CTA Newsletter_V26-03_Spring 2010

T H E L E N G T H O F VE R M O N T O N S K I S
VOLUME XXVII NUMBER 3
SPRING 2010
Opening Up New Doors into Backcountry Skiing at the
2nd Annual Get Out and Backcountry Ski Festival
U
nder sunny skies and with powder snow conditions, eight expert
instructors treated 65 participants to a
fun filled day of instruction and adventure on Bolton Valley’s backcountry
trail network for the 2nd Annual Get
Out and Backcountry Ski Festival.
The event, designed for beginner to
intermediate backcountry skiers, gave
participants the opportunity to learn
basic skills on gentle ungroomed surfaces, as well as more advanced techniques needed for unbroken powder
and steeper terrain. Lessons included
instruction on the basics of ski balance and edge-control, climbing and
descending techniques, and the alwayspopular telemark turn.
The popularity of this event reflects
the growing numbers of backcountry
skiing enthusiasts. Fueled by a slow
economy, the health benefits associated
with the sport, and also by the solitude
of adventuring into the backcountry
with the intimacy of close friends,
retailers are seeing backcountry skiing
(continued on page 7)
JIM FREDERICKS
Jan Rozendaal on WLT in Jay
Backcountry skiers take to the Trails from Bryant Cabin at Bolton Valley Resort.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Thin on Cover Thick on Fun . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Catamount Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Women Seek Winter Adventure
on their Own Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Raynaud’s: Cold Paws on the Catamount . 4
On the Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
From Corn Snow to Cornstalks. . . . . . . . . . 8
Trail Fund Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Fifty Ways to Tame the Catamount . . . . . . 12
Thank You For Your Gifts (2009) . . . . . . . . .14
New Outreach Coordinator at the CTA . . 16
CTA Eligible to Win $50,000 to
Protect the Trail! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Peregrine Outfitters Sponsors
Multi-Day Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Thank You Business Supporters . . . . . . . . 18
Lodging Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
MLK Weekend Tour: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Thank You Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Sections 9, 10, and 12:
In Need of Trail Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Updated Camping Info. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink
LORI VAN HANDEL
The Catamount Trail News is
published by the Catamount Trail
Association, a member-supported,
non-profit organization dedicated
to developing, maintaining, and
protecting the 300-mile Catamount
Trail and promoting backcountry
skiing in Vermont.
CTA Board of Directors
Moira Durnin Anderson, Stowe
Jill Aspinall, Montpelier
Mary Lou Briggs, Williamstown, MA
Priscilla Carr, Montpelier
Paul Demers, South Burlington
Lynn Fisher, Bridgewater
Bill Goldstein, Lincoln
Trina Hosmer, Stowe
Bob Jordan, Saxtons River
Paul Kendall, Braintree
Bill Michels, Plymouth
Kris Roomet, Hinesburg
Jan Rozendaal, South Burlington
Dagny St. John, So. Londonderry
Emily Steers, Burlington
Mike Welch, Burlington
Arnold Ziegel, Stowe
CTA Staff
Jim Fredericks, Executive Director
Amy Kelsey, Trail Management &
Protection Director
Diana Vachon, Admin. Coordinator
Liz Gleason, AmeriCorps Member
CTA Office
1 Mill Street • Suite 350
Burlington, VT 05401
802-864-5794
email: [email protected]
Visit our Web Site at:
www.catamounttrail.org
The Catamount Trail News is published as a
benefit for CTA members. The Catamount Trail
Association encourages interested parties to
submit manuscripts, photos, and illustrations
for publication in the Newsletter. The opinions
expressed by contributors are not necessarily
those of the CTA. The CTA reserves the right to
refuse materials and advertising deemed
inappropriate for publication.
2
Bill Michels and Dagny St. John tour across Chittenden Reservoir.
Thin on Cover Thick on Fun
by Andrew Harper
A
s Presidents’ Day Weekend approached and we hoped and hoped for some
snowfall in a continuing lean year, some of us were wondering if we should be
out shopping the retailers’ specials instead of hitting the trail. The faithful were well
rewarded, however, as a dozen of us braved gravelly trails, stream ditches, and even river
ice for what turned out to be a wonderful 3-day tour.
“Thin cover” was the euphemism for lack of snowflakes at this point in what should
be our snowiest month—we were frustrated by reports on the news of huge dumps
in Maryland and points south. I borrow from a famous balladeer: “If you ain’t got the
snow, re, mi, boy; if you ain’t got the snow, re, mi; you better go back to beauty-ful
Texas; Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee…” In fact, during our first major break
in the action one in our group did, in fact light out for Georgia or someplace like
that—where the real snow was. She was rescued from a fate worse than boiled peanuts.
This tour was on the southern circuit—sections 1, 3 and 4. Saturday had us following leader Sam Bartlett on the “Hoot, Toot and Whistle” railroad bed down to the MA
border—and back to Readsboro. We were treated to an imaginary tour of an early 20th
century industrial town, complete with a water-power canal. The going was quite nice
there, and on up to the Harriman Dam. Sunday, we skied “downhill” from Somerset
reservoir south, which included a successful reroute around a dreaded rocky gully.
There was a bridge washed out just N of Rte. 9, but ice on the stream was firm, and
Trans-Canada has pledged to help us rebuild this summer.
Nine of us gathered Sunday night at the Austrian Haus in W. Dover for a truly delicious Indian buffet dinner, and a reduced force showed up the next day for the finale
from Somerset Reservoir up to Kelley Stand Rd. A few inches of new snow had fallen
during the night: while this made for fewer gouges in the bottoms of our skis, the
strong prevailing westerly winds blowing across the reservoir built up fierce drifts on
the trail. One salvation was that a group of skiers from the Albany, NY area got there
first and busted the 2-4 ft. walls ahead of us for much of the way. We shouldn’t have
been surprised, though—this section is notorious for drifting snow. Skiing along Grout
Pond was pleasant, and some of us who had been there years before noted the recent
USFS trail upgrades. There is a new Hill Top trail that gives access to a whole ridgeline of telemark possibilities that were being exploited repeatedly by one guy.
C a t a m o u n t Tr a i l N ew s • S p r i n g 2 010
Catamount Tales
by Jim Fredericks –
Executive Director
The Ups and
Downs of the
Catamount Trail
A
fter three years on the job as
Executive Director, I have come
to realize that the terrain of the
Catamount Trail is a metaphor for
the organization that is responsible
for its existence. You don’t have to
be an End-to-Ender to realize the
CT is anything but flat. Those ups
and downs are the essence of what
the Trail is all about. Sometimes it’s
the challenges of those long uphill
stretches that keep us skiing on against
great resistance that allow us to reap
the rewards of long downhills further
along the trail.
Events of the past year have mirrored the topography of the Trail. After
ending a financially successful 2008-09
year, our goal was to remain fiscally
sound and to improve on our progress
toward protecting the Trail, a task that
entails luck and timing, and requires a
great deal of perseverance. Due to the
financial success of the 2008-09 year,
we also decided to put more emphasis
on specific events that would draw
more visibility to the CT along with
membership growth potential.
The expanded Reward Booklet has
sparked membership growth over the
past two years. With the increasing
value and number of reward coupons,
(continued on page 10)
Women Seek Winter Adventure on their Own Terms
by JoAnn Hanowski
F
was a bright and crisp winter day. So, I
would have to say that all around it was
a perfect day. The hardest part of organizing the event this year was having to
turn away dozens of women who did
not want to miss out on all the fun.
The event is so popular because it is
designed to provide women skiers of all
abilities a positive and fun-filled learning
atmosphere to increase their confidence
and proficiency as Nordic skiers. After
two morning instructional sessions, the
women were treated to a much-needed
lunch at the Trapp Family dining
room. The mid-day break also included
instructor Pennie Rand’s beautiful slide
and musical presentation of backcountry
skiing in Iceland.
After a bit of nudging, skiers hit
the trails for another instructional session and afternoon tours on the Trapp
Family Nordic trail system. With the
sun descending over Bolton Mountain,
the skiers gathered in the lodge and were
rewarded for their efforts with an aprèsski social with wine from Redwood
Creek Winery, cheese from Cabot,
and chocolates from Lake Champlain
Chocolates. Friendly camaraderie, great
skiing, and excellent instruction are the
perfect way to enjoy a winter day! We
would also like to thank Sam Von Trapp
and the staff at the Trapp Family Lodge,
Morgan Laidlaw and Will Masson from
Rossignol, and Turtle Fur for being very
generous in supporting this event.
JIM FREDERICKS
reshly frosted mountains provided
the perfect snowy backdrop for the
2nd Annual Ladies Nordic Ski Expo at
the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT
on Jan 9th. One hundred high-energy
women gathered for this unique event
taught by some of the top women
Nordic instructors in the East. Warmed
by the sun, blue skies, and positive
energy, skiers had traveled from 8 states
and the province of Quebec to learn
Nordic technique for the first time or to
improve their existing skills. Participants
had the opportunity to learn backcountry/telemark, skate or classic technique
in three sessions throughout the day.
As the event organizer, the most
difficult part this year was not in finding enough qualified and motivated
instructors—we had nine stellar women
who volunteered their day for the event
(Amy Kelsey, Lynn Fisher, Dagny St.
