Frosties at the Birkie

My dad and I just returned from a perfect weekend at the American Birkie and Korteloppet in Wisconsin, with plenty of stories and Bjorn Daehlie's signature in tow.

Though my dad's a veteran long-distance skier, this was my first long race. I skied in the Korteloppet, a twenty-three km race, along with around 1,200 other skiers. My dad did the fifty-four km Birkebeiner, a race of about 3,500 skiers. The skiers go out in waves of around three hundred, but being a new Korte racer, I was placed in the last wave, number ten.

The whole scene of the race was amazing; thousands of skiers, from novice to elite, gathering, discussing wax, and giving much-appreciated advice. I was a nervous wreck at first, but my fellow skiers assured me that I would have a great time. In fact, I did! Racing was challenging but fun, and I was surprised at how prepared I was for the distance. With the trails groomed extra-wide, passing was easy. Pacing, however, was a little more difficult. I found that the trick was to pace another skier and work with them to stay steady. Both my dad and I had good  races, placing in the top twenty to twenty-five percent of skiers in our races. 

The races were fun and all, but the most important part of the trip was meeting Bjorn Daehlie. Though I waited in line for more than half the time that I actually spent racing, I finally met my skiing hero!

Ellen Watkins

 

Adrenaline Rush At The Stowe Derby

by Rick Klein

Early on a snowy Sunday morning I dragged myself and Sky (photo left) out of bed and we headed for the Stowe Derby. We were joined at registration by around 550 other bleary eyed participants as we swam into the 64th annual ritual proceedings. The mood was celebratory laced with an air of anticipation especially with the uninitiated such as ourselves. Sky grabbed one of the first shuttle busses to the Mansfield base lodge as his start for freestyle began at 10 am on the top of the mountain. I followed a bit later for the noon start of the classic division.

After a ride up the chairlift I got my bearings and headed for the starting line where 5 skiers were launched every 30 seconds. I was 7 years old the last time I skied down the toll road and couldn’t quite recall the details of the pending descent but decided I would just go for it. Not long after my start I figured out how to efficiently negotiate the turns on the top of the course and coupled with frequent tucking I began weaving my way through lines of skiers. This was probably the most fun I had the whole race until I went wide on one of the lower turns and got caught up in the heavy snow which catapulted me into a forward flip bouncing off my head and onto my butt. After a few choice expletives and a mental body check I jumped up and “headed” on down the mountain.

After maybe 5 miles of adrenaline rush it was onto 3 miles of winding through the well groomed and tracked trails of the Mt. Mansfield Touring Center with a long slog uphill to the final chute out onto the flats. After gliding out into a cornfield the 4 mile mostly double-poling marathon to the finish along the bike path began. We followed the river for the most part which meant there was a slight and steady downward grade all the way to the finish with 4 or 5 pedestrian bridges along the way. By the time the church steeple came into view I was pretty wasted but managed to “hup, hup” it to the finish where Sky met me. We exchanged race stories and headed to the awards ceremony for a well deserved pint, food and viewing of videos of the race.

I’ll definitely be there for the 65th running next year and would love to be joined by a crowd of Frosty’s. New this year was a team division which added a fun dimension and ought to include an FMN entry.

Oh, Nordic Skiing, What Isn’t There to Love About It?

By Lydia Allen

Oh, Nordic skiing, what isn’t there to love about it? Hairy boys, cold weather, frozen chin hairs, and, oh yes, the spandex! Britta Clark and I love the spandex. We think it is the greatest thing ever. With all of the pretty colors! Just you have to have it on the right people. It’s fine for girls. But for boys? Not so much. We would rather see them keep there warm up pants on to race in. We realize that this will never happen, but we can dream right?

The North Branch ski team is lacking in racers this year. Only Britta Clark and I are skiing in races. Britta is racing at the high school level and I am racing at the middle school level, unless there is no middle school division then I do the JV race. At the Breadloaf race two weekends ago, Britta placed 21st out of 59 and had a time of 20:53 in the high school race. I got first out of 4 with a time of 11:40 in the middle school race. We stood out due to our lack of uniforms. Britta and I did try, though: we used crazy red, and orange and blue spandex with white tops.

