Each spring hundreds of Nordic skiers, snowshoers and fit bodies race up the mountain at Squaw Valley in the annual Billy Dutton Uphill, in honor of late local luminary, Billy Dutton.

The original “run what ya brung” race is an uphill answer to the famous “Chinese Downhill” of the ’70s. Starting from the bottom of KT-22, the course climbs 2,000 vertical feet over 3.2 miles to the finish at High Camp, elevation 8,200.

The Billy Dutton Uphill race is open to all ages. Registration for the April 11 race begins at 7am at Dave’s Deli and the race starts at 8am at the Funitel. The $20 entry fee includes a T-shirt and goodie bag and all proceeds benefit Far West Nordic’s juniors program.

The always smiling Billy Dutton helped establish the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue (TNSR) in 1976, based on his passion for cross country skiing and his vast knowledge of the Tahoe Basin and the surrounding backcountry.