OSCR sets new records in 40th annual race

SEELEY LAKE – "Conditions could not have been better for the 40th running of the OSCR cross country 50k ski race," Mike McGrew said in an announcer voice and laughed. President of the Seeley Lake Nordic Club and OSCR veteran since 1984, McGrew's light-hearted comment captured the race well. Not only were the courses groomed to perfection, the sub-zero temperatures in the morning gave way to sunshine and temperatures in the upper teens by early afternoon making the course fast and the racers happy Saturday, Jan. 29.

This year's 50K field was the largest in OSCR's history with 97 registered participants. The OSCR also set an all-time high registration across all races drawing 199 skiers in the 50K, 20K, 10K and 5K.

This year's overall winners were all from Montana: 50K Men, Adam Farabaugh of Bozeman in 2:24:59.64; 50K Women Amy Katz of Missoula, 2:46:10.94; 20K Men Joel Harris of Helena, 59:04.33; 20K Women Lindsey Bengtson of West Glacier, 1:04:57.4; 10K Men Odin Berryman of Missoula, 28:08.42; 10K Women Findley Dezzani of Columbia Falls, 29:21.18; 5K Men Ender Berryman of Missoula, 18:14.75 and 5K Women Junia Longenecker of Kalispell, 19:51.66.

The OSCR has become a local legend in the ski community because of its length, history and reputation for ruggedness and delivering the unexpected. After serving as the Race Director for 30 of the 40 years, Lynn Carey said this was his last.

"I will not relent," Carey said. "It is just too much hassle and it is time for someone else to step up. I'll help out and I'll give the new director all the information they need to get everything done. The OSCR will continue."

40 Years of OSCR

When OSCR began in 1983 it was an acronym for "Ovando to Seeley Citizens Race" because Ovando and Seeley Lake were the starting and end points of the race.

Tom Daer of Missoula skied in 1983 and 1984 returning with his wife Sally in 1989 and racing almost every year until 2017. He said that they had old metal headed waxing irons that they put over the fire that they used to put on the pine tar and wax ahead of the race. It was all classic skiing and "there was just one guy on the snowmobile out in front of you disappearing into the fog."

Daer remembered a few races from Ovando to Seeley Lake when half the skiers got lost because snow drifted over the tracks. One year, Plum Creek decided the night before OSCR to plow from Seeley Lake to Cottonwood Lakes.

"None of the skiers knew about it. We're flying down and all of the sudden hit bare ground," Daer said and laughed. "OSCR was always like that...but the last aid station always had Schnapps and Copenhagen."

Point-to-point racing was a logistical nightmare for organizers and volunteers. Organizers searched for a 50K loop course for the race. The first 50K loop up and over Rice Ridge, utilizing the snowmobile trails, was held in either 1987 or 1988. Carey said the grooming consisted of a bed spring pulled behind a double-track Skidoo. There were six inches of fresh snow that morning and it snowed all day. Other loop courses included out to Marshall Lake and around Archibald.

Since the course was no longer from Ovando to Seeley, the skiers voted to change the name in 1988. While they stuck with the acronym OSCR, the name changed to Over Seeley's Creeks & Ridges.

In 1991, Race Organizers Karen Tanberg and Geanette Cebulski "dropped"

organizing the race on Carey.

"I didn't dare say no," he said.

With the encouragement of Recreation Manager Jim Blackburn at the Seeley Lake Ranger District Seeley Lake, five ski enthusiasts formed the Seeley Lake Nordic Club in 1992. They started actively grooming what is now the Seeley Creek Nordic Trails. The OSCR permanently moved to the Nordic Trails in 1993 and for 14 years the OSCR course looped on the ski trails.

In 2007 the OSCR returned the course to climbing Rice Ridge and dropping down into Morrell Creek. That is still the course, with some variation, that was used this year.

"OSCR has never bothered with exact distances," Carey said in the Jan. 26, 2017 Pathfinder article "The only constant is change – 35 years of OSCR." "It's somewhere in the neighborhood of 50K. If you are worried about whether it is 48K or 52K, you are in the wrong race."

