Cross-country ski race coming to Libby
While racing in various cross-country skiing events around the region, Libby’s Ben Scott wondered if such a competition would draw much interest back in his hometown.
Scott and other organizers will find out next week when the Treasure Mountain Challenge debuts on the South Flower Creek trails.
“I was in Kimberley, British Columbia and there were people there from Sandpoint, Missoula, Kalispell … you meet and race with these people at various locations,” Scott said. “A big part of this is a race to show that we have a cross-country ski course here.”
The freestyle competition, hosted by the Kootenai Cross Country Ski Club, features 10- and 20-kilometer races with a mass start scheduled for 10 a.m. There are gender and age categories (18-and-under, 19-39 and 40-plus), and a prize raffle and chili feed will follow for all participants.
“It’s a weird sport but we’re kind of a diehard group,” Scott said. “This is the first time we’ve tried this so nobody may show up or 50 to 70 may show up.”
Scott’s interest in skiing took hold back during childhood in Libby. Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, a Bill Koch Ski League thrived with hundreds of local youth taking part. In fact, Scott said Libby had the largest ski league in the nation for a number of years.
For those who need to jog their memory, Koch is the only American to have won an Olympic medal in Nordic skiing. He captured third in the 1976 Olympic Games at Innsbruck, Austria.
Out of those young skiers in Libby, more than a dozen went on to form a racing team under Greg and Susie Rice.
“We’d travel to races throughout the Rocky Mountain region … their daughter was huge into it,” Scott said. “Several of us went off and did stuff collegiately with it a little bit.”
Scott returned to Libby two years ago and works as a dentist.
“Cross-country skiing can be very competitive or you can just go out there and have a good time,” Scott said. “Our race is in conjunction with the Community Ski Day. We’ll have the trails groomed and have food, hot drinks, a big fire and enjoy ourselves.”
Although Scott mentioned the cross-country skiing circuit that could end up in Libby for the event, he also encourages locals to become involved.
“It’s open to anybody and there’s a 10K and a 20K race,” he said. “You have to be fairly fit to make it around a 10K loop and on the backside there are some tough hills. Your local weekend warrior may not want to be out there but there’s no reason to not try it if you’re fit.”
In all, the South Flower Creek cross-country system includes about 20 miles of groomed trails, Scott said. The loop for the race will be 10 kilometers, or approximately six miles. The loop will be used twice for the 20K race.
Organizers are also planning a Kids Fun Race of 2.5 kilometers or less.
The Community Cross-Country Ski Day, which is free, runs from noon-4 p.m., also on Jan. 16. The event touts itself as a friendly environment for skiers of all abilities.
“If you’re not comfortable, there will be a ton of people around to help,” Scott said. “We’re just trying to encourage people to come out and see that the course is there, people can get information and they can figure out how to cross-country ski.”
Treasure Mountain Challenge
When: Saturday, Jan. 16, 10 a.m., with awards to follow at 12:30 p.m.
Where: South Flower Creek cross-country trails near Libby
Information: www.libbyxcski.com/ski-races
Kids Fun Race: For children interested in a non-competitive 2.5-kilometer or less fun race, send an e-mail to: chrisc@LibbyXCSki.com for more information.
Community Cross-Country Ski Day
When: Saturday, Jan. 16, Noon-4 p.m.
Where: South Flower Creek cross-country trails near Libby
Entry Fee: Free
Information: www.libbyxcski.com
Directions to Trails
From Libby
• From Highway 2, turn right onto Shaugnessy Road.
• After 0.75 miles, bear left at the top of the hill at the Snowshoe Road intersection.
• After 0.45 miles, turn right onto Forest Road 128 at the brown skier sign.
• Stay to the right on FR 128 and go 0.78 miles to another brown skier sign.
• After 1.2 miles, turn right into the South Flower Creek parking area.