Final Saturday Wax recommendations (6:00pm)
Hopefully they are running the tillers behind those grooming machines at full speed to beat the air out of the snow! What fell last night was sharp little flakes that make for very slow conditions. Unless tilled and packed a lot the air stays in the snow and it's slow. It also doesn't pack or hold together well, so the tracks might not stand up for long tomorrow. Also expect some slow wind blown sections on the parkway. Some sections might become like walking in dry beach sand.
Glide Wax
Glide wax recommendation stays the same as earlier (see below) - as green and hard as you've got!
Grip Wax
Getting grip at -20°C won't be a problem! While the snow might be abrasive, it shouldn't cause too many issues with wear as I don't see it setting up all that hard. What might be a problem is getting grip wax that doesn't really slow the skis down. Iron or heat in a thin layer of binder, Vauhti Super Binder or regular Vauhti Green. Then add a few layers of Vauhti Carrot (Orange). Even though the label says -1...-6C you will want that cushion of softer wax for the softer snow to bite into. Keep the layers thin! Cover that with 1-2 thin layers of Vauhti (fluoro) Green to make it glide better and you should be all set for a loppet! Enjoy.
Early Wax recommendations - Saturday
Weather... (Env. Chelsea)
Friday... Snow and blowing snow with the temperature falling all day. Overnight Clear and a Low of -27°C.
Saturday...Sunny. High -11°C .
Sunday...Periods of snow. Morning Low of -15°C and warming to -2C.
They can change the name, but not the weather forecast! How do they always manage that cold snap for the same weekend?? Just look at Monday with a huge storm on the way and possibly rain and +4°C. Better to race in the cold than the rain!
Glide
Glide should be fairy straightforward. As the snow warms it will get faster, but you will want cold durable wax for the entire race. You might want to consider re-reading our advice on cold weather waxing. With a windy day Friday and a clear night, we might have dry slow snow. Won't really be able to know until race morning, so get ready for some squeaking with graphite and cold waxes.
Simple and Fast - 1 layers Vauhti Graphite, 1 layer Vauhti Green.
Faster - 1 layer Vauhti Regular blue, 1 layer Vauthi Speed Graphite, 1 layer Vauhti Spektra Green. (Possibly Black Fox powder)
Grip
Too early to know yet for sure. I don't think Vauhti Teho green would be a good idea with fresh and blowing snow Friday. But a binder like Vauhti Super Binder, ironed/heated in with a hair drier, is a good idea in a loppet even if the snow isn't overly abrasive! Alternately use a hard blue or green heated in as a binder. After that you might want a layer or two of carrot, then cover with a layer or two of green. Ski on that in the morning and add more carrot for grip, more green for less.
I'll consult the source - John Suuronen on his testing and see what he has to say and report back after 6pm.
Sorted List of Bib by Race Distance
The Gatineau Loppet confirmation list doesn't tell you who you are competing against or participating with. It's hard to find out who else is in your wave or doing the same race you are, so we create a Gatineau Loppet Bib Lists for that purpose. Enjoy!
"Jessica Spring - Illustration + Design"