Frozen Forester triathlon offers bonus for flannel

JHardy northern folk are encouraged to participate in the Frozen Forester Winter Triathlon on Saturday, March 2 at Pine Valley Recreation Area in Cloquet.

What is a winter triathlon? In this case, it includes Nordic skiing, fat tire biking and snowshoeing (or just running/walking in your boots, whatever works).

Organizer Tim Krohn said the Frozen Forester Ski-Bike-Shoe is a family-friendly event to help introduce the new Pine Valley mountain bike trail.

Unlike last year's Lost Forester race, Krohn said this year's event will not require a compass.

"It's all in Pine Valley, on- and off-trail. The on-trail part comes after you meet the Frozen Forester," he said, adding that "the snow is deep, the hills are steep and it's absolutely spectacular" in the woodland park right now.

Explore the Pine Valley trails with a 6.8-mile ski, 4.6-mile pedal, and a 3.1-mile no-shoe/snowshoe run. The event consists of two laps on the Pine Valley ski trail, two laps on the new mountain bike trail. The Frozen Forester 5K race starts at 11 a.m. and follows the Frozen Forester's ribbon line through the woods off- and on-trail. There is a relay option for those who want to share the adventure with a friend.

Cost to register for either event is $10. Both events finish with a sip of Forester Soup and receive a 2-minute time deduction (bonus) for wearing flannel and bringing a can of soup, Krohn said.

Family time for all is free for everyone from noon to 3 p.m. Hiking and snowshoeing are allowed on the bike trail. (No hiking or snowshoeing on the ski trail.) Concessions will be available in the chalet from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Register at Facebook/frozenforester or in person on the morning of the race at 8 a.m. at the chalet for the triathlon or 10 a.m. for the 5K.

Krohn said the whole idea of the low entry fee is to get people to show up. However, donations are encouraged and will go toward the cost of extending the bike trail from 2.3 miles to 5 miles.