Snow piling up for Quad

By Santiago Ramos
Staff Sports Writer

GRANTS — It's exactly two weeks till the 22nd Mount Taylor Winter Quadrathlon and the preparations are picking up with each passing day.

Karen Fletcher, this year's Quad race director, says the town of Grants is anxiously preparing this year's Quad that is set for Saturday, Feb. 19.

"It will be great," Fletcher said. "The town really pulls together for it. This is a time that the citizens of the town express their thanks to the businesses like the hotels, restaurants and gas stations that profit from the Quadrathlon. We're also very grateful for all of our volunteers."

With the recent snow storms that have passed through Grants this past week, Fletcher, who was the Quad assistant race director last year, says the conditions on Mount Taylor are ideal.

"It looks great for skiing conditions," said Fletcher who has competed in the Quadrathlon four times before turning to volunteering the last four years. "There is a hard base with plenty of dry snow on top. It will be fast skiing. Ronnie Pynes, one of our volunteers, went up Mt. Taylor and he said that the snow was up to his waist. So the conditions are great. The snow is great and we hope to keep it up there."

The Quad held its kickoff dinner at La Ventana, which hosted the event along with the Grants High Anchor Club, Wednesday night.

"We had the best turnout we've had in the last three years," Fletcher said. "It was really great and we appreciate all the publicity on it. We needed the help."

Fletcher said that Adventure Sports magazine, which will be covering the event, will be having a soloist compete in the Quad for the first time.

The Quad consists of four separate segments, bicycling, running, cross country skiing and snowshoeing starting from the intersection of High and Iron streets in Grants to the top of the 11,301 foot Mt. Taylor. The course up to the mountain is 21.5 miles which is doubled on the return trip back down the mountain and into Grants.

Veteran Quad competitor, Harry Little, who will again be competing as a soloist in the event this year said he went up to Mt. Taylor earlier this week after the recent snow storms to try the cross country skiing and snowshoeing segments of the competition. Little has competed in 16 of the last 18 Quads.

"It was really windy up there," said Little who will turn 71 years old the day before this year's Quad. "The wind was blowing downhill in your face. But there's lots of snow up there. There's new snow up on top."

Approximately 150 soloists have already registered for the grueling four-sport winter competition along with 62 teams/pairs. Last year nearly 200 soloists along with 256 teams and pairs competed. The 1998 Quad enjoyed the biggest participation with 284 soloists competing along with 392 pairs and teams for a total of 676 participants.

The soloist race begins at 9 a.m. followed by the teams at 10 a.m. Last year's winning time was 3 hours, 41 minutes and 35 seconds by male soloist champion Josiah Middaugh of Vail, Colo.

Defending women's Quad champion Danelle Ballengee of Dillon, Colo., is expected to defend her women's title that she has won the last five years in a row. She also won the Quad three more times in 1995, 1997 and 1998.

The last day to register for the Quad is Feb. 17, two days before the competition with a late entry fee of $75. The event's Web site is www.mttaylorquad.org.