Nordic team readies for first qualifier

The Glacier Nordic competitive ski team

has been spending a lot of time in their van this winter — not

exactly an ideal training regimen. With little to no snow in town

the team has been forced to go searching for places to get on-snow

workouts.

“It’s been a rough start to the

season,” Glacier coach Robin Brooks said. “We’ve been driving to

find snow. Mostly we have been going to Blacktail or Essex.”

The team has also been running while in

town or skiing across Blanchard Lake.

This week, Whitefish Mountain Resort

gave Glacier Nordic permission to groom a track at their old Nordic

area below the Base Lodge. The loop should be ready for team

workouts by the middle of this week.

“It will be such a relief to have

that,” Brooks said.

The competitive team is down in numbers

this year with only three members. The youth programs are at

capacity, Brooks said, but there is a lull among prep racers.

Connor Gray and Henry Holt are

returning members, while Cassidy Grady moved up.

Gray will race in the elite J1 age

group this year.

“That’s a very competitive group,”

Brooks said. “It will be a new challenge for him.”

Holt is entering his second year in J2

and Brooks expects he will bring home some good results.

The team skated in the 13K Blacktail

Bash last week. The first Junior Nationals qualifier is in two

weeks at West Yellowstone.

“West Yellowstone is one of the few

places that has good snow,” Brooks said.

Other teams in the West are also

struggling to find on-snow training, which should even the

field.

“They’re doing what we are doing and

driving to find snow,” she said.