Ed rings the bell at finish line.

If interested in being on Ski to Sea Team, please send an email to info@mountbakerclub.org  The Mount Baker Club put another team of athletes on the race course for the 2007 event, finishing 114th in a field of over 430 teams. The race consists of seven legs, and eight people make up a team. The Mount Baker Club team members' stories for the 2007 race are below.

Cross Country Ski My race was a realization that I should have trained harder. I think I did OK but was pooped. The funny part for me was near the finish. I had a little left in me and spotted a kid in a suit coat. I got with it and passed him before the finish line and thought (man, I can’ let a guy in a costume beat me)… As always I was very glad to be a part of the race and to have a great team and sponsor. Thank you very much and I hope to be back. - Dave Dean

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Downhill Ski/Snowboard This was the first Ski to Sea race for me and what an experience. My leg went pretty well overall but I hope I can do better next year. Thanks to Dave having a great time I got an early start and avoided the big crowd going up the mountain. Wow, what a brutal hike that is. I was completely exhausted by the top. Thanks to all my teammates for making this a very fun weekend. - Keith Knutson

Running I look like a drown rat in all my race photos...:) You don't need to get mine if will save the club some money... – Brian Kingsberry

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Road Bike Our road cyclist, Stewart Nicholls posted an excellent course time but was too tired to write about it. He did show up at Hovander Park as the canoe team pulled in, and he looked pretty good!

Canoe - Bow View I had a funny feeling as I was leaving Riverside Park in Everson at 9:45 A.M. on race day, and was driving back to Kit’s house, to get the paddles.  We had arrived at the put-in at Riverside Park in Everson with no paddles.

What did the gods have in store for us today I wondered as I drove 60 miles per hour through open farmland?  The race downriver was pretty much as expected, low and slow, banging a few canoes along the way.  As we were watching two canoeists, in waist deep water, take their overturned canoe onto the beach, we ourselves rammed the same boulder that apparently had overturned our two landlubbers.  Well, we scraped it, I waited to overturn, and the current was our friend, for it pushed the canoe over the obstacle, while keeping the bow pointed downriver.  At the handoff, the canoe felt like it weighed 200 lbs, but it was “just my imagination”.  I’m proud to be a part of a team that started this race in 1911. – Mel Monkelis

Canoe - Stern View The loudspeaker at Riverfront Park goes out, so I can’t hear the numbers as they’re being called out, but no worries I’m sure Stewart isn’t in yet, so I leave Mel with the canoe and wander up to the hand off area to check things out and find Stewart sitting on his bike waiting for me – yikes!

- so I take the timing chip and give him a little map of where Mel’s car is parked that I drew earlier so he can find it easily then drive it to Hovander and I lope toward the canoe and the unsuspecting Mel who has no idea I’m running toward him until I yell at him, “Mel! Mel!” then we maneuver around all the canoes in our way, get to the water, get in the canoe and begin paddling like the devil was chasing us. After a while though, we got our rhythm and settled into an arduous but uneventful trip down the race course until – hey! Watch that obstruction! Go right! Go right! Oh crap! we’re going right over it! Whoooaaa! Whew! Lucky us we didn’t tip over like the canoeists ahead of us did and who watched us “jump the log” as we paddled by like we knew what we were doing! Really no other excitement except the times where the “crazy eddys” got hold of the rear of the canoe and we had to dig hard and deep into that cold green water to pull away. This was our fourth year together. Another good race - butterflies and excitement while waiting to start, the rush of getting into the water, the long slog downriver, the euphoria and relief at the end. –Kit Vonnegut

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Mountain Bike I’m Mike Koepp and I did the mountain bike leg. Considering I didn’t fall off my bike this year, it went much better. My last year’s time was 43.42 minutes. This year, my time was 39.27 minutes, so I shaved off 4.15 minutes. I’m very happy about that. The best time in the mountain bike leg was 30 minutes, so I only have to shave off another 9 minutes to come in first!

The course seemed to be more difficult this year. There were several sections of the trail that were washed away. A big guy that I was following fell into one of these washed out sections. He completely disappeared! All I heard was a load grunt. I got off my bike to help him, but he popped out of the bushes and said he was all right, so on I went. I didn’t lose much time because he got right up.

Anyway, Ed our kayaker was glad to see me, and I was glad to see him. I passed him the wrist band and peddled home. - Mike Koepp

Kayak - The scene had been set. Not necessarily by the conditions of that particular overcast, languorous day. But by the many who came before. Outdoor people, tough...looking for a challenge. Wind, not too heavy, but building up the waves over the hours. Kayak plunging down, into the trough, only to be thrust up onto the next crest. Paddle blade dipping, trying to catch a rhythm, sometimes digging practically elbow deep into the cold, salty water, sometimes just grabbing a bunch of air. Constant battle keeping the kayak's nose pointed into the wind. More strokes on one side than the other but at last, on the only downwind following seas leg, a slight respite. A chance to relax. Sip a little Gatorade from the bag. Again upwind. Trudging past the bright yellow temporary buoys, finally heading for the last upwind leg buoy to head for the finish on the beach. Oh, to ring that bell!! Exhausted!!! Exhilarated!!! – Ed Lutz

Ron Peterson rode in the parade on his bike with free advertising.

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A NOTE OF THANKS
I know all team members deeply appreciate the helpers and alternates for making this, our 8th re-entry into our race such a success - we finished! Foremost, thanks to Kit Vonnegut, who was captain of the team and organized the entire operation.  Dave Dean supplied the Pre-race meeting space and Mike Koepp the Post-race meeting space by opening up their homes for a club "social".  Without a support team, we might still be up on the mountain.  Thanks to our FANTASTIC support team: Chelsa Knutson, Sunny Beua, Bernice Vonnegut, and Connie Koepp.  The club was represented at the Ski to Sea Parade by long time club members pictured below.