John, Priscilla Carr, Pennie Rand, Cindy
Sprague, Jan Noskey, Poppy Gall, and
Karen Westervelts). No, it was not the
snow or trail conditions—we had full
use of all groomed and ungroomed terrain. Nope, not the weather either—it
Practicing proper body position at the LNSE
www.cat amounttrail.org
3
Raynaud’s: Cold Paws on the Catamount
By Dr. George
Terwilliger
W
4
occurs in conjunction with certain
more serious diseases it is termed
secondary Raynaud’s and is more
likely to lead to tissue damage. When
it appears in men or the elderly, it is
more likely to be Secondary Raynaud’s
related to medical conditions such as
autoimmune disorders, blood disorders, toxin exposure or from arterial
damage caused by vibration injury
from prolonged machinery use or by
prior frostbite.
Relief of Raynaud’s attack:
• Place hands in warm (not hot) water.
• Whirl arms around in a windmill
fashion.
• Move to a warm place.
• Place hands in armpits.
• Wiggle or gently massage fingers
and toes.
SHERI LARSEN
hen it comes to coping with
some of our most frigid outdoor temperatures, we all get cold feet
(and hands) at times. Cold extremities result from sharply reduced
peripheral blood flow which is a physiological response aimed at preserving
core body temperature and warding
off hypothermia. In normal people,
the restricted blood flow is restored
intermittently to prevent tissue damage. However, there are some people
who respond by clamping off blood
flow in a pathologically extreme way.
These people suffer from a vasospastic
condition called Raynaud’s phenomenon. It affects about 11% of women
and 8% of men in America.
Sufferers of Raynaud’s have recurrent episodes of blanching of fingers,
toes, and, occasionally, nose, earlobes,
and nipples. The blanching can be
dramatic, often giving the affected
extremity a temporary corpse-like
appearance and becomes cold, numb,
and, often, painful. If the spasm of
the arterial blood supply persists long
enough the oxygen supply becomes
depleted and the skin color turns
blue. When the blood supply returns,
the skin turns red and may be accompanied by swelling, pain, or tingling.
The attack may last for less than a
minute or continue for several hours.
These attacks are an exaggeration of
the normal response to cold exposure, which is a blotchy red and white
pattern.
Usually, the attacks are harmless.
However, there are a few people who
get tissue or blood vessel damage as a
result of prolonged blood flow interruption. In these unusual cases, ulceration or gangrene can result.
These episodes can even be triggered by seemingly minor exposures
to cold. Some people can have bouts
triggered by holding a cold drink on
a warm day or walking into an airconditioned supermarket. Emotional
stress is a trigger for others.
The cause of Raynaud’s phenomenon is not known. It can occur in
otherwise healthy people, unrelated
to serious illness, in which case it
is termed Primary Raynaud’s and
appears to run in families. This is
especially true when it occurs in
young women. When Raynaud’s
Pat Sabalis leads the pack, followed by CTA Vise Chair Bill Michels on the northern week long tour.
C a t a m o u n t Tr a i l N ew s • S p r i n g 2 010
Even better yet, prevent attacks:
• Do not smoke and do not breathe
second-hand smoke.
• Avoid caffeine or chocolate.
• Do not take decongestants, stimulants, or weight loss drugs. They
constrict blood vessels.
• Dress warmly in layers, carefully
adjusting the number of layers as
your temperature varies to avoid
excessive sweating and chilling.
• Wear a hat.
• Wear gloves or mittens as much as
possible. A thin pair of gloves under
mittens allows hand protection
when the outer layer is removed for
tasks requiring dexterity.
• Carry hand warmers in mittens
to prevent episodes. Be careful:
direct contact of cold, pale skin of a
Raynaud’s afflicted extremity with
hot objects can result in burns.
• Get regular exercise
• Control stress.
• Avoid vibrating hand tools.
• Do not wear anything that constricts blood vessels in your hands
or feet such as wristbands, rings, or
too-tight footwear.
When to see a doctor:
• If you have severe or worsening
Ray-naud’s or develop an ulcer or
infection of one of your affected
extremities.
• If you appear to have an underlying
disease such as arthritis or lupus.
• If you are on medications such as
beta-blockers and birth control pills
which can worsen Raynaud’s.
• If the measures in this article don’t
give adequate relief.
Treatment:
Murray method: This was developed by Dr. Murray Hamlet while
a researcher at the Army’s Research
Institute of Environmental Medicine.
It is a rather laborious procedure
which involves retraining blood
vessels to dilate instead of constrict
when exposed to cold. It consists of
immersing the hands or feet in warm
water for 5 minutes while in a warm
room and then moving to a cold area
while lightly clothed and again placing the hands or feet in warm water
for 5 more minutes. This is done 3-6
times a day every other day until 50
rounds are endured. Preliminary studies find this technique to be effective
and long-lasting.
Niacin, also known as vitamin B-3
causes blood vessels to dilate and can
improve Raynaud’s symptoms.
Severe symptoms may require prescription medication to dilate blood
vessels. Most commonly used are
calcium channel blockers, often used
by people with high blood pressure.
There is also evidence that a new class
of drugs which includes Viagra is also
effective at treating Raynaud’s.
Surgical or chemical destruction of
certain nerves that trigger blood vessel
constriction.
Consider referral to a therapist who
can teach you biofeedback.
www.cat amounttrail.org
5
On the Trail
by Amy Kelsey–
Trail Management
and Protection
Director
S
ection 13 of the Catamount Trail,
from Route 4 to Mountain Top
Inn, is gorgeous and particularly so on a
sunny March morning. It offers a good
taste of what the entire CT has to offer
in a neat 10-mile bite. We skied South
to North, heading out from the shared
AT/LT/CT parking lot on Route 4,
just West of Sherburne Pass. Climbing
over the bank of dirty and rotten snow
on the north side of Route 4 may have
been the greatest challenge of the day.
I stepped over and immediately postholed up to my hip, demonstrating that
I am just a mere mortal, out for a day on
a trail that serves up something different
each time I visit.
The trail begins as a narrow path
through the woods, a few old logging
roads linked together by trail sections
cut specifically for the CT. We climbed
up on snow just softening in the morning sun, sometimes skiing in a hardened
path worn by previous snowshoers and
skiers, and sometimes making our own
routes across the thawing crust and
through the hardwood forest.
We reached a notch and descended
down a firm north-facing slope. While
staying relatively close to the trail, everyone picked the route that suited her
best. Some popped off their skis and
walked easily down the center of the frozen trail. Others (myself included) cut
6
broad switchbacks of their own across
the hill, snowplowing, side-slipping, and
kick turning to navigate down the slick
slope. And a few brave souls pointed
their skis right down the middle of the
path and took a wild ride.
Soon, we arrived at a groomed
snowmobile trail, softened from the
sun. It made for great skiing and we
zipped downhill to a beaver pond.
Several skiers headed out on the pond,
which was still well covered by a firm
crust. One skier practiced his skating
technique across the pond, just for fun.
As we rested, snacked, and chatted at
that beaver pond, a snowmobile passed,
moving slowly and safely, and that was
all we saw of snowmobiles for the rest
of the day.
The trail soon put us onto the plowed
portion of Wildcat road, so off came the
skis. This was my first visit to Section
13 and I feared the road walk would be
a real low point in the day, a section to
be avoided, or added to my list of things
to fix. While it certainly is our goal to
reduce the number of road walks along
the trail, this one didn’t take away from
the ski for one minute. It was simply part
of the journey. We tossed our skis over
our shoulders and chatted our way back
to a snowy trail in about 10 minutes. We
were soon back on a snowmobile trail
that had worn a bit thinner on cover.
We turned off the snowmobile trail and
made our way to a fitting lunch spot,
seated in the sun on the spit of land that
passes between Chittenden Reservoir
and Lefferts Pond.
The tour continued through some
PUDs, a new acronym I learned on
this tour—“Pointless Ups and Downs.”
C a t a m o u n t Tr a i l N ew s • S p r i n g 2 010
After another entertaining descent,
this time through heavy wet snow, we
arrived at the Chittenden Reservoir
Dam. Some walked across the 1-person
wide bridge that stretches across the
dam. Others skied across the north side
of the dam. Another short road walk
took us past several summer cottages
perched on the shore of the reservoir.
What a beautiful place! The final mile
or so was a combination of snowmobile
trails and Mountain Top’s Nordic trails,
leading us ultimately back to our cars at
the Mountain Top Nordic Center. The
views north and east from Mountain
Top make it worth a visit on its own,
and the opportunity to see Chittenden
Reservoir and Lefferts Pond are a special bonus. I look forward to a visit in
warmer months, with a canoe on the
rack rather than skis.
Had it been rainy, had it not warmed
up enough to soften the snow, had the
group been less welcoming and enjoyable, Section 13 might not be my new
favorite. Every day on the trail is different. The way the snow falls, wind
blows, sun shines, rain falls, temperature
rises and falls—all these ingredients and
more are at play each day on the trail,
creating an element of adventure no
matter how well you plan.
If you were out on the trail this winter and finished up one of your days
thinking “Whooo—that section was a
doozie—I’ll never do that again,” please
consider finding a time to try it again
under different conditions. And if some
basic trail improvements would have
made your tour better, please let us know
so we can do our part to help make your
next adventure a good one.
!"#"
2009 Title Sponsor
Race to the Top of Vermont!
