Ladies Nordic Ski Expo is a Resounding Success

Transcription

T H E L E N G T H O F VE R M O N T O N S K I S
VOLUME XXV NUMBER III
SPRING 2009
JIM FREDERICKS
Over 100 women turned out for lessons, food, fun, and even a fashion show at the 1st Annual Ladies Nordic Ski Expo held at Trapp Family Lodge in January.
By JoAnn Hanowski
T
he thermometer at the Trapp
Family Nordic Center in Stowe,
VT read -5˚F on Saturday morning
January 10th, but that did not deter
over 100 enthusiastic women from
four New England States and two
Canadian Provinces from participating
in the Catamount Trail Association’s
First Annual Ladies Nordic Ski Expo.
The event was planned to celebrate the
Catamount Trail Association’s 25th
and the Trapp Family Nordic Center’s
40th anniversaries. The energy and
enthusiasm of the women in the Nordic
Center that morning was almost
enough to melt the snow outside.
Under blue skies, calm winds
and with immaculately groomed
trails, 11 talented female nordic
instructors(including CTA board
members Priscilla Carr, Lynn Fisher,
Moira Anderson, Berne Broudy
and Dagny St. John and CTA Trail
Management and Protection Director
Amy Diller) led the participants
through three practice sessions in
back-country, telemark, classic and
skate disciplines of the sport. For some
participants, this was their first time on
skis, while other more experienced skiers took advantage of the opportunity
to improve theirs skills by working with
top-level coaches. The positive atmosphere of women supporting other
women and cheering was contagious.
At mid-day the women took a
much-needed break to warm up and
refuel. They were treated to a delicious
lunch at the Trapp Family Lodge, an
instructional “how-to dress for winter
sports” fashion show by Isis, and a session on how to ski safely in the backcountry. Following another two-hour
instructional lesson, the women relaxed
in the Lodge with wine from Redwood
Creek, cheese from Cabot, chocolate
from Lake Champlain Chocolates, and
music provided by Jeff Nicholson.
(continued on page 5)
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Seventy Miles on the Cat! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Catamount BC Challenge – A Racer’s Perspective . . . . 11
Trail Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Catamount Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Overuse Injuries in Cross-country Skiing . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Volunteer Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
On the Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
New CTA Stickers are Here! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
New End-to-Enders in 2009! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Kroka Expedition Skis the Catamount Trail . . . . . . . . . . 6
Thank You Business Supporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
A Night in the Bryant Cabin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
CTA Teams Up With Mobius Mentoring for
Catamount Trail Annual Trail Fund. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Race To The Top Of Vermont . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Thank You For Your Gifts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
5th Annual Deerfield Valley Marathon . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink
1
Seventy Miles on the Cat!
By Gretchen Eberhart Cherington
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
Berne Broudy, Richmond
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
Jan Rozendaal, South Burlington
Dagny St. John, So. Londonderry
Emily Steers, Burlington
Mike Welch, Burlington
Arnold Ziegel, Stowe
CTA Staff
Jim Fredericks, Executive Director
W
inter is long in New England
and the best way we’ve found
to enjoy it is to get out into it, so my
husband Michael and I skied seventy miles of the Catamount Trail in
Vermont the third week of February.
Michael’s siblings Sharon and Kevin
came along too.
The inspiration for this jaunt came
from Thetford friends Rick and Jody
Biddle, CTA members, who we ran
into at the Craftsbury cross-country
ski marathon last February. But my
commitment to actually do it came
nine months later, standing at the
corner of 1st Avenue and 110th Street
in Manhattan, watching my two adult
kids run the New York Marathon.
Thanks to computer chips attached to
their running shoes, I received automatic text messages of their whereabouts every mile, but still felt lucky
to spot them among forty-thousand
runners. After “can’t talk; in a zone”
and quick hugs from them both, I
emailed Michael: “Okay, let’s do it.
I’m in for the Cat.”
Having a goal helps. Through
December we beefed up our walking
routine, chased up hills and waited for
snow. The kids gave us training advice
and friends said, “you’ve got to be kidding – seventy miles?”
Rob and Breck, at Omer and Bob’s
in Lebanon, N.H., outfitted us with
metal-edge back-country skis, heavy
boots and telescoping ski poles for
Christmas. Snow finally arrived in
droves and stayed for six weeks, but
with the weight of our ski gear and
backpacks filled with emergency
clothing, water and food, this was
an entirely different sport than flying around touring centers on skinny
skis. I panted up slight inclines in our
home town of Meriden, N.H., fell
over numerous times until I found a
new balance, and resolved to take ten
pounds off my own frame if I was adding twenty in gear.
