Junior Olympic qualifier at Nordic Center

About 200 of the region’s top junior Nordic racers ages 9 to 19 are expected to compete today and Saturday in a Junior Olympic qualifier hosted by the Durango Nordic Ski Club at the Nordic Center at Purgatory.

Racing begins at 9 a.m. both days, and spectators are welcome. Racing is expected to continue until about 2 p.m. today and noon Saturday. Some trails will be closed to the general public during the races.

Today’s event is classic sprints with qualifying heats for seeding, followed by quarterfinal-, semifinal- and final-round heats. Sunday’s event is a skate distance race.

Results of this race will influence selection of national team members who will represent the Rocky Mountain Division in national competition March 5-10 at Soldier Hollow in Utah, site of the 2002 Olympic cross-country events.

Guided hike to be held at Mesa Verde

Park Rangers will lead a guided hike focusing on winter ecology at 9 a.m. Saturday at Mesa Verde National Park.

Participants will meet at the Morefield Village gas station and explore the hillsides around the Morefield Campground, looking for signs of wildlife and observing adaptations of plants and animals in the winter months.

Be prepared to be outdoors for 2 to 3 hours with extra layers of clothing, water and snacks. There is a limit of 20 adults and children. If needed, snowshoes will be provided, or participants may bring their own. Park entrance fees are waived during February.

The hike is free, but advance sign-up is requested. Children are welcome and should be at least 7 years old.

To sign up, for weather conditions and more information, call 529-4631.

Seniors Outdoors! announces events

Seniors Outdoors! will host these upcoming events:

An easy to moderate snowshoe hike for singles at Haviland Lake will meet at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. To RSVP, call Warren Levingston at 769-1437.

A moderate exploratory cross-country ski hike from Haviland Lake to Forebay Lake via a new loop trail will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday. To RSVP, call Betsy Butler at 403-3185 or email ejbutler12@gmail.com.

The Wednesday Wanderers will meet at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday to walk the Animas River Trail from Santa Rita Park to Home Depot and back. Dogs must be on a leash. For more information, call Eric Pahlke at 247-1130.

Dog-sled/Nordic races in Pagosa this weekend

Dog-sled racing will combine with Nordic racing this weekend at the second annual Pagosa Paw in Pagosa Springs.

Races will start at 9 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday and include a six-dog/6-mile sled race; four-dog/4-mile sled race; 3-mile skijor (dog pulls you on skis)race; 3-mile cani-cross race (dog pulls you on snowshoes) and 3-mile freight event (simulates a trap line where dogs pick up weight at various points and haul back to the start).

There also will be a sportsman class offering a 1-mile course for those who want to try the sport with their dog.

Races will be held at Kuhn Ranch, on Piedra Road eight miles north of U.S. Highway 160.

To register, call Jennifer Martin at(970) 264-9358 or visit www.colomtnmushers.org. You also can visit pagosanordic.com for trail-grooming reports, trail maps and event details.

Nordic Center opens trails to Pugsleys

The Nordic Center at Purgatory will open its trails to Pugsley bicycles for one day only Monday. All the Nordic trails will be open for bikers.

The regular trail fee of $14 will be charged to riders who are not Nordic season-pass holders.

For more information, call 385-2114.

Pagosa to hold shooting range meeting

Colorado Parks and Wildlife will host a meeting to inform the public about the status of a proposed public shooting range in Archuleta County at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the County Extension Building at the Archuleta County Fairgrounds, 344 U.S. Highway 84 in Pagosa Springs.

The meeting will be an opportunity to learn about the project and the locations currently being considered.

For more information about shooting ranges in Colorado, visit http://wildlife.state.co.us/Hunting/ShootingRanges/Pages/ShootingRanges.aspx.

Shiprock to host marathon May 5

The 29th Shiprock Marathon will take place May 5 in Shiprock, N.M.

Participants can choose from a full marathon, half marathon, five-person marathon relay and 10K trail run/walk.

Registration for all events is available at www.Active.com. Schools are encouraged to take part in the events and may register runners for the relay event with a purchase order. Registration closes one week before the event or when the registration caps are met.

All participants will receive full marathon support on the course, a runner’s tech shirt, finish-line food, entertainment throughout the course and at the finish line, finisher’s medals, age-group awards and official chip timing on the USA Track & Field-certified course. A prerace dinner is planned in Shiprock on May 4 and will feature a course preview, entertainment, a benefit auction and a guest speaker.

For more information, call (928) 429-0345, email info@shiprockmarathon.com or visit www.shiprockmarathon.com.

Self-guided tour available at DMR

San Juan Mountains Association and San Juan National Forest have created a free brochure of a self-guided tour at Durango Mountain Resort.

The Ski Nature Trail is an easy ski run off of Chairlift No. 4. There are signs along the way where participants can stop and learn about nature. Brochures are available at the top of Chairlift No. 4, or download a copy at www.sjma.org.

Herald Staff