Hi friends - Happy Tuesday! I don’t know how you feel about the snow that we got recently (or that Eau Claire got at least - almost nowhere else got snow, but we got pounded!) but I’m PUMPED about it because it means that ski season gets to continue! :)

This past weekend was supposed to be the peak of the Nordic ski season, which culminates in the American Birkebeiner, a 50k race that takes skiers from Cable to Hayward, WI. Unfortunately, due to the crazy spring-like conditions we’ve been having [AND] the lack of snow, the race itself was cancelled. BUT the race organizers and volunteers did a great job of keeping everyone updated, and they did all they could to make sure that there’d still be something for the 10,000+ skiers to enjoy this weekend, which introduced BirkieFest 2017. Though my fellow skiers and I were disappointed that the race didn’t happen, most of us still made the trip up to the Northwoods for BirkieFest, which was a blast! It went from a 50k ski race to a 5.0k open ski on a single loop, which also included various Birkie traditions and lots of free stuff! And though I always love to Birkie because it brings the ski community together, it did a really great job of bringing us Blugold skiers who were up there together! I saw Blugold skiers old and new up there, including alumni, my friend who transferred from UWEC this semester, and even the people who own the cabin we always rent for our team trip! So despite the conditions and the uncertainty, BirkieFest 2017 helped bring together the ski community and, more specifically, the Blugold ski family, which made it that much more fun and special! Fingers crossed for more snow next year!

This just goes to show that the Nordic Ski Club here always has been and continues to be one of my homes here on campus, and it’s always fun to get involved with the club with off-campus events too! Now go out there and find your home on campus! :)