The rest of the North Branch Nordic is doing quite well. We have had a great turn out, and everyone is doing amazing learning the art of being a Nordic Nerd. We have been transforming some Down Hill skiers into Nordic nerds. A typical day in the life of a NBS skier who just wants to ski will involve taking 30 minutes to find your skis and poles, put on your boots, and, well figure out how to get those skis into those bindings ( it takes talent). After 30 minutes has been wasted doing tasks that should take all but a few miunutes we do a lap around the field, first without poles then with poles. And then TO THE WOODS! By this point in the day, the sun will be starting to go down, so we only have 40 minutes to get our hands to the point were you can’t feel them and our poor toes to the point where you would rather you didn’t even have toes.

But don’t get me wrong, I love skiing. And so does Britta. I think that Britta also likes her RCR Fisher skis and her new top-of-the line Excel racing poles. Don’t feel bad if you have no idea what I am talking about. I don’t even know what Britta is saying half the time. Whenever britta brings up Carbon Light Fisher RCS’s my mom, the coach of the team, tells us how she used to race on skis “the size of tree trunks” and how her dad would spray this stuff on the bottom so they wouldn’t stop moving half way down a hill. Also how she raced in her snow boots, with bindings that you slide your foot into, and then 5 min. after putting your foot in these bindings they would come off of your feet once again.

My mom has come out of this Nordic Tragedy well, though. She and Eric Warren have done a great job of teaching the new Nordic Nerds how to ski properly. But oh, please, leave the double-poling to my mom. When Eric double-poles he lifts himself out of the track, jumping until his skis are two inches in the air, his hands as far in front of him as they will go, and his hips, oh, way forward. My mom, on the other hand, gets up on her toes like you are supposed to do. She has her hips forward, and her hands square with her shoulders. A much prettier sight to watch than Eric’s leaping frog. No matter how many times Britta and I have tried to show him how to double-pole properly he just says, “ You wait until twenty years from now. This will be the new way to do it, they will call it the Warren!” At this, Britta and I ski away in shame that the leaping thing thinks that his technique will become the new double pole technique!

We do love Eric, what would we do with out him? He transfers the skis, and helps the new Nordic nerds find out how to get their feet into those bindings, and he is a main asset to the team. Without him we would have lack of laughs and help as we ski through the woods.

Lydia is an eighth grader at the North Branch School, an independent school in Ripton, VT.

Secret Trails Around Ripton

Andy McIntosh put a lot of energy and thought into leading us on a tour on the Secret Trails Around Ripton.  On a snowy Sunday morning, a group of ten glided through the Hundred Acres Woods, the Owl's Howl, the Fir Tunnel and other privately maintained trails for a three hour ski.  Barry King pointed out ruffled grouse tracks crossing our trail.  Frost Mountain was barely visible through the snow and clouds as we stopped and gave homage to our namesake and snacked on trail mix. We passed an isolated fireplace and chimney in the middle of a woods.  This stone edifice had once been part of a cabin for the CCC, housing workers as they planted red pine trees, which now towered above us.  What a way to spend a Sunday morning!  

Middlebury Carnival--day one

The Good:  nearly a foot of new snow; 

The Bad:  broken piston bully;

The Ugly:  shirtless rugby players?

Not the greatest outing for the Middlebury nordic team, but some fine performances nonetheless. Excellent forerunning by Will Earle, Sophie McKibben and Eliza Carver.  Simon Thomas-Train was back as emcee--check out his tail.  Tony Clark saved the day by driving his groomer over from Blueberry Hill after the Midd machine died on Battell.   Results here.  Photos here.  Come back on Saturday for the relay.

Bridges Tr to Blueberry Hill, Sect 16 & 15 (& Romance Mtn. loop)

by Andy and Laura McIntosh, Trail Chiefs, Section 16. This article was originally posted on the Catamount Trail Forum.

