STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

It’s not just the Boulder Mountain Tour this year.

Sandwiched, as it is, between the Opening Ceremonies of the 2026 Winter Olympics and the Super bowl, the 53rd Boulder Mountain Tour has been dubbed the Super Bowl-der Mountain Tour.

“Its pretty amazing,” said Tour Chair Jody Zarkos. “When you look at five people from our tiny valley representing TEAM USA in the Olympics, and then the spectacle of the Super Bowl and all—it’s so much fun.”

Racers couldn’t ask for a more beautiful backdrop from which to begin their journey to the finish line.

Eight hundred racers will toe the line at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, for the full 34-kilometer race, which begins in Senate Meadows outside Galena Lodge and ends across from SNRA headquarters seven miles north of Ketchum.

Another 200 will take off from Baker Creek in the Charley Half-Boulder at noon.

While the presticgious race has sold out the last four years, this year’ss race sold out in 30 days, which is unprecedented, said Zarkos.

“In 2024 it took nine weeks to sell out; this year it took one month. I think ofa lot of it is carry over from the World Cup Finals that Sun Valley hosted last year; normally 60 percent of our racers are from Idaho and 40 percent fromout of state. This year it’s 60 percent fom out of state and 40 percent from Idaho.

Saturday’s racers will be chasing Caitlin Gregg and Matt Gelso’s record set in 2018.

“We put on a great race and people love coming here. Andd people are a lot of other races, such as the Ski to the Sun Race in Washington, have been canceled because of low snow across the West.”

Indeed, as of Sunday a tenth of an inch of snow had fallen at the Salt Lake City airport compared to the winter of 1933-34 which recorded a low of 14.3 inches.

The Olympic Nordic trails near Park City, Utah—a state that boasts “The Greatest Snow on Earth” are just a ribbon of manmade snow surrounded by brown bare ground.

New York Times

Sometimes it feels good to sit down after crossing the finish line.

A year in which cross-country ski events, have had to be canceled because of bare ground, icy rock-hard sections. One-tenth of an inch has fallen so far at the Salt Lake City airport; the previous low in 1933-34 was 14.3 inches.

Colorado has recorded its warmest wiwnter since 1895, and Mountain Bachelor in oregon has had just 27 inches of snow.

Nordic trails north of Ketchum have boasted ample snow and near-perfect grooming despite temperatures ranging on average 15 degrees above normal between Dec. 1 and Jan. 15. Only this week did parts of the trails start to get firm, although plenty of sugary snow still abounds.

“The conditions are ripe for recores to fall. We’ll see if anybody can catch the records Matt Gelso and Caitlin Gregg set in 2018,” said Zarkos.

Volunteers help shovel snow across Highway 75 just south of Galena Lodge.

Those who will try included Peter Wolter, a Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation Gold Team member who won the Boulder a couple of years ago. Pushing him will be fellow Gold Team racers Will Koch who has podiumed at the U.S. Nationals in Lake placid and competition at Soldier Hollow this year.

Also, Reid Golble who will join Wolter in sesrving as a guide for Sun Valley’s four-time Paralympian Jake Adicoff in the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Malrch.

Annika Landis, who has narrowly missed winning the race the last few years, is seeded No. 1 for the women. A strong women’s field includes Kate Oldham, Tatum Witter, emma reader, Emma Albrecht,ex-champion Roxanne Tully . And Olympian Caitlin Gregg is expected to compete, as well.

Others taking part in the race, include ////.

They all competed in the Half-Boulder last year with each winning their age class. This year Anna Marie Smith and 13-year-old, while ///.

“The kids are members of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation Nordic team, which will be at Junior Nordic Qualifyier sin Jackson this weekend. But we had so much fun last year and the Bouldeer is so much fun with the soup and bread at the finish line. It’s a world-class race in our backyard!” and all that we decide

Also competing will be There’ll befive or six para-skiers in the Full Boulder and nine in the Half Boulder.

The BMT Expo will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today—Friday, Feb. 6—at The Argyros in Ketchum. There’ll be BMT merchandise and a chance to talk with industry insiders and vendors.

The race starts at 10 a.m. in Senate Meadows at Galena Lodge with 800 racers toeing the starting line for the 34-klometer challenge.

Another 200 racers will take part in The 15K Charley Course Half-Boulder starts at Baker Creek at noon.

The race is capped at a thousand by Forest Service permit. And manyof some of those who are coming have not even been on snow this year.

A small group from Connecticue did cancel presumably because of bad weather across the East which has made travel problematic. And a few people from Seattle recently canceled.

“They attributed to the Super Bowl. Maybe they’re superstitutious and have to watch the game from a ertain chair,” “ A lot of people have been trying to get into the Boulder because of other races being cancelled but I’m a one-woman show so don’t have the ability to make it possible for them to take the place of those who have cancelled.”

That said, she does rely on 230 volunteers, not including those maintaining the three Aid Stations, to staff swag bags, set up banners and ferry post-race clothing to the finish line.

“Fortunately hI have a good crew, including Jenny Busdon, Ted Angel, Bobby Noyes  Jim Keller and so many others who step up year after year to lead all these volunteers.”

Three on-course aid stations will keep racers fueld and flying.

Galena Lodge hosts a food tent at the finish line.

The BMT Awards Celebration will take place from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at The Argyros with pcash prizes for the top three overall men and women, commemorative awards for the top three men and women in each age class. There will be raffle prizes ass well.

SUNDAY, FEB. 8

Demo Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Galena Lodge. Reps from Salomon, Fischer, SWIX, Rossignol and Madshus will have the latest gear to try.