Eagle Cap Extreme

Race Dates: January 14 - 16 2010

View from the Starting line..

Time flies with school sessions beginning, State Fair in progress and our preparations for the 2010 Eagle Cap being in full swing.

The Director’s are very proud to announce an agreement with Eagle Cap Ski Club area and Lions, Intl to host the Start & Finish Activities at Ferguson Ridge Ski Area for the next five years. This allows both organizations to plan strategies for continuous improvement. This location provided easy fan access to the Mushing Teams. Family skiing continued through-out the race times only was being stopped during departure or arrival of Teams. From all across the ski area could be heard the fans cheering for their favorite Musher. Through cooperation with Wallowa Resources, mass transportation was provided to reduce the parking impact. Food and beverage where provided at reasonable cost during the event. From all vantage points, continuing at Ferguson Ridge Ski Area is a positive community step.

Our preparations continue as Coordinators and Volunteers gather to discuss the needs and challenges of the 2010 Race. We continue to study the need for an improved Checkpoint at Salt Creek Summit due to needs of the Mushers and general Health & Safety of our Volunteers. Preliminary planning will begin with US Forest Service this month for an expanded use of Salt Creek Summit facilities. Again this year, we will have two remote checkpoints in service, Fish Lake and Trinity Creek, as a proactive step in Musher safety.

Your Volunteer opportunities have never been greater. Please surf over to the Volunteer Section of www.eaglecapextreme.com to review the short job descriptions. Personal satisfaction along with a lifetime of memories is yours when you sign up as a Volunteer. Take a few minutes to view the Oregon Public Broadcast Documentary posted on our web site. Filmed during the 2009 Race, the video covers the Race from Musher and Sled Dog perspective.

Again this year, ECX will depend on the volunteer grooming and transportation efforts of local snowmobile clubs, Panhandlers out of Halfway and the Gamblers out of Enterprise. Both clubs provided excellent grooming on the trail along with transportation to and from checkpoints. We enjoy a good relationship with both organizations and plan to work closely in the development of additional winter events.

Keeping the Logistics and information moving is the Communications group. Again this year we will blend Telephone, Internet, SatPhone, and Amateur Radio operators into a seamless network. A network that will utilize an Amateur repeater station located in central Idaho. This network will have redundancy and resilience as its basic building blocks. If you are an Amateur Radio Operator wishing to participate in this Public Service event, please email our Communications Coordinator. Opportunities go fast…

Watch our web site for our September meeting notice. If you are considering joining as a member, becoming a Volunteer or just wish to check out what everyone is talking about…please join us at this meeting.

Mush On… Clyde
President..Eagle Cap Extreme
www.eaglecapextreme.com

Click Here for last month's President's Message.