Discussion: Canadian Ski Marathon Gold?

Anybody planning to do the Gold CSM this year?
http://www.csm-mcs.com/index2.html

I'm thinking about it, but have some questions and would like to share the drive if possible. Bash's retired after the Bronze, and I did the Silver last time.

I am not able to do the event this year, but plan to do it in the next couple. I would definitely like to see any information people have as well.

....always been intrigued....been to Ottawa twice in my history to do winter triathlons....would like to do this at least once in my lifetime but I would take the stay in the hotel version....with a hot tub....and a foot rub.....

We did that option one year.
It was pretty nice, finishing the first day's 85km and heading into the Chateau Montebello. I suspect Gold Camp's bale of hay will be a little less luxurious.

Breakfast the next AM was pretty unusual, in a beautiful 4-star hotel dining room and all the grizzled folks in their skiwear and toques getting ready for the start.

The most unusual thing about breakfast in that 4-star hotel was eating it at 4:15 a.m.

I think you have to sleep on the gym floor in Papineauville to really get the CSM experience.

I decided that the Couier medals were not much fun. Too much congestion for the first few hours. Entering a touring team allows you to spend most of the day on open trail. The cutoffs are much more aggressive, but that adds to the challenge (and you don't need to roll out of bed at 4:15).