Vertfest Recap and a Wy'easter Preview

Vertfest 2024 - Results + Photos

Vertfest 2024 was nothing short of spectacular! What an incredible weekend it was, marking the 20th anniversary of this cherished event. The race was a blast, with participants enjoying fresh snow and amazing weather conditions. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to all the volunteers and sponsors who played a pivotal role in making this event possible. Your dedication and support truly made all the difference.

If you're eager to relive the exhilarating moments or catch a glimpse of the action, be sure to check out the results and photos:

Wy'easter at Mount Hood (March 30-31)

We're thrilled for the next big event on the skimo calendar: Wyeaster at Mount Hood, scheduled for Easter weekend 2024. This event isn't just any race—it's a USA Skimo National Cup event, offering racers the chance to compete for national points. Wy’easter Race Director Matt Hasenhor spent last weekend racing at the Wasatch PowderKeg, this year’s USA Skimo National and ISMF North American Championship. He picked up a lot of great tips to bring back to make Wy’easter the best year yet. Whether you're a seasoned competitor or a newcomer to the sport, there's a race course for everyone. With options to participate in one race or the entire series, now's the time to secure your spot and experience the thrill of skimo at its finest. Remember, a USA Skimo membership is required for all racers in the Full Distance category (not required for the Rec Distance), but don't worry—both day and season memberships are available.

Regional Clash

Wy'Easter will also play host to the first-ever Cascades vs Rockies regional clash where racers from both sides of the continental divide will battle for Skimo supremacy. Cross country rules, where the top five registered racers from each geographical area will compete to find out which region is top skimo goat.

Strava Challenge Results

The Wy'Easter Skimo Strava group wrapped up their February segment showdown challenge. Matt Palilla and Sarah Burke launched a weekend assault on Mt. Hood from Bend, taking not only the group wins but the overall KOM crowns. Mike Nanaszko mounted a valiant effort the following day for an honorable 2nd overall. Results are up on the Strava group; make sure to check out Wy'Easter's Instagram to keep in the loop on these exciting happenings and the latest news.

Kulshan Randonnée - Spots Available

Looking even further ahead, let's start gearing up for the groundbreaking Kulshan Randonnée on May 18. This event promises to redefine the skimo experience, with a challenging course through the breathtaking backcountry terrain of the North Cascades. With teams of three navigating the southern flanks of Kulshan (Mount Baker), it's sure to be an unforgettable adventure for all involved. And you could have a chance to race!

Many teams who rolled over a registration after last year’s cancellation are looking for a third member. The SnowGoat is going to try to play matchmaker and help interested racers find a team who needs their missing piece. Could you be a team’s peanut butter to their bread & jelly? Fill out our Free Agent Finder to match with a team. There are plenty of opportunities to get involved as a volunteer as well! Whether you're a skier, splitboarder, or simply passionate about supporting the skimo community, we have a role for you. Join us in making history and sign up below —trust us, it'll be an experience you won't want to miss!

Race Results, Upcoming Events, and Volunteer Opportunities

Westy’s Wildside Wrap-up!

We kicked off our racing season with a bang, and we've got the results and photos to prove it. Check out the action from our first race:

• Results: Dive into the excitement by exploring the official race results here.

• Photos: Relive the moments and adrenaline with captivating photos from the event. Click here for an exclusive look.

The fun doesn't stop there! The second race of the series is just around the corner, happening this upcoming Friday. Don't miss out—sign up now for a night of excitement below!

Volunteers Needed! Wildside relies on the support of our fantastic volunteers. We still have a few spots open for a sweeper, a gatekeeper, and a timer. If racing isn't your thing but you want to be part of the action, sign up to volunteer below. Plus, remember that volunteering earns you a free race entry PLUS a voucher for a free day of skiing!

Vertfest - Message from the Race Director

Rich Bennett here, I’m very honored to be race directing this 20th Anniversary of Vertfest. This NW legend found its home in the rugged Alpental valley in 2002 and it was picked up and branded Vertfest by the equipment manufacturer Outdoor Research in 2007. Since then, it has been an annual gathering place of some of the most seasoned and passionate winter backcountry skiers and climbers in the region. As our community continues to grow, we want this next generation of avid mountain snow lovers to join in the challenge and the fun of this historic event. Bring your skin suits, costumes, splitboard, free heel, frame bindings or lightest setup but most importantly bring your stoke! We will have fun awards and prizes as well as our usual beer garden after the races sponsored by local craft brewer Dru Brew.”

Registration Price Increase: Hurry, prices go up on February 17th! Secure your spot and save by registering today!

Ski Patrol Spaghetti Feed Fundraiser:
Join us in thanking the Ski Patrol for all their hardwork helping at Vertfest by attending their Spaghetti Feed Fundraiser at Alpental, right after the race (6-8pm). Refuel, replenish those lost carbs, keep the party going, and support a good cause!

Uphill Under the Lights Clinic Series: Rich Bennett is not only the new Vertfest Race Director, but he is also an instructor with the Summit at Snoqualmie with a new Uphill Clinic Series. Aimed at both newbie tourers wanting to learn uphill techniques and aspiring skimo racers/uphill fitness enthusiasts looking for more effective and efficient skills and tips. Two more dates are available, February 9 and 23.

Kulshan Randonnée Team Lottery Results

The lottery closed Sunday with ten team entrants.  Five of them selected at random were able to be placed onto the active team roster and the other five joined the waitlist.  Also, re-registration opened for those teams who were registered for 2023.  Once all parties are registered, a Team List will be published.  We are aiming to have our volunteer signup published in the next few weeks too, but interested parties should save the date (May 18th)!  There are many fun, exciting, and challenging volunteer positions such as course setup in the days before the race, at a checkpoint, or helping out at the base area.  Those who volunteer will receive guaranteed entry into the 2025 event if we are able to continue the race. It’s going to be quite the weekend!