As has been the case over the past few weeks, this section has been well tracked if not groomed, is easy to intermediate, and suitable for lighter-weight touring skis.

Steam Mill Rd. (FR 59) from the Bridges Trail to Brown Gate is snowmobile groomed. However, with the larger network of VAST trails available to the snowmobilers this year, this heavily traveled corridor is seeing lighter snowmobile traffic than usual.

Rikert Ski Touring Center is occasionally grooming the top part of the Catamount Trail from Brown Gate to the Middlebranch Trail. The remainder of the route to the groomed Rikert Trails is very popular this year and being tracked very soon after snowfalls; and the Rikert grooming has been phenomenal!

The Widow's Clearing Trail from the Chatfield Parking to the junction with the connector to the Widow's Clearing Parking has been popular with snowshoers, dog sledders, and skiers alike and is being well tracked. Be sure to enjoy a sunny break at the Widow's Clearing about 3/4 mile south of the Chatfield Parking.

Blueberry Hill Touring Center has been occasionally grooming the Dave and Carol Smith section to about 0.2 miles south of the the junction with the connector to the Widow's Clearing Parking, and more frequently the Horseshoe Trail to Voter Brook Overlook. However today, Sunday, Feb. 1, the trail had not been groomed since the big snowfall, Jan. 28 all the way to the VAST trail at Sugar Hill Reservoir. In my experience, this is typical of Blueberry Hill, only grooming these outer northern trails when events or predicted attendance calls for it. These trails, however, are generally well hand-tracked. The Sucker Brook and the Stewart Trails have been well groomed with tracks set for the past fews weeks, and a beautiful cruise to Blueberry Hill Inn.

Romance Mtn. side loop (Blueberry Hill's famous Halfdan Kuhnle Trail) for advanced skiers:

The Romance Mtn. loop is for advanced nordic skiers, is only skied counterclockwise, and it's a good idea to inquire about trail conditions at Blueberry Hill Touring Ctr. Follow the Hogback Trail south to the Hogback Blueberry Management Area, one of the best views at a touring center in all of Vermont. Turn right (east) on the Halfdan Kuhnle Trail and follow the groomed trail to the base of Romance Mtn. From here the Halfdan Kuhnle Trail begins a 1/2 hour to 45 min herring-bone climb. Climbing skins can also be helpful. Blueberry Hill has been occasionally grooming this trail making this the highest groomed nordic trail in Vermont! Even when not groomed, this is a popular ski and is frequently tracked (Ask at BBHill XC if this trail has been recently skied or groomed, especially after a big snowfall). At the top (west shoulder of Romance Mtn.), there are views west through the trees of the Champlain Valley and the Adirondacks. The decent is not as steep as the climb, but has some advanced sections. Return to Blueberry Hill Touring Center via the Sucker Brook Trail (left is more difficult but shorter, right or straight then left on the Stewart Trail is easier but longer).

Enjoy all of the snow!

Frosties Fare Well On Killer Hill

by Britta Clark

This past Sunday were the J2 Championship and Eastern High School Qualifiers. Athletes from all over the state competed, including several MUHS and North Branch School skiers, and one Vergennes skier.

The morning began before dawn, we packed all of our equipment into cars and headed off the Cricket Hill trails in Lamoille VT. As usual most of us arrived before the race organizers had even gotten there, and sat in the gym wishing that we had our sleeping bags and pillows.

We didn’t have too long to wait however, and before long we were out on the trails warming up for the first race of the day-classic. The tracks were fairly nonexistent, but Chas and Bill did an excellent job applying the klister (thanks!) so we had pretty good kick all around. The course was fast and icy, with features such as the infamous “killer hill.” But despite these obstacles, all the skiers had good races, everyone finishing around the 8-10 minute mark-near the top half of the pack of around 80 skiers.