Insurance | Employee Benefits
Asset Management* | Planning
for Businesses and Individuals
www.FJGFinancial.com
!"#$%&'('#)*+,-*.,/#)(0#,(*1-/')2&3*"#&/'$#)*244#&#-*(5&2%65*789*"#$%&'('#):*.,$*;789".<*+*=&2>#&?@#+A#&:*B#0C#&*8.7D1?".9E*+,-*+*8#-#&+AA3*D#6')(#&#-*
.,/#)(0#,(*1-/')2&F*8A#')$5#&*G+$2C)*H&2%I*')*+,*+4JA'+(#*24*789".*+,-*+*)%C)'-'+&3*24*7+('2,+A*8',+,$'+A*9+&(,#&)*E2&IF:*(5#*I+&#,(*$20I+,3*24*789".F*72(*+AA*
0#0C#&)*24*8A#')$5#&*G+$2C)*H&2%I*244#&*',/#)(0#,(*+-/')2&3*)#&/'$#)F*9',,+$A#*8',+,$'+A*')*,2(*+4JA'+(#-*K'(5*789".*2&*8A#')$5#&*G+$2C)*H&2%IF
2nd Annual Get Out and Backcountry Ski Festival
(continued from page 1)
as the hottest trend in the snow sport
category. The amount of money spent
on backcountry gear is directly related
to the individuals desire and ability to
seek more aggressive terrain. People can
get into the sport for as little as $300
for wider touring skis with synthetic
backcountry boots suited for long
distance travel over moderate terrain
similar to much of the Catamount Trail.
For those seeking steeper terrain often
off a marked trail, a wider metal edged
alpine-like ski and sturdy plastic boots
for as much as $1600 will give them
the support and control necessary to
link telemark turns in most unbroken
snow conditions. The participants at the
2nd Annual Get Out and Backcountry
Festival sported a wide variety of equipment and sought instruction to enhance
their individual backcountry experience.
For those who were unsure of their
equipment needs, the SkiRack, Outdoor
Gear Exchange, TSL snowshoes, and
Rossignol were on hand with demos,
which offered participants the opportunity to try some of the latest equipment.
The day’s activities started with
instructors dividing participants into
various levels of abilities. The beginners worked on the basics, including
snowplow and step/stem turns on gentle
downhills, while the more advanced
took to the steeper terrain to practice
telemark turns in unbroken powder.
Following the morning ski session, people gathered for lunch in anticipation of
applying their newly learned skills on the
afternoon instructional tours of Bolton
Valley’s premier backcountry terrain.
Following the afternoon’s on snow
tour instruction, participants gathered
for a social gathering and two informative talks in the Bolton Valley Nordic
Center with snacks and beverages sponsored by Cabot Cheese. Amy Kelsey
gave a talk on how to best be prepared
and outfitted for the backcountry while
Jim Fredericks gave a presentation on
how to pick out the proper equipment for your personal needs. The
participants were also able to review
their technique on video playback with
the help of Anton Kelsey pointing out
proper positioning and other technique
essentials.
The Catamount Trail Association
would like to extend a special thanks
to the Bolton Valley Nordic Center,
all the demo companies, and the eight
instructors who volunteered their time
to make this such a successful event
(Amy Kelsey, Anton Kelsey, Bob Joyce,
Cindy Sprague, Jason Achilich, JoAnn
Hanowski, Kristyn Dumont, Leigh
Mallory).
www.cat amounttrail.org
7
Enjoying the fruit of his efforts, Jan Rozendaal leads the WLT across his latest project, a new bridge in Lowell. Photo by Jim Fredericks.
From Corn Snow to Cornstalks
By Debbie Page W
hen the long winter gets to
you and you long for comraderie sign up for a week-long Catamount
Trail Tour. It’s tough but very rewarding and empowering. Maybe try a oneday tour first.
This year’s northern tour went
from Edson Hill to the Canadian
border.
DAY ONE
Edson Hill to Farm Resort
Section 24
Called an easy twelve (cough) miles
which sounded like an oxymoron
to me, it was one of the most gorgeous stretches of trail I have seen.
We climbed gradually up to through
snow-laden woods to open farmland
passing by a wind generator and vistas
8
of White Face. Madonna Peak was
wrapped in snow swirls at the first
halfway spot. After the second halfway
spot snow coverage was a little thin by
the time we got to the golf course but
the deer had kindly left us some ball
bearings in the grass to roll over.
Apres ski we regrouped at Arnie
Ziegel and his wife’s beautiful home
to sip cider, etc., munch on tasty bites,
and try to recognize each other without hats on.
DAY TWO
and unelectrified wire fences and then
“skinned up” for the climb over the
flank of the mountain. Someone spotted fisher cat tracks. This brought us
into a draw that wildlife must love and
we whizzed down the Elmore Access
road feeling like Olympic contenders. Jan Rozendaal, Tour Coordinator
drove up to the Elmore store just as
the last of us arrived. Yours truly chose
to bail out at that point but many said
the last four miles were the best part.
I hear there was an entertaining check
turn executed in this section.
Section 25 DAY THREE
Farm Resort to Route 15
Off we set towards Elmore Mountain
with dogs heralding our presence.
We skied in back of gorgeous open
farms, flipped around some barbed
C a t a m o u n t Tr a i l N ew s • S p r i n g 2 010
Route 15 to Wiley Brook
Section 26
The group broke into two parts
north to south and south to north
at East Hill Road in Eden. I’d always
wondered what the territory surrounding the beloved Green River
Reservoir was like and now I get it.
Remote and swampy with those great
northeast kingdom pointy fir trees.
We came upon a charming “Oak
Tree Lodge” outhouse complete
with fake light switch and special
“aiming” instructions. Leaders and
sweeps were extremely helpful to
one of us who concocted a silverdollar-sized blister. Note to self:
don’t administer first aid on a curve
in the middle of a snowmobile trail
and don’t sit down hard on your
pack if there is a camel back in it.
But let’s hear it for duct tape.
DAY FOUR
Wiley Brook to Craftsbury
Section 27
I took this day off to tend to said
blister but hated missing out on the
fun. I hear there were cornstalks and
views and a dislodged shoulder. Time
for a Rest Day and a snow dump.
DAY FIVE
Craftsbury to Lowell Village
Section 28
Now I’ve learned to have handy
quick-to-eat snacks. Apples and
oranges already cut up. The snow is
wet and heavy but our Day Leader
has taped his pants to his boots.
Disposable gaiters. Gorgeous open
fields and houses I would love to live
in. We see a tree from the 1700’s. If
only it could talk of what it has seen
on this Bayley Hazen Military Road.
Alpacas and frisky blue-eyed horses
gawk and point at us as we slide by.
We sniff a great spicy cedar smell at
a huge lumber yard. A rest stop at
the Hen House was rife with goodies
and hot drinks. Some bailed out
as others did Dean’s Drop in the
rain.
DAY SIX
Lowell to Hazen’s Notch
Section 29
The snow is deep and a bit grabby. We
get a mixture of blue sky, oyster-colored clouds and tiny ice pellets. Jan
meets us hither and yon. First at his
beautiful green bridge and at various
other road crossings. Jim Fredericks
takes pictures.
DAY SEVEN
Hazen’s Notch to Jay Pass
Section 30
a Jim Fredericks and Sherri Larsen
slideshow of our antics on the trip.
DAY EIGHT
Jay Pass to the Border with Canada
Section 31
On our final olympic day the snow
was more manageable out of the
track. It was lovely floating through
trees and sumac thickets. Ravines
were the entertainment of the day.
The view of the valley to the canadian border opened up. We minced
across a gurgling open brook and
smelled spicy wood smoke. Saw moose
prints pressed two feet down into the
snow. Porcupine tracks running off.
Someone lost their glasses.
Lunch was at the incredible Jay
Store where there is something for
everyone, chocolate to chai. Snow
shovels were purchased. Little did we
know how handy they would be at
Journey’s End. We left our faithful
leader Jan with a handful of car keys
to give to the stalwarts who made it
the last six miles to Canada.
After this week I am very proud of
myself and having trouble just sitting
still.
Some go north to be purists, and
some go south to be sane. I go north
to south down, down through play
dough snow. Some of us use skins
to slow us down but they make skis
harder to steer and the tips get buried
more easily. There were funny flops
and it was hard to get up if you happened to bury one of your arms under
your pole in the fall. Adjustable poles
with big baskets would have been
helpful to save arm strength. Dramatic
peek-a-boo views of Big and Little Jay
just across the pass. Trees are speckled
with old bear claw marks. Jan and
Mary Jane had us all over for a deli!"#$%%%$&'(')*+,(-#.'/0-122*34$56745489:---;---<=>=?<---;?@5<-1A
cious dinner
that night complete with
SAFE. SOUND. SECURE.
SM
NBT Bank of Burlington, 150 Bank Street
802.651.9786 www.nbtbank.com
Member FDIC
www.cat amounttrail.org
9
Catamount Tales
(continued from page 3)
the word has spread throughout
the snow sport community and has
brought new members to our organization. I am pleased to say that the
2009-2010 membership season was
an all time record with 2033 members. We ran out of Reward Booklets
and new memberships received after
March 4th and prior to May 31st will
be adjusted to the 2010-2011 membership year.