Snow! Wildside Series, Kulshan Lottery, and Wy’easter Strava Club Info

Winter is here! And so is Westy’s Wildside WESTern!

The season has arrived! Since the clock ticked over into 2024, Snoqualmie Pass has received 5 feet of the fluffy white good stuff. As I type this, snow is falling outside my window in Tacoma. The deities heard us! The skiing is good. Let us rejoice.

And just in time to kick off our first of three WESTern shootouts up at Snoqualmie West, one week from today! We improved the course flow from last year, but still has the same amount of vert (just under 2k’). Plus there’s live music at Timberwolf Lodge directly after the race, so that’s cool. We still could use two more Check Point volunteers, and racers can earn a free entry for bringing up a volunteer. Then the next two events on Feb 2nd and Feb 16th will round out our brand new “locals” night series. Come see how much fun Wildside Friday nights are; don’t forget your headlamp!

Wy’easter Strava Club

If you want to be fast and fit for the race, you gotta train, right? Our Portland Wy’easter crew started up a Strava Club to keep you motivated throughout the season! Keep the race day excitement alive the whole season long with virtual challenges, prizes, and hopefully just the right amount of good natured smack talking to the other leaders. Join at the link below and train up for the USA National Cup race at Mount Hood on March 30-31!

Kulshan Randonée Lottery Open

closes Sun, Jan 21st

Ready for a ski mountaineering race like nothing else out there? On May 18th, 25 teams of three will toe the line to see who is the fastest team in the west on the classic Cascade volcano, Mount Baker. A true backcountry vertically oriented race, teams will experience moving through the colossal Douglas Firs of the subalpine, the iconic Park Butte Lookout Tower, the Easton and Squak Glaciers that cover the high flanks of Kulshan, and hopefully ski a lot of corn snow. Only three team slots are available and will be selected via lottery. Assemble your team and signup (only one entry per team!) before Jan 21st!

The entire SnowGoat race season will be supported by Hammer Nutrition! I (Richard) started using Hammer in 2009 when I began running ultras and found they were the first gel that actually tasted pretty good.

For over 35 years, Hammer has been helping endurance athletes to Fuel Right and Feel Great while performing their best. Your body needs to run at peak capacity so you can get your best result during the event. Do you have your nutrition, hydration, and fueling needs locked down? Follow these 5 tips from Hammer Nutrition to be ready to Hammer on race day!

Kulshan Randonnée — May 18th 2024

Happy New Year from the SnowGoat!

Kulshan Randonnée - May 18th 2024

We received word right before Christmas that the Forest Service confirmed our requested race date. The race is on!

22 teams elected to roll their registration over from last year, so we only have three open slots available for 2024. A lottery to select the final three teams will be held, opening on Sunday Jan 14th and lasting until Sunday Jan 21st. Only one team member per team is allowed to submit an entry into the lottery (no cheating!). A waitlist will be formed for any teams not selected.

If you are interested in racing but don’t have a team yet, we have a helpful Free Agent Finder where you can submit your details and link up with other interested parties.

Friday Uphill Under the Lights

The Summit at Snoqualmie is starting a new uphill program this winter. Uphill Skills & Travel Program presents Friday Uphill Under the Lights. This class is for the relative beginner and combines the benefits of a fitness workout with the opportunity to learn about the technical aspect of uphill travel in a group lesson within the ski area. Participants can choose between a mini tour scenario or a more skimo/fitness focused clinic. Clinic dates are in the “off week” from the Friday night Westy’s Wildside WESTern races (Jan 12, 26, and Feb 9). Contact Rich Bennett at rbennett@summiti90.com if you are interested in signing up or need more information.

Mountain Shop Hosting a Skimo Kick Off Party!

We’re so excited for the ski mountaineering season that we are throwing ANOTHER Kick Off Party to celebrate! For those Oregon folks who couldn’t make it to the Puget Sound based party, Mountain Shop in Portland will be hosting a party on Thursday, January 11th from 6-8pm. Join them for conversations about skimo and training, and enter their raffle for some sweet prizes! Beverages and light snacks will be provided.

And a huge thanks to our longest running BillyGoat Partner, Seattle’s own Outdoor Research!

Registration is Open Today!

2024 Race Registration is Now Open!

The moment you've been waiting for has arrived at midnight on All Hallow’s Eve – registration is now open for our iconic races: Westy’s Wildside WESTern Series, Vertfest, and Wy'easter. We confirmed the third date for the Wildside Series (Feb 2nd) and you can register for the whole series and save 25% off each race. Also new for 2024, we've listened to your feedback and are excited to introduce a new feature: Splitmo categories. This year, it's a trial run, but whichever splitmo category garners more than 10 participants, it will become a permanent fixture next year. Spread the word and encourage your splitboarding friends to join the adventure. Let’s get this season on!

Our Annual Tradition:
Pre-season Kickoff Party!

 Mark your calendars for November 15th! The doors will swing open at 7pm at the Pro Ski Shop for our much-anticipated Kickoff Party. Here's an exclusive treat for all attendees: our gracious hosts, Pro Ski, are offering a fantastic 20% discount on skimo items during the event. Don't miss this opportunity to gear up for the upcoming season. Be sure not to miss our raffle, where we have amazing prizes and free schwag up for grabs. Among the prizes is a free entry to any of our regular season races.

The fun kicks off early with a pre-party trail run partnering with Snoqualmie Running at Little Si, starting at 5pm. It's the perfect opportunity to connect with fellow outdoor enthusiasts, enjoy a beautiful run, and meet some training buddies. Snoqualmie Running will have a Salomon representative at the run, giving you the chance to test the latest trail running shoes. Don't miss this fantastic opportunity!