Each year, CTA volunteers lead
multi-day tours and this one took us
through sections 15 – 22, the middle
third and most challenging part of the
trail, starting in Goshen and
JIM FREDERICKS
Amy Diller, Trail Management &
Protection Director
Diana Vachon, Admin. Coordinator
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.
Getting ready for the fun part…downhill and powder.
2
CATAMOUNT TRAIL NEWS
• Spring 2009 •
Catamount Tales
by Jim Fredericks –
Executive Director
The Catamount
Trail – The
Gateway to
Backcountry
Skiing in VT
W
hat a winter to celebrate
the 25th Anniversary of the
Catamount Trail! The snow came
early and conditions were great for
backcountry skiing most of the winter.
When it wasn’t good skiing in the
backcountry, it was still excellent skiing at many of the groomed Nordic
centers throughout VT.
It’s hard to worry about the downturn in the economy when you are
out gliding along on Nordic skis and
taking advantage of everything this
sport has to offer. It’s no wonder
backcountry skiing is the fastest growing category of the winter ski market.
Cross-country centers are experiencing strong skier numbers and some
are setting all-time records. It doesn’t
take a rocket scientist to figure out
this trend. It is quite simple, people
are seeking inexpensive ways to recreate and find adventure in a healthy
environment. Backcountry skiing
offers the intimacy of skiing with your
friends or solitude to soak in the quiet
magic of the winter landscape. If you
have the equipment, it’s all there waiting for you.
As much as we would like to be out
on the Catamount Trail skiing everyday, the CTA staff has been busy with
many peak season duties. Diana, the
CTA office manager is booked solid
with accounting duties, membership
and merchandise sales processing, and
all the fine office details that may slip
through the cracks. When you read
Amy’s “On the Trail” report, you will
find that no moss has been growing
under her feet. Besides these accomplishments, she has been a tremendous
asset to the organization with her
backcountry teaching skills at the
Ladies Nordic Ski Expo and the Get
Out and Backcountry Ski Festival.
For me, the winter has been quite
exciting. In order to introduce more
people to the Catamount Trail, we
decided that it was important to offer
some events that would reach out to
those people who would like to try
backcountry or cross-country skiing
but were always afraid to try the sport
or thought it was too expensive. Many
thanks go out to my wonderful wife
and avid supporter of the Catamount
Trail JoAnn, who organized the
Ladies Nordic Ski Expo. We thought
this would be a popular event, but
little did we know it would easily fill
up with 100 women and we would
actually have to turn away almost 40
applicants. Thanks again JoAnn, the
women on our Board of Directors,
and the other instructors who volunteered their time to make this event
such a huge success. The Get Out
and Backcountry Ski Festival was
another first year event that exhibited
some great potential. Designed to give
Nordic skiers an introduction to backcountry skiing, thirty-five enthusiastic
skiers spent the day honing their backcountry and telemark skills under the
watchful eyes of five seasoned backcountry instructors. Everyone went
home with a smile on their face and
the desire to tackle the backcountry
• Spring 2009 •
terrain on their next outing. Blessed
by great weather, the 2nd Annual
Catamount Backcountry Challenge
Race and Tour tripled in attendance
in its second season. This year we had
a tour division for those non-competitive folks while the competitive hammerheads gave it all they had in the
race division.
Participation in CTA tours and
events is at an all time high with
almost 800 skier days. Much of this
success is due to the most comprehensive list of tours and events to date.
Board members Bob Jordan and Bill
Michels are credited for the hours of
work organizing this impressive tour
and events schedule. A special thanks
goes out to our newest Board member, Jill Aspinall who coordinated the
much acclaimed Weeklong Tour. Jill
was so organized that her early order
for great snow and good weather
really paid off. With the help of the
many individual tour guides, everyone
was treated to a fabulous and wellorganized week of skiing from Goshen
to Stowe. The newly added Six Day
Tour for the 09 calendar, was just as
successful as the Week-Long Tour.
Sam Bartlett, one of our seasoned
Trail Chiefs, masterfully coordinated
this southern Vermont Tour. With the
guidance of daily tour leaders, approximately 25 people skied a different
section of trail each day. Thanks to all
the tour guides who help make this
new event such a success.
