#RamsHeadRando14

by guest blogger Heidi Medema from The Mountain Shop

If you’re up at Mt. Hood Meadows this Saturday then you might see something amazing. Now, I don’t use this word lightly. You see, Saturday May 3, is the Second Annual Ram’s Head Randonee!

The Ram’s Head Randonee is an uphill-downhill ski race, complete with demos, a vendor village, prizes, and after party. It’s a day filled with good people, good fun, and it’s all for a good cause! Maybe you’ve heard of the Northwest Avalanche Center? They are the awesome folk that tell us when it’s safe to go adventuring in the PNW mountains, and they do so on a non-profit, shoestring budget. Proceeds from this event will go to support NWAC and all they do to keep us safe in the mountains.

This year the challenge has been cranked up a notch or two. The course now gains over 1,900 feet of vertical, and includes a boot pack section. Strap on your skis at the base of Stadium, then skin all the way up, around Ram’s Head, and back down.

If you’ve been interested in skinning, this will be a great opportunity to get involved and start learning. If you’re an experienced racer, this is your chance to shine! Although, we’ve had some pretty competitive types (Guy, ahem, ahem) talk some big talk.

If you don’t have your own AT set up, fear not! Your race registration includes free demos of the latest and greatest gear. Dynafit, La Sportiva, G3, Black Diamond, Scapra, and more will have their demo fleets for you to try. Don’t want to race, but still want to try out a sweet, lightweight setup? You can do that! For $20 you get full access to all the demos (plus lunch, beer, and two raffle tickets!).

Your $30 race registration also includes demos, lunch, beer, and two raffle tickets. The raffle is chalk full of great prizes from all our vendors! We’ve got skis, backpacks, jackets, subscriptions, a discounted AIARE L1 course, AAC memberships, full custom tune, full custom boot fit, and more! Plus, Mazamas has thrown in some sweet prizes in order to support NWAC.

If you’re a last minute kind of person you can sign up day of for $40. Registration at the mountain is 8am-9:30am.

The race starts at 10 a.m., and will be a hoot and a half to watch. Mixed in with the experienced, professional-looking racers, we also had total beginners and a few snowboarders. We even had one guy run the entire course! And he loved it!

Join us after the race for a ho-down, throw-down you won’t soon forget! Meadows will be grilling up some tasty food that you can wash down with an ice cold beer from everybody’s favorite brewery: Everybody’s Brewing. We’ll shower race winners with prizes, then shower all of you with prizes too! With the sheer quantity of donations we’ve received from vendors, everybody has a darn good chance of winning. Plus, all the proceeds from the raffle go to NWAC.

In order to prep you for the race, the Mountain Shop is hosting a pre-race clinic, Friday May 2. Join us for beer, snacks, and tips! CAMP will be here throwing down some knowledge, along with our very own Guy Trombley. These pre-race tips could be the difference between first and last place! Or, at the very least they will help you to look like a pro on the slopes, regardless of your experience level.

What it boils down to is this: The Ram’s Head Randonee has something for everyone, even YOU!

See you there!