Spring Skiing on the Catamount Trail

by Dave Scott

An enthusiastic group of two struck out on a very spring-like morning, with backcountry gear and klister. The tour was shortened since the Natural Turnpike in Ripton was a little rough and unskiable. Starting from the VAST/winter sports parking area on the South Lincoln road, we climbed the steep unplowed forest road to the Spruce Lodge camp and started the tour. The Catamount Trail leaves the road just south of Spruce Lodge. Andy Mac and I skied north on the CT, conditions were a bit soft with plenty of snow cover. We entered a conifer canopy as we began, and for the first half mile we skied under tall trees, planted ages ago. Soon the trail started an easy, gradual climb as we skied through older hard woods. Tracks and signs of the animals that preceded us were observed, moose, deer, red squirrels, and many others we did not know.

The first, of only a few down hills, was a short descent, through young beech trees. It was a fun slow glide with the sun really warming the snow as well as our faces. We skied on as the trail rolled, following the contours of the land and soon dropping down and out, crossing an old road dating back to the 1940’s. (I was told that local farmers used to run their cows along that old path.) Continuing on our way we passed more signs of spring skiing, many small wet areas were showing. Easily bypassed, the tour left the Green Mountain National Forest as the trail turns east passing through mixed hard and soft woods and more fun, short down hills. We reached the New Haven River, crossed a privately owned bridge and the South Lincoln road. We took a short break had a beautiful view of the summit of Mt. Abe and near bye peaks.

From here on we started climbing, the CT climbs all the way to Lincoln Gap. Our end destination today was French Settlement. For the next hour, we skied up through hemlock shaded woods roads and some nice beech-maple forest. As we approached the French Settlement road, snow conditions were getting wet and we were glad and sad that the ski was nearly over. When we arrived at the road and my car we toasted a great day in the woods and made the short drive back to the starting point.

MUHS Nordic: The movie

Hey there sportsfans: Check out the new MUHS Nordic movie on Youtube. Relive a great winter. Check out the awesome form. Thrill to spectacular jumps. It's all there. (It's also embedded, for all time, on Frost Mountain Nordic website.)

Classic States: Up Close and Personal

by Maddie Kincaid


I stand tensed, the starting bar stuck awkwardly between my poles and my legs. The announcer on my left speaks into his microphone. “From Middlebury, we have number eleven Maddie Kincaid.” Then the countdown begins, “5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – go.” I push off hard and the bar hits my pole on the way out. I double pole down the hill and it seems like I’m flying. I can see number ten ahead of me and I feel strong as I pass her and head into the woods. My kick double pole seems fast and I have enough kick as I push up the first small hill. Then I am going down around the corners and then I hit the big hill. I herringbone up it at what seems like a snails pace but I can see number nine ahead of me and I push to catch her. I hear my teammates ahead cheering, “Go Maddie,” and “you can do it, you’re almost to the top.” Finally I do get to the top, I am tired already but I continue on down the hill and then up again, passing number seven, then number eight. I finish my first lap and continue down the hill for my second. I don’t feel as strong this time and my wax is slipping but I push myself and thrust my knees forward to make my wax work. I already at the top of the first hill but then I see number six ahead of me and I push onwards. Again people cheer as go by but I feel even slower as number twenty-two comes flying past me. Finally I reach the downhill and I can rest some as I lurch unbalanced around the s-turn. I double pole hard and take the right to the finish line. I rest down the hill, passing number two, then I step turn around the corner and begin my last ascent. I try to look strong as I push towards the giant red inflatable finish line. I struggle for my last strides until I am across the line. I am exhausted but I’m done, at least for now. I give them my bib and go to cheer on my teammates as they race by.

Fast Skis at the BKL Festival

By Sam Hodges

This last weekend at the Bill Koch Festival, I skied in two races and came in fourth in both. I was very happy. My dad made my skis very fast. He told me I could go fast as well. My partner in the skate relay was Tom Hussey, also from the Frost Mountain Nordic ski club, and he has been skiing with me since preschool. The next day at the classic individual race, my dad had to use blue and violet klister. It was very sticky. My favorite part was the time that I got the medal for the classic race.

