Happy Thanksgiving from Innsbruck!

Austria has been in the headlines recently after announcing the start of a 3-week lockdown and mandatory vaccinations. While people are certainly being impacted here, the decision to lock down now is being made to help slow the virus and save Austria’s winter season. Hopefully, it means we’re at the high-water mark and cases will fall significantly within the next two months. In fact, Austria is the first country in the EU to mandate vaccinations which should help considerably as well.

The good news is that this lock down has been much more relaxed than in the past. People are being encouraged to spend time outside and cross country ski trails are all open. Seefeld has a 2 km loop of snow that had been stockpiled last winter and the conditions are ideal. There is snow in the forecast for the weekend that should be enough to kick off the natural snow season. While we are certainly proceeding with caution, we are still planning to run the Lumi ski trips this winter. The borders are open. Hotels and restaurants simply require proof of vaccination to get in -- it kind of feels like getting carded any time you want to go out. Masks are required indoors, but outside you can ski, run or bike as much as you like -- there’s still lots to be thankful for, including a vaccine that is helping us get past this pandemic.

Hope you can get outside over the long holiday weekend. As a little extra motivation, the World Cup season starts in Ruka, Finland tomorrow!!

Have you made your donation to the NNF? Today is the last day to donate to unlock a $100,000 matching grant (and we're not there yet!). Now is the time to support US cross country ski development.

See you on the trail soon,

Garrott