Far West Elite XC Ski Team reports in from West Yellowstone

The Silver Sage sponsored Far West Elite XC Ski Team returns from a successful West Yellowstone training camp and first series of races. Team member Sabra Davison reports in…

There was a collective excitement on the trails of West Yellowstone, as it was the first time so many of us have been on snow this winter.  For those that haven’t been to West Yellowstone, it has become a mecca for Nordic skiers to gather, connect, slide, and eat turkey for one week every year.  Each team groups among like-colored Lycra to do balance drills, no pole, and gliding exercises.  The elite team followed suit and joined the entire Far West junior division for a week on snow.  It was an incredible week!  We had great skiing, a mid-week snow storm, and two giant 22-pound turkeys.  We capped off the week with two races, a sprint skate race on Friday and a 10km skate race on Saturday.  Some of us were training through these races, while others went in with a little more rest.  So, the results were varied this weekend in one of the more competitive fields that we will see all year.

Anja and Spencer were our top finishers for the Elite Team.  Spencer finished 31st in the sprints, nearly missing qualifying for the heats by a fraction of a second.  He finished 32st in the distance race, making the weekend the best early season results he’s seen to date.  Anja finished in 27th and 33rd in the sprints and distance race respectively.  Patrick Johnson is in Canmore racing biathlon for the first time with polar temperatures and beautiful views.  Look for more updates as team heads to Bozeman for the next round of Super Tour races, while Anja is on her way to Europe.