Sarah Raitter, pulling along her training partner Bill Raitter, tied at the line for the 2012 Mt. Shasta Snowshoe Race win held annually at the popular Mt. Shasta Nordic Center, open since 2006, “Where Quality Predominates.” The pair, both two-time USSSA Snowshoe National Team Members, used their Atlas Snowshoes to dominate the two-race-loop course in 1:08. This qualifier is for the USSSA Dion Snowshoes National Championship title in Frisco, CO, scheduled for February 24-26, 2012.
The calm before the Mt. Shasta snowshoe race storm
The course winds up the forested volcano mountain in a gradual lift on Nordic trails and fresh snow trails, loops the top for about a mile, and then unwinds back to the start, all in 5 km. In all the fun, the two-loop combo adds another bit, so the totals work out to 10.4 km, important to know if you’re gasping to finish at 10 km . . . .
65-year-olds Chris Schneider and Keith Johnson could say, “That’s how you do it,” with a combo finish of 1:27. Rowand Hickel followed with his finish.
In the women’s class, Tina Ure had a strong silver finish with her 1:09.
The companion 5.2 km win was captured by Dave Peterson in a quick 31 minutes. Sarah Jewett grabbed the women’s gold in 45:52 as Kathleen Dugan took silver under 50 minutes.
Bill Raitter wrote a thought about his lifetime of endurance advice. It’s short but reels with knowledge from an athlete who has in addition to his snowshoe accomplishments finished third at the Pikes Peak Ascent, sixth at the Pikes Peak Marathon, and was a member of the 2003 US Mountain Running Team. Further, he is a three-time winner of the brutal Sunrise-to-Summit run in Bend, OR. This nasty bit of fun runs to the summit of Mt. Bachelor, which if you have not heard, is a 9,000 ft volcanic cone. Just the purple line coloring the course on a map can give one vertigo. If you make it . . . the reward is riding down in the lift chairs.
The Raitters love snowshoeing!
Here is his guidance: “No one cares about the cleansing triumph of your daily fight against the industrial self you are supposed to be. It’s hard enough to fool yourself.”
Food for thought the next time you’re off making distance on American trails in the quiet of the day.
The Mt. Shasta receives over 100 inches of snow during a winter season despite its relative low (3,600 ft) elevation, making it a snow-lovers delight at breathable levels. The terrain with rocky crevices, raging waters, calm pools and defined trails is popular in the region for every outdoor activity imaginable. Scenic destinations include the unique Mossbrae Falls with their ring of water display.
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