The key to driving new members
3
On The Trail
by Amy Diller –
Trail Management
and Protection
Director
S
o what does
the Trail
Management and
Protection Director do in the winter
months, when the trail is cleared and
the snow is falling? I buckle down for
some field research…at least on the
steeper sections. On gentler terrain, I
lace up my lightweight boots to kick
and glide, appreciating all the work
that has come before, and finding
inspiration for future projects. I’ve
been fortunate to participate in the
fun and revelry of a number of CTA
events this winter, and while I always
look forward to the warmth and green
of spring, I am also always reluctant to
say goodbye to the snow.
Of course a day on the trail is
better than a day in the office, but
each feeds the other, and the flurry
of projects, energy, and initiatives
inside keeps me on my toes. When
I am not out on my skis, I stay busy
working with landowners, Trail
Chiefs, Vermont Forests, Parks, and
Recreation, and the Green Mountain
National Forest to maintain and
improve the trail. A typical day at
work might entail mapping a proposed route, applying for a grant,
planning for this summer’s trail projects, or negotiating additional trail
easements. I field phone and email
questions about trail conditions, tours,
and events, and often make changes to
4
the website and events calendar.
Some trail relocations and trail easements are years in the making, others
transpire more quickly. Below you will
find some details on the Trail projects
we hope to complete for Winter 2010.
If you would like to lend a hand with
any of these projects, we welcome the
help. Sign up for our e-bulletin for
updates on trail projects throughout
the summer and fall, and look out for
the fall edition of the newsletter for
the full schedule of fall workdays.
SECTION 3
Route 9 to Somerset Reservoir
This summer US Forest Service
staff will complete an environmental assessment of a short but worthy
reroute of the CT. The reroute will
move the Trail out of the streambed
of the East Branch of the Deerfield
River between Rte. 9 and Somerset
Reservoir. Pending USFS approval, we
should be able to cut the reroute and
move the trail out of the drainage by
late fall.
SECTION 6
Kendall Farm Road to
South Road
Construction of a new South Road
Parking Area was planned for last fall
as part of a harvest on the GMNF.
The parking area construction is part
of a cooperative project between
GMNF and the town of Peru and will
improve trail access and safety. We
are keeping tabs on this project and
are hopeful construction work will be
completed for next season.
• Spring 2009 •
SECTION 10
Healdville to Ninevah 4 Corners
Several Trail Chiefs are working
together to finalize a non-snowmobile route from Healdville to Lake
Ninevah. The new route will travel
through hardwood forest, and the
majority of it will be well protected
on state and conserved lands. If time
and volunteer hands are on our side,
we’ll have this one ready for next
winter!
SECTIONS 11 AND 12
Ninevah 4 Corners to Rte. 4
We have flagged a non-snowmobile
reroute through Coolidge State
Forest. The 5 mile route requires three
bridges as well as general trail clearing.
We have applied for a grant through
the Vermont Recreation Trails
Program to hire a VYCC crew to help
complete this project this summer.
CTA is seeking lumber and hardware
donations for the bridges. Please contact the office if you are interested in
contributing bridge materials or assisting with trail construction.
SECTION 18
Lincoln Gap to Route 17
Several small bridges are needed in
this section and it is part of our current year work plan with the GMNF.
SECTION 21
Route 2 to Bolton Valley
CTA will be separating about 1.5
miles of trail on the Rolling Hills and
Green Crow parcels from the existing
VAST trail.
SECTION 26
Route 15 to Wiley Brook
Trail Chiefs Marc Gilbertson and Sigh
Searles are investigating the options
for rerouting the trail off the VAST
corridor in Green River State Park.
No guarantees for 2010, but it’s on
our to do list.
SECTION 28
Craftsbury Outdoor Center to
Lowell Village
We are working on 2 easements from
the top of the Lowell Mountains
down to Route 58. Once completed,
this will result in over 4 miles of
continuously protected trail within
Section 28.
SECTION 31
Jay Pass to Canadian Border
We have scouted and flagged a
reroute above the Shallowbrook development between Jay Pass and the Jay
Country Store. We plan to finalize
this reroute with the landowners this
spring and will complete the reroute
this summer/fall. This will protect
one more mile of trail via easement.
