A classic lake effect band dropped five - six inches of fresh snow on an already healthy 2-3 foot base in the Tahquamenon region the night before the 3rd Annual Tahquamenon Falls Snowshoe race.  Race day brought clear skies, sunshine, little to no wind and single digit temperatures - prime snowshoe racing conditions.  Seventy six snowshoers, ages 3 to 75,  from seven states and Canada arrived at the Upper Falls on Saturday ready for a single or triple tour of the park’s classic Giant Pines loop.  Park personnel set out on the groomer about an hour before race time and set a smooth corduroy racing surface, albeit slower than previous years due to the abundant overnight lake effect.  Nevertheless, David Einsberger of Harbor Springs covered the 5K loop in 22:59 for the overall win.  About a half minute back, Jacques Henning of Wyoming finished 2nd in 23:31.  Hessel’s Lee Kanitz rounded out the top three, finishing in 24:01.  Kanitz, a veteran of Great Lakes Endurance events and a plow truck driver for Mackinac County was happy to finally have a weekend off after a busy winter of snowstorms.  Martha McCauley of Wolverine captured top honors in the women’s 5K by nearly six minutes, crossing the finish in 32:45.  She was followed by Janet Courtright of Traverse City in 38:37 and Paradise’s Peggy Recker in 38:48.  A total of 53 snowshoers participated in the 5K event.  The prolific masters racer, Roddie Larson of Menasha, WI, age 75, showed strength and tenacity finishing 44th with a time of 1:00:30.  Averaging 24:20 per 5K loop, Alanson’s Derek Henning outperformed all other athletes in the demanding 15K, winning with a total time of 1:13:00.  Blaise Henning of Harbor Springs had a strong race to finish second in 1:16:32.  Ultra runner and race director Ben VanHoose of Greenville finished 3rd in 1:22:17.  Ontario’s Jocelyne Boutin earned top honors in the women’s 15K with a time of 1:53:41.  Boutin was challenged by Natalie Dale of Portage until Boutin pulled away mid-race.  Dale finished a strong second in 1:57:14.  Michelle Cziapinski of Milladore, WI  finished 3rd in 2:06:02.  Seven year old Noel Nelson of Harbor Springs captured top honors in the Kid’s 2K, cruising the 800 meter course in 5:57.  Hunter Hinke of Athens, WI was the top boys’ finisher, crossing the line in 8:22.  Only 15 seconds back was fellow Athens youth racer Jacob Rechtzigel, Jr in 8:37.  Bay City’s Leif Briggs-Lind was the youngest snowshoer and raced hard to finish in 14:32.  Complete results are now available.  Overall winners of the 15K won new Atlas snowshoes while winners of the 5K and Kid’s 800 meter won Petzl Headlamps.  The top three in each age group won jars of Keweenaw Gold, Michigan’s only Organic Honey, from Sue Raker’s apiary in the central Keweenaw highlands.

Tahquamenon Falls Snowshoe Results