Wy’easter — A National Cup race

We are excited to announce that this season's Wy'easter Skimo race series will be a sanctioned USA Skimo National Cup Series event! What does this mean? The National Cup Series is a select series of races across the country that showcase the sport and promote its growth. Racers will be able to accumulate points towards the overall National Cup Series standings as well as potential National Team spots. We are beyond excited to showcase Pacific Northwest skimo racing to the national skimo community. As a sanctioned race for the 2023-2024 season, we will be enforcing the mandatory gear rules laid out by ISMF with the exception of leashes being allowed in lieu of brakes for this upcoming season only. If you don't already, plan to have brakes on your skis THIS season. This only applies to the Long Distance option; those in the Recreational category do not need to abide by ISMF standards, though it is encouraged.

2024 Season Preview, Kickoff Party 11/15, New Goat on the Team

2024 SnowGoat Skimo Season

Summer is over! As the snowflakes start to fall, we are pleased to announce we have a few of our race dates locked in for the 2024 skimo season. A few more are pending and could be subject to change. We hope to have registration open by Nov 1st for the confirmed race dates.

• Westy’s Wildside WESTern Series (Requested, not confirmed)

  • Friday, Jan 19th

  • Friday, Feb 16th

  • 3rd Race TBD

• Vertfest @Alpental | Saturday, March 2nd

• Wy’easter Skimo Race

  • Vertical @Timberline | Saturday, March 30th

  • Individual @SkiBowl | Sunday, March 31st

• Kulshan Randonnée | Saturday, May 18th (Requested date to the Forest Service, not confirmed.

In addition, our Race Calendar has a collection of other regional skimo race dates, so check out our partners and have a full winter season of racing!

Our Annual Tradition:
Pre-season Kickoff Party!

You’ve heard it from me before: November is the only bad month to play outdoors in the PNW. So let’s all party inside and talk about doing the thing! Come join us on November 15 to get excited about the upcoming Skimo season! Hosted by our friends at Pro Ski, there will be exciting race information, door prizes, gear discounts, yummy drinks on tap, and of course, great company. We would love to see you and share what's in store for this upcoming season! Doors open at 7pm. 

New Goat on the Team

A big step for our little organization, Skimo Northwest hired it’s first employee this fall, Josephine Bond. Our nonprofit has been run solely by volunteers up to this point, with some limited paid race day staff like photographers and timers. As Richard transitions out of the Head Race Director role, Josephine will step in with a lot of the race coordination behind the scenes.

Hailing from Bellingham, Josephine is an all around mountain lover who skis, paddles, runs, climbs, and does all the things. Most of all, she loves building the outdoor community through events like SnowGoat! Let’s give her a big mountain goat BLEAT to welcome her to the team!

Wy'easter Recap, Kulshan Volunteering, and Meet our Team

Wy’easter Skimo Race Recap

We had all-time conditions for this year’s Wy’easter Skimo series on Mt. Hood. A storm system moved in Thursday evening, dropping 2-feet of cold snow, which made for very exciting race conditions. A huge shoutout to everyone that helped set the courses and keep the skin track in tip top shape. Saturday’s Vertical race at Timberline Lodge was no easy feat, with a few inches of fresh snow falling just before the start. The following day our Individual race at Mt. Hood SkiBowl featured a brand new course and gave racers a full tour of some of the best terrain SkiBowl has to offer. Great job to everyone and a great wrap up to our regular season of racing!

WANTED —YOU!
To volunteer at Kulshan Randonnée!

Now that our regular resort based skimo season is complete, all energy is focused on creating our ultimate PNW ski mountaineering race, the Kulshan Randonnée. Team spots are slowly disappearing (down to only 6 spots available!), but we also really, really need volunteers. Anyone who has helped out behind the scenes at an event of this scale can testify that volunteering is arguably more fun that actually racing! And you might even get to ride on a snowmobile.

Below is a short summary of positions we will need volunteers. Click on the button below to find out more details on all the positions and also to sign up. Come out and help make this race happen!

• Thurs, 5/4: Course Setup Crew (skiing around putting flags out with assistance from snowmobilers. Need to be able to tour)

• Frid, 5/5: Skills Check Off (In Concrete, manning skill stations and check in. Familiarity with glacial setups is helpful.)

• Sat, 5/6: Checkpoints (Volunteers needed to man checkpoints, provide racer accountability/support. Need to be able to tour/snowshoe into position but might be able to have snowmobile transportation assistance.)

The two dudes behind Wy’easter Skimo Race, Matt Hasenohr and Eric Schmidgall

Meet Our Team

Have you wondered what all goes into organizing a skimo race? A lot! Creating a fun, challenging, and safe course, coordinating with resort staff and ski patrol, teaming up with brand partners, and then dealing with everything Mother Nature throws at you (a lot this season!) while trying to set a skintrack! Thankfully we have a super solid team of individuals who love putting these on. It takes a village to make these races happen, and we are all volunteers who are devoting our free time to helping our new nonprofit Skimo Northwest a success. Click below to learn more about our team and shoot us a note if you are interested in taking more of an active role in the organization.

Vertfest Results & Photos, plus Wy’easter is next!

Wy’easter Skimo Race
March 25 & 26th

The SnowGoat Skimo tour continues! While we all had a blast at the classic Vertfest this past Saturday, we are already looking forward to our second new race of the year, Wy’easter! Portland’s Mountain Shop is partnering with us to host this evolving skimo race at two different resorts on Mount Hood. Saturday we have a Vertical (only) race at Timberline and Sunday is the Individual Long and Rec courses nextdoor at SkiBowl. Prices increase this Saturday, so ride your Vertfest stoke and signup for the next one.