The growth in membership this
past year was also stimulated by our
increased efforts to organize more
events and tours. Although it takes a
tremendous amount of time and effort
by both staff members and volunteers,
most of these events have become very
successful in attracting new people to
our organization. These events have
become the lifeblood that financially
supports the CTA’s goal of maintaining and protecting the Catamount
Trail. We hope that you will take part
in at least one of the following events
next year either as a participant or
volunteer. (FJG Race To The Top
Of Vermont, The Ladies Nordic Ski
Expo, The Get Out and Backcountry
Ski Festival, or The Catamount Trail
Backcountry Challenge)
A constant uphill struggle for us
continues to be raising money for
our Annual Fund and Trail Fund
campaigns, both of which are vital
to the health of our organization.
10
The Annual Fund helps defray the
general cost of running our organization including administrative staff,
office supplies, rent, etc. The Trail
Fund is directly targeted at the cost of
maintaining and protecting the Trail.
Although membership has increased,
it covers only approximately 28% of
our operating revenue. The obstacles
facing our organization in fund raising are great and somewhat troubling.
Although the number of donors has
not changed substantially over the
past two years, we have seen a decrease
in total dollars donated. Without
financial support gained from our
campaigns, we may be faced with cutting back our already small staff and
thus losing ground in everything from
trail management and protection to
the many other services we are offering our membership and the general
public. If you are passionate about the
Catamount Trail and backcountry skiing, we need your help.
There is a misconception in the
public’s eye that the Catamount Trail
will always be open for public use.
Although the actual land that the
CT traverses will never disappear,
access to the land is always in jeopardy. Approximately two thirds of the
Trail is protected, but access to the
remaining one third is at great risk as
large land parcels are split and sold to
many new landowners. Amy, our Trail
C a t a m o u n t Tr a i l N ew s • S p r i n g 2 010
Management and Protection Director,
is continually trying to pinpoint these
most vulnerable areas and to work
with landowners to complete a permanent easement before the land is
broken up or sold. This uphill struggle
is sometimes rewarded with a trail
easement, as with a recent easement
granted for more than a mile of trail
in Lowell.
The use of the Catamount Trail
is at an all time high, however many
of the users have no conception of
what it takes to keep the trail operating. Both volunteer and paid workers
spend thousands of hours each year
working on reroutes, clearing downed
trees and summer growth, repairing
and building bridges, and working
with private landowners, the Vermont
Forest and Parks, and the U. S. Forest
service. A recent check at one of our
trail boxes sign in sheet indicated that
less than one third of the users were
Catamount Trail Association members. This is consistent with other
checks throughout the season on
other sections of trail. This suggests
that we still have plenty of work to do
to educate the public and to develop a
sense of stewardship with all its users.
In the mean time, we will keep trudging up those long uphills knowing
that an occasional downhill section of
superb powder will reward our efforts
down the trail.
ANNUAL
Trail Fund APPEAL
Dear Friends,
You don’t need to be a skier or even step foot on the Catamount Trail to understand the value that the Trail
brings to Vermont and the Northeast. Like the roots of a sturdy family or the granite slabs beneath a Vermont
farmhouse, our 300-mile backcountry ski trail provides a solid foundation on which new adventures, experiences,
and friendships continually unfold. And like any foundation, the Catamount Trail will deteriorate without our
constant effort to maintain and protect it.
The Catamount Trail will exist only as long as there is a persistent and enthusiastic effort to:
• Coordinate yearly projects rerouting trail, developing new maps, building and replacing bridges, updating
trail information on the website, and monitoring easements.
• Partner with landowners, Vermont Forest, Parks, and Recreation, the Green Mountain National Forest,
and local communities to coordinate trail maintenance and protection.
• Develop and maintain relationships with some 200 private landowners, which, with perseverance, will
result in permanent trail easements.
• Offer affordable opportunities for physical exercise in our winter environment.
• Promote a healthy lifestyle and an appreciation for our natural landscape.
Your gift to the 2010 Trail Fund will directly support trail improvement and protection projects and the invaluable
staff and volunteer time each demands.
If you ski or snowshoe the Trail, if you value the work of CTA, if you enjoy sharing the Trail with your friends
and family, or if you appreciate knowing it will be here for future generations, please give. We need your help to
keep our foundation strong.
You can make your 2010 Trail Fund donation today at http://www.catamounttrail.org/donate/, or mail in the
form on the back page of this newsletter indicating your gift is for Trail Conservation.
We can’t do it without you!
Sincerely,
Amy Kelsey
Trail Management and Protection Director
P.S.
Every gift makes a difference, no matter the size. If you’ve
contributed to our Annual Fund this year, THANK YOU.
We hope you will participate in our Trail Fund campaign as well.
Building another bridge on the Catamount Trail in Stowe
www.cat amounttrail.org
11
Fifty Ways to Tame the Catamount
By Jim Fredericks
D
espite warm temperatures,
threatening rain, and ominous
dark clouds, fifty ambitious skiers braved the unknown to tame
the Catamount at the 3rd Annual
Backcountry Challenge Race and
Tour. With temperatures in the low
forties, 30 recreational participants
and 20 competitive racers started the
17 km trek from the Trapp Family
Lodge to Bolton Valley Nordic Center
on one of the most popular sections of
the Trail.
Corn snow and soft, forgiving
conditions narrowed the guesswork
for participants strategizing what
equipment, wax, and accessories to
use. Bolton Mountain was socked in
by a heavy layer of clouds and steel
blue skies loomed overhead, but participants’ spirits were not dampened
for the adventure ahead. In the end,
about half the participants escaped the
rain and occasional snow pellets that
soaked some skiers later in the day.
Ninety minutes after the recreational skiers debarked on their journey, an energetic field of twenty competitive racers charged out of the start.
Some were vying for the top positions
on the podium, while others were just
trying to improve on their finish times
from previous years. Eli Enman of
Sleepy Hollow Ski and Bike Center led
the charge with a blistering pace out
of the start. He was followed closely
by two-time champion Eric Tremble
of Jericho and Catamount Trail Chief
and Olympian Marc Gilbertson of
Hyde Park. The steep 2300 ft vertical climb up Bolton Mountain interrupted many of the top competitor’s
grueling pace as they stopped to apply
kicker skins to increase their climbing ability. Forgoing skins and aided
by relatively soft snow conditions, Eli
Enman continued on, uninterrupted.
He lengthened his lead as he climbed
and set a new course record of 1:31:02.
Eric Tremble removed his kicker skins
at the optimal time, passing Gilbertson
at the highest point on the Catamount
Trail. Tremble placed second in
1:34:19 and Gilbertson finished in
third place with a time of 1:36:25.
In the women’s field, Betsy Rickert
of Stowe took an early lead. Rickert
finished in 2:24:46, outpacing second place finisher Ann Bushey of
Montpelier by over 47 minutes. Third
place went to Sandra Owen of Benson
in her first attempt at taming the
Catamount, with a time of 3:32:11.
JIM FREDERICKS
21 racers jokey for position before they hit the Catamount Trail at the start of the Backcountry Challenge Race.
12
C a t a m o u n t Tr a i l N ew s • S p r i n g 2 010
Following their heroic efforts over
the grueling course, all participants
were treated to a meal and over $2000
in donated raffle prizes and awards.
Sponsors included Outdoor Gear
Exchange, Rossignol Ski Company,
Darn Tough Socks, Seventh
Generation and Silversmith Jewelry
Design Company. A special thanks
goes out Trapp Family Lodge, Bolton
Valley, and Stowe Rescue for making this Catamount Trail Association
event so successful.
JIM FREDERICKS
STEVE MESSIER
RIGHT: Eli Enman cruises to the overall win
on no wax touring skis.
FAR RIGHT: Women’s winner Betsy Rickert
takes the lead up Bolton Mountain.
BACKCOUNTRY CHALLENGE RACE RESULTS
Time
Name
City
State
MEN
1
1:31:02
Eli Enman
Huntington
VT
2
1:34:19
Eric Tremble
Jericho
VT
3
1:36:25
Marc Gilbertson
Hyde Park
VT
4
1:47:29
Sam von Trapp
Stowe
VT
5
1:48:09
Phil Rodgers
Esko
MN
6
1:55:42
Ed Hamilton
Shelburne
VT
7
1:58:51
Jake Morrill
Essex
VT
8
2:23:11
Jay Appleton
Fayston
VT
9
2:43:43
Bob Joyce
Warren
VT
10
2:39:05
Kirk Kardashian
Woodstock
VT
11
2:43:43
Bob Joyce
Warren
VT
12
2:50:45
Mark Lariviere
Bolton
VT
13
3:06:54
Sam Fogg
Bolton
VT
14
3:17:51
Gregg Goodson
Stowe
VT
15
3:37:50
Dennis Ebbing
Kingston
NY
16
3:45:36
Glen Case
Albany
NY
1
2:24:46
Betsy Rickert
Keene
NY
2
3:12:25
Ann Bushey
Montpelier
VT
3
3:32:11
Sandra Owens
Benson
VT
4
4:25:30
Waterbury
VT
5
4:25:30
Stowe
VT
WOMEN
Beth Gilpin
Theresa Barrows
www.cat amounttrail.org
13
Thank You For Your Gifts (2009)
Each year, CTA asks its members for financial support of our mission above and beyond their membership dues. Gifts to
our year-end Annual Fund appeal help cover our general operating expenses, and gifts to our spring Trail Fund appeal are
used to support the program costs of our Trail Conservation Program. We are extremely grateful for the following gifts
received at the CTA between Jan 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009. If we missed anyone in this list, we sincerely apologize.
