THE TAHOE RIM TOUR

The Tahoe Rim Tour has been rescheduled for Saturday APRIL 7, 2012
Preski the course on Wednesday April 4, 2012

APRIL 7, 2012
FAR WEST NORDIC SKI EDUCATION ASSOCIATION presents the 5th annual Tahoe Rim Tour & Race, a point to point 26 kilometer race from North Tahoe High School in Tahoe City to the Cross Country Center at Northstar at Tahoe. This is a fundraiser for the Far West Nordic Ski Education Association's Junior Ski Programs.

We hope you can join us for this very special event that interconnects some of the most scenic parts of Tahoe XC and Northstar's trails. We'll have on-going festivities at Northstar as racers come in. Enjoy an end of race lunch followed by awards.

See you at the 2012 Tahoe Rim Tour!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We need volunteers for the Tahoe Rim Tour. Volunteers are needed for race day both on the Tahoe City and Northstar side. Far West Nordic depends on the time generously donated by our members to make our events happen. Please help us make the 5th annual Tahoe Rim Tour a huge success.

This special event interconnects some of the most scenic parts of Tahoe XC and Northstar’s trails. We’ll have on-going festivities at Northstar as racers come in. This is a fundraiser for the Far West Nordic Ski Education Association’s Junior Ski Programs.

If you are interested in volunteering please email race director Don Heapes.


GEAR SHUTTLE

Any clothes or gear that you would like shuttled to the finish at Northstar can be loaded in the marked trucks at the start and your gear will be transported to the finish.

Tahoe Rim TourRACE TIMES

  • Classic Wave 9:00 AM
  • Skate and Snowshoe Wave 9:30 AM
  • Lunch/Party/Awards at Northstar Resort XC Center.
    Enjoy a hot lunch of Chili, Cornbread , and Cookies!


RACE DISTANCES

  • 26 km Classic and Skate
  • 21 km Snowshoe Half Marathon
  • Aid/Feed Stations: At Starratt Pass at half way point.


REGISTRATION AND FEES

Registration is available at www.farwestnordic.org until 9pm Friday 1/20 or register by mail. In order to participate in this event you must submit a waiver and release. Please print and fill out the forms and either mail the form to: FWNSEA, P.O. Box 10046 Truckee, CA 96162, or Fax to (530) 852-0879. Waiver and release forms will be available at bib pickup.

pdf Northstar Waiver and Release

  • Pre Registration $45 Adult • $40 Far West members • $10 Junior postmarked by 3/24 or online by 9pm 4/5
  • Pre Reg and Bib Pickup available on Saturday March 31st at Tahoe XC from 9am to noon and at Sierra Nordic from 1pm to 4pm
  • Race Day Registration $60 Adult • $55 Far West members • $15 Junior 7:00am-8:15am at North Tahoe High School
  • Transportation: Buses will run finishers back to Tahoe City between 11:30am and 2:30pm. The shuttles will be leaving from the front of the Public Safety Office in the Lower Paid Parking Lot at 11:30am, 12:15pm, 1pm, 1:45pm and 2:30pm.

There is also a Spectator Rate for Gondola up to Northstar Nordic Center... $5.00 no ski equipment.

2012 RACE INFO

  • Race starts at North Tahoe High School on Polaris Road in Tahoe City. Start is around the back of the school. Sunday Registration and Bib pick up are from 7-8:45am in the school gym, enter from back of the school. Please do not leave anything in the school because it will be locked up once the race starts. Race finishes at Northstar XC center.
  • The start is self seeded, faster skiers place yourself in the front, slower racers back a bit.
    The course is 26K of challenging skiing in a wilderness setting. The first 15K are mostly uphill with an elevation gain of 1500 feet. The course is far from roads and civilization and is exposed to possible serious weather. Racers may want to bring additional clothing with them.
    Snowshoers will have a cut-off after about 2K and again in the Northstar trail system making your course 21K.
    These cut-offs are marked and will be staffed by course marshals.
  • The Aid Station is located near the high point of the course at 14K. Aid Station will have GU energy gels, water, GU20 energy drink, grip wax and encouraging volunteers.You may want to carry additional food and water with you.
    There may be snowmobilers on the course, please be polite with them.
  • Trucks will transport any gear you want to the finish.
  • Hot meal will be served from approximately 11:30 am-1:30 pm. Awards will be at the finish starting at 12:15 pm.
  • Official timing ends at 1:30 pm.
  • Free buses back to start will depart approximately every 45 minutes starting at noon and last bus at 3:00 pm
  • To get from the finish to the buses you can ski down the Village Run downhill run or take the Gondola down.
  • Questions? email info@farwestnordic.org

