Snow excites Olympic trials officials Trails expected to be perfect

FORT KENT – Forty-two inches of snow.

For most people, that’s an annoyance. And for the athletes participating in the U.S. Olympic biathlon trials starting Thursday, a Christmas storm made getting to the 10th Mountain Ski Center slow going.

But the heap of fresh snow dumped here Sunday and Monday was the best kind of Christmas present for organizers and especially those hopeful Olympians. Only 11 of the expected 37 competitors had checked into the ski center by 3 p.m., but those that did found superb conditions.

“It’s beautiful out there,” said Tracy Barnes, a Maine Winter Sports Center team member who had just come off the trails Tuesday afternoon with her twin sister, Lanny. “It’s a little cold, but not too bad.”

Tuesday was registration day for the trials. Many athletes chose to train and test as well in preparation for the competition, which start with the men’s and women’s individual competitions Thursday at 10 a.m.

Max Cobb, the U.S. Biathlon Association marketing director who is serving as the technical delegate, said Fort Kent had received a good dose of snow in October, but since then rain had washed some of it away.

With low snow levels, the plan was to shovel in snow from the woods in order to groom the trails. Around 40 inches of snow later – there were a variety of total snowfall estimations, including 39 inches by the National Weather Service, but Cobb put the number at 42 – the original plan wasn’t necessary.

“It’s really fortunate,” he said. “We had volunteers all ready to come in and shovel snow, but the day after Christmas, it was snowing so hard I don’t think anybody could get up here.”

Mike Paradis, a Fort Kent resident who serves as the chief groomer on a crew of eight, was out on the trails at 5 a.m. Tuesday after spending until midnight Monday grooming. He estimated that the trails got at least 36 inches. Official reports were 39 inches in Fort Kent, but Cobb said the ski center usually gets a little more snow than the center of town because of the elevation.

“We packed and packed, but there was so much snow that it seemed like nothing was happening,” Paradis said while putting on his overalls and hat for another trip around the trails. “Even after we groomed it down, it would blow right back in.”

By the time Thursday’s competitions start, Paradis said conditions should be perfect.

“With that amount of snow and our team with the [grooming machine], we can do anything,” he said. “We know what they’re looking for with banking and shaping. Instead of having to go with what the ground does, we can make it what we want. We can push it everywhere.”

Many competitors who were planning to arrive in Fort Kent Monday or Tuesday were delayed. Deborah Nordyke, who is ranked 14th in the nation, according to the USBA, had to stop overnight in Quebec while driving with her husband and three kids from Hadley, N.Y.

“I’m glad we stopped off where we did because we had no idea,” Nordyke said. “Highway 20 [in Quebec] was closed. And then we had to find a place to stay because everyone was stuck and all the hotels were full. It was interesting. But we got here.”

The Barnes sisters, who are regulars on the World Cup circuit, have been in town since around Dec. 14. When they first arrived there was about an inch of snow on the ground and some bare spots.

“We’re lucky we got all that snow. It was just in time,” Tracy Barnes said. “We were excited to see it. And they did a great job packing it down.”

Workers spent Tuesday digging out the ski center, shoveling snow off the top of the shooting range and continuing to plow out trails. Snow will also be shoveled off the bleachers.

Paradis was planning to head home Tuesday for a while to plow out his own road, then go back to the ski center for more grooming.

“I have to go rescue my wife,” Paradis said with a smile. “I hope she’s not too mad at me yet.”