UP TO $99
Jim & Jennifer Adkisson
Ed Amidon
Dirk Anderson
Robert Anderson
Lynn Anner-Bolieu
R. Regner &
Carolyn Arvidson
Barbara J. Baker
Mike & Theresa Barry
Richard Beams
Iris Berezin
Faith Bieler
Dean Bloch &
Valerie Wilkins
Lawrence & Fern Ellen
Blood
Gail & Steve Blumsack
Tom Bolmer
Michael Bosworth
Bruce Bowman
Steven & Marty Braff
John Brodhead &
Gina Campoli
Jerry Brown
Paul Bruno
Harold Buckingham
Barbara Bull
Sara Burchard
Henry Busetti &
Dee Reever
Marvie Campbell
John Cantrill
David B. Caplan
Mary Jo Childs
Cleveland Dodge
Foundation
(Matching Gift)
Steve Cobble
Janis Comb
David Comeau
David & Carol Conard
Fritz Coonradt
Brian & Rebecca Cordeiro
Anne Corley
Anne Cramer
Jeff Cunningham
Matthew Daly
Jean DeCell
John Dinklage
Carol Dixon &
Jeffrey Hutton
Charles Dole
14
Terri Donovan &
Peter Jones
Anne & Charles Eades
Edee Edwards
Jeff Fellinger
Sten Fersing
Bud McKon,
Fiddler’s Green Inn
Robert Fiske, Jr.
Sylvia Fjeld
Dr. Robert Paul Forte
Jim & Liz Foster
Paul Fox
Betsy Gaiser & Todd Tyson
Mark & Natasha Gajewski
Sarah Gant
Kurt & Patricia Giavara
Linda Gionti
Meghan Giroux
Barry & Catherine Glick
Ann Goering
Christine Goldsborough
Richard & Elaine
Goldsmith
Amy Golodetz
David Goodman &
Sue Minter
Carol Goodwin
Ed & Sue Grace
Matt & Mary Graf
Bob Gray
Michael Green &
Sarah Muyskens
Linda Greenbaum
Erna Greene
Lucy Guillet
Bogdan Gutowski
Craig Hadden
Susan & Perry Hanson
Chad Hardin
Robert & Karin W. Hardy
Peter & Louise Harris
James Harris &
Elizabeth Flemings
Andy & Lynn Harvey
Constance Haupt
Deborah Healey
Richard Heilemann
Craig Heindel
Alfred & Katharine Herzog
Ann & Frederick Hiltz
Clem & Sylvia Holden
David & Kathy Hooke
C a t a m o u n t Tr a i l N ew s • S p r i n g 2 010
Bradford Howe
Peter Howe
IBM Corporate
Matching Gifts
Paul P. Ives
Donald & Charlotte James
Marilynne Johnson
Dorcas Jones
Robert K. Jones
Paula Jones &
Kevin Gough
Brooks & Carol Joslin
Timothy Jursak
John B. Kassel &
Julie Campoli
Mary & Paul Keller-Butler
Andy Kelley & Kim Aakre
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Kellogg
Amy Kelsey
David LeRoy
Priscilla Kimberly &
Jerry Lasky
Sylvia Kinney
Boris Yale Klapwald
Marvin Klikunas
Nancy Knox &
Thomas Porter
Joel Kobert
Douglass Kramer
Misha Golfman,
Kroka Expeditions
Thomas & Agnes Kurtz
John Lane
Erwin Lange
Susan Latchem
Gertrude Lepin
David LeRoy
Howard LeVaux
Ernst Linder
Sheri Lindner
Margaret Lipscomb
Russell & Patricia Lovaas
Robert Lowe
Scott & Jane Luria
David E. Lynch
Denny Lyster
Charles Marchant
Timothy Marr
Jake & Sue Martin
Ed Matson
Jack Mayer
Robert & Mary Mayer
Patricia McGivern
Tim & Betsy Mckay
Lucinda McKechnie
Nancy & Howard McRae
David Merfeld &
Bonnie Friedman
Peter & Bunny Merrill
Robert & Louise Messner
Laura & Stuart Meyer
Ted & Christin Milks
Sally Mole &
Dale Guldbrandsen
Anne Morehouse
Diane Muhr &
Frank Gibney
Stephen & Diane Nelson
Nancy J. Nesbitt
Andrew & Reidun Nuquist
Jeff Olden
Carl Olender
Peter Oliver
Amy Otten
Pamela Overstrom &
David Palmer
Kenneth Paonessa
Karen B. Parks
Bob Pasco
Richard Pendleton
Robert & Charlotte
Pennington
Jack & Joyce Phillips
Jeff Phillips
Andrew & Jilda Pomerantz
Walter Pomroy
Merle Pomroy
Fred Pond
Bill Pope
David & Gail Poulin
Robert F. Provencher
Mr. & Mrs. Clinton
Rasberry
David Rath
Katharine Reichert &
Derek Teare
Diana Ressler
Ernie & Bette Reuter
Peter & Allison Reynolds
Mary & George Richards
Muriel Roeth
Ben Rose & Lori Fisher
Wendy Rosenblum
Judy Rosovsky
Armand Roy
Sumner Rulon-Miller
Jonathan & Peggy Sands
Wendy & David Savoie
Laurel Scannell
Thomas Scarnecchia
Paul G. Schaberg
Ann & Stuart Schaffner
John Schmidt
Jeff & Beth Schoellkopf
Jeremy Schrauf
David & Sue Scot
Anneka Scranton
John Seibert
Jeryl & Shelagh Shapiro
Gregory & Nina Sharp
Ruth Shefer &
Earl Marmar
Huntington Sheldon
Eugene Shlatz
Robert & Judith
Sinsheimer
Richard Sirola
Richard & Muriel Sleezer
Mark Smith
Donna Smyers
Inez Snowdon
Kim & Steve Spensley
Judith & William Stevens
Rick Stoner
Sam Swanson &
Joyce Gallimore
The Selin Family
Kelley Kahler
Beth & Bernie Tolmie
Robert Tortolani
Inge & Heinz Trebitz
Peter Treiber
John Turkowski
George & Jodi Turner
Lori K. van Handel
Susan & Tom Vieth
Chris Viscomi
Karen & Nate Wagner
John Waldo
Louise Wall
William Wallace
Rob Wardwell
Bernard Webber
Thomas & Rita Weidman
Wolfgang Weise &
Kathleen Olwell
John Wesley &
Julie Peterson
Carol West
$100 TO $499
Adam Lougee
Gar Anderson &
Moira Durnin Anderson
Bill & Nancy Anderson
Don Appe
Jill Aspinall & Rick Molz
Ken Austin
Stan Baker &
Susan Gresser
Sam & Marie Bartlett
Lynda & Jeff Baydin
Jody & Rick Biddle
Charles & Kristen Bieler
Alan Binnick
Eric Bishop &
Barbara Frankowski
Charles & Judy Bond
Dave Brautigam
Karen & Ken Britting
Ari Brouwer
Jacob Brown &
Elizabeth O’Brien
Don & Sally Brunjes
Lenore & Ralph Budd
Patrick & Kimberly Burke
Raymond & Catherine
Canning
Priscilla Carr &
Jay Seward
Dr. David Chipman &
Helen Folweller
John Cobb
Brenda Conaway
Joseph Cook
Bob Cooper
Jamen Yeaton-Masi,
Country Walkers
Tim Crowell
Judy Davis
Daniela DeGuzman
Patricia Delaney
Paul Demers
Linda DeNering
Sharon & Doug Dennett
Nelly Detra
JoAnne Diller
Ana Maria Echenique
Kathleen Birch
Robert Erf
Lauren Farnsworth
Barry & Susan Feinberg
Sarah Fellows &
Theresa Marron
Steve & Bernadette
Fernandes
Steve & Sylvie Finer
Lynn Fisher
Christopher Ford
Mark Forsyth
Milton, Carolyn, &
Krysta Frye
Mark Gabel
Ronald Gingerich
Peter Goldman
Nat & Caren Goodhue,
Goodhue Land Design
Wes & Judy Goodwin
Cynthia Gray
Betsy Gregory
Katherine Gross
Aidan Gross
Hytham Hanna
Richard & Susan Hart
Hezi & Hagay Haut
Bill & Lisanne Hegman
Trina & David Hosmer
Philip & Barbara Howard
Rick Hubbard &
Sally Howe
Phil & Audrey Huffman
Woody Jackson
Robert Kancir
Paul Kendall &
Sharon Rives
Bill & Kate Koch
Ron Kovanic
Rich & Sheri Larsen
Traven Leyshon
Peter & Susan Licht
William & Laura Lynch
Debra & James Lyneis
Perky & Don Maddocks
David Martin
Nancy Materne
Dylan Mathews
John & Patricia McAllister
McKee, Giuliani &
Cleveland
Martha McPheeters
Barbara Meyer
Ragnar Meyer-Knutsen
Karen & Peter Monsen
Mary Muse
Doug Muth &
Terry Langevin
Ida Ostvold
Carlisie Page
Joseph Perella &
Aimee Motta
William Perkins
Leigh Perkins
Perkins Charitable
Foundation
John Peterson
William Pinchbeck
Stephen Pitmon
Pitney Bowes
Matching Gifts
Connie Gunther,
Pizzagalli Foundation
Dean & Liz Polnerow
Daniel Raleigh
John & Ellen Riley
Suzannah Schroeder
Fred & Dawn Senftleber
Sandra Sharp
Peter Sharp
Mary Simons
Mike Skinner
Dagny St. John
Jared Standish
James Standish
Richard & Dorothy
Standish
Dr. Irwin & Wilma Steuer
Al & Barbara Stiles
James Sullivan
Robert Sutherland
Pierre Swick
Ethan Tapper
Prudie Taylor
W. Miller Templeton
Diana & Allen Terrell
George & Faith
Terwilliger
Courtney Thompson
Scott Livingston,
Thread Rolling Inc.
