January 2021 Events Recap
From friendly competition to night rides, January 2021 did not disappoint.
Resolve to Evolve
This past Sunday the inaugural Resolve to Evolve Winter Trail Challenge came to an end! What a ride it has been. The newly imagined push for a healthy lifestyle did not disappoint, and the month-long battle for the most mileage on the KT network was one for the record books.
Let us take a moment to review some highlights from the event.
Local Adrian Ponoran ran away with an early lead, and never looked back. He cruised to an easy first place finish with 177.1 miles on the network. Hats off to you sir!
The battle for the rest of the podium, however, was not so easy. KT Executive Director Abby Long issued a bold declaration that KT staff members would wrack up more total miles on the network than would members of the Board of Directors. Turns out she was right! The combined totals of Trail Manager CJ Scott, Trail Crew Members Kory Buck and Kenyon Fatt, Communication and Programs Manager Lilias Ide, and Operations Manager Ethan Kascenska, did indeed beat the lone board member on the leaderboard, Elise Lawson.
HOWEVER, it must be said, that with 88.7 miles Elise had a commanding second place finish, and deserves our respect and deference. “My back hurts from carrying this <BOD> team” -Elise, probably.
Coming in 3rd place with 45.6 miles is Trail Manager extraordinaire, CJ Scott. Way to hold it down for team KT CJ!
The KTA events department would like to thank all 20 participants who competed and contributed to the fun and friendly competition.
Prizing will be announced On Monday!
Thank you to our prize sponsors!
The Torchlit Trail Experience
The winter Torchlit Trail Experiences are KTA's longest running events. No one quite knows the exact origin date, but the best guess is that they've been happening for over 12 years. Originally, we lit the way with candles in bags, then jars, and have now transitioned to fairy lights to follow on this moonlit trail foray combined with educational programs provided by local organizations.
In the past, a firepit and hot chocolate have accompanied the event, but in order to encourage social distance and keep participants safe, this year’s event was completely self-guided.
On Saturday, January 30th 2021, during a Waning Gibbous Moon, the tradition continued. Even without a fire pit (for COVID-19 considerations), a dedicated group of KT fans braved the cold temps and were rewarded with a beautiful night out on the network!
Thank you to our programming partners!
Thank you to everyone who came out, and a very special Thanks to the Fairbanks Museum for creating fun astronomy trivia, and for Northwoods Stewardship Center for lending their tree and critter knowledge.
