| Noquemanon Ski Marathon
New groomer, course changes, better start area for 2002
By Carol Fulsher Skiers lining up under the start banner of the Noquemanon (No–Kay–Ma–Non) Ski Marathon will find their surroundings familiar but different for the fourth annual ski race scheduled for Jan. 26. The new start area has moved 2K up the trail to the Al Quaal Recreation Area in Ishpeming for the 53K ski marathoners.
"In the past, skiers entered the Al Quaal after leaving the cemetery in
Ishpeming about 2K into the race," points out Jon Mommaerts, race director. "With the closure of Suicide Bowl trails, new world–class ski trails are being built by the city of Ishpeming at Al Quaal. After looping through the Al Quaal fields for the first kilometer, the trail will follow a new descent into the woods and rejoin the original Noque trail at that point."
"This is just one of the few trail improvements skiers will find this year,"
adds Mommaerts. "We wanted a place that could accommodate more racers, as well as provide a warming facility for the comfort of all the skiers. Birchview School's gym, adjacent to the start area, will be open, there will still be plenty of parking, we'll have two less road crossings, and racers will enjoy the wide–open fields of the start area before their trek off into the woods."
Another welcome change racers will notice is the elimination of the
hairpin curve taking skiers from Al Quaal into the Deer Lake portion of the trail. With the addition of new, John Morton–designed ski trails in this section, a new, milder entrance into the woods was engineered.
"We needed to eliminate the Spillway's notorious blind downhill turn," Mommaerts says. "It was a source of congestion at times, the combination of steep and difficult terrain."
With the deletion of 2K of trail at the beginning of the course, trail crews
were given the task of finding an additional two kilometers elsewhere. They found a beautiful section in the Forestville area (38K into the course). Skiers will now experience a twisting, turning forested trail with closer views of Lake Superior rather than a flat, straight section along an unplowed county road. The Forestville Aid Station hill has also been graded and will be much safer for skiers of all abilities.
"Skiers will still go up and over Zhulkie Pass," Mommaerts points out,
"glide over the frozen Dead River Basin, and twist and turn through Granite Pointe. After traversing the Mead Highlands and refueling at Brooks Aid Station (No. 5), skiers will enter the new trail section in the Forestville Plains area. The trail now turns to the north of the road and travels through beautiful rolling mixed forests. It moves the trail into more interesting and scenic terrain, and it also eliminates potential road–use conflicts."
Added to these trail changes, the Noquemanon Trail Network has purchased a Bombardier groomer that will be dedicated to preparing the course right up until race time. This 12,000–pound addition to the grooming fleet will help the trail crew keep up with the 41 inches of snow a typical January showers on the Noque course.
"Thanks primarily to the generosity of Dr. Craig Stien and donations by many others, we were able to get the used Bombardier," Mommaerts
adds. "It will be assisted by the Al Quaal and Marquette Mountain Pisten Bully groomers. Annual winter snowfall for 'Noqueland' is over 180 inches. Last winter, 270 inches of snow fell on the area, just 4 inches shy of the area's all–time record. People who skied Noque III will remember the 6 to 10 inches of snow that fell on the course in the hours before last year's race. When piled on top of the 3–foot base of snow already on the ground, it made for challenging grooming and
generally soft conditions. While an expanded fleet of groomers will help compact last–minute snowfalls, Noque skiers should be prepared for sudden Lake Superior mood swings. She's in full control of when the snow flies and how much it piles up."
Along with the trail and grooming changes, skiers will also experience added amenities such as chip timing technology and an expanded ski expo with an athlete's forum. The Noquemanon will also be one of the
Champions Cup Events of the American Ski Marathon Series.
"Reflecting back to our beginning," Mommaerts says, "we're amazed how far this race has come. In 1998 we had no trail designated, no sponsors aligned, no volunteers committed. We had an idea, though. We would use our natural resources in Marquette County to provide one of the most prestigious point–to–point ski marathons in North America.
"Now, four years later, the Noque has a beautiful trail running through
some of the most rugged Upper Peninsula wilderness, over 350 volunteers annually giving their heart and soul, sponsors who provide dollars and in–kind support to give you the amenities you've asked for, and landowners who have allowed over 1,600 skiers access to one of the most scenic courses anywhere!"
For a full schedule of weekend events, information on the race and registration, contact Sue Syrjala at 1–888/578–6489 or visit www.noquemanon.com. The Noquemanon is sponsored by Subaru, Rossignol and Smart Wool.
Schedule of Events:
Thursday, 6 p.m., Torch Light Trek, 2.5K fun and timed ski events for children at the Al Quaal Recreation Area in Ishpeming.
Friday, 8 a.m., VIP breakfast open to invited skiers, media, landowners and sponsors at the Ramada Inn, Marquette.
Friday, 2 p.m.–10 p.m., registration and packet pickup, Ski Expo at the Superior Dome, Marquette.
Friday, 5 p.m., Noque Sprint Shootout Qualifying Round, 6 p.m., Noque Sprint Shootout Finals just outside of Superior Dome.
Friday, 6:45 p.m., Athlete's Forum, Superior Dome.
Saturday, 7 a.m., busing begins, Superior Dome, to 53K start area.
Saturday, 8:45 a.m., 53K Classic begins, Al Quaal Recreation Area.
Saturday, 9:40–10:10 a.m., 53K Freestyle begins, Al Quaal Recreation Area.
Saturday, 10 a.m., busing begins, Superior Dome, to 25K start area.
Saturday, 11:45 a.m., 25K Classic begins, County Road 510.
Saturday, 12:15–12:25 p.m., 25K Freestyle begins, County Road 510.
Saturday, 2–5 p.m., busing, Superior Dome to 53K start area.
Saturday, 6 p.m., live entertainment and video highlights, Superior Dome.
Saturday, 7:15 p.m., Awards Ceremony, Superior Dome.
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