{"id":596,"date":"2017-02-25T17:16:40","date_gmt":"2017-02-25T23:16:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wisconsinverbs.com\/?p=596"},"modified":"2017-02-26T07:41:14","modified_gmt":"2017-02-26T13:41:14","slug":"wisconsin-skis-the-2017-birkie-that-didnt-happen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wisconsinverbs.com\/wisconsin-skis-the-2017-birkie-that-didnt-happen\/","title":{"rendered":"Wisconsin Skis: The 2017 Birkie that didn’t happen"},"content":{"rendered":"

This February, a week of springtime temperatures and an inch of rain quickly melted most of the snow in Wisconsin. \u00a0Seven days before the Birkie, I went for a run in Madison. It was 60 degrees so I wore a t-shirt and enjoyed the warmth of the sunshine while knowing that it probably meant the race I was training for wouldn’t happen.<\/p>\n

Maybe we’ll still ski a shortened course, I thought. Perhaps we’ll get a freak snowstorm and even though all the base is gone they’ll be able to rebuild, I thought.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As the week went on, both of those thoughts looked like they could even materialize. After a few days of very warm weather and an inch of rainfall, Birkie Executive Director, Ben Popp, appeared in videos posted on the Birkie’s Facebook Page<\/a> skiing on the icy base near the start of the race in Cable. There was still some snow up there!<\/p>\n

There was a winter storm predicted to hit Wisconsin that could leave 4, 8 even 10 inches of snow in Hayward. I thought maybe the race could happen after all.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I drove from Madison to Hayward on Thursday night — leaving early enough to beat the storm. Some parts of the state did receive substantial snowfall the Friday before the Birkie, but unfortunately almost none of it hit the Hayward\/Cable area in Northwestern Wisconsin.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

When I woke up, I was disappointed to see that there was no snow on the ground. My parents were the only ones from our family\u00a0who made the trip this year — this would have been my Dad’s 23rd Birkie.* We decided to make the best of the weekend in Hayward and support the community, despite the low chance of getting to ski.<\/p>\n

It was easy to get a table at the Norske Nook where we enjoyed French toast brioche, lingonberry pancakes and eggs to order. Next, we hit the Birkie Expo and picked up our race bibs and hats — the Birkie gift hats were really nice this year. We chatted with vendors and found some good deals on gear.<\/p>\n

Then we walked around downtown Hayward and visited local stores. The Hayward Chamber of Commerce even hosted a raffle where you could show your race bib and your receipt from a local business and be entered to win a free entry to next year’s race. I found a new pair of skate boots on deep discount in my size. My old boots were not as nice and I’ve been dealing with blisters. It felt like a sign to me, so I bought new skate ski boots.<\/p>\n

While we were downtown, we received the news that the official Birkie timed event races were all canceled. The race organizers and volunteers were able to make a fun 5k loop to ski on near the start in Cable.\u00a0<\/p>\n