TRAVERSE CITY (1/29/05) -- At Randy Step's "Go!" command, the air filled with snow powder as 400 snowshoes shot forward with a "farumping" sound. Two hundred yards later the packed trail vanished and racers veered into open country, shushing through a foot of snow, dodging tree branches and maneuvering over fallen logs.

Seasoned road racers seldom run out of breath, but when going cross country on snowshoes gasping is guaranteed. Periodically the Bigfoot Boogie route rejoined the packed ski trail, but soon markers led us back into the bush.

Step and Jeff Gaft know hills are essential for the snowshoe-racing experience, so their course included a couple of good ones. At the top of the last and biggest hill, the trail reentered the Timber Ridge Campground. From there it was 200 yards to the finish, unless you were going 10K: those individuals kept going for a second lap.

Herb Lindsay -- one of the nation's top runners 25 years ago, now a 50-year-old snowshoer -- copped his second-straight 5K title with a 27:18 clocking, more than a minute-and-a-half ahead of Josh Johnson, 17. Third went to Donnie Anderson, 51, a Traverse City native who dominated the northern Michigan race scene in the 1980s.

Tammy Coleman led all women with a 34:58.

Mike Decker from Traverse City defended his 2004 win in the 10k with a 50:26, six minutes better than runnerup Jason Proctor. Julie Jenkins, a 15-year snowshoe racer who wore classic wooden teardrop-shaped models, was the women's champ in 1:08:00.

The Bigfoot Boogies, sponsored by Running Fit and directed by Step, Gaft and Daniel Seiderman, has become Michigan's premier snowshoe event. The 10K served as the regional-qualifying race for the national championship in Anchorage March 3-5. For complete results, visit www.runsnow.com. MR