Today started the 38th Annual American Birkebeiner.
This is a big deal for this neck of the woods. The area is mainly tourist based, and in the winter this event brings in loads of tourists.
According to the latest news posted on their website (www.birkie.com) there will be over 11,000 skiers, 2,000 volunteers and 20,000 spectators and organizers converging on the area for the events over the next 3 days.
Yeah, that’s why I avoid going into town like the plague.
My first encounter with this event was about 9 years ago when I unwittingly volunteered to run to the post office for the company I worked for. The post office is on Main Street.
I didn’t know that they finished the race on Main Street.
Why didn’t my coworkers warn me?
The joke was on them.
I stayed and watched the skiers come in.
I vowed after that to never go to town during Birkie weekend again.
Oh sure, I thought that I would be smart one year and go AROUND town to a store on the edge of town.
Yeah, well, since they can’t close off all the roads, they stop traffic on them instead to allow skiers to cross to get to the trail on the other side.
Lesson learned.
Don’t get me wrong, I think that this is a great event, if your into this type of thing. I’m not, but to each his own, I guess. While things like this happen in our area several times a year, I plan accordingly for them too.
I guess I’ll just stay in my little corner of the world, where I don’t have to worry about trying to find a parking space or standing out in the cold for hours.
Yep, I must be getting old.
One Response to “Skiiers Galore”
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I DEFINITELY do NOT miss the Berkie!!!