COURSE MAPS

Click on course maps for larger images
Classic and Skate Ski Snowshoe Half Marathon Terrain Elevation Profile
Course map Northstar Tahoe Rim Tour topo elevation profile

 

There is something special about skiing a point-to-point race. It often feels like more of an accomplishment to arrive somewhere different than where you started after skiing hard for 5, 10, or even 30 kilometers. Point to point races can make you feel like an explorer, an adventurer—someone who is really going places in this world!

Far West Nordic has teamed up with Northstar Resort and Tahoe XC to create “The Tahoe Rim Tour,” a 26 kilometer Race and Tour. This event is open for everyone from serious racers to tourers who want to take their time and enjoy the spectacular route across the Tahoe Rim. There is an aid station near the mid-way point providing water, energy drink, and snacks to help fuel the participants through to the finish.

The race begins at the North Tahoe High School in Tahoe City and cruises through parts of the Tahoe XC Nordic Center before climbing up the “Fiberboard Freeway” over 7,700 ft. Starratt Pass. After the top of the pass, the race veers off from the familiar course of the Great Ski Race and instead heads east along the Tahoe Rim before connecting into the trail system of Northstar Cross Country. The course finishes by following the rolling terrain of the Northstar trails to the finish line at the Cross Country Center at Northstar. It’s a challenging 26 kilometers of skiing with approximately 2000 feet of climbing, similar in difficulty to the Great Ski Race. After reaching the finish, participants celebrate their accomplishment at the post race party: hot food, drinks, raffle prizes and more take place right at the finish area and buses will be waiting to take finishers back to Tahoe City.

There are three great options for entrants in the Tahoe Rim Tour: you can choose between classic style skiing, skate skiing, or snowshoeing. The classic skiers start first at 9:00 AM to take advantage of the fresh groomed tracks and the (hopefully) good waxing conditions. The skate wave starts at 9:30 AM and the snowshoers start immediately after the skaters. The course is groomed with classic tracks on the right and a wide skating lane on the left. There is plenty of room for everyone. Prizes are awarded for age group winners in each of the three categories: Stride, Skate, and Shoe.

A special emphasis is placed on the classic portion of the race as these results will count for points in the Fischer Cup Race Series. Both classic and skate divisions qualify for the Sierra Ski Chase and the Masters Challenge. The Tahoe Rim Tour is the only long classic race in the Far West division. This is your chance to see how your striding skills hold up over 26 kilometers!

The Tahoe Rim Tour is a fundraiser for the Far West Nordic Junior programs. Northstar Resort and Tahoe Cross Country generously donate their services to make this tour an incredible winter experience and to help raise money for Tahoe’s young skiers. It is a win, win, win event giving people a chance to challenge themselves on a new course, with three different choices of style, and all of the proceeds going to junior skiers. Come join us for the 4th annual Tahoe Rim Tour!

 

The 4th Annual Tahoe Rim Tour was graced by beautiful weather and great klister conditions. 242 racers skied or snowshoed the 26 kilometer course from Tahoe XC to Northstar XC. In the men’s classic division Far West coach August Teague led the climb but Farm Team racer Elias Bucher took the lead on the downhill. August regained the lead for the final switchbacks and out of the last turn but Elias won the final sprint to the finish with a time of 1:19:12. Farm Team racer Michael Collins took 3rd at 1:20:47. In the women’s classic division Farm Team racer Chelsea Holmes took first with a time of 1:23:56, followed by Beth Reid at 1:25:57, and Farm Team racer Kara LaPoint was 3rd at 1:32:13. The Women’s Skate race was won by Beth Thomas with a time of 1:23:02, followed by Susan Reynolds at 1:24:14, and Molly Zurn at 1:28:30. Rick Reynolds won the men’s Skate race at 1:11:14. Donatas Ereminas was 2nd at 1:13:32 and Joe Dengler was 3rd at 1:15:51. Ross McMahon and Dolores Bergmann won the Snowshoe Division with times of 1:42:15 and 1:48:56.

Thanks to Tahoe XC and Northstar XC for a wonderful day!


2011 Race Results
Race Photos by Nancy Rosenblum
Race Photos by Mike LeFrancois
Race Photos by Bob Owen

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