City of Lakes Loppet Course Preview

January 26, 2014

The 2014 edition of the City of Lakes Loppet Festival brings another round of expansion to this ever growing event.  One of the biggest changes this year is the splitting of the classic and freestyle races to separate days as well as increasing the distance to a full marathon (42K).

The multiple day format means skiers no longer have to choose between classic or skate -- they can do both events.   In fact, the Loppet Challenge provides special age group awards to skiers competing in both events.   And, if you add in the Friday night sprints, you could even compete for a third award category, the Minne Tour (not to be confused with the Tour events or the Minne-Loppet) which provides some serious cash prizes.  And just to get your head spinning a little more, there is an interesting 'enduro' feature that may or may not factor into some of these competitions.

With the two day format for the big races, organizers decided to boost the race distance from 25K for the classic and 33K for the freestyle up to a full 42K for both.  For classic skiers, this now means they'll ski the full Theodore Wirth trail system, including a number of hills that were bypassed in years past.  

To achieve the 42K distance, the Loppet had to turn to a new source for additional trail segments.  For the first time since the founding event, the race will utilize Lake Calhoun, skiing clockwise around the lake to pick up 4K.  But it won't be entirely on the lake.  In the southwest corner, the course will come up on land near Thomas Beach.  It follows the boulevard turning back north before it comes to one of the most interesting new additions - the grounds of the Minikahda Club.

The Minikahda Club is a beautiful private golf course situated along the western edge of Lake Calhoun.  Thousands of people pour around the lakes area each year, but most have never seen the Minikahda grounds or the historic clubhouse.   The Loppet Foundation secured a short-term exclusive license to allow access for registered skiers for the race (the grounds are normally reserved for members only -- the public is not normally permitted to ski there).    This new addition to the race has generated a lot of interest, and last week, we were luckily enough to be allowed access to preview the course (many thanks to Tom Haeg, Chair of the Nordic Committee!)

Two big questions have been on most skiers mind about the Minikahda addition:  Is it hilly?  And do they groom it?  

In skiing the course, we found the terrain to be similar to Como golf course in Saint Paul.  The entrance for the race will be off 36th Street (normally the maintenance entrance for Minikahda).  Upon entering the property, skiers will immediately head south into a newly developed section through the woods, carved out by volunteers specifically for the Loppet race course.   After a short 1/3K through the woods, you'll enter onto the golf course.  While much of the terrain is flat or slightly rolling, there are two climbs which are very similar to the ones you'd encounter at Como.  The first is the longest, running perhaps 100 meters at a steady uphill grade, while the second is shorter, closer to 50 meters, and slightly steeper.  Those two hills bring you to the highest level of the golf course, where you'll cruise past the historic clubhouse and get a great view of Lake Calhoun. Eventually you'll head downhill, and most of that comes in a single, straight gradual downhill run of about 200 meters.  After cruising back along some more fairway, you'll turn into the woods and come out again onto 36th Street.  The entire Minikahda course is nearly 4K.

Hover your mouse over the map numbers to see a course photo and short description from that location.   The same sequence of images can be reviewed in the photoset just below this map.

As to grooming?   We skied there last Thursday, a brutally cold day with a fair amount of wind that generated drifting conditions (as the photos reflect).  We met the head groomer just before heading onto the trails.  He's been actually been grooming the entire Minikahda course most of the winter, and has had some solid training, including a trip to the famous ABR grooming clinic.   We found the course to be well groomed, with a surprisingly firm skate deck and a good classic track.  It was plenty wide almost everywhere, and very level.   It was good as any well seasoned metro area trail.

This new section at Minikahda should provide the elite skiers one last chance to make their break before the final few kilometers back on the lake, heading into the finish.  And for the rest of the skiers, hopefully it adds a refreshing break from the long lake run.

This year also marks the first time since the beginning that the race will not finish next to Uptown.  Instead, the organizers have moved nearly all the events to finish (or start) next to the Executive Center in the NW corner of Lake Calhoun.

While the Minikahda addition is the big feature, the Loppet will have one last twist for the racers before they reach the new finish line.  After exiting Minikahda, the course will slide back onto Lake Calhoun, running parallel to the western shore.  It will torture the tired skier with a "flyby" of the finish area as the trail will stay on the lake running past the Executive Center, and then finally climb off the lake on the north end.  From there, the trail will head back west, crossing over Calhoun Parkway and then weave itself back south along the boulevard next to the Executive Center.  It is along this stretch that skiers, and spectators, will be treated to a Euro-flavored feature: a ramped trail, going up over a pedestrian walkway tunnel.  Make it up over the ramp and its downhill and you'll have one last curve before hitting the finish line.   (This ramp will also be featured, perhaps with a small jump added, as part of the Friday night sprint course!)

These new additions to the 2014 City of Lakes Loppet should make for an exciting new chapter in the storied history of the Loppet.

Note:  Please do not attempt to ski at Minikahda golf course.  The course is normally closed to the public and will only be available to race participants during the actual race.