The second race of the day was skate technique, and Sophie, Lydia, Dominique, Will and I knew we were all on the verge of making the J2 team, so we needed to ski hard and fast. As I raced up killer hill, I felt my legs telling me to slow down, my heart beating fast, but I imagined going to the J2 championships and was able to keep up my pace.

After the skate race, we waited for results and the announcement of the J2 and Eastern team. The outcome: everyone did a fantastic job, with Walker Allen coming in 26th overall (an alternate for the Eastern team), Will Earle as the 4th J2 boy-42nd overall, Schyler Klein racing for 52nd overall and Charlie Mulcahy coming in at 87th. On the girl’s side of things Lydia Allen, Dominique Powers, and myself came in 39th, 34th and 30th respectively, all making it onto the J2 team. Sophie McKibben had her pole come off during the skate race and finished an impressive 60th, an alternate for the J2 team, and Maddie Kincaid and Ellen Watkins had great races at 56th and 63rd.

Everyone did an amazing job, and the camaraderie between the racers made it all the better.

Britta is a 9th grader at the North Branch School.

FMN at the Vermont Elite Team Qualifers

A course of nearly glare ice greeted our Frost Mountain Nordic high school skiers racing to make the Vermont Elite Teams at Lamoille High School the morning of February 15.  Even so, many of our racers made the cut.  For the J2s (14 and 15 year olds), Britta Clark, Dominque Powers, Lydia Allen and Will Earle will be heading off to Holderness to represent the state, with Sophie McKibben as first alternate.  Frostie Chas Lyons, the MUHS coach, will be going along, too, as one of the Vermont coaches.  Walker Allen, who would be skiing for Davidson College next year if it ever snowed there, was named an alternate to the elite Eastern Team.  Thanks to Lynn Luginbuhl, the event was well documented. Check it out here.

Why I Keep Doing the Canadian Ski Marathon?

by Barbara Otsuka

Yes, packing all your gear is a ton of work. The drive is long and hard, especially through Montreal at rush hour. The ski conditions are never perfect everywhere. In fact, in some places the ski conditions were really, but really, challenging this year.

Let me present a quick snippet that describes a bit of the atmosphere at the Canadian Ski Marathon. I made a rest stop in the woods off the trail on Sunday afternoon, having put over 40 miles behind me since Saturday morning. While there, I could see and hear waves and waves of skiers along the trail going by in the distance, just happily burbling along. I knew they were all as tired and wobbly as I was. (While skiing, I had been telling myself, “You’re almost there. Just don’t fall on the ice at this point and get injured.”) There were families with kids, the team of upper elementary aged racers with whom I had started some 6 hours earlier with their parents and coaches, the Coureurs de Bois gold skiers with enormous packs (actually, by this time they were the boomer types and women coming through), lots of individuals like me just skiing along, with other skiers around us encouraging us along. When I got to the finish and banquet, the stories were being told, and then around 7:30 PM several women Coureurs de Bois gold came in with headlamps on. They had made it and everyone cheered! The banner by the awards stage read something like, “Canadian Ski Marathon – Everyone’s a Winner.”

I always come home from the event inspired. I started with that team of elementary-aged kids and their parents. Within the first half hour I skied up on two of the older boys who were skiing along and chatting. As I came up to them, I said, “I’ll bet you guys are faster than me, or do you want me to pass?” They sped right up and kept going for about 20 minutes. Then they slowed down and again, chatting away, so I caught up to them again. We skied along at about the same pace for awhile, but all of a sudden they sped up and took off. I looked behind me and saw 4 girls from their team. I don’t know how long they stayed ahead of the girls, but I mentioned this to their coach later and he noted that the boys were a chatty pair and that those girls were much more competitive. The parents with that group of kids were great, encouraging them and making it a fun experience. The whole group seemed to stay together all day, with lots of snacks, gear changes, and chatting.

I think this event is unique in the sense that most participants start out knowing that, whatever our skill and strength level, it will be really tough. However, there is very little place for a competitive spirit among 99% of the participants. Conversely, we each can feel supported in our self-challenge by the presence and encouragement of the other participants. And, so, I can’t imagine my life without the CSM on the first weekend in February.

