Calm, cool, cloudy weather. Home course advantage. Solid racing all season long.

Eying the Columbia River Conference championships in a few weeks, the HRV cross country is getting into peak form, as evidenced by the team’s dominance during Saturday’s Champoeg Invitational in Newberg.

Saturday’s Nike Portland XC meet provided the first major test for the HRV cross country team and Head Coach Brandon Bertram liked what he saw, with only a few reservations.

Thirty degrees and clear, crisp and beautiful, the freshly groomed trails were etched with ice. The XC Oregon Classic Invitational at Mt. Bachelor’s nordic center was last Saturday. With competition fierce, racers were given a 5k to prove their mettle (or wax).

Grey jays leapt from branches, swooping in to steal bits of pastries as the main square outside the Teacup’s Ray Garey Cabin bustled with ski enthusiasts. A vibrant gathering of junior racers, coaches and their parents — all visually and verbally expressing their excitement — crowded around waxing benches, contemplating temperature and wax effectiveness.