We also will be working to install
3 small bridges to cross a series of
intermittent streams about a mile
from Jay Pass when traveling northbound. Lastly, we continue to work
to improve (non-snowmobile) and
protect the trail between Jay Pass and
Canadian Border. ³
continued from page 1
This comment from one participant
was echoed by many of the women “I
wanted to thank you for an amazing ski
adventure yesterday. I got so much out
of my sessions. I am quite the novice,
but I feel so much more confident in
my skiing ability now. Yeah! Thanks
again, the instructors were top notch.
Plus, I loved the wine and cheese social
at the end. Perfect ending!”
This popular and sold-out event
raised over $3,000 for the CTA and
will be held again next January. A special thanks goes to Christa Alexander,
Betsy Allen, Penny McEdwards, Jen
Noske, and Cindy Sprague, as well
as all the CTA Board members who
volunteered their time to this wonderful event. Without the help of
our sponsors, this event would not
have been possible. Thanks to Sam
Von Trapp and Charley Yerrick of
Trapp Family Lodge, Blue Cross
Blue Shield of VT, Fleischer Jacobs
Group, Sojourn Bicycling and Active
Vacations, Redwood Creek, Cabot
Cheese, Champlain Chocolates, Isis,
and Rossignol.
Ladies, mark your calendars for the
second annual Ladies Nordic Ski Expo
January 9th, 2010. More information
coming in the fall newsletter. ³
!"
“I am 47 years old, an
d I am an avid hiker (I
also snow shoe, ice
skate, bike ride, walk,
run a little, & enjoy ka
ya
king), and I wanted to
learn how to cross co
untry ski so I signed
up for CTA’s 1st Annu
Ladies Nordic Ski Ex
al
po at the Trapp Fami
ly Lodge! How fun! Wh
enjoyable and easy ac
at an
tivity! I felt totally spoil
ed
at
the
ev
en
t:
I was
greeted by warm enco
uraging club members
, Jim Fredericks, and
instructors.
I was provided with cla
ssic skis and a very co
mfortable pair of
Rossignol ski boots (al
most as comfortable
as my long time favori
hiking boots which are
te
set aside for the winter
). I started practicing on flat terrain gro
omed tracks. I immedia
tely got the hang of it,
so it wasn’t long befor
e I ventured into tur nin
g, then going downhill
then stopping, and the
,
n learning the “herrin
gb
on
e”
to
go
ba
ck
up
hill. I met new friends
throughout the day, lot
s of like-kind energeti
women. I laughed mo
c
st the day, from utter
fun: I even fell down
couple times, laughing
a
all the while, and gettin
g back up rearing to
go. I think I’ve got the
herringbone down pa
t, some downhill techniques, and I’m now
looking forward to a
new way to get on the
trails! Thank you, CTA”
~ SHERRY SMECKER
WINNIE
Recreation Trails Pro
gram Administrator
Vermont Dept. of Fores
ts, Parks & Recreation
• Spring 2009 •
5
Kroka Expedition Skis the Catamount Trail
JIM FREDERICKS
By Nelly Detra, Kroka Expeditions
Winter Semester Scribe
S
ince leaving from their
base camp in Marlow, New
Hampshire, twelve students on the
Kroka Expeditions New Hampshire
Vermont Semester Program have
traveled more than 250 miles on skis
to the campus of Sterling College
in Craftsbury Vermont, and the
journey hasn’t ended yet. They
will continue from Sterling to the
Northwoods Stewardship Center
in East Charleston before cleaning
the ice out of their bindings for the
last time and stowing away their
winter gear. The group will stay at
Northwoods for the month of April,
building their own wood and canvas
canoe, carving their paddles and
pounding brown ash to weave into
pack baskets. When all the projects
are completed in the beginning of
May they will take to a new trail, the
river. They will travel the 300 miles
southward to return to Marlow,
bringing their journey full circle.
On the program the students learn a
multitude of skills, from bush living
to how to live in a successful community to the many crafts and projects they undertake in the process.
The group follows the Catamount
Trail for almost the entire ski portion of the trip.
Through living this life the students gain a deeper connection with
the land that they are a part of. “It’s
a beautiful thing to be able to travel
so far and never feel like you’re away
from home” says Ethan Tapper, who
is taking a semester off from his
sophomore year at the University of
Vermont to participate in the semester program. Students identify trees,
6
The 2009 Kroka Team in the tent they built for their journey.
study the skies for signs of weather,
build lean-to shelters and track the
animals that live in the forests they
ski through. They hold their lives in
backpacks; each student carries their
personal belongings as well as group
gear like axes, saws, pots and pans,
and the wall tent that the group
sleeps in every night. One member
of the group pulls the small titanium
woodstove on which they cook all
their meals in a sled.
