STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Even as volunteers handed out swag bags that included ski wax scrapers, commemorative Boulder Mountain Tour hats and jars of honey, cancellations began to trickle in from racers who weren’t willing to brave snow to take part in the 34-kilometer ski race from Galena Lodge to SNRA headquarters.

“It’s been a crazy few days wondering if we were going to make it happen,” said Race Director Jody Zarkos.

The race did go on after the ensuing weather proved much tamer than had been predicted. And, even if it hadn’t, the hats and bibs made signing up worth while.

The Sun Valley Suns’ celebrating their 50th anniversary of the team’s founding, gathered around the tiki bar they set up along the Harriman Trail as they waited for racers to arrive.

The hats and bibs featured a Norman Rockwell-type scene of skiers against the backdrop of the Boulder Mountain and snow frocked pine trees. And race sponsor Zions Bank topped even those by giving all participants beautiful softball-sized Boulder Mountain Tour medallions featuring skiers set against the mountains.

Volunteers didn’t let the snow faze them. Paula Perry and other timers kept dry at the finish line using umbrellas. Todd and Ellen Mandeville performed their ham radio duties along the trail under a tarp.

And Chelan Ouderkirk said the weather didn’t keep employees at Galena Lodge from making 70 gallons of basil tomato and potato soup, along with 1,200 chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and peanut butter chocolate chip to serve up at the finish line.

“It’s very rewarding supplying something like this and, while the snow made things a little harder, it also made everything feel a little more adventurous,” she said.

Ari Endestad is trying to follow in the ski steps of his father Audun Endestad, who won two Boulder Mountain Tours in the 1990s.

Amy Whittier greeted racers with a string of bells. “I have a pretty obnoxious cheer, too,” she said.

There was some bunching up but not as much as you would have thought.