We also will need volunteers both days to help setup, be out on the course, and help around the race. There are lots of positions still open so tell your friend too! If you are coming out to race, bring a partner who would otherwise just be spectating. Every volunteer earns a free entry (which can be gifted!) to another SnowGoat race (Not Kulshan, sorry). These races couldn’t be held without volunteers, so please help spread the word!

Vertfest 2023 Wrap Up/Photos

Despite moving the race away from the historic President’s Day weekend, we still got a Pow weekend for the race! It certainly made setup much more difficult both Friday and then Saturday to keep the Pro Loop skintrack set in, but the team of volunteers did a heroic effort to make that happen. We had our biggest Vertfest in history! Congratulations to everyone out there.

Final Results and photos from the event are below. All the photos that Matt Hagen and Scott Harder took are FREE! SnowGoat is covering the cost for all the photos so feel free to download away.

Skillz Clinic - This Friday!

Want to learn how to transition like a boss? Come to our FREE skimo skills clinic! This will be “meetup style” taking place at the Summit at Snoqualmie. Skimo Northwest Board Member Esther Opersteny will be there to guide you through things like kick turns, variable skinning, or how to not fall back ten spots in the race during a transition. RSVP on the FB event below.

9 Spots left for Kulshan!

We had 15 of the 25 team slots fill up within 12 hours of opening, and one more since then. There are still 9 team slots still available for an adventure of a lifetime. Worried your glacier travel skills will hold you back? Cascade Mountain Ascents has two separate glacier skills courses, plus there’s always Youtube. I know finding teammates has been difficult for some; we have had good success with skiers forming teams off our FREE AGENT finder! There are even some recent additions to the list so check them out!

Kulshan Registration opening next Friday, Feb 24th at Noon

Kulshan Registration Opening Feb 24th

I hope you had time to find who your real ski buddies are, because we are opening registration for the Kulshan Randonnée next Friday, Feb 24th at noon.

Having a tough time finding a ski partner? Use our Free Agent Finder to link up with others who want to race but need team members. Contact someone who is on there already and/or post your own little bio! As of this email, there are 8 free agents looking for a team!

Are you stoked for this race, have the fitness, but have never traveled on a glacier before or done any technical climbing? We’ve got the answer for you! SnowGoat is partnering with Cascade Mountain Ascents to host two Glaciated Ski Mountaineering Courses in April.

• April 15/16: This two day course is built just for skimo racers who want to participate in the Kulshan Randonnée. It will cover the basic skills needed to rope up, move as a team, and perform a basic rescue (and pass our skillz checkoff!)

• April 20 - 23: This four day course is the “full” course with more on hands scenarios. Participants will cover a wider range of skills and applications and will spend two nights on Mount Baker (and summit too!).

Vertfest + Raffle + Splitfest

The biggest skimo race along the West Coast is just a few weeks away on March 4th. Prices increase tonight at midnight, so don’t delay! Dru Bru is set to be slinging the beers after the race (2 free drink tickets included in entry!) plus Athletic Brewing might be there too for the sober ones.

We are cleaning out our gear closet too and having a blow out raffle! Everyone will get a few raffle tickets to put into the prize package you really want, and we will have additional tickets on sale to really make sure you win that gear you so desperately need. All proceeds will be going towards our new nonprofit Skimo Northwest to help get the organization some starting funds.

We still have a variety of positions we need help at with Vertfest too! Anything from helping setup the course on Friday, setting the skintrack early early Saturday, selling raffle tickets, helping at the Finish Line, or sweeping the course. It’s lots of fun, free beer, free lift ticket, and a free race! So many perks! And schag stuff too! Volunteer here.

And last, for all you Splitmo-ers, Splitfest will be happening all weekend at Snoqualmie Pass too! On Saturday, head to the Firehouse for the Vertfest after party and a Snow Safety talk led by NWAC forecaster Dallas Glass. Friday and Sunday have lots of events and guided tours, check it out!

Volunteer signup is up for all our positions at both days of our newest race, Wy’easter! Saturday’s Vert Only race at Timberline and Sunday’s Individual Long and Rec races at SkiBowl are going to a wild little ride! Eric from Portland’s Mountain Shop will be leading the volunteers and will be stoked to have you out for the race. Or, signup for what truly is going to be become a top level race course!

ZÜMWax is going to be out at Vertfest this year with free wax samples for everyone! Also (I didn’t know this), they are a local company based here in the Puget Sound area! All their waxes are hand poured and they support lots of young talented skiers, riders, and cool competitions (like ours!). ZÜMWax makes you fast!

Newsletter Jan 11, 2023 (Wy'easter Skimo Race, Skillz Clinics, FREEBIRD Ramble, and C.A.M.P.)

Wy’Easter Skimo Race

The Mountain Shop in Portland has been hosting skimo racing on Mount Hood for about a decade now. Last year they built an incredible race weekend with both a Vertical and an Individual race at Timberline and Skibowl. The Mountain Shop has decided to partner with SnowGoat Skimo to bring this race to the next level as one of the best events in the area.

An exciting and beautiful set of courses at one of the most iconic peaks in the Pacific Northwest, our very own Wy’east! The uphill grind for the downhill party, this grassroots skimo race is designed to create a fun, positive, and inclusive atmosphere to test your skills, build community, and introduce you to this fast and light endurance sport.

The Wy’easter Skimo Series will be offering 3 courses over two-days where you will skin, ski/splitboard, and bootpack (or some combination of these) your way to the finish line. Sign up for one race or the whole series (or volunteer)! Whether you are a hardcore skimo athlete in spandex, a newer skier/splitboarder, or a recreational backcountry skiing/splitboarding/telemark enthusiast there is a race and place for you!

