Ski and Snowboard News, Deals, and Events

A race mixing alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, running, and bicycling adds up to the annual Belt Creek Headwaters Relay that starts at Showdown Ski Area and traverses around Lewis and Clark National Forest. The Mar. 28 race is a relay, but for those with stamina, it is also a winter multi-sport triathlon.

The first leg starts with a downhill race on the slopes at Showdown. Racers line up for the mass start at the top of Porphyry Peak at 11 a.m., running 30 yards in ski boots to jump into their skis and sail down Upper Quicksliver to the beginning of the cross-country segment.

The cross-country leg traverses the eight-mile-long rolling O'Brien Creek Trail to Neihart. Runners then climb 3.5 miles up the highway to Many Pines Campground, where the bicycle stage begins. Bicyclists finish by pedaling 1,300 vertical feet uphill in five miles to King's Hill Pass.

Those entering in a relay team of two to four members pay $20 per person or a maximum of $60 per team. Individuals competing in all four events pay $40 for entry. The event is a fundraiser for the Barney Rice Memorial Foundation, which helps youth in need.

Registration takes place on the morning of the event at Showdown.