Hanson Hills Team Time Trial: great trail, cold temps, pickled herring

Sun, Jan  8, 2017 - By Mike Muha

It may have been a little on the cold side, but it didn't keep almost a 100 skiers from racing and eating at the Hanson Hills Team Time Trial. in Grayling on Saturday, January 7, 2017. The low key event was really a social event + training + a little competition. Relays teams of three skiers raced loops on the Hanson Hills Recreation Area cross country ski trails. The team with the most laps after six hours of skiing wins.

The race started at 10am with a mass start. Relay teams used all sorts of strategies:

• Trade off to a new skier each loop
• Each skier does two or more loops before trading off.
• Each skier skis for a set time before trading off
• Some combination of above.

It sort of depended on your goals: going for a win or high place, use the event for distance training, just go our and have fun. On my relay team (Rogue Nation), both Charles Moore and Frank Nizio wanted to do a steady two-hour ski, and it was after 2:00pm before I actually started racing! (I spent the first two-and-a-half hours skiing with other racers, helping with their technique. Needless to say, my race leg was slow, particularly since I also stuffed myself on pot luck food...)

At least two skiers had never cross country skied before racing in this event! Team Nordic SkiRacer's Rylee Robinson pulled along cross country running teammates Katie Osika and Kate Petsch to Hanson Hills to (1) learn to ski and (2) race on her relay team, Girls Stridin' 'N Glidin'. As Robinson skied the first leg, I gave Osika and Petsch a quick lesson in classic skiing, including climbing and descending. Fit runners, natural athletes, and competitive, they were ready to go for their legs of the relay.

That took a lot of guts on a day when the temperature was in the single digits, AND they had never skied before. Kupos, Katie and Kate!

The course was in excellent condition, with deep firm tracks for the classic skiers and a firm skate lane with a soft cover for the skaters. The track was actually faster than the skate lane, and a number of skaters jumped in the track on downhills.

Every two hours, the course would be shortened. Strategy: Have strong skiers ski the early legs and slow skiers the shorter legs? Could I time my leg so that I'd get to the turn off on the shorter course just as the course markers were moved.

Did I say "pot-luck"? There was a ton of food, the highlight being Randy Bladel's pickled herring: "This is great herring. This will make you a great skier". (The herring actually WAS pretty good. Everyone should try it next year if Randy brings it back.)

Besides the herring, there were crock-pots galore (spicy venison chili was one of my favorites), smoked fish, salads, cheese crackers - Director Justin Andre had to round up a dozen long extension cords to spread the crock-pot electrical load to multiple circuits.

You probably want to know who won

Hanson Hills/Cross Country Ski Shop's "The HH 'Girls" of Ann Wagar, Tracy Hardin, and Brenda Carlson Brown powered through 18 laps to take the women's title.

Two teams tied with 20 laps for the co-ed title: team "Good on Kerr" featuring Glenn Goodman, Cliff OnThank, and Kathleen Kerr; and "Booty & the Beasts" featuring Grand Rapids Nordic Ski Team's Don Camp, Jordyn Ross, and Stephen Smigiel.

Vasa Ski Club's John O'Hearn, Ben Lannin, and Sam Holmes skied the most laps of any team (21) and took the men's title.

Women

Num	Relay Team Name	Member 1	Member 2	Member 3	MI Cup Team	Total Laps
19	THE HH 'GIRLS'	Ann Wagar	Tracy Hardin	Brenda Carlson Brown	HH/CCSS	18
4	CYCLING CISTERS	Amelia Wilks	Daryl Allison Busch	Anna Cairins	Vasa	10
25	LAST MINUTE	Sandy Nowak	Nicole Owens	Amy Mahaffy	N/A	8
21	S.R.B. FOXES	Carole Merwin	Leigh Whetstone	Jean Murray	XC SKI HQ	5
31	GIRLS STRIDIN' 'N GLIDIN'	Rylee Robinson	Katie Osika	Kate Petsch	Nordic Ski Racer	5

Co-Ed

Num	Relay Team Name	Member 1	Member 2	Member 3	MI Cup Team	Total Laps
5	GOOD ON KERR	Glenn Goodman	Cliff OnThank	Kathleen Kerr	Vasa	20
14	BOOTY & THE BEASTS	Don Camp	Jordyn Ross	Stephen Smigiel	GRNST	20
3	HOG WILD RACING #1	Mike Davis	Rebecca Davis	Bruce Barton	HH/CCSS	18
24	TOO HOTT	Larry Kanaby	Mariah Frye Colie	Ryan Harris	XC SKI HQ	18
12	BEAT THE COLD	Cheryl Darnton	Mike Temkin	Bill Ivan	XC SKI HQ	17
6	LIVIN THE DREAM	Jill Seager	Christine Seager	Steve Seager	HH/CCSS	16
16	JEB	Juli Bladel	Bob Triebold	Ernie Brumbaugh	GRNST	15
30	R3	Ryan Robinson	Ryan Robinson	Michelle Robinson	Nordic Ski Racer	10
33	SOONER THAN LATER	Devon Thielfoldt	Frank Ryanalski	Linda Weeks	XC SKI HQ	10
28	BEAR RABBITS	Renee Curtis	Walt Johnson	N/A	N/A	7
7	NOUVEAU WABBITS	Deb Godmer	Rex Blair	Julie Johanningsmeier	Nordic Ski Racer	6
32	3 LAME DUCKS	Spencer Ruffner	Julie Hewlett	Garrett Ruffner	Nordic Ski Racer	4

Men

 

Num	Relay Team Name	Member 1	Member 2	Member 3	MI Cup Team	Total Laps
13	RACEDINGO	John O'Hearn	Ben Lannin	Sam Holmes	Vasa	21
9	OLD MEN IN LYCRA	Jim Beebe	Randy Bladel	Greg Worshop	GRNST	19
11	YINZERS	Jason Zimmerman	Jon Kruper	Alan Houga	XC SKI HQ	19
23	ONLY 1 WORKING	John Gravlin	Bob Smith	Jim Anderson	HH/CCSS	19
2	W.O.R.S.T. 1	Scott Przystas	Mark Salik	Shannon Mitchell	GRNST	18
8	3-HUPS	Tim McClure	Rodger Moak	Fred Mills	HH/CCSS	17
18	BUTT KICKERS	Jukka Pietila	Mike Seaman	Rob Cool	GRNST	17
20	CHILLY WILLIES	John Hubbard	Theo VonWallmenich	Scott Baker	XC SKI HQ	17
10	SENIOR MOMENTS	Michael Bourassa	Robin Luce	Cris Jones	HH/CCSS	16
15	OLD DOGS	Steve Smigiel	Dan Nolan	Peter Johnson	GRNST	16
17	SUPER TURTLES	Steve Witt	Adam Steuer	Bill Mahaffy	XC SKI HQ	12
29	TEAM WHITE BEARD	Tom Wernette	Mark Smith	Larry Hebert	XC SKI HQ	12
22	TEAM 22	Arne Ulbrich	Jon Hunter	Ron Baker	XC SKI HQ	11
26	ROGUE NATION	Charles Moore	Frank Nizio	Mike Muha	Nordic Ski Racer	11
1	REBEL FORCE	William Kaltz	Tony Percha	Doug Cornell	Nordic Ski Racer	9
27	TEAM KILLROY	Sean Brabant	Kyle Stonehouse	Danny Medina	N/A	3