Introducing: Skimo Clinics!

Want to learn how to transition like a boss? Come to one of our FREE skimo skills clinics! These will be “meetup style” events taking place at the Summit at Snoqualmie. Some of Skimo Northwest’s own board members will be there to guide you through things like kick turns, variable skinning, or how to not fall back ten spots in the race during a transition.

January 20, 6:30pm
March 10th, 6:30pm

Brand new regional skimo race:
FREEBIRD Ramble

Our friends over at Ramberaven Gear Trader are starting up a new skimo race at 49° North Mountain Resort! Kinda cool, the race has a relay division, which to our knowledge, is the first of it’s kind in the area. There will be a solo 3hr, solo 6hr, and relay 6hr event going up and down the 1,900’ course. This sounds like it’ll be a pretty cool event!

If you had to say just one thing about CAMP, I’m sure you would be talking about how lightweight all their gear is. In just about every category, they hold the crown for “lightest [crampon][axe][carabiner][etc] out there”, literally. And not just for lyrca wearing skimo racers, either! They’ve got DURABLE gear meant to be relied on in the most extreme big mountain adventures. Thanks for the support CAMP!

Newsletter Jan 4, 2023 (Wildside WESTern, Patrol Race, Dru Bru)

Wildside WESTern

Finally, a skimo race that is a bit more beginner friendly but still super fun and interesting! While some of the other races in SnowGoat’s lineup are pretty tough (even the Recreation Loop at Vertfest is pretty stout!), this race is designed to offer a good introduction into skimo racing. However, the race will still have a little bit of everything with some non technical skinning, a bootpack, and finish with some skate skiing to the finish. The hardest skiing is a short section of the black diamond Thunderbolt run before it levels out. But even if you’ve been skimo racing for decades, don’t ignore the race! It is still exciting enough and will be a great early season race to give you a benchmark for your training for the bigger races and test out any new gear you’ve gotten this season.

And to keep the fun going, the Summit of Snoqualmie is hosting live music at the Timberwolf Lodge after the race! Hang out, enjoy some beverages, and get your dance on if your legs can still take it.

Map of the Patrol Race, 1931

The Patrol Race

If you’re a SnowGoat local, chances are you’ve heard of the ORIGINAL ski touring race in Washington, the Mountaineer’s Patrol Race. Original as in….1930 (see map above). While the history of the race is the stuff of legends, the race nowadays is just as cool and is one of our favorites.

New for 2023 is the creation of an Elite category in both the Women’s and Men’s field. Following the old school military patrol ethics, teams will have three partners. Even though the lottery just closed on January 1st, they still have five more slots in the Elite Category. If you and two other team mates move quickly on lightweight equipment and would be targeting a time of under 7 hours to run the 20 mile and 4500ft vertical course then get your team together and reach out to us at patrol.race.coordinator@meanylodge.org. Tell them the SnowGoat sent you!

Dru Bru is back again as THE beverage partner with Vertfest! For as long as we know, they’ve been slinging cold ones at the Beer Garden after everyone’s off the mountain at the race. Whether the skiing was goooood or something you’d rather forget (dang skinny skis), either way it makes the beer taste that much better. Dru Bru has their brewery just across the highway at Summit West. Make sure you check them out and give them a high five for being such great long time supporters!

Skimo Northwest Nonprofit/Vertfest Registration Open

Skimo Northwest

Introducing: Skimo Northwest, a new nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the sport.

Over the past year, we have been working on some organizational restructuring within SnowGoat Skimo. Richard Kresser originally started the company in 2019 with the simple desire to see more skimo races come to the Pacific Northwest. Over the years the sport has grown and we are reaching critical mass as a community. Uphill setups are flying off the shelves, more people are exploring the backcountry, and skimo has been added to the 2026 Milan Olympics. We saw a need for an organization to help foster the growth of the sport regionally, and Skimo Northwest was born.

Skimo Northwest is a 501c3 nonprofit with the mission to grow competitive ski mountaineering racing in the Pacific Northwest through race promotion, ski area advocacy, and youth development. Through our sport of skimo, we hope to encourage the advancement of education, surrounding outdoor activities, fitness, and safety.

The primary focus of Skimo Northwest is to produce challenging and inviting premier skimo events through SnowGoat Skimo. The races have been the heart of the community and have given skiers and snowboarders an opportunity to set goals to train for, meet touring partners, test their limits, and laugh with old and new friends over some beers at the end. SnowGoat Skimo will be managed by Skimo Northwest going forward and both organizations will continue to devote their energy to adding more skimo races to the regional schedule.

Skimo, or randonée, has been around a long time. The very first Vertfest took place in 2002 at Alpental! The past five years has seen an incredible rise in the interest of the sport as more downhill skiers, trail runners, nordic racers, bike racers, etc., are discovering the benefits of backcountry skiing and snowboarding, as well as fitness skinning inbounds. As the sport’s community has grown, it has emerged that a collective voice is needed to represent uphilling and to advocate for access. Skimo Northwest aims to give uphill enthusiasts a “seat at the table” to assist in policy development across different organizations.

We look forward to growing with the sport and hope to usher in the next stage of skimo!

Pre Season Kick Off Party
November 16th, 2022 @ Cripple Creek Seattle

November is a terrible month; I think we can all agree with that. There’s not enough snow to ski yet, but it is way to wet to do anything else much fun outside. It’s a good month to curl up inside with a cup of tea, finally read that book, and rest from the summer mayhem before the ski mayhem hits. OR it’s a great month to go party with a bunch of other skimo racers at your local ski shop! Head on over to Cripple Creek Backcountry in Fremont for some skimo stoke, deals, bevvies, or to talk to some of our new nonprofit board members! Party starts after the store shuts down at 7pm. Register here so we know how much beer to get!

