Cable & Hayward
Birkie
February 23, 2008
I skied the Birkie today, well I tried to ski it, but every chance I got I just
stood on the skis while gravity did all the work. I felt horrible from the time
I woke and I didn't prepare well enough to ski the entire 50-kilometer, or 31-mile
course in a decent time.
It was more about the experience for me though. When I was a kid we had to write
a paper for school about our favorite time of year and only after getting our papers
back did I realize I was the only one who didn't write about receiving presents
on Christmas morning... I wrote about the Birkie.
For as long as I can remember we would head up to Telemark Lodge in Cable and live
the festivities for four day with my family, grandparents, cousins, and second cousins.
Telemark was like our second home, specifically room 110, which is the room we requested
and received every year.
My brother, Brent still holds the record for completing the most Barnebirkies, since
the first couple he "skied" when he was below the minimum age limit, which
was only later enforced. Him and my cousin Kara often times just talked in the back
of the crowd and if they didn't finish last it was an accomplishment.
Once my cousin Josh was sledding down the ski hill, launched himself off a ramp
and straight into the hotel's glass door. He rubbed his head a little, but shook
it off and continued with the rest of us.
One of our traditions was to stop at a pizza place in Hayward on our way up. It
was always bad. We then stopped at the ski shop as my dad would look around at everything
and we would just want to get to the hotel. Most years, the ride up consisted of
doing homework so we could take the next few days off to have fun.
On this trip, it was only my dad, brother, Travis and I. Much of what we knew of
as the event had disappeared so occupying four days was more difficult, but one
day we managed to go dog-sledding, which was a blast.
This trip wasn't as much fun as in the past, but we didn't have most of
the people either and that's what made the trip so fun.
Dog Sledding