The Defi Boreal 100km Loppet Report 2006

The Defi Boreal 100K Loppet was back for its sophomore year on March 24th. It is held in Forestville, Quebec on the North Shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, a spectacular 4 hour drive North East of Quebec City.

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This year, due to some logging in the region, the course had to be lengthened to 103K, making the challenge that much more difficult for the skiers. To a person, all skiers admitted that once they passed the 100K sign, the final 3K were pure torture and elation, wrapped into one emotion.

There are several high speed descents, which in 2005 were quite manageable given the early day colder snow conditions. Not so in 2006. With several days of above freezing conditions, the track was frozen granular early in the day with temperatures just below freezing overnight. This resulted in several high speed hair raising descents. But soon, the temperatures climbed to around 5 degrees C, converting the fast track to very slow slushy conditions. The final 43K along the river valley was made even more difficult with a tough wind blowing from the gulf onto shore.

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