It has been the winter we dared not hope for after the disappointment of last year. Absolutely ski heaven! We were pleased to get an early start before Thanksgiving, no meltdowns to speak of, and fresh powder twice a week for most of the season! Last year our winter recreation and tourism businesses took a major hit with almost no snow for the entire year. Rabid and weary, Bemidji cross country skiers looked out their windows and scratched their heads, cursing the weather forecasters out of frustration and disbelief. It was only by some divine miracle that our one local trail magically preserved the white stuff with just the thinnest cover of snow. In memory of the canceled 2000 Finlandia, a group of die-hard locals got together on race day and skied 50 kilometers at the Movil Maze wearing old race numbers and big smiles. Total logistical support for the event: two orange traffic cones, one jug of sport drink, and one ziplock bag of frosted cookies. We were down but not out.

It's great to be back, right on schedule for Minnesota Finlandia 2001 with snow-covered trails and no shoveling necessary! Skiers will be happy to hear that the race course is in the best condition in years, thanks to careful grooming by John Dickenson of Buena Vista Ski Area, and the trail itself has had some major improvements since the last running of the race. Tilted, off-camber sections have been leveled, the notorious "S turn" has been banked, and the vast windblown moonscape has been short-circuited to get skiers down off of the continental divide and back into the woods. The result is a trail with both better safety and flow, and should prove yet again to be one of the most challenging and beautiful race courses in the Midwest. Skiing over the island past the cattails and willows, climbing through the steep sections found on the west side, cruising the low sections of cedars and swamp, gliding across the continental divide overlooking the lakes, and racing past gnarly old white pines that have stood for over a century� this trail has magic! I hope each of you takes home a piece of that magic, a memory of lovely snow covered trails in your heart. Thank you to everyone who helps to make this event possible, and best of luck to all the racers - see you at the finish line!