Annual Skiing of the Bulls--the 2009 Breadloaf Citizens' Race

Anyone who had any doubt that nordic skiing appeals to people of all ages has not been to the annual Citizens' Race at Breadloaf. Cheers of "Come on Grandma, pick it up!" were not uncommon. This year featured two sets of tandem skiers (one set of skis, two racers), kids in Hawaiian attire, and a speedy Barney Hodges sporting a terrifying, witchy, wig. Check out the photos and relive the moment. (Best to view on slideshow to get the full effect.)

Two Big Days for Midd at the Dartmouth Carnival

Fans of the Middlebury College nordic ski team who have been waiting for Simi Hamilton's return from Europe were not disappointed this weekend at the Dartmouth carnival. On Friday, the MC senior won the classic race by more than twenty seconds. On Saturday, he took the skate race. Frost Mountain coach, Tim Reynolds, was right behind Simi, posting a dominating third place finish in the skate. The very consistently great Patrick Johnson and the up-and-coming Chase Marston were also right at the front of the pack, joined by a soon-to-be-pink-haired Mike Mommsen in the classic race. On the girls' side, freshman phenom Elise Moody-Roberts continued to crush the competition and Kate Barton (aka Katie Barton of the LAX team) had incredibly fast feet. By the end, the MC men had garnered a first place win, and the women a second, with the combined nordic and alpine taking second overall. Come out to cheer on the whole squad this coming weekend at the Middlebury carnival. Results here.

MUHS Nordic goes to the (rainy) Mt. Top

On a soggy afternoon in Pittsford, a smaller than usual MUHS squad squared off against a bunch of southern Vermont skiers at Mt. Top. The course was slushy to start and waxing was a challenge. Almost as soon as all the boys had made it to the finish, it started to rain, just in time for the girls's start. The most dramatic moment of race was when Schuyler Klein's binding broke as he made the turn toward the last big uphill. Undeterred, he scootered all the way to the top, then tried to one-ski=it down, which turned out to be even harder. Everyone put in a tremendous effort under less-than-ideal conditions. Results to follow as soon as they're out, and here's a link to photos.

Snowjourn '09 Debuts in Ripton

This summer, when MUHS nordic skier and FMN member Sophie McKibben conceived of Snowjourn, an organization to bring military families to Ripton for a carefree weekend of winter fun, she wasn't thinking much about what the weather would be the weekend of February 6-9. All it had to do was snow--and stay there. On February 3, things were not looking good. Rain and sleet and ice were in the forecast. On the 5th, same thing. On the 6th, the families all arrived at the Ripton School to clear skies and a festive meal prepared by more than 100 community members, with music by Atlantic Crossing (thanks to FMN member Rick Klein). The 21 guests then went to stay with their local host family, who pointed them in the direction of Rikert the next morning. Thanks to John Rubright and crew, they were quickly outfitted and sent out on snow, guided by a number of volunteer instructors. Thanks also to our Bill Kochers, Snowjourn had the run of the MC team room, which was a good thing since so many members of the community brought hot lunch and snacks for all the Snowjourners. By day's end, at least two of families were talking about buying skis, one was signed up for further lessons, and one had made plans to return to Rikert on their own. In the evening there was skating and a cookout (thanks to FMN member Eric Warren and his FMN family) and the next day downhill skiing at the Snowbowl. Everyone skied, even little Lily, at 2 1/2 and 4 year-old Nick, which was kind of amazing because, yet again, volunteers provided lots and lots of very tasty food and it would have been possible to stay in all day and eat! A great event and everyone left tired and happy. Hats off to Sophie for making it all happen!

What I Did On My February Vacation

by Andrew Gardner

Middlebury College Nordic Team Runs Gates?
Feb break is nearing its end and we've enjoyed the extra time to recover, work on technique and generally hang out. Sunday we spent some time at the Camel's Hump Nordic Area, home to team skier, Noah Brautigam. Tuesday we found ourselves on the snowbowl with a brush-gate slalom course for honing down hill skillz (with a 'z'). Today were eating waffles at my casa. (Nom. Nom. Nom.) UVM this weekend. 