Joan & Cal Tinson
Lee & Diana Todd
Ernie & Hazel Tracy
Sharonlee & Jonathan
Trefry
Carol Tremble
Jacob Tucker
Mary Twitchell
Neil & Barbara Ulman
United Way of Chittenden
County
VASA, Inc.
Ted Vogt
David Webb
Gabrielle Wellman
JIM FREDERICKS
Peter & Susan MacLaren,
West Hill House
Katharine Whiteley
Alex & Jerelyn Wilson
Susan Wisehart
Gary Wolff
Ann Wood
Peter Davenport
Gregory Woodworth
Rob & Meg Woolmington
Peter & Rosemary Zamore
Anne K. Zopfi
Phil Kivlin and Sheri Larsen navigate a cornice in
Lowell on the WLT.
Alfred Wilke
Lynn Willsey
Ann S. Wittpenn
Bonnie & Austin Zipeto
$500 PLUS
Jim & Mary Lou Briggs
Charles F. Christ
Concept 2, Inc.
Richard Dreissigacker &
Judy Geer
Mitchell R. Fleischer
Jim Fredericks &
JoAnn Hanowski
William & Linda Goldstein
Andrew Harper
Sandy Jacobs
Robert Jordan
Peter R. Kellogg
Phil & Barbara Kivlin
Mark Langan
Mack Crounse Group, LLC
Kristin Hanson Martin &
Bill Martin
William C. Michels
Outdoor Gear Exchange,
Ecofest
Paul Frank & Collins
Jan & Mary Jane
Rozendaal
Robert Starbuck
David Stearns
James Stearns
Judy Stearns
Elizabeth Steele
Peter Swift
Jim & Lyn Taylor
Vermont Center for
Geographic Information
Arnold & Ronna Ziegel
GRANTS
Davis Conservation
Foundation
Dept. Forests, Parks, &
Recreation
Oakland Foundation
Sandra Shenk & Al Boright
Windham Foundation, Inc.
Vermont Housing &
Conservation Board
(VHCB)
www.cat amounttrail.org
15
LIZ GLEASON
Teage O’Connor describes the stages of
forest succession.
New Outreach Coordinator at the CTA
by Liz Gleason
H
ello all! I started work as the
CTA’s Outreach Coordinator,
an AmeriCorps position supported by the Vermont Housing
and Conservation Board, in early
December. In this position, I’m
responsible for communicating with
communities around the state to
increase awareness and use of the Trail.
A little about me: I graduated
from Williams College in 2008 with
a degree in Political Science and made
my way to Vermont with a few stops
along the way as a cheesemaker in
North Carolina and a research assistant in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
This time a year ago, I moved to the
Green Mountain State to work as an
environmental educator at Shelburne
Farms and immediately felt at home!
I’m a runner and outdoor enthusiast
who loves cross-country skiing, cooking, swing dancing, mountains and
forests, and Burlington.
In addition to projects such as compiling a winter camping guide, attending events, and coordinating a naturalist trail guide with a UVM student, I
16
piloted an outreach project this winter
focused on conservation education
—the 2010 Winter Naturalist Series.
This series of ski/snowshoe tours was
a partnership between the Catamount
Trail and several Burlington-area naturalists who generously volunteered
their time to teach about the ecology
of the natural areas they recreate in.
The first event was an animal tracking tour led by UVM instructor Mike
Kessler. Thirteen participants traipsed
around the Jericho Research Forest
examining tracks and searching for
animal signs. Mike reads the landscape
by looking for a baseline—whatever is
the norm—and finding signs or patterns that stand out from that baseline.
By noticing slight but regularly spaced
depressions in the snow, he was able to
uncover a moose’s prints made before
any snow fell! Some other highlights
were finding a bear print with a thumb
hole several inches deep, tunnels made
by voles, and the tracks of a fisher running along a creek bed.
On our second tour, naturalist Teage
O’Connor guided aspiring naturalists
C a t a m o u n t Tr a i l N ew s • S p r i n g 2 010
through Dorset Park’s forest, which
shows a range of successional stages.
We moved from an area that had
recently been reforested, with shrubs
giving way to pines, to an older hardwood forest that was once managed as
a sugarbush. At the peak, we stood on
bedrock that was formed when the area
was underwater and learned that the
calcite that dissolves out of this rock
contributes to the Champlain Valley’s
soil fertility.
Our third tour was a tree identification walk led by Mark Krawczyk of
Burlington Permaculture—it was a
small but passionate group of wouldbe dendrologists. We had a few lively
debates, came across textbook examples of Red Maple, Ash, and Red Pine,
and had a great time teaching each
other the tips we use to remember the
differences between different types of
pines, cedars, and hemlocks.
Our final tour, on forest management, was led by woodworker Tom
McDaniel. We sloshed through South
Burlington’s Dorset Park (with warm
weather and patchy snow this winter,
all the naturalist tours involved more
hiking and splashing than skiing or
snowshoeing) examining the sugarbush, learning about how to select
trees for felling, and discussing the
merits of different levels of management. Tom’s focus on how humans
manage forests was highly relevant
to the CT, as much of the Trail goes
through managed state and national
forest.
In total, forty people participated
in the Winter Naturalist Series! This
type of event may be held on the
Catamount Trail near you next year.
If you would like to lead one or have
any suggestions for naturalist-themed
tours, let us know by calling the office
or emailing Liz at [email protected].
CTA Granted $10,000 and Eligible to Win $50,000 to Protect the Trail!
Cast Your Votes Early and Often!
C
TA was recently chosen as a
finalist in the Third Annual
Redwood Creek Greater Outdoors
Project. CTA was among the top
nine highest scoring projects and will
be featured with 8 other organizations on www.RedwoodCreekWine.
com beginning April 1. The Greater
Outdoors Project awards grants to
nonprofit organizations for specific
environmental projects that aim to
preserve, protect and provide access to
the great American outdoors.
What does this mean for CTA?
It means CTA is eligible to win a
$50,000 grant to help protect the
Catamount Trail! And even if CTA
doesn’t win, as a finalist, it is guaranteed a $10,000 runner-up grant. But
who wants to be just a runner-up?
Well, we’ll be pleased to be a runner up if that’s the final outcome, but
the Trail would also benefit tremendously from the Grand Prize Grant of
$50,000.
There are a few voting details you
will have to contend with, and we
hope you will take a few moments to
address these so you can help CTA
make its $50,000 bid:
• You will be required to register on
Blaze the Trail, Redwood Creek’s
active community site, in order to
make your vote count. Redwood
Creek requires registration to protect voting integrity. You will need
to enter your first and last name,
age, gender, email address and create
a username and password. This is
a one-time registration. For future
voting you can simply login on the
voting screen using the username
and password you selected.
YOU CAN HELP SUPPORT CTA by logging on to www.RedwoodCreekWine.com
to cast your online vote starting April 1, 2010. When you click on the “Vote”
tab you will be able to vote for CTA. You (and all of your friends and family
and neighbors) can vote for CTA once every day between April 1 and August
31. Bookmark the site, make it your homepage, set your alarm, or do whatever
• Once you submit your first vote, you
will receive an email from Redwood
Creek confirming your vote and
Blaze the Trail membership. You
will have to open the email and click
through it in order to confirm your
membership and vote again.
Thanks in advance for your support. We know online voting isn’t
nearly as fun as being out on the Trail,
but it will help us improve the trail for
the future.
you need to do to remember to vote for CTA each day.
www.cat amounttrail.org
17
JIM FREDERICKS
Peregrine Outfitters
Sponsors Multi-Day Tours
I
Safe and happy skiers.
n January, Peregrine Outfitters of Williston, VT generously donated emergency
and safety equipment worth over $900 to the CTA. This equipment now
makes up the CTA’s Multi-Day Tour Gear Kit. Peregrine Outfitters, a wholesale
distributor for outdoor retail, donated the following: snowshoes, a GPS, an allweather bivy sack, a pair of two-way radios, first aid kit, foam pad, stove and fuel
bottle, pot for boiling water, SAM splint, multi-tool for ski repairs, pole baskets,
hand warmers, kicker skins, lash straps, match holder, and a snow shovel. The
CTA is now able to loan all Tour Coordinators this safety gear for Multi-Day and
Week-Long Tours. Though tour participants still ski at their own risk, tour leaders are now better equipped to respond to potential safety concerns. Thank you,
Peregrine Outfitters!
