COLTON — For 3 days of perfect ski weather and groomed trails, Nordic skiers recorded the miles they covered at Higley Flow State Park. The goal was to see how far North Country skiers could ‘virtually’ ski across the country without leaving Higley.

How close could skiers get to the start of a very famous American distance race? It was the 3rd year of the Higley event (started during the Pandemic)and great snow conditions lured children, college athletes, and all age adults to add their miles to the group effort.

There is no ‘finish line’ for a virtual event but after skiing 325 miles, skiers ‘crossed’ New York State on Saturday morning, and we were well on the way to Hayward, Wisconsin, and the start of America’s original ski marathon, the American Birkebeiner.

The 52nd running of the Birkie starts in less than 2 weeks, and North Country skiers almost made the 925 miles to the race start, cumulatively skiing 825 miles. 

By Sunday night and the end of the Ski Challenge, 180 entries were logged with ten of the athletes skiing all 3 days.

For the men, Art Michalek and Wiley O. each contributed fifteen-mile days, while Jenny Townsend skied eleven miles in one day for the women.

The Friends of Higley also sponsor ski lessons whose participants added their miles to the tally. Many of the Ermines (the children’s group) after participating in an Ermine Olympics on Saturday, added their miles to the Communities’ grand total. Fifteen Ermines contributed a total of 9 miles.

It was truly a community effort with skiers logging distances from seven tenths of a mile to fifteen miles in a day.