Spring melt forces changes to Buckwheat Ski Classic

The annual Buckwheat Ski Classic in White Pass has been flooded this year, with registrants — and, well, water.

"We lost an eight kilometre section of the trail to high water yesterday," organizer Carlin "Buckwheat" Donahue told CBC's A New Day. "It's primarily melt, overflow, and extremely soft snow."

The races — a beloved springtime tradition for many skiers from Whitehorse and Skagway, Alaska — get underway Saturday morning at Log Cabin. Donahue said there's a record number of competitors signed up this year — 440. The previous record was 419 skiers, in 1995.

"It's going to be an unbelievably competitive field," Donahue said. He said many skiers who were in Whitehorse for last week's Haywood Ski Nationals stayed on in the city, to take part in the Buckwheat.

Despite the lost section of trail, Donahue said conditions should be otherwise good. Skiers in the longer (50 and 25 kilometre) races will stick to the 12.5 kilometre loop that's been groomed and maintained by "shovelling snow."

"We've got a good firm base, there'll be a nice track, so we don't have any worries about that. It's still going to be a really good ski."

The biggest disappointment for some, however, may be the intricate Star Wars-themed snow fortress that started to decay before it was finished. The Force has not been strong enough to withstand double-digit temperatures.

"We lost the walls. The walls just don't hold up anymore," Donahue said.

Race times have also been moved to earlier in the day, to take advantage of cooler morning temperatures. As of Friday morning, the 50K race was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Alaska Time, the 25K at 10 a.m., the 10k at 10:15 a.m., and the kids' race at 11 a.m.