arriving tomorrow for the foreseeable future which should improve the melt/freeze corn cycle. We expect the upper mountain to be skiing quite well!
Lower down, the Meadows and the Rocky Creek zones are melting out at least a month ahead of schedule. Specifically, the Rocky Creek will most likely not be passable on skis, so it could mean a start in running shoes for the first two miles. We will be monitoring the conditions closely over the next three weeks until we race and will make sure to keep you all informed!
Teams/Personalized Bibs:
We still have room for more teams! Please, spread the word to your touring partners if you can. These first few years, we’ve been focusing on building the operations, so grassroots marketing is super helpful.
We are ordering personalized team bibs on Sunday, 4/26, so make sure all your team’s information is correct and everyone has registered via Movemint. Here are the 11 teams we have competing thus far.
Didn’t get to tour or train as much as you hoped to this season? No problem, check out the Rec Course as a team of two. Half the elevation, no glacial gear required; it’s a great way to gain entry to the mountain.
Want to race but need a partner? There are four skiers posted to the Rope Team Registry (formerly the Kulshan Tinder), looking for partners! Give one of them an old fashioned phone call!
Volunteer Needs:
Want to experience the magic of the Randonnée, but for free? Come out and volunteer and play a critical role in the race! The following areas we are still looking for assistance:
Thursday Course Marking (2-4 more, this is the MOST fun day!)
Friday Skills Check Off (3 more, must know basic glacial climbing systems)
Salad Bowl Check Point (2 more, easiest CP to get to, can travel there Saturday morning)
Crater Check Point (1 more, hardest CP to get to, must know glacial climbing techniques and travel to CP Friday then camp there).
Race Suits: For those who want to upgrade their outfit, we will have our SnowGoat branded lycra race suits on sale at Check In Friday! Normally they’re $405, but we’ve got them at a discounted $325 for a top/bottom outfit.
Lodging
While it appears the Mount Baker Hotel is booked out, just up the road there is the North Cascades Inn (owned by some climbers). As of this posting, there is one room still available, a triple bed room, perfect for a team of three! Make sure you tell them you’re in town for the race.
If you’re looking to dirtbag it, the owner of the Hub is letting us use a gravel lot two blocks away from Check In for car camping. It’s the site of the old school that burned down; he’s in the process of converting it into RV and tent camping sites, but right now it’s crushed gravel so bring a nice sleeping pad. There are a few grassy spots nearby you could throw down a tent or sleep in your back seat. For more official camping, there is a KOA 7 miles away and the Kulshan Campground ran by PSE at Baker Lake Dam 14 miles away. Of course, there are multiple Air BnB options in the area as well.
Concrete Theatre
Our pre-race meeting Friday will be held in the historic Concrete Theatre. All Friday afternoon, the theatre will be showing films (The Mountain Runners, and a few of mine, Dick’s RASH and Tour de Volcanoes). Pop your head in and check them out after your Skills Check!
Also, we wanted to spread the word the theatre is hosting a Mountain Film Fest May 1-3 weekend! Go check out the course during the day and catch a film there in the evening in just a few weeks!
Other Concrete Sightseeing
We hope you schedule some extra time into your schedule to explore the town of Concrete during the race weekend. It has quite the history built around cement production and a very colorful past! Here are some fantastic things you don’t want to miss:
Race Report
For those who want to do some deep reading into what to expect at the Rando, Allen Taylor wrote a great blog report chronicalling his teams’ experience at the inaugural 2024 event.
We’ll continue updating with conditions; tune in to our Instagram for live time mountain conditions and racer information. We look forward to seeing you in Concrete May 15th!
Kulshan Dispatch 2/23/26
Conditions Update
This hasn’t quite been the season many of us were hoping for. The tragedies in Tahoe and the Wasatch. Low Tide snow. SnowGoat just cancelled their third skimo race in a row. But we remain hopeful for the rest of the season, especially for our season finale, the Kulshan Rando.
Our three cancelled races have all been resort based, at the Summit of Snoqualmie. Resorts are especially impacted by this lack of snowfall, and they’re dealing with it operationally as best they can. Specifically, the resorts made the decision to prioritize the limited available terrain for lift served guests and lessons, understandably so, at the expense of events like ours.