Carey said the biggest problem in the early years was people getting lost. Even in recent years, racers have missed a turn and bent Carey's ear.

"Some of it was maybe because of poor course marking but also, people in a race situation are idiots," Carey said. "You are so focused, you aren't paying attention. It is really easy to get zoned out."

Carey shared a story about a 20-something-year-old 10K racer who missed the turn and headed out onto the 50K route up Rice Ridge. When she hadn't crossed the finish line after nearly two hours, her friend told Carey she was concerned that she took the 50K course.

"I looked at her and I says, 'Is she smart enough to turn around?'" Carey said. "Her friend said 'I don't know.' To me that was no."

Carey headed out on a snowmobile and stopped at the first aid station, located at the gravel pit nearing the top of Rice Ridge. Seeley-Swan Search and Rescue (SSSAR) had already hauled her out on a snowmobile.

"That is the longest 10K race you could imagine," Carey said laughing. "You would think after an hour or so, she would have thought 'I should have been done by now.' The things that drive a race director crazy."

The support of SSSAR has been instrumental over the years Carey said. They have staffed the aid stations and been able to assist when skiers were injured or overextended themselves. While there have been very few injuries over the year, Carey said this year had the worst injury he has seen as race director on the 50K course. SSSAR as well as other racers, one of which was a doctor, and race volunteers were quick to assist and get the skier transported to the ambulance waiting at Rice Ridge Road.

"They went above and beyond the call," Carey said in appreciation. "They had everything ready and all the personnel...it went so well."

In 40 years, Carey said they have come along way with grooming.

In the past the Seeley Lake Driftriders helped groom the snowmobile trail. They would pay the Driftriders to make sure the snowmobile trail was groomed the Friday before the race.

This year grooming expert Doug Edgerton and his PistenBully 100 groomed the 50K. Nordic Club Volunteers Chris Lorentz and Bruce Rieman used the snowmobiles to groom the 20K addition since there were spots too tight for the PistenBully.

While none of the snowmobile trails were closed, the Seeley Lake Ranger District Snow Rangers and other personnel staffed key access points and encouraged snowmobilers to find an alternate route during the race.

"We caught some folks off guard but our hats are off to them and all of the motorized community for being so understanding," wrote Seeley Lake Recreation Manager Matt Walter in an email. "In the future we will try and get the word out sooner."

McGrew was excited about the 20K classic track this year. He and friend Jenny Murney did "a hard tour" on their classic skis just to try it out. He would like to see OSCR offer a 20K Classic race next year to appeal to that growing group of Nordic skiers.

The switch to electronic timing was also a big change in 2016. When they started it was all hand timing with stopwatches, pencil and paper.

"We tried and tried and tried to not have any mistakes but it seemed like no matter how hard we tried, something would screw up and there would be a mistake or two," Carey said.

When they made the switch to Competitive Timing six years ago, they have never gone back.

"Now things are pretty clean," Carey said. "Competitive Timing is not cheap but they are worth every penny. It is just great."

The electronic age has also allowed them to offer preregistration. Due to COVID concerns, there was no race-day registration this year. Carey said in the past they would have 40 people crammed into the yurt to get signed up before the race.

Carey said the only down side was 75% of the racers waited until the last two days to register. Between Wednesday and Friday more than 140 racers signed up.

"That is an all-time record," Carey said.

As race director, Carey's primary duties including arranging the insurance, coordinating the food and getting the permit from the Forest Service.

In the beginning, Carey said they had to purchase insurance for the race through the US Ski Association. After paying $550 for insurance, Carey approached The Trailhead in Missoula. The Trailhead already had an umbrella policy for their downhill race series and agreed to add the OSCR for no cost. They have done it every year since.

