RESULTS: Great conditions for skiers at 2020 White Pine Stampede

Let's just do the results first this time before we tell the "real story"! Winners of the 20k and 50k races - awesome job and congratulations!:

10km, 20km, 50km Top Three

More results

• Detailed results from the 2020 White Pine Stampede
• 2020 White Pine Stampede in Michigan Cup points order (PDF)
• 2020 White Pine Stampede photos!

The real story....

This year's White Pine had the best snow conditions in recent memory! As has been the norm for races this season, temperatures were around freezing, the skate lane was firm and controllable, and the tracks looked great until narrower points of the trail where they were taken out by the skaters. The course had a skate lane with classic tracks to the left and right. I think one of the tracks could have been eliminated after a few k's as the classic skiers spread out, and certainly after the first 10k. You can see from the 20km picture above that both tracks were put to good use earlier in the race!

The trail was widened significantly, letting Shanty Creek use the big groomer over most of the trail system. It was very noticeable - and appreciated!

Aid stations were well-stocked with both water and Hammer Nutrition's HEED.. Alas, I stopped about 14k into the 20k for a HEED, decided to have as second one, and Tony Percha took the opportunity to sneak pass me while I was busy drinking. I spent the rest of the race trying to chase him down, unsuccessfully...

The beginning of the 50k and 20k were pretty snow-free...but a snow storm erupted during the race! No real wind (thank goodness), but it snowed fast and hard, with measurable accumulation on the course. It didn't really slow things down too much.

The only real problem on the course was "chairlift corner" at Schuss, about 10km into the race. You first climb partway up a downhill ski slope, hang a right around some trees, then descend a steep downhill to a chairlift. You have to turn sharply to the left, at speed, to get around the chairlift and through a relatively narrow opening. And the opening is blind: you can't see around the chairlift fencing before you're in the slot...and finding someone down on the snow in front of you.

The White Pine has been forced in the last several years because property owners adjacent to the trail have refused to allow the course through the subdivision.

There were plenty of comments about the turn on Facebook:

• I loved this climb and got to use my Alpine Salomon technique to ski it down! I love it! Separates the Alpiners from the just X-C skiers.
• I have been downhill skiing forever and I love the climb. It just is not safe at all. I don’t care how good of a skier u are you can’t control the people in front of u.
• I loved the climb last year too, but that downhillers down hill is not appropriate in a race like this.
• I think it is a dangerous challenge especially for xc-skiers.
• I agree I hit a 20k skier at about 30miles per hour we both were luck we did not break equipment or body parts.
• Skier in front of me crashed and took a bit to get up, turns out he broke a binding-race over, downhill needs to be removed.
• A patroller watched me go down and said it looked sketchy......ya think?
• Got down fine but shooting the chair gap with other people there was a bit of a pucker.
• Didn't get any better for the slower 20 KM racers. I got the hole shot and stayed in the narrow middle fast track. A lot of soft snow to the sides. Guy in front of me went right and crashed out another sailed past me and had to bail out at the bottom.
• I hope the WPS committee gets lots of feedback on this and re-routes.

I passed one person halfway down as they picked themselves up from a fall, did a fast turn around the chairlift, and found a downed skier next to the fence on the right. Fortunately, my downhill skill are better than average and I got around with no issues.

The White Pine is noticeable for the climbs, and most of those climbs are after the first 10km. In fact, the first 10km is really fun with some long downhills. But the 20km course featured around 1,300 feet of vertical - almost all in the last 10km, and the 50km course was nearly double that: 2,500 feet of vertical. And the 20km and 50km races finish on a moderately steep uphill! It's challenging to keep from going over the redline on some of those climbs.

Overall, the White Pine was great this year, with an awesome post-race party. I'm looking forward to next year's event!