However, there IS still good snow to slide on out there, and our team of Race Deputies feels very confident the Rando is a GO this May. Right now, we are expecting we will be operating under our Ops Plan B this year, which is how we will run the event without snowmobile support (just like our inaugural 2024 race). It will mean our volunteers and staff have a bigger challenge to get the course set, CPs into position, and operate the race safely, but thankfully we’ve got the best crew imaginable to make that happen in style. We don’t expect a lack of snow to cause a cancellation of the race. Worst case, the race start will be at the Trailhead in shoes, and racers will run to the snow.
The mid and upper mountain still had a good amount of snow accumulation, since snowline was consistently at least 6k’. The glaciers are very well filled in. The Meadows has 2-4’ of snow currently, and there’s still a lot of season left. We’ve dialed our operations the last two years and feel confident our operations can flex with the conditions as they present themselves.
Rando Stoke Party @ Black Diamond Seattle
Gear up for the Kulshan Randonnée at BD’s Seattle Flagship store on March 12th for an evening dedicated to Kulshan psych and peak preparation. Enjoy snacks and drinks while you pick our brains on everything from technical gear choices to the best training reccomendations for the big day. Whether you’re already on the roster or looking for that final nudge to sign up, come get inspired and get your questions answered before we race up that mountain. Thanks Black Diamond for supporting!
Short Course
Don’t forget we opened up the Kulshan Short Course this year. It gives you a good hearty taste of what the Full Course contains, but eliminates the final climb up the Squak Glacier. That cuts out half the elevation gain and the technical glacial ascension, eliminating the need for large teams and glacial technical skills. It is a much more accessible event for many budding ski mountaineers and would be a great training progression for one day signing up for the Full Course. However, I would expect an exciting competition! We are offering the same Women’s/Men’s/Coed podium awards as the Full.
Price Increase March 1st
The registration price increases $100/person on March 1st! Save some cash and register now.
Volunteer Signup Open
Another fantastic way to experience the energy of the race is to volunteer. Ask anyone who’s done it before: volunteering at a checkpoint or helping set course will be a day unlike any other you’ve spent in the mountains; it’s unforgettable. We are currently recruiting for all positions; sign up now to reserve the most fun roles! All volunteers receive the same super cool schwag items our racers get, which we think is cool, plus our donated schwag goes to volunteers too. We appreciate you!
Scholarship, Application Deadline March 21st
Each year, one team gains free entry and training to the competition, sponsored by the SnowGoat and Cascade Mountain Ascents. Designed to make the race more accessible to underrepresented and financially challenged individuals, our application is open to anyone.
Event Cancellation Insurance
I know some individuals still might be hesitant to make the financial investment in the race while wondering if we might cancel. New for 2026, we have established Event Insurance, where if the race is cancelled due to weather, all registrants would have their entry fee refunded to them. This added safety net protects the teams and allows us organizers to prioritize safety as our foremost objective. You can now sign up without fearing that your money is lost should we be forced to cancel!
Rope Team Registry
Solo looking for a partner(s)? Check our Rope Team Registry! Not the right match on there yet? Add your own details! We’ve had 2-3 teams form the past few years from this resource, and have heard great things about how new touring friendships have grown from it.
written by: Richard Kresser
Wildside Western two weeks away!
January 6th - Uphill Policy Discussion
Join us January 6th at 6:30 pm at Old Stove Gardens for an evening of conversation about Uphill Ski Policy in the Pacific Northwest. This is a SnowGoat Skimo fundraiser, which means the best way to support skimo racing is exactly what you’re already good at: drinking beer and talking about uphill access.
Old Stove Gardens
1550 NW 49th St
Seattle, WA 98107
6:30 pm
(If you saw a different brewery in the last newsletter, that typo is on me)
Race Season is almost here!
Our first race of the season is right around the corner!
Wildside Western – Summit at Snoqualmie
Friday, January 9th @ 1730
This first race is an awesome opportunity for both beginners and experts alike. We also welcome youth to come out and try out Skimo! Skinning up under the lights on a Friday night is a great experience and will leave your weekend schedule free for more turns. PRICE INCREASES FRIDAY!
Speaking of youth: our gear closet is growing (huge thanks to everyone who donated), and youth equipment will soon be available at Pro Ski in North Bend. If you or someone you know wants to get into skimo and doesn’t know where to start, reach out — we’re happy to help.
