It was a fantastic day for skiing at the Caribou Bog Race in Orono, Maine, hosted by the Penobscot Valley Ski Club. Blue sky, lots of sun, and firm classic tracks made for a great experience. There were lots of smiles coming from the participants. This race was the 5th event in the NENSA Marathon Series. Racers had the option of skiing 10, 21, or 33km. With 70 entrants, this made the largest edition of the Caribou Bog Race in its modern form, with a healthy boost from outside the Bangor area.
The course has a great mix of single, double, and triple track sections, with gentle undulating uphills, fun downhills and a healthy portion of double pole terrain. The scenic woods trails wind through lands managed by the Orono Land Trust, including passing by many beautiful ponds, bogs, and a reintroductory Chestnut tree plantation. Despite the lack of abundant snow depth, the organizers put in a lot of hard work between trail surface upgrades in recent summers and lot of shoveling to insure the best snow depth possible, resulting in very good conditions!
The recently renovated lodge offered a clean and cosy post race experience. More than half of the field gathered for snacks, social time, and awards. Age group and Overall podium skiers were given Caribou Bog Post cards and some cool schwag from local retailers. After the awards, a slew of raffle items were doled out, including vests, alpine jackets, drink packs, rental vouchers, and racer director hot sauce! This event has a great vibe, fun skiing and it’s certainly one you want to experience. The Penobscot Valley Ski Club also hosts a freestyle version of the event including BKL races.
