Above: Primitive biathletes gear up at a past Biathlon event. Photo from shandakenprimitivebiathlon.net.
This is a good time to don a 'coonskin cap, if you've got one. This weekend, the 16th annual Shandaken Primitive Biathlon will be held at the Upper Esopus Fish & Game Club in Oliverea. From the event website:
"The event will consist of a 1.25 mile course and 4 shooting stations with 2 shots per station. The course will be a timed event where the number of scored targets will subtract time from a competitor's overall time. An extra minute will be subtracted if a competitor wears 1800s era attire."
That's right: a bonus for dressing up. [Amazing photos of what is considered to be '1800s-era attire' are available at shandakenprimitivebiathlon.net.] For those not interested in shooting, there will also be an untimed woodswalk, so strap on those snowshoes and get out to the Big Indian-Oliverea Valley this weekend. For more details, visit the listing in our calendar.