Thank You Business Supporters
Please support these businesses with your patronage.
Alpine Family Dental
Backdoor Bakery
Base Camp Outfitters
Beaver Pond Farm Inn
Black Bear Inn
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of VT
Blueberry Hill Inn
Blueberry Lake X-C Center
Bolton Valley Nordic Center
Bolton Valley Resort
Bromley Mountain Ski Resort
Cabot Creamery
Canoe Imports
Catamount Outdoor Family
Center
Church Hill House Inn
Clearwater Sports
Climb High
Commodores Inn
Concept 2, Inc.
Craftsbury Outdoor Center
Darn Tough Vermont
Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew, P.C.
Dominion Tech
Earl’s Cyclery and Fitness
Eastern Mountain Sports
Echo Lake Inn
Ecopixel
Fitness Options, Inc.
Fleischer Jacobs & Associates
Fox Creek Inn
Freely Creative
Fresh Market Cheese Outlet
18
Golden Eagle Resort
Grafton Ponds Nordic Ski &
Mtn. Bike
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
Green Mountain Inn
Hawk Inn & Mountain Resort
Hazen’s Notch Association
Healthy Living Natural
Foods Market
Highland Lodge and XC Center
Hildene Ski Touring Center
Inglenook Lodge
ISIS
Jay Peak Ski Touring Center
Peter R. Kellogg
Kick ’n Gliders
Kingdom Trail Association
Kroka Expeditions
La Sportiva
Lake Champlain Chocolates
Landgrove Inn
Littlefield Farm
Mad River Glen Ski Area/
MRG Cooperative
Magura
Manchester Highlands Inn
Maplefields
Michael J. Skinner
Consulting, LLC
Middlebury Mountaineer
Millstone Hill
Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks
Morse Farm Ski Touring Center
C a t a m o u n t Tr a i l N ew s • S p r i n g 2 010
Mountain Top Inn & Ski Touring
Center
Mountain Travelers
Mountain Meadow XC Ski Area
Natural Provisions Market
NBT Bank
Nordic Barn
North Star Sports
Northern Lights Rock and Ice
Okemo Mountain Resort
Ole’s Cross Country Center
Onion River Kids
Onion River Sports
Outdoor Gear Exchange
Patagonia Inc
Paul Frank & Collins
Petra Cliffs
Red Shutter Inn
Redstone
Redwood Creek
Rehab Gym
Rikert Ski Touring Center
Rossignol
Salomon
Ski Inn
Skimaven.com
SkiRack
Ski Trax Magazine
Sleepy Hollow Inn and Ski
& Bike Center
Smugglers’ Notch Nordic Center
Sojourn Active Vacations
Sovernet
Spa at The Essex
Spare Time Colchester
Sports & Fitness Edge
Stoner & Andrews
Stowe Area Association
Stowe Motel & Snowdrift
Stowe Mountain Resort
Stowe Mt. Resort, MT Mansfield
XC Center
Stowe Today.Com (Stowe
Reporter)
Stratton Mountain Nordic Center
Stratton Mountain Resort
Sly Dog Studio
The Alpine Shop
The Automaster
The Essex
The Mountain Goat North
The Shoe Horn at Onion River
The Underhill Country Store
The Vermont Inn
Timber Creek X-C Ski Area
Trapp Family Lodge
Umiak Outdoor Outfitters
VASA, Inc
Vermont Dept. of Tourism and
Marketing
Viking Nordic Center
Washburn’s Service Center
West Hill House
Wild Wings Ski Touring Center
Woodstock Nordic Center
xcskiresorts.com
Lodging Members
Beaver Pond Farm Inn
www.beaverpondfarminn.com
Black Bear Inn
www.blkbearinn.com
Blueberry Hill Inn
www.blueberryhillinn.com
Bolton Valley Nordic Center
www.boltonvalley.com
Church Hill House Inn
www.churchillhouseinn.com
Commodores Inn
www.commodresinn.com
Craftsbury Outdoor Center
www.craftsbury.com
Fox Creek Inn
www.foxcreekinn.com
Golden Eagle Resort
www.goldeneagleresort.com
Green Mountain Inn
www.greenmountaininn.com
Hawk Inn & Mountain Resort
www.hawkresort.com
Landgrove Inn
www.landgroveinn.com
Littlefield Farm
www.vrbo.com/96404
Mountain Top Inn & Ski Touring Center
www.mountaintopinn.com
Stowe Motel & Suites
www.stowemotel.com
The Vermont Inn
www.vermontinn.com
Trapp Family Lodge
www.trappfamily.com
West Hill House
www.westhillbb.com
A fine morning breakfast at the Blueberry Hill Inn. Photo by Jim Fredericks. ➤
www.cat amounttrail.org
19
COURTESY VALERIE WILKINS
Smiling faces after a fun three day tour.
MLK Weekend Tour:
Three Days of Great Snow, Great Trails, and Great People!
By Valerie Wilkins
A
s the Martin Luther King holiday
weekend drew near, we were all
excited by the steady stream of snow
storms that rolled through Vermont,
each depositing a few more inches
of snow on the floor of the Green
Mountain National Forest north and
south of Ripton. Saturday morning,
January 16, we awoke in the valley to
the eaves dripping and the snow banks
receding, but as we traveled up through
Middlebury Gap, the temperature was
a few degrees cooler, enough to keep
the snow in great shape for skiing.
The MLK Weekend Tour included
sections 15 (Route 73 to Widow’s
Clearing), 16 (Widow’s Clearing to the
Bridges Trail), and 17 (Bridges Trail
to Lincoln Gap). Trail Chiefs Craig
Hadden, Jim Peters, Andy McIntosh,
Dave Scott, Dean Bloch, and many
other hard-working volunteers do a
20
fabulous job scouting, clearing, and
maintaining the trail throughout the
year. The Trail Chiefs are well organized and committed. For example,
on the Sunday of the tour, Andy
emailed Dave about two trees that had
blown down on the section we were
skiing, and by Monday afternoon,
Dave Scott had cleared the trees. Now
that’s service!
The trail in this neck of the woods
travels over a combination of back
country trails, national forest roads,
snowmobile trails, and touring center groomers. We passed places with
names like Widow’s Clearing, Sugar
Hill, Romance Mountain, and Eagles
Nest—with the beautiful spine of
the Green Mountains (and the Long
Trail hiking trail) always above us to
the east. There was something for
everyone—plenty of gentle ascents
C a t a m o u n t Tr a i l N ew s • S p r i n g 2 010
and descents, mountain and meadow
views, stream crossings, hard and soft
wood forests, and even hot soup for
lunch at the Blueberry Hill and Rikert
Ski Touring Centers! For skiers who
hadn’t skied Section 17 in awhile,
this year was particularly enjoyable as
it included a re-routed section that
took us off the snowmobile trail on
the Natural Turnpike Road for several miles and into a rolling stretch of
woods to the west of the road.
Over the course of the weekend,
we encountered a few minor waxing challenges as we enjoyed the
comfortable skiing temperatures in
our lighter-weight layers. There were
debates about the pros and cons of
wax versus no-wax skis. Some were
comparing brands and prices of their
favorite glide waxes. Others were serving as translators for those using the
traditional Swix waxes (now called the
V-line) and those who’ve upgraded to
the new VR-line of fluoridated waxes.
All were willing to share their stashes
of wax with others to keep the group
gliding steadily forward!
As with many Catamount trips,
the people were a big part of what
made this outing so special. There
was a core group of seven skiers who
skied all three days; additional skiers joined us for one or two days as
their schedules allowed, so the average
day included 12-15 skiers. Our oldest member was 72, an energetic Sara
Buchard (who spends lots of time
on the trails at the Camel’s Hump
Touring Center), and our youngest
member was 5, a budding skier Lelia
(who joined the group with her parents, Andy Pedersen and Danielle
Graham, for a short stretch of trail at
the Rikert Ski Touring Center).
Snippets of conversation could be
heard among the group as we made our
way through the forest (a little less conversation on the uphill sections for some
of us!) and when we stopped for breaks
along the way. People shared stories of
other sections of the trail they’ve skied
or plan to ski, other outdoor adventures
they’ve been on, family and work life,
current events, and more. We moved
well together under the skillful guidance of the tour leaders and coordinator
(Craig Hadden, Andy McIntosh, and
Dean Bloch) and our trusted sweeps
(Jim Peters and Gerry Prutsman), who
made sure no skiers were left behind.
We began each day of the tour with
anticipation of the terrain we would
cover. We ended each day a little tired,
but satisfied with the wonderful skiing
and camaraderie we had shared out on
the trail!
Thank You Volunteers
We depend heavily on and are grateful to our many volunteers. Thank you for all you do to help us keep the Trail and
the CTA in good shape! Our volunteers help with mailings, assist at events, clear trail, fix bridges, post blazes, monitor
easements, lead tours, and so much more. We’ve done our best to list all the people who have helped us in the last year,
but we know we may have missed a few of you. If your name is not on this list, let us know, and be assured we are
equally grateful for your help.