Volunteers = Legends
SnowGoat events don’t happen without volunteers. If you want to be part of the action, sign up via our website or shoot us an email. Race schedule is below.
Kulshan Randonnée Q&A! January 8th!
Our very own Richard Kresser is hosting SnowGoat Skimo’s first-ever YouTube Live Q&A on January 8th at 8:00 pm.
If you’re racing Kulshan, thinking about racing it someday, or just want some high-quality skimo content, this is one you don’t want to miss.
The Q&A will be focused on Kulshan Randonnée race on May 16th, 2026. (Registration will open January 9th).
Find the link on our YouTube channel. Tune in, get smarter, suffer less, and show up ready.
Uphill Access Policy
Uphill travel continues to grow across the Pacific Northwest, but early-season conditions and low snowpack mean that uphill policies are changing frequently at all ski resorts right now.
As a result, uphill access may be fully closed, partially restricted, or limited to specific routes, and sometimes with very little notice.
Before heading out, please:
Check each resort’s official uphill policy the day you plan to go
Respect all closures, blackout dates, and designated routes
Understand that access allowed one day may be closed the next due to snowmaking or safety concerns
Following these guidelines is critical to keeping uphill travel viable as snow conditions improve.
SnowGoat Skimo supports responsible uphill travel and encourages everyone to be a good ambassador for the sport. The more we show that skimo athletes can follow the rules, the better chance we have of maintaining and expanding uphill access across the region. Specifically, please leave the dogs at home when going uphill.
You can always find links to current uphill policies for PNW resorts on our website.
Thanks for supporting SnowGoat Skimo, supporting uphill access, and showing up for the community. Our online store will be launching VERY soon where you can purchase all the SnowGoat Skimo T-shirts and swag.
Our youth program is underway this season. Thank you all to the community for donating. We are working with Summit to offer Intro to Youth Touring this season. The official Summit signups are coming soon, and feel free to head over to our YOUTH PAGE to see updates to the program.
Thank you all -
SnowGoat Skimo
2025 Race Dates, Registration, Race Suits, Kickoff Party & Staff Updates
Race Dates Announcement
We’re thrilled to announce the upcoming dates for our exciting winter events! Mark your calendars for an unforgettable season filled with adventure.
WESTY’S WILDSIDE WESTERN 2025 SERIES
Friday, January 10th
Thursday, January 30th
Friday, February 28th
Registration opens on November 1st.
VERTFEST @ ALPENTAL
Saturday, February 15th, 2025
(USA Skimo National Cup Event)
Registration opens on November 1st.
WY’EASTER SKIMO RACE
Saturday, March 29th, 2025 (Individual)
Sunday, March 30th, 2025 (Sprint)
(USA Skimo National Cup Event)
Registration opens on December 1st.
KULSHAN RANDONNÉE
Saturday, May 17th, 2025
Registration opens January.
The SnowGoat Races gets a Race Suit
While we all love the "get 'er done" attitude with whatever ad hoc speed clothes we can find, looking the part can boost our confidence and make us feel FAST. Plus, purpose-designed clothing just performs better. We’re partnering with Crazy Idea from the Italian Alps to create a SnowGoat-themed race suit for you to purchase. Although we don’t have a mockup design yet, expect lots of goats, blues, and fun color. Check out last year’s design by Cripple Creek for inspiration.
We need to submit the order amount soon to have them in hand by January, so you’ll have one week to make a reservation. This pre-order will be non-binding, so if the design isn’t your style, don’t worry. Once they're gone, they’re gone, so make sure you reserve yours today!
Seattle Skimo Kick Off Party on 12/10
Join us for our annual Kick Off Party on December 10 at Old Stove Brewing Co (Garden) in Seattle starting at 7 PM! This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow community members and learn about exciting new announcements for the upcoming events. Plus, every beer purchased will donate $1 to our organization, helping us continue to run these events. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
Board of Directors Update
Skimo Northwest, our 501c3 nonprofit that oversees the SnowGoat Skimo series, just saw its third birthday this fall! Two of our initial founding members, Esther Opersteny (Secretary) and Seth Davis (Treasurer) have stepped aside as their 3yr terms expired. If you see them out shredding laps at Snoqualmie, please give them a big high five and a thank you for all the work they put into creating this organization! We couldn't have done it without you.
