Season's First Successful Winter Patch

On Sunday, March 11, two Patch Sprint veterans completed the first recorded Winter Sprint of the 2017-2018 season. 

Brian DeGroat and Tim Singer covered the course in seven hours, 38 minutes on a dry day with temperatures in the 30's.  "It was a beautiful day but the conditions were slow going," said DeGroat, who needed to use snowshoes and micro-spikes at various points along the course.  The pair were joined along the way by past successful winter sprinters Katie Moffett, who climbed three of the four peaks, and Stephanie Lylis, who topped out on two.

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Earlier this winter, an unsuccessful attempt was made in extreme conditions; hiking in temperatures below zero, Jacob Gittler and Matt Moscato stopped after climbing the first two mountains.  "We could have gone on, but what for?"

With ten days remaining in the winter season "we left a lot of room for someone to better this time," said Singer.  "The record (2:36) will not be approached, but expect someone else to step up and grab the 2018 winter title."