Jason Achillich
Lee Adams
Paul Adams
Tony Amenta
Trudy Andrews
Jill Aspinall*
Marie Bartlett
Sam Bartlett
Jeff Baydin
Lynda Baydin
Matthew Beckwith
Jim Berry
Alix Berry
Eric Bishop
Dean Bloch
Dave Blumenthal
Alden Booth
Grant Braddish
Stuart Bradford
Susan Brault
Nancy Brennan
Jim Briggs
Mary Lou Briggs*
John Brodhead
Dave Burns
Gennette Carr
Priscilla Carr
Alex Carver
Sally Carver
Arlon Chaffee
Sara Coburn
Hilary Collidge
Samantha Connor
Stephanie Corcoran
Peter Cottrell
Paul Demers*
JoAnne Diller
Liz Dixon
Debby Dorsett
Callie Douglas
Kristyn Dumont
Kim Dunkley
Harry Dunn-Davenport
Moira Durnin Anderson
Patty Eagleson
Marissa Edwards
Todd Ellsworth
Kit Emery
Heather Enyingi
Sally Fellows
Bernadette Fernandes
Steve Fernandes
Jim Fischer
Maria Fischer
Doug Fish
Lynn Fisher*
Kim Fleischer
Barb Frankowski
Betsy Gaiser
Poppy Gall
Bill Garman
Greg Gerdel
Fred Gilbert
Marc Gilbertson
Jim Glabicky
Patty Gold
Bill Goldstein*
Jan Grady
Danielle Graham
Cindy Gray
Hannah Groedel
Craig Guild
Melissa Haberman
Craig Hadden
Mia Haiman
Matt Hankes
JoAnn Hanowski
Andrew Harper
Bill Hegman
Paul Hemmerich
Joan Hilgreth
Ann Hiltz
Fred Hiltz
John Himmelsbach
Mark Hitchocox
Thomas Hitchocox
Liz Hollenbach
Dave Hosmer
Trina Hosmer*
Phil Howard
Audrey Huffman
Phil Huffman
Jeff Hurlburt
Dave Jablonski
Bob Jordan*
Scott Josslin
Bob Joyce
Heidi Joyce
Anton Kelsey
Paul Kendall*
Tom Kennedy
Viola Kennedy
Mike Kessler
Priscilla Kimberely
Sean King
Shelby King
Stu King
Phil Kivlin
Mark Krawczyk
Rick LaDue
Pete Lane
Mike Langlais
Emily LaPenta
Rich Larsen
Sheri Larsen
Lew Lasher
Jerry Lasky
Ferdinand Lauffer
John Lepinski
Bob Lindemann
Sherrie Lindner
Aaron Loomis
Ron Lucier
Shelly Lutz
Denny Lyster
Tahni Maharah
Joanie Mallory
Leigh Mallory
Julie Marr
Tim Marr
Terry Marron
Geoff Matter
Kevin McCormick
Tom McDaniel
Elizabeth McGinn
Rob McGregor
Andy McIntosh
Ursula McVeigh
Scott Meyer
Bill Michels*
Rick Molz
Malcom Moore
Brad Moskowitz
Sam Nelson
Ward Nial
Jan Nosky
Jeff Nugent
Andrew O’Neill
Chuck Osler
Adrian Owens
Jim Peters
Fred Pond
Thayer Raines
Penny Rand
Kris Roomet
Emily Ross
Eric Rozendaal
Mary Jane Rozendaal
Jan Rozendaal*
Josh Ryan
Mark Schwabe
Jim Schweithelm
Dave Scott
Sigh Searles
Meghan Seifert
Janette Shaffer
Sandra Sharp
Mary Simons
John Sinclair
Geoff Slater
Lauren Slater
Barbara Smidt
Sean Smith
Tony Smith
Cindy Sprague
Dagny St John*
Mike Stafford
Anne Standish
Emily Steers
Dave Stewart
Carol Ann Sudia
Julie Sullivan
Holly Rae Taylor
Jon Tisbert
Lucy Totten
Ernie Tracy
Hazel Tracy
Mary Twitchell
Orina Umansky
UVM Outing Club
Bob Verrico
Jackie Verrico
Ted Vogt
Debbie Waldman
Karen Westervelts
Suzanne Whitney
Valerie Wilkins
Dana Wing
Ronna Ziegel
Arnie Ziegel*
Zeke Zucker
BOLD = Trail Chief
* = Board of Directors
www.cat amounttrail.org
21
Sections 9, 10, and 12: In
A
JIM FREDERICKS
s winter winds down and we
reflect on the ski season here in
the office, we have a cadre of dedicated volunteers to thank for much of
the work that makes the CT a success
—our Trail Chiefs!
The CTA’s Trail Chiefs make the
Trail possible. Here in the office, we
rely on their expertise gained by acting
as the liaisons between their local communities, landowners, and the CTA.
Right now, the CTA is in need of a
few Trail Chiefs. If you are looking
for a way to support the Catamount
Trail, get to know your local trails, and
work with your community, this is
the perfect opportunity. We also have
Co-Trail Chiefs—this is a great way
to share the fun and responsibility of
maintaining the Trail.
As a Trail Chief, you would be
responsible for posting blazes, scouting re-routes, and removing deadfall
on a 6 to 12 mile portion of the Trail.
You don’t need to know how to do all
these things, but you do need to be
interested in recruiting and working
with people who do. The CTA staff
and past Trail Chiefs will help you get
Need of Trail Chiefs
started by walking or skiing the trail
with you. We also provide resources
such as landowner information, maps,
a list of local volunteers, and tools for
trail maintenance.
In the fall, Trail Chiefs organize
one or more trail workdays to get the
CT in shape for the upcoming ski season. In the winter, most Trail Chiefs
plan and lead tours of their section or
other events along the Trail. They help
us keep our landowner database up to
date, secure landowner permission for
the Trail, monitor trail easements, and
send an annual thank you to landowners. They are an energetic and enthusiastic bunch, and the trail could not be
maintained without their effort!
If you are interested in volunteering
for trail work but do not want to take
on the responsibility of a Trail Chief,
we of course always welcome volunteers! We spend the summer tackling
re-routes and the fall maintaining
the trails. Check our website and our
e-bulletins for announcements or contact the office for scheduled workdays.
The following sections are in need
of a Trail Chief or Co-Chiefs:
Section 9
Greendale Road to Healdville –
12.6 miles, mostly on groomed
snowmobile trails, through state and
national forest.
Section 10
Healdville to Ninevah Four Corners –
8.5 miles, mostly shared with the
VAST #7 trail at this time, but soon
to be relocated off of the that trail.
Section 12
Tin Shanty to Brewers Corner –
8.5 miles, soon to be rerouted off
of VAST snowmobile trails to
become a remote ski trail, primarily
on state land.
Section 12
Brewers Corner to Route 4 –
5.1 mile of remote ski trail through
Rutland City Forest.
To learn more about becoming a
Trail Chief for any of these sections,
or another area in the state, please
contact Amy at [email protected] or 802-864-5794.
Updated Camping Info
The information on backcountry camping and shelters along
the trail has been updated. You can find this resource on our
website on the Trip Planning page in the Skiing the Trail tab:
http://www.catamounttrail.org/trail/planning/camping/.
Kroka Expeditions framed by Camel’s Hump.
22
C a t a m o u n t Tr a i l N ew s • S p r i n g 2 010
www.cat amounttrail.org
22
S
et aside August 29th on your calendar for the 3rd Annual FJG (Fleischer Jacobs Group) Race To The Top Of Vermont. This
event will draw as many as 900 hikers, mountain bikers and runners from over twenty states and Canada. Experience this
fun and challenging event and earn bragging rights for racing to the top of Vermont while taking part in a vital fundraiser for
the Catamount Trail. This year the CTA will team up with Girls Move Mountains and the Mobius Mentoring Movement as
co-beneficiaries. Both these organizations are dedicated to improving the lives of our youth.
Volunteers Needed!
The CTA is looking for volunteers to help out with race packet stuffing, registration, and day of race duties. Please check our
website for more information or contact: Jim Fredericks at 802-864-5794 or [email protected].
www.cat amounttrail.org
23
Catamount Trail Association
1 Mill St.
Suite 350
Burlington, VT 05401
Non-Profit Rate
U.S. Postage
Paid
Permit #421
Burlington, VT
IT IS TIME TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP
FOR THE 2010-2011 SEASON
If you have not renewed yet, now is the time! The Catamount Trail exists thanks to the generosity of
ski enthusiasts like you. If you plan on skiing on the Trail next winter or just want to know that it will be there
waiting for you, renew your membership today. We really can’t keep it going without you.
THANK YOU!
THE CATAMOUNT TRAIL ASSOCIATION
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
1 Mill Street, Suite 350, Burlington, VT 05401 (802) 864-5794
MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES
Name (please print)
Address
City
(Membership Year June 1 – May 31)
State
Zip
Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $350*
Protector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $250*
Lodging Membership. . . . . . $100*
Telephone ( )
Patron. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $75*
Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $50*
Individual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$35
* Receive two (2) membership booklets and cards
Membership Dues
E-mail
$________
I want to support the CTA even more. Enclosed is my additional tax deductible
contribution for
Trail Conservation
Annual Operating Costs $________
I am a new member.
I am willing to volunteer for events.
TOTAL ENCLOSED:
Payment:
I am willing to help with trail maintenance.
Card No.:
I am willing to help lead weekend ski tours.
Exp. Date:
If you do not want us to share your name with other groups, please initial here. _____
$________
VISA
Signature:
CTA is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization.
MasterCard
Check