Vertfest

Vertfest 2023 is now open for registration! Now a USA Skimo National Cup event, the race is back and better than ever. Save your Halloween costume from last night for the race too; as the best prize usually goes out to the Best Costume! We are also planning to bring a Vertical only category to the race.

Referee Training

USA Skimo is looking to train more certified referees to officiate sanctioned events, like Vertfest @Alpental! A referee works closely with race directors to ensure USA Skimo’s rules and protocols are being followed to promote fair play and a safe venue. If you are interested, USA Skimo is hosting a free training at A-basin in Colorado December 9-11th during their skimo races. They’re even providing free lodging too! There is also a required 2hr virtual training on 11/30/22. Reply to this email if interested.

Remember the last email where I implored you all to start hitting the training and look into Skimo Monthly, a new product put out there by Joe Howdyshell, but then forget to give you anyway to access more information by providing a link? Let me fix that! Training programs are live at his website!

SnowGoat Skimo 2023 Season!

SnowGoat Skimo 2023 Season!

Aaaaand we are back for the 2023 skimo season! The sun has left us, the smoke is still sticking around, and the trees are starting to discard their leaves, it can only mean one thing: skiing season is approaching. Although we will need some moisture to come back for that to happen. We are saying our daily mantra to Ullr for a good hearty snow season, and with that, we have some dates locked in for next season.

Vertfest @Alpental | Saturday March 4th, 2023
Registration is set to open by Nov 1st

The Loup Loup Skimo Race (January 28th, 2023) is not part of the SnowGoat Skimo series this year, but they’ll be back and better than ever! If you’ve never raced those loups before, you’ll definitely want to check them out. Our Race Calendar page has lots of other regional west coast races up on there too with some dates confirmed for 2023. Check it out!

Pre Season Kick Off Party
November 16th, 2022 @ Cripple Creek Seattle

November is a terrible month; I think we can all agree with that. There’s not enough snow to ski yet, but it is way to wet to do anything else much fun outside. It’s a good month to curl up inside with a cup of tea, finally read that book, and rest from the summer mayhem before the ski mayhem hits. OR it’s a great month to go party with a bunch of other skimo racers at your local ski shop! Head on over to Cripple Creek Backcountry in Fremont for some skimo stoke, deals, bevvies, and some exciting announcements! Party starts after the store shuts down at 7pm. It’s free, but sign up here so we know how much beer to get!

Where’s the Crystal Skimo Race?

It is with a heavy heart that it looks like we are going to have to cancel the Crystal Skimo Race after four great years of operation. While a lot of the Crystal Mountain Patrol and Events staff really liked the race and supported it, Alterra management did not see the neccessary profit out of the race to justify the high liability risk. Without some big corporate sponsors to help offset the five digit permit fee, there is no financial viable way to make the race happen.

While we are super bummed about it, the silver lining is this is freeing up more of our time to concentrate on building the new most badass race around! I’ll stay a bit mum about it until the permit is approved, but this new season finale will definitely knock your socks off as it puts the ski mountaineering back in skimo. Wooooohoooo!

Do you recognize the name Joe Howdyshell? He was the Head Coach for the USA National Skimo Team for the past five years, so he knows what he’s talking about. He started a monthly skimo training program; time to get in your tip top shape!

Ever felt short on skills or strength during a skimo race?

This program will progress you through our Strength and Skill Hierarchies, as well as any timely education on your equipment, nutrition, race scheduling, tactics, etc.

You can expect two to five strength workouts per week, two or three skills workouts per week, and one to two Skimo Monthly exclusive educational pieces each month.

Skimo! Skimo! Read all about it!

Have no desire to subject yourself to needless suffering when there are chairlifts?

Volunteer Signup

Great! Opportunities to use those chairlifts for free and cheer/heckle those poor souls at their lactic threshold on 3/5 and 4/3.

Come on out to be a gatekeeper at a skimo race near you! We have a mountain hangout spot for you to hang out in the sun, cheer, keep racers on track, and drink hot and cold beverages. PLUS, at Vertfest, you’ll get a free lift ticket you can use in the future! Free riding!

We are also looking for help slinging beers and checking people in at the finish line. That’s where the real party and hangout is. Sign up at our website! Or, if you do in fact enjoy uphill suffering, then we need skin track setters to show up early in the morning and beat the course in before the racers!

Loup Loup is this next weekend?!

What? You haven’t signed up yet for one or four hours of getting Loopy at Loup Loup? Oh, you must have heard the crowds are too busy or the trees are ugly at Loup Loup. Well, let me assure you these are just rumors propagated by the locals to keep you out. But don’t worry, you’ll really get to enjoy one corner of the Methow goodness as you lap it at top speed. See you out there!

REGISTER

BillyGoat Partner:
Outdoor Research

Did you know that Outdoor Research is one of the main reasons that Vertfest is the race it is today? Did you also know that OR, as a Seattle brand, has exactly the shell you need for our PNW weather? They’ve been a caretaker of the Vertical Festival since the beginning, let’s welcome Outdoor Research back as our premiere BillyGoat sponsor! Hint, they make a lot more than the Croc Gaiters! I’m also embarrassed to say 75% of my entire closest is OR clothes, for both mountain and city….

Extra, Extra, Read All About It!
Skimo in the Newspaper

Did you know skimo is going to be an Olympic sport? Did you know that most of America most of America has no idea what skimo is? To be fair, I don’t really know the first thing about the skeleton, either. But now those who subscribe to the Seattle Times know what about skimo! Thanks to one of our racers who penned a pretty cool article by the local news print, it hits the shelves today!

READ THE ARTICLE

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.