Most recently the students went
on solos, skiing alone, finding and
making camp, and spending the
night by themselves in the woods.
They use the skills they have accumulated over the past two months
and find that they are very capable
of living a happy comfortable life
dependant only upon their knowledge and the resources that the forest
has to offer. The solos are a culmination of the learning that has gone on
for the past two months of winter
trail. “The wilderness life is a life of
joy,” comments Miron Golfman, the
16-year-old son of Misha Golfman,
Kroka Expeditions’ founder. The
• Spring 2009 •
students come to understand the
land that they live in, and through
this learn how to live in it with
respect and indeed, lots of joy.
The semester program accepts
students from around the country
and the world, and no matter where
you’re from it is an amazing experience. “Skiing the length of Vermont
has been really meaningful because
I had the chance to see the state
from a whole new perspective after
living here my whole life,” South
Royalton native Lauren Farnsworth
agrees. She is coming to Kroka in
her gap year between high school
and college. Jacob Tucker, in his
sophomore year of high school in
Spring City, Pennsylvania concludes,
“the Vermont Semester Program is a
life changing experience and I wish
everyone could have the chance to
do something like it.”
The group has one more fiveday leg of skiing before they reach
East Charleston, and none to soon;
spring is just around the corner and
the snow is getting thin! ³
A Night in the Bryant Cabin
JIM FREDERICKS
By Liz Hollenbach
A
night in the Bryant Cabin begins
with packing and preparation.
What skis to bring or maybe what
snowshoes? How many clothes? What
sleeping bag? Don’t forget the lantern.
And the ever important what to make
for dinner?
Since the 1920s ski enthusiasts
have been taking advantage of this
great “ski cabin” as a starting place for
many amazing ski adventures on the
Catamount Trail. Located in a flat
clearing, which transitions between
pine forest and birch forest, the
Bryant Cabin is situated in an ideal
location with great skiing both above
and below.
It is only a short ski from the
Bolton Nordic Center up the Bryant
Trail to Bryant Cabin, but it feels
like stepping back in time. Located
on the Catamount Trail, the Bryant
Cabin is the oldest building on the
Bolton Valley property. Bryant Cabin,
the upper cabin, is all that remains
of a trio of Cabin’s built by Edward
Bryant in the 1920s. Originally there
were lower, middle and upper cabins.
Edward Bryant, a native New Yorker,
was one of Bolton’s earliest ski pioneers. His Bolton Mountain Club
used to ski in from the bottom of the
mountain and earn their turns on the
way back down.
Arriving at the cabin in the afternoon there is plenty of time to get a
quick ski in on Birch Loop or try the
steep chutes of JJs, Big Blue or A1A.
After a sunset ski it is time to get setup
for the night, make a fire in the woodstove and start dinner. A warm sleeping bag and good insulated sleeping
pad make a night in the cabin restful
and warm.
Waking up to a couple inches of
fresh powder is a great way to start a
Kroka Expeditions arriving at Bolton Valley’s Bryant Cabin.
ski day. The day begins with stoking
the fire, making breakfast and checking out the maps. From Bryant Cabin
there are many great places to ski
both on the Bolton Nordic trails, the
Catamount Trail to Trapps and backcountry glades in several directions.
Bolton Nordic Center cares for and
maintains Bryant Cabin. Skiers are
welcome to use the Cabin during the
day and Bolton also rents the cabin for
overnight guests. Call Bolton Nordic
Center to make a reservation or check
out the cabin as you ski by. ³
Bryant Cabin by the Numbers
1920s
Date Bryant Cabin was built
2690’
Elevation at Cabin
1.5 km
Distance from Bolton Nordic Center to Bryant Cabin
8 miles
Distance from Bryant Cabin to Trapp Family Lodge
120
People who spent the night at Bryant Cabin in winter 08/09
0
Number of indoor bathrooms.
Resources: A History of Bolton, Gardner Lane
• Spring 2009 •
7
Seventy Miles on the Cat
8
lel with its mate, and I averted falling
into the drink. Sometimes, not thinking works best in the backcountry.
On day six, skiing seven miles
downhill on the north side of Camel’s
Hump and Honey Hollow Road, fresh
powder hugging our knