Quick trip to Mount Itasca: check. Home for Christmas: check!

Last week I headed out to Mount Itasca in Coleraine, MN for the second series of trials races of the winter. My racing went half as planned: good skiing/not so good shooting. The snow was great out there though and unlike last year, the temperatures did not make the plunge to 20 or 30 below. Here are a few pictures from the races....thanks to our official team photographer Andrea for all the great shots!

Prone shooting in the sprint race on Saturday

Skiing fast during the sprint race 

I'm at home now for just under a week before heading to Jericho VT for NorAm races just after Christmas. The next few weeks will be crazy starting with lots of fun at home for Christmas this week. Jericho next week followed closely by my XC racing debut for the season at US Nationals in Rumford ME. After that I'll either head back to The County (Fort Kent) for a week or I'll come home for one more week before some more XC races in Lake Placid, NY. Lots of racing, lots of travel but that's what it's all about! I'm ready to go, the schedule is set....one thing is missing though. SNOW! If any of you haven't yet placed your wish list in with Santa, please include some snow for the northeast! 

Best wishes for a happy holiday season! 

Canmore's over....couple weeks in Maine

Sunrise view from the window of our condo toward the mountain range that the nordic center sits up against. 

Same view at sunset

Mini monopoly is great for cold weather when it's too cold to go outside till mid-afternoon.

Seth showing off his pineapple-covered ham....Turkey's in Canmore are REALLY expensive so we had a ham for Thanksgiving. 

Close-up with the Pumpkin pie in the background....

Seth cutting up the ham

The dinner lineup: Cranberry sauce, cranberry jelly, ham, peas and carrots, brussel sprouts, stuffing, corn pudding, mashed potatoes

Thanksgiving dinner is served....mmmmmmm. Good. 

Dessert: Apple crisp and pumpkin pie

We are back in Maine now for two weeks before heading out to Minnesota for more trials races on the 13th of December. There is snow here right now but with the coming rain it probably won't last. Mars Hill has made some snow for us so chances are our time trial with the nordic team on Sunday will be moved there. Hopefully the rain holds off....natural snow is just so much better!

On the list of to-do items before I leave Maine again:

• Assemble and decorate a gingerbread house with Seth
• Decorate the lodge in Fort Kent for Christmas
• Sew neck warmers to match our new team hats from Skida...they are awesome!
• Test out the new electronic biathlon targets that are up and ready in Fort Kent

Think Snow!

Some photos from Canmore....

Before the start of our second sprint race last thursday. 

Men's mass start on Friday....Russell (#1) and Raleigh (#6), two my MWSC teammates were in this race. Russell in front in the white MWSC suit and Raleigh in the center in the blue suit. 

The Canmore range. 

Women's mass start. 

First shooting of the women's mass start. 

A pretty mountain west of Canmore on the Kananaskis Lakes Road. 

Me skiing toward the range in the first of the two sprint races. 

Prone shooting from the first sprint race. 

Leading Susan (in black) and Tracy out of the range....

A pretty bridge in town. There are walking trails all over the place and one of them goes right over this bridge. This same day there about 30 elk right near this bridge but I was too timid to go into the woods with them to try and get some pictures. They seem to hang around town so we might still get another opportunity for some pictures.