Snowshoe (Moonlight test run) 42:00 [3] 4.65 km (9:02 / km)
shoes: Mindbender
Test run of Saturday's moonlight course with John, Bruce & Dom. Bruce was only wearing microspikes and turned back after about 150m since he's tapering for Hyannis there was no sense in doing something stupid.
The rest of us soldiered on - initial course was packed out, but still postholing and sinking in snowshoes, then hit the connector trail which obviously hasn't been broken out at all this season - very, very hard work. Back onto bigger trail which has been broken out by snowmobiles, but even that was very loose and still postholing with snowshoes. Eventually made it back over to Sykes road at 2.75km in a much slower time and much more anaerobic condition than it normally takes. Held a pow-wow and decided that since this is supposed to be a fun run, that we'll change it up this year and do an out and back on Sykes Road (dirt) that gets very heavy snowmobile traffic and was pretty good footing even in running shoes without microspikes. Saturday night will be colder so it should set up nicely and be even less sloppy. Out & back means folks can turn back if/when they like, and the leader (most likely me) will then become sweep on the way back in and make sure everyone is back. And no navigation required - stay on the heavily trafficed dirt road.