January 13, 2014 at 4:24 p.m.
Snowshoe races a hit with experts and beginners alike
Snowshoe races a hit with experts and beginners alike
The race, put on annually by the Rhinelander Area Silent Trails Association (RASTA), turned out to be much more successful than last year's race, which was hampered by a lack of snow, according to race director Mary Lucas.
"It was a good crowd, definitely a better turnout than last year but we also actually had snow this year so that helped," she said. "The interesting thing about last year is the rain came and all the snow melted and we still had 50 people show up for what turned out to be just a trail run. This year, we actually got snow, fresh snow, so we could actually put on the snowshoes which is what it's all about. It really turned out great. It was a great crowd."
The race is part of the Braveheart Midwest Snowshoe Racing Series, which hosts races throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and Iowa, but the Snowshoe Hare event is about more than just gaining participation points within that series. RASTA uses the event to get those who are interested in snowshoeing out on the trails.
"We want to really promote the sport of snowshoeing. We want to get people in the local area involved to give it a try. We don't want people to be intimidated because it's called a race - you can walk it, jog it, whatever is fun," Lucas said.
As part of that goal, the race also featured a children's dash, which gets the little ones into snowshoes.
"That's usually the best part. The moms and dads go out with the kids - sometimes having to carry them with their snowshoes, sometimes the kids are just tumbling around like a snowball - it's just all about giving them something fun to try," Lucas said.
The event is one of three main RASTA fundraisers as the group needs money to create and maintain trails.
"For RASTA, this is one of our three event fundraisers that we do as an organization, so anything that is made off of the race goes right back into our work on trail maintenance and construction," Lucas said.
In that vein, RASTA also uses the event to educate people about RASTA.
"I don't know how far the message of RASTA has reached. Some people are aware of what we do. Some people have no clue," Lucas said. "This is part of the way we try to get the message out about who we are and what we do and the response we usually get is fantastic. People are great about supporting what we do and the trails we work on and things like that."
According to racer Jim Pedersen, RASTA's goals have been reached.
"I've also enjoyed just wandering through the woods in the snowshoes, but I never did anything like this," he said. "I had heard it was a race, but talked to some friends and found out it's for everybody so I gave it a try, and boy am I glad I did. I had a blast. You've got to give it to these (RASTA) guys. They put on a great event and do so much to make sure everyone can enjoy these winter sports."
Marcus Nesemann may be reached at [email protected].
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