The Central Idaho Recreation Coalition (also known as CIRC) will host the Second Annual Backcountry Brewhaha on March 6th at BrundageMountain.
The Brewhaha is a backcountry ski
mountaineering race with European origins.It is a sport that consists of traveling as fast as possible over
varying terrain while relying on skiing and mountaineering skills.Backcountry skiers use alpine touring,
telemark, or split-board equipment to gain altitude using "skins"
that stick to the bottom of their skis allowing them to move uphill without
sliding back down, and then ski down challenging slopes.The Brundage Backcountry Ski Mountaineering Race
offers athletes the opportunity to test their ski mountaineering skills and
endurance.
This year's coordinators, Damon Yerkes, from West Mountain Gear and Grind
and Jeff Halligan of Gravity Sports are hoping to make McCall one of the stops
on the backcountry ski race tour attracting regional and national
participants.
The course is just under 8 miles with about 3200 foot elevation gain and
loss.Participants will need backcountry
or telemark skis with alpine touring bindings, avalanche beacon, avalanche
probe, snow shovel, climbing skins, helmet, ski poles, appropriate clothing and
water.
There will be a pre-race meeting at 7:30AM in the upper Brundage parking
lot.The race will begin at the bottom of
the Mainstreet run at 8:00AM.Racers
will ascend the 1600 ft face and head out to the backside of Sargants along a
pre-determined route following a flagged course that takes racers both in and
out of ski area boundaries on ungroomed terrain, skinning uphill, removing
skins, skiing down, and back up, and so on.
The course winds south around the eastern side of Brundage Mountain to the
edge of the out of bounds ski area then heads back up towards the top of the
Lakeview Chair.Racers will then ski
along the marked trail parallel to the Temptation run on to the finish at the
lower parking lot near the Centennial Chair.
Proceeds benefit the Central Idaho Recreation Coalition, a
group dedicated to promoting non-motorized outdoor recreational activities such
as backcountry skiing which has enjoyed a huge increase in popularity over the
world and is rapidly growing in the United States.A race like this is a great way to highlight
backcountry skiing.CIRC is also looking
for volunteers to help with the check points and do the beacon checks as people
leave the area boundary.
A party will follow the race with awards, raffles and refreshments
sponsored by the Salmon River
Brewery.Non-participants are also
welcome.
