Warm temps, lack of snow alters course of Loppet

The mild weather spell has changed the course of a popular cross-country skiing festival.

The three-day City of Lakes Loppet Ski Festival kicks off Friday. But it won't be packed with point-to-point events at various locations — from ski trails throughout the Chain of Lakes, Theodore Wirth Regional Park and The Mall in Uptown. Instead, majority of them will now be confined to Wirth park on man-made snow, organizers announced Tuesday.

"Because of the lack of snow, our events will be more focused here," said John Munger, executive director of the Loppet Foundation.

The location of the Luminary Loppet — the highlight of the festival — hasn't changed from the Lake of the Isles, but it will be a walk-only event, Munger said.

"It was only this morning we decided there would be no skiing," he said, adding Monday's warm temperatures solidified that decision.

The 26-mile marathon, which usually begins in Wirth park and finishes at Lake Calhoun will instead loop the park multiple times, for total of 16 miles. Organizers plan 29 events.

Munger said 11,000 to 12,000 participants are expected, and spectators will number between 40,000 and 50,000. The 2015 festival was the last time warm weather limited the event to Wirth park.

"I think our weather has become a little bit more unpredictable, and you just have to be a very flexible organization to deal with winters in Minnesota. Now maybe more flexible than you used to have to be."

Munger said there is an upside: spectators may catch skiers going by multiple times.

"For me, even if it's just a light layer of frost on some old grass, I'll still go out and ski and have fun," said Minneapolis skier Zach Handler.

Handler's 6-year-old plans to ski Saturday in the Minne-Loppet, a non-competitive race for youngsters 12 years old and younger. And Handler will compete Sunday in the skate race.

"So the weather didn't cooperate this year, and some years it doesn't," he said. "But the Loppet puts on a great party."