Boulder Mountain Tour: Forged Before the Start Line
Every winter, thousands of skiers gather in Idaho’s Wood River Valley for an iconic cross-country ski race: the Boulder Mountain Tour.
This race features two courses—the 34-kilometer Full Boulder and 15-kilometer Charley Course Half Boulder—held on the historic Harriman Trail in Idaho’s Sawtooth National Forest. Each year, elite racers, seasoned Nordic enthusiasts, recreational skiers, and first-timers line up together at the start.
This year marked the first time the Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse prepared a team of athletes to compete.
Gliding along a breathtaking course, the Boulder Mountain Tour is known for being fast, exciting, and accessible to a wide range of ability levels. A standout feature of the tour is its dedicated division for athletes with physical disabilities, giving them the opportunity to compete on the same iconic course.
For Fieldhouse athletes, the journey began long before race day. Months of preparation, training, and commitment led them to the start line.
“Training is critical,” said Andy Johnson, director of the Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse. “We worked with our Director of Human Performance, Anna Woodring, to develop a pretty comprehensive training program for every athlete that was going to do the Boulder Mountain Tour. We started training back in November.”
In addition to dryland workouts, setting athletes up for success meant getting on snow. After realizing that some athletes were new to Nordic skiing, the Fieldhouse teamed up with the Boise Nordic Foundation to ensure athletes had the training they needed to feel confident on race day.
But the weather had other plans.
Fieldhouse athletes trained with the Bogus Basin Nordic Team in preparation for the race, but a challenging snow year created additional obstacles.
“It’s been a tough snow year,” said Lettie Straton, executive director of the Boise Nordic Foundation. “The fact that these athletes have been training so hard at the Fieldhouse, their balance of strength and endurance is all there. And that’s because of the dryland work that really pays off once you get on snow.”
Despite the conditions, the athletes and Fieldhouse crew stayed committed, spending extra time in the gym and getting on the snow whenever possible. That commitment to preparation earned Fieldhouse athletes confidence at the start line.
“Chad and Julia and the guys at the Fieldhouse kept us in shape with the programs that they put together. The trail ahead is going to be difficult, but I think trusting in the program that we had, it’s going to be an amazing day.”
Preparation also builds something just as important as confidence: community.
“We have such amazing support with us,” said Meira. “We can lean on each other. That gives me a little bit of positivity to push through.”
Pushing through is exactly what this race demands. It is more than just a dash to the finish line. It is a showcase of grit, endurance, and the transformative power of sport and community.
Crossing the finish line, athletes reflected on more than the course they just conquered. They thought back to the work that began months earlier.
“I just finished skiing the full Boulder Mountain Tour,” said CAF Athlete Josh Sweeney after crossing the finish line. “It was a super fast course today. It was a lot of fun. The community out here is amazing.”
For Josh, the Fieldhouse played a major role in preparing for the race.
“Being able to train at the Fieldhouse and utilize not only the SkiErg but also the weightlifting equipment and honestly the community that keeps me going—I would not have been able to go as fast had I not had that implemented into my training program,” said Josh.
The Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse is proud to champion these athletes, providing access to adaptive equipment, coaching, and training opportunities throughout the season.
“The smiles of all the athletes as they came across the finish line, it really made me happy,” said Andy.
In true Fieldhouse fashion, this accomplishment started long before race day. The race was the culmination of months of preparation, focus, and commitment—exactly the kind of work being built every day at the Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse.
“This is a pretty crazy experience for me. Skate skiing was something brand new. I’m only here because the Fieldhouse said I should take a shot.”