And now to welcome our new members on our Board! First, we altered our structure so that each individual Race Director has a seat on the Board. Skimo Northwest aims to be a "race cooperative", where the races and their individual organizers band together to put on top notch events. In such a niche sport, we are stronger together than each race operating on its own. Rich Bennett joins our Board as the RD for Vertfest and Westy Ford as the RD for Westy's Wildside WESTern. The other RDs are already on the Board (Matt & Richard). Lisa Green also volunteered to join and will assume the vacant role of Treasurer. We have such a great crew of people who are passionate about skimo and events. It is a great pleasure working with all of you to make these happen!
If you're interested in learning more about our structure, everyone's roles, and who is behind the curtains here at Skimo Northwest/SnowGoat Skimo, check it out!
Expanding Uphill Advocacy Outreach
When Skimo Northwest formed, we wanted to be more than a race company. For the sport to flourish, we need not only races, but places to train. If you look at any regional ski resort's current Uphill Policy, you'll find a confusing and wide range of allowances, times, and protocols. In essence, it is difficult to properly tour uphill at most resorts, and we aim to change that.
The last four years we've worked with the Summit at Snoqualmie to help identify what issues they're concerned with regarding uphilling, communicate to them what uphillers are looking for, and suggest possible improvements to operations and marketing that benefit all stakeholders. We believe that creating designated uphill lanes that are accessible during all operating hours for a reasonable season's pass fee is the way to gain reliable and continued access. Uphilling inbounds can be compared to a rock climbing gym, with a lower barrier of entry than the backcountry, with accessibility, facilities, safety, and skills progression prioritized and a fee associated. While progress can be hard to measure some years, we've been proud to see the Summit adopt an Uphill Program with continued daily access, multiple and interesting uphill tracks that can be linked up, parking prioritization, lessons, and events.
New for the '24/'25 Season, we are expanding our advocacy outreach to many other regional ski areas! Locals who have a vested interest in their backyard ski hill have stepped forward as representatives of Skimo Northwest to work with the ski areas. Thank you to the new members of the team!
Summit at Snoqualmie - Travis Nesse & Rich Bennett
Skibowl/Timberline/Mt Hood Meadows - Matt Hasenohr & Joe Marquez
Mount Bachelor - Lisa Green
Crystal Mountain - Michael Warner
Mission Ridge - Grant Chong
Stevens Pass - Ben Peters
Race Registration Open!
Race Registration Open
Registration is now open for Vertfest on March 5th and Crystal Skimo Race on April 3rd. Registration will open soon for Loup Loup Rando Race.
New changes this year, we are gaining United States Ski Mountaineering Association sanctioning for Vertfest! USSMA is the governing body of skimo racing in the US and promotes the growth of the sport locally, nationally, and internationally. If you haven’t heard, skimo will be included in the 2026 Milan Olympics, so that’s a big deal! USSMA was instrumental with demonstrating the growth of the sport in North America to the IOC. Like us, the crew at USSMA is all ran by volunteers who just want to help share this crazy sport.
In future years, we aim to host Vertfest as a skimo National Cup event and showcase the PNW racing scene. Part of sanctioning is any racers in the Pro Distance (two loops) will need a USSMA membership. There are options for a annual membership or a weekend pass.
Come out for an evening of fun, beer, and friends!
There’s a new ski shop in town, and better yet, they focus on Uphill! Cripple Creek Backcountry just moved in to Fremont and will be hosting a skimo kickoff party for us. We had to skip this tradition last year, but please come masked up ready for some fun! November nights are always wet and cold and worthless, so build the skimo stoke, say hi to old friends, meet some new touring partners, enjoy a cold free beer, and of course, check out the new shop! There will be a 5% discount on gear from Cripple Creek as well as a 10% one night only discount on race signups, so don’t miss it.
We will also have a guest speaker from Alpine Training Project to speak on ski/splitboard fitness and injurty prevention.
Volunteer Registration Open Too!
Everyone involved with putting these races on is a dedicated volunteer, and we need you too! Race day requires many volunteers at strategic spots on out on the mountain directing traffic and base area volunteers helping with check in/finish line duties. Best part, each volunteer duty earns a free race entry, so bring out your loved ones to help out while you race for free! Signup on our online web form.