MUHS and assorted Frosties at the State Championshp

It was a glorious day at Mt. Top for the season-ending Vermont high school nordic championships' classic race. The top eight skiers from each team was there, plus coaches, parents, dogs and super fans--a couple of hundred skiers, and almost as many spectators. The MUHS team consisted of Eliza Carver, Dominque Powers, Sophie McKibben, Maddie Kincaid, Emily Anderson and Mira Atherton, with Ellen Watkins, Britta Clark and Alia Johnson, who have trained with the team all season, skiing as independents representing Vergennes, North Branch and Gailor. On the boys' side there was Walker Allen (soon to retire to North Carolina), Schuyler Klein, Will Earle, Zander Carver, Charlie Mulkahey, Kelsey McGlashan, Craig Burt and Austin Kincaid. Chas, Bill and Mia hit the wax just right, and both our boys, led by Will and Walker, and our girls, led by Dominque and Sophie, had really fine races. (Eliza Carver, who got turned around, will be skiing next year with a GPS unit on her skis.) The girls' relay finish was a sight to behold: coming into the final uphill, Sophie pulled up beside a girl and they fought it out centimeter by centimer, with Sophie digging deep and double poling her way to victory. Photos are here, and also on the FMN website. Results to come.  

I Got To Shake The Real Bill Koch's Hand!

by Sophia Hodges

This last weekend I went to the Bill Koch Festival in Notchview, Massachusetts. We stayed at The Crowne Plaza hotel, which was 12 stories high. The next morning we went almost straight to the Festival. It was cold, but perfect weather for skiing! There were lots of kids there. Kids from Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and even New York! The skate relay was about one and a half kilometers for the J4's, about two kilometers for J3's, and about one kilometer for the J5's. Thanks to Mike Hussey and Barney Hodges, we had really fast skis. My partner, Abby Grab, from Mt. Mansfield Nordic ski club, and I had a really good race and had lots of fun too. That night there was awards for the skate relay. My brother, Sam, got fourth! The next day we did the classic individual race. It was a klister day, so Mike and Barney took a while making our skis the perfect racing equipment. I liked that race because there was an individual start instead of a double-pole. We all raced fast and hard and (again) had fun. My favorite part of the Festival was when I got to shake the real Bill Koch's hand! I think that the Bill Koch Festival is a great way to show that the Frost Mountain Nordic team really has the heart for Cross-Country Skiing. 

Young, Fast, Frosties Make The Scene at the BKL Festival

by Nathalie Ingersoll

We went to the Bill Koch Festival this past weekend. It was great! We stayed in the Crowne Plaza hotel in Massachusetts. We did two races, a skate relay where we were partnered with one other person from Northwest VT and then a singles classic. For the skate relay, I was partnered with a really nice girl named Molly from Mt. Mansfield. The relay was about 2k and had a lot of uphills and downhills. After the relay we all did a 9k “adventure ski “ and got pancakes and hot chocolate. The funniest part of my weekend was when my dad, Bruce, went in front of Barney and Barney flipped over and did a somersault but did not get injured. That night we had a banquet and then the awards ceremony. I don’t think that any of the FMN kids stayed to watch that because we all went in the pool. The next day we packed up and left the hotel. It was a klister day and Barney and Mike spent a long time getting everyone’s skis perfect for the classic race. I had the last race both days and I got to watch everybody’s race. There was also a “Magic Wood” that Phoebe and I went in about ten times. My classic race was 4k and difficult. There were a good amount of hills and a lot of flat that were good for double poling. I still had a wonderful race with everyone cheering me on. After my race everyone packed up and left. I had a great weekend and hope to go next year.

by Amelia Ingersoll

This weekend I went to the Bill Koch Festival. I had a lot of fun. We went swimming in the pool at the hotel. Then on Saturday we had a skate relay race, and I was on a team with Malia Hodges (She was the second leg).I had fun with my friend Sophie and I also had a lot of fun cheering on my sister. One of the highlights of the trip was getting to ski a different race course for a change. I kind of wish that I had gotten a medal but it’s never about winning. You can see pictures here!