Andrew Gardner is the head coach of the Middlebury College Nordic Team.

Braving The Cold At U-32

by Will Earle

Yesterday morning about 10 MUHS and Vergennes Nordic members, braving temperatures far below forcast, met at MUHS to depart for the race at U-32, near Montpelier. The normal team numbers took a dip with the temperatures, as numerous skiers dealt with conflicting obligations. The bus ride there was a flash back to the days of tiny high school nordic teams. The beautiful U-32 course, which meanders throughout the woods and grounds of the school, was a bit soft, which, when coupled with wax meant for much warmer snow, made for a slow day. However everyone present performed well. Will Earle got 10th overall, followed by Zander Carver and Nate Peterson in 26-27 places respectively. On the girls side Eliza Carver placed 21 followed right behind by Vergennes skier, Ellen Watkins, in 22 place. Dominque Powers followed them, finishing 27th. A special highlight should also be noted, that Will Conlon, a freshmen on the MUHS team, had his first varsity race and placed 41. An Outstanding job for a first time varsity racer. Overall coach Chas Lyons was thrilled at how well everyone performed, especially in light of the many absences.

Will Earle is  sophomore at Middlebury Union High School.

Under The Stadium Lights

by Eliza Carver

Colchester H.S. Night Relays - The lights were up in the football stadium, which illuminated the rest of the course that looped outside it and back around into the tagging zone. I was quite excited about this race the music was playing and everyone was cheering. The second leg of our girls team jumped on their skis waiting for the race to start. The weather was still cold on my face even though it was going to take a putty knife to get all the Vaseline off. One by one girls were tagged off and once Mattie had rounded the bend I got into the tagging zone and began to double pole. I wasn’t really nervous this time like other races, that’s kind of how I think it should always be, I do better that way. Mattie tagged my back and yelled, “go,” in an exasperated tone so off I went in to catch the girl in front of me. I was determined to keep the place that Mattie had put us in. The snow was a little chopped up from all the races before ours but that was ok. The night was beautiful and crisp so with the all excited cheers, it didn’t matter my toes were and my nose was cold. I think we all did well in our races or if we didn’t we tried out best. Even Will and Addison who had finished their races were sprightly and excited to cheer us on while they fetched our coats when we had finished a lap. Nice job team.

Eliza Carver is a junior at Middlebury Union High School.

Shake It Up A Little

The time trials took a different turn this afternoon. Chas Lyons laid out a 1 kilometer course and broke down some fifty skiers into pairs. Off went half the group around the roller coaster course and back again into the field to tag their team mate. Each skier had a chance to skate around the course three times with rests in between. Oh, my gosh Andrew Gardner was a speed demon. And it was good to see Bill Hegman, Justin May and Missy Foote out on the course. Lisa Bernardin was the fastest and the slowest on the 5K time trial, which ran concurrently with the sprint relay circus. Bill McKibben, we missed you and you would have loved this day!

Here are the results:

1 Justin May Ted Hicks Open M 35112:13:00
2 Walker Allen Will Earle Var M 35113:43:00
3 Schuyler Klein Nate Peterson Var M 35114:00:00
4 Missy Foote Andrew Gardner Open Mixed 35115:03:00
5 Zander Carver Kelsey McGlashan Var M 35116:34:00
6 Charlie Mulcahay Austin Kincaid Var M 35116:45:00
7 Craig Burt Adam Peterson Var M 35117:40:00
8 Maddie Kincaid Eliza Carver Var F 35117:49:00
9 Ellen Watkins Britta Clark Var F 35118:33:00
10 Dia Jenks Bill Hegman Open Mixed 35119:23:00
11 Alia Johnson Esthena Barlow Var F 35120:42:00
12 Dominique Powers Sophie McKibben Var F 35121:05:00
13 Will Conlon Addison Tate JV M 35121:32:00
14 Devin Vila John Snyder-White JV M 35124:35:00
15 Jon Wright Miles Zwicky JV M 35125:05:00
16 Mira Atherton Emily Anderson JV F 35128:06:00
* Josie Schneider Isaac Supernovich JV Mixed 14:45*
*one lap ea.