Crystal Skimo Results

Crystal Skimo Results

Nice job out there everyone! We had some fast times this year, but that doesn’t mean it was easy. Good snow and great skiing conditions made up for the few icy patches that were out there. Photos will be sent out later this week; but here are the results!

Women’s Open Full
1st Andrea Ostrovsky, 2:17:43
2nd Esther Opersteny, 2:25:07
3rd Shelby Burgess, 2:42:22

Men’s Open Full
1st Ingmar Prokop, 1:47:20 (New Course Record!)
2nd Samuel Naney, 1:48:22
3rd Allen Taylor, 1:50:11

Men’s Masters Full
1st Jacob Hartsoch, 2:16:43
2nd Damon Gjording, 2:21:07
3rd Peter Avolio, 2:27:10

Women’s Heavy Mettle Full
1st Angela Tomczik, 3:48:45

Men’s Heavy Mettle Full
1st Michael Ownes, 2:22:30
2nd David Griffin, 2:33:13
3rd Brandon Rohrbaugh, 2:56:55

Women’s Recreational
1st Katlyn Flaherty, 1:41:39
2nd Jennifer Rudnick, 2:12:34
3rd Leigh Wager, 2:21:18

Men’s Recreational
1st Tom St. Clair, 1:43:59
2nd Quinn Hartsoch, 1:45:43
3rd Myles Brady, 1:48:27

Youth Recreational
1st Quinn Hartsoch, 1:45:43 (New Course Record)
2nd Tanner Swanson, 2:02:06
3rd Victor Doronin, 2:22:16Crystal Skimo Results

Vertfest Photos

The SnowGoat needs your help!

Vertfest photos are down below, but please read this first!

As we are midway through our 2021 ski season (spring season just around the block!), big changes are coming for SnowGoat Skimo this summer. I (Richard) originally just wanted to see more skimo come to the PNW after racing The Mountaineer’s Patrol Race in 2015. The sport of skimo and backcountry touring is growing rapidly. Races are a great venue to test yourself, create community, give a goal to train for, and bring everyone together for a sufferfest of experience. We are looking to add more races in the future with the end goal of creating a truly backcountry skimo race more akin to a 50k trail race. Efforts like this take a team, and we are looking for new team members to who want to see these races into creation.

SnowGoat is a 100% volunteer organization. This summer, we will be re-organizing into a 501c3 non profit with the mission of bringing more opportunity in youth skimo and backcountry skiing. It has been super fun over the past three years to bring SnowGoat into creation, but my Volunteer Coordinator and I are having a baby in May (don’t worry, she’s my wife!). So that means we will have a lot less time next season to devote to the race organizing. Westy Ford and Rich Bennet have been crucial as course operation volunteers, and that rounds out our small team.

Going forward, we are looking for team members for the following areas:

• Non-profit board members (or experience setting up a non-profit)

• Marketing Manager (social media management, email, digital, and print marketing)

• Volunteer Coordinator (outreach and placement of volunteers for race operations)

• Brand Partnership Manager (outreach and symbiotic development with brand partners)

Shoot me an email at Richard@snowgoatskimo.com if you’re interested in helping out with the races or the non profit. More information about the non profit will be coming in the future! And now, on to the photos….

Vertfest Photos

Photos are ready! There were so many great shots of all our racers on various parts of the course. Taryn Graham was shooting all her photos at the start and finish, while Matt Hagen was out on the mountain on the skintrack, bootpacks, and summit transitions.

folkrm takes specialized poles to a new level! They got tired of straps, and made an extended foam grip so you can easily adjust your hand position for touring, booting, and skiing. They’re pretty lightweight, and we love their motto too! “Tools for the human powered chairlift”. That’s what we’re all about!

They’re giving SnowGoat racers 20% off with the code “SNOWGOAT20” at checkout!

Vertfest Results

PC Matt Hagen

Howdy, racers! Hope you all had as much fun playing in the snow as we did. A great turnout with some fast racers and even better costumes rounded out a snowy Saturday at Alpental. Huge thanks to all the volunteers, ski patrol, Summit of Snoqualmie crew, and you guys for making it happen. It wasn’t a normal year but I think we are all just happy we were able to come back to some racing safely after this race was cancelled last year. Now, on to the results!

Results

Thanks for bearing with us with results. Obviously we like to post them instantaneously in a normal year, but this year we had to wait for everyone to finish to see where the final times ended up. A quick summary is below! If you are a category winner, please email richard@snowgoatskimo.com with your address so he can mail out your award. Too bad we couldn’t have gotten podium pictures! Queen and King of Alpental won a CAMP Rapid Racing skimo pack.

Queen of Alpental
Esther Opersteny, ascent time of 54:39
Anne Marie Stonich, ascent time of 58:26
Laura Stamp, ascent time of 1:01:26

King of Alpental
Martin Mundry, ascent time of 38:46
Aaron Ostrovsky, ascent time of 41:28
Dave Braun, ascent time of 41:50

Overall Open Women’s
Esther Opersteny, 1:07:04
Anne Marie Stonich, 1:07:08
Laura Stamp, 1:12:36

Overall Open Men’s
Aaron Ostrovsky, 46:15
David Braun, 47:47
Martin Mundry, 48:14

Youth (<18)
Erik Aagaard, 1:05:20
QuinnHartsoch, 1:20:35
Tanner Swanson,1:31:48

Splitmo Women’s
Rosy Bruno, 2:24:48
Stephani Blackburn, 2:59:25

Splitmo Men’s
Trevor Circhosz, 1:10:31
Frank Huster, 1:10:35
Patrick Moore, 1:24:56

Heavy Mettle Women’s
Elizabeth Sloss, 1:28:13
Lia Roberds, 1:55:07
Anna Roberds, 1:55:10

Heavy Mettle Men’s
Kyle Stanton Wyman, 1:02:33
Peter Stroble, 1:08:43
Brian Montgomery, 1:09:07

Photos

Links to the photos from the course (Matt Hagen) and finish line (Taryn Graham) will be posted to the website this week.

