Birkebeiner ski event tweaked for deep freeze conditions

Arctic temperatures frozen in place for a good chunk of the weekend are affecting plans for the 30th Canadian Birkie cross-country ski festival.
The iconic 55-kilometre course has been shortened to 40 km to avoid Blackfoot and Islet loops and the start time for the Saturday long course has been pushed to 10 a.m. for now, say organizers in a Tuesday press release.
The 31-km course may be tweaked slightly. The adjustments are being made to keep both skiers and volunteers safe as the mercury hovers