We had a nice day for the Wier Hill race (technically a 'fun run').  Sunny and 30 degrees.  The snow was well packed and pretty fast.  We (Dan Verrington, Allan Beebe) set the 3.1m loop in about 50 minutes.  We checked around to see if anyone showed up to race, changed into dry gear, and the race was on.  Dan took it out pretty easy and I actually led for the first 100m.  At the base of the hill Dan moved and I settled in.  We climbed 150' in the first 500m to the glade with great views and bright sun.  Then plummetted down the other side.  There was some flat running and then at about 1m we hit the 2nd climb which lasted about 1 kilometer and climbed 160'.  This was the last time I saw Dan.  We then entered some great single track that weaved and climbed and finally dropped down the other side of the drumlin.  We then crossed over into some open woods running from 2m to 2 1/2.  I thought I might see Dan on the loop but didn't.  He did however see Allen who noted how well the course was marked as the passed each other.  I was pretty much out of gas on the third climb which brought us to the top of the glade (same one as 500m into the race) and was looking at my watch hoping to get under 30 minutes.  I set the last 400m of the race to be a bushwack through the woods ending at the corner of the finishing field.  It was different to try and barrell down without wiping out.  Dan ended up running about 2 minutes ahead of me and he didn't go very hard, alternating 200m bursts.  He seems well prepared for Alaska next week, hopefully they'll have snow!  Allen finished about 8 minutes after me and I got a good picture of him in the bushwack and kicking up snow as he jumped over the stonewall.  We then went out and cleaned up the course markers and stopped back at the car for coffee.  Dan brought a box o' joe and we had to polish it off :0  Just before we left a hiker showed up and asked about what was going on.  I explained about the snowshoe race and he mentioned that he was the Warden of the Reservation.  D'oh!  I was quick to point out that we were on a fun run, not a race and that I was hoping to put on a real race next year.  He seemed receptive, so watch out for another Eastern Ma. race in the WMAC series for 2006!