See you all in two weeks at Crystal Skimo Race! We are racing the full two lap course; wave starts of five racers per wave every minute.

Vertfest This Saturday

Registration is still open for the return of Vertfest, this Saturday! In fact, registration will be open until Saturday morning, so come on out to race. We can’t have the party we used to, but there will still be Dru Bru beer waiting for you at the finish.

As this year the theme is Race to the Top of Alpental, the Queen and King of the Hill will receive a special prize of a CAMP Rapid Skimo Pack. Whoever makes it to the top first, regardless of overall winner, wins!

And don’t forget the costume contest! Best dressed (as voted on by volunteers) wins a CAMP setup of a Rapid Skimo Pack, Crest Shovel, and Carbon Fiver Avy Probe!

Crystal Skimo Race

Our hardest race could be our biggest race of the year too. Come celebrate in the springtime sun and suck air as you suffer up the hill, TWICE. Downhill skiing season will be closing out and spring/summertime ski touring will just be ramping up. Get in shape for the big mountain adventures!

UPHILL WEEKEND

The entire weekend at Crystal will be focused around Uphill Travel! Friday and Saturday, the Cascadia Splitfest will be celebrating all things splitboard. Saturday night you could enjoy a Nachtspektakel, or “night spectacular”, under the stars. A friendly ski tour through the emptied resort ends at a warm mountain lodge with bonfires, bar, dinner, and music. Then ride down in the dark only guided by the moon and your headlamp.

Crystal Lodging Code: “UPHILL”

Crystal Mountain Hotels has a promo code set up for our upill weekend. Use the code “UPHILL” during checkout.

Washington is stepping up their hut game! Fortune Creek Huts will be opening for the ‘21/22’ ski season out by the Stuart Range at Van Epps Pass. As good as the skiing is here in Washington, it’s about time we got some deeper backcountry huts to access the terrain! They’ll have three camps you can reserve, find out more at www.fortunecreekhuts.com. They’ll have a $600 gift certificate in the NWAC raffle at the Crystal Uphill Weekend too!

SnowGoat Racers get 15% off next year. Use “SnowGoat2021” at checkout.

See you out on the hill!

Safely Returning to Skimo

Throughout all 2020 and mostly into 2021, events of all types and sizes have been canceled to prevent the spread of Covid-19. In October of last year and updated just last week, Governor Inslee put out guidance allowing small, socially distanced outdoor events to return. SnowGoat has been working closely with our hosting resorts to adhere to those guidelines and provide safe but fun events. At this time, all parties are feeling confident we can to hold the Vertfest and Crystal races. But if transmissions are on the rise or the pandemic situation is out of hand, we are still prepared to cancel.

We are offering a risk free signup though: if the race is canceled or you need to pull out due to a sickness in your family, you can get a full refund, a free entry into a future race, or choose to donate the entry fee to operational costs. For those who were registered for Vertfest last year and rolled over your transfer, I will get an email out to you next week with a code to use during registration for either Vertfest or Crystal.

Our full list of our mitigations are listed on our Covid-19 page, but here are some of the larger impacts:

• At this time, only Washingtonians will be allowed to enter the race to limit out of state travel.

• No packet pickup, mass wave start, afterparty, beer garden, or awards ceremony. This obviously takes away a lot of the fun aspects, but you know obviously why this can’t happen. But at least we get to race!

• We will still have day of registration, but it will be via your mobile device. The same registration website will be open until the race start. Bib numbers will be written on your helmet with athletic tape and a sharpie.

• Tshirts and schwag will be awarded once you cross the finish line. Category awards will be tabulated and mailed out after the race.

Crystal Skimo Race: March 21st, 2021

REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
Crystal Skimo Race is back! This was the last event a lot of us attended in 2020 before all the local and national shutdowns. Crystal is super excited to host us again for the third year of the SnowGoat Crystal Skimo Race on March 21st of 2021. A big change in 2021 is no mass start for each distance. Racers will be starting in waves of 10 or fewer races 5 minutes apart. Racer waves will be based off expected finish within the pack, which is collected as part of registration. Racer waves will be sent out Friday morning, 3/19/21. Registration via the Webscorer link will stay open until the race start Sunday morning, but any registrations after Friday morning will be slotted into the last wave.

Vertfest: March 6th, 2021

Covid times have been a great time for trying new things and thinking outside the box. We will be applying that mindset to trying something new for Vertfest 2021. The race format is still being finalized with the Summit of Snoqualmie, but just know to reserve March 6th on your calendars! We aim to have everything proofed and registration open on February 1st.

Loup Loup Rando Race:

After much deliberation in the early season, Alison and I decided to cancel the Loup Loup Rando Race for 2021. With such uncertainly surrounding Covid-19 and our acute awareness of protecting not only our small community here in the Methow but also all of our racers and their families, it seemed the most responsible move to make. We so appreciate all of you who have helped us build this race into a great event over the last four years, and please know that we fully intend on returning to it with a full head of steam in 2022! Until then, train well and be healthy.
-Sam and Alison Naney of Cascade Endurance, Race Directors of Loup Loup Rando Race

We Still Need Volunteers!

With all the changes this year, we are still formalizing the new routes and what volunteers we will need, but one thing is still for certain: We will need you! Please fill out the Google Form at the link below to let us know you can volunteer and in what capacity. I know you are happy to volunteer from the kindness of your heart, but you’ll still earn a free entry to a future race plus some sweet SnowGoat gear. This year we are appropriately making SnowGoat Skimo branded masks from Outdoor Research!