Carey said the giveaways for the racers have been a challenge since guessing the correct number was nearly impossible. They have given away hats, t-shirts and other prizes but being creative and not cost-prohibitive is difficult. This year the 50K racers each received a hat. The winners of the 50K and 20K each received a mug with the OSCR logo.

"OSCR started out as the 50K and when you think of OSCR, you think of the 50K," Carey said. "As luck would have it, we bought 100 hats and we didn't have very many left."

Carey said on race day, "the volunteers do all the work." Karen Pratt helped with registration, Bruce Rieman, Chris Lorentz and Edgerton groomed, Dave Spence and Sharon Foti were the time keepers for years and now helped out at the start, Darren Zellman signed the course with Rieman, Pat Caffery started the races, and several other members of the Nordic Club and ski community volunteered at trail junctions and served the food.

"When you volunteer to do a job at OSCR, there is only two ways to get out of it," Carey said. "Either die or move away."

"Just a big thank you to all the volunteers, over the years, Lynn Carey and all the people" said Anne Dahl, veteran racer since the late 1980s and volunteer. "How many millions of times have they gone around and around on the snowmobiles grooming? Now they have the PistenBully. It is a lot of volunteer time. It is great for Seeley."

While progress continues to be made, Carey said the biggest challenge, and the one thing they cannot control, is the weather.

Carey said they have been lucky with the weather and never had anything they couldn't handle. The only time the OSCR has ever been canceled was in 2005 when there was not enough snow in 2005. They held a "Not OSCR" at Mount Haugen, behind Anaconda, with a big group of people who went out for a ski.

"Without OSCR we wouldn't have this kind of ski area or ski community," Pratt said highlighting that this is the Nordic Club's main fundraiser.

Carey said normally their goal is to make $2,500 in profit. However, since they had such a big turnout this year, "it will be a real money maker."

In 2002, the US Forest Service recognized Carey as the Volunteer of the Year.

"I told the people there, 'These people have said really nice things about me and all the work I do, but it is not for you,'" Carey remembered saying when he accepted the award. "I do it so I can have a place to ski."

While he still plans to stay involved, Carey said after 30 years, it is time to find another race director. He has someone interested that would love to take over the race, if no one local steps forward. Carey recognizes that there may be some problems that come under new leadership and some growing pains, "but no one is indispensable."

Carey appreciates the race sponsors including The Trailhead, Hammer Nutrition, the US Forest Service and Big Sky Brewing Co. As race director, he has most enjoyed the people he has met, some of which have become close friends.

"I've met some really interesting, nice people and a few jerks," Carey said. "But by and large most of them have been pretty good. Of course we share a common interest."

When Carey received the Volunteer of the Year award 20 years ago, he said he hoped the Nordic Club could continue to financially support a wonderful, groomed trail system and offer a 50K race that is tough and demanding. After 40 years of progress and records numbers, Carey's quote is still true, "The racers know it is a tough course and they love it."

To read more about the history of OSCR visit the Pathfinder’s 35-year coverage at https://www.seeleylake.com/story/2017/01/26/news/the-only-constant-is-change/1775.html

Local Skiers Results(From Seeley Lake unless noted; overall placing and time)

50K Men: Darren Zellman, 10th, 2:47:56.02; Tim Swanberg, Ovando, 17th, 2:53:23.42; Christopher Chitty, 52nd, 3:39:15.76

50K Women: Laurie Shammel, 21st, 4:47:21.03

20K Men: Mike McGrew, 20th, 1:57:43.30

5K Men: Land Neudecker, 3rd, 19:09.19; Eli Nicholas, 6th, 22:30.08; Trey Good, 7th, 24:19.96; Jesse Wink, 9th, 28:34.67; Dominick Wink, 10th, 28:35.83; Gunner Braulik, 12th, 56:36.30

5K Women: Kieu Snow, 3rd, 20:42.71; Loryn Neudecker, 4th, 23:07.14; Kalli Braulik, 8th, 46:25.48

For full results visit https://competitivetiming.com/seeley-nordic-event-oscr-results/#unique-id-2022