Bill Koch Race at Rikert

The Frost Mountain Bill Koch League at Breadloaf hosted a race on Sunday, February 1st at the Rikert Ski Touring Center with over 60 kids from Vermont and New Hampshire participating. The event included a Lollipop race for the younger kids, and varying distances for each age group. Local skiers from the Frost Mountain Bill Koch club were:

Lollipop Racers: Camill Malhotra, Ailey Bosworth, Phoebe Hussey, Arianna Slavin, Rosemary Munkres, Eben Jackson, Silas Jackson, Trey Bosworth, Ben Munkres and Max Carson

J5 Girls 2k-Amelia Ingersoll, Malia Hodges, Lacey Greenamyre, Ailey Bosworth, Sophie Lefkoe
J5 Boys 2k- Sam Hodges, Thomas Hussey, Nick Wilkerson, Jakub Kraus, Max Carson

J4 Girls 3k-Sophie Hodges, Dorothy Punderson, Morgan Pratt, Gretta Groves
J4 Boys 3k- Oliver Clark, Rowan Warren

J3 Girls 4k- Nathalie Ingersoll, Olivia Cacciatore, McKinley James
J3 Boys 4k- Mac Groves

The Bill Koch Leage provides a supportive environment for parents and children to enjoy the outdoors, community, each other, and introduce them to the world of Cross Country Ski Racing. BKL Events include both competitive and non-competitive events, with the emphasis on having fun and social events. The Frost Mtn. Bill Koch League skis Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings at the Rikert Ski Center at Breadloaf. Many thanks to the crew at Rikert and all the parents who help volunteer with the program.

Touring Section 14--Catamount Trail

by Deborah Lewis

We had a blast on Section 14. I went with my neighbor from Bridport/Addison and we were able to spot cars, leaving one at Mountain Top Inn and then driving together to Route 73. We skied the section north to south which is recommended unless you want to do two very long, steep downhills. We were glad that there had been a snowmobile there before us as the new, deep snow would have made it extremely difficult otherwise in the uphills. (As it was,
it was a workout). It's a beautiful section of the trail. While much of it is shared with snowmobiles, we only saw two while we were out on Friday. There is one section on ForestRoad 59 after the clearing where the signage is confusing. The trail markers say to go left/west at one point, but the better/main trail is further south at the Bloodroot Mountain snowmobile junction where you turn left. Note: the Catamount Trail web site map is inaccurate: it's best to use the old 8th edition of the trail book, whose map is accurate. I had skins along and I was glad to have them for the long uphill after the Bloodroot Mountain junction. The view from the top after this steep ascent are beautiful, and the ski down through the woods to connect into the Mountain Top trail system is fun. We were happy to be on the Mountain Top trail system for the last stretch after skiing in lots of (for eastern standards) fairly deep powder. This stretch of the trail has lots of fun ups and down -- I don't think I'd want to do it when the conditions are icy. It took us about 4 1/4 hours and it's 10.5 miles.

Good Times

Racing Action:

1) The first time trials with John Rubright's great new timing system went off without a hitch on Tuesday. Well, it could have been a hitch when Mike Gaskin (skate) and Chris Rodgers (classic) added an extra 5k or so to their race by going all the way up Craig's Hill, but instead Frost Mountain commissioner Dia Jenks (who won the weekly woman's crown) simply declared them both extended-length victors.

2) Craftsbury marathon. The Raging Red of Frost Mountain was seen all over the course at Craftsbury on Saturday for New England's premier ski race, the 28th annual marathon. Competing on the looping, wonderful classic tracks, Dia Jenks finished second in her age group, Jeff Monroe broke two hours for 25k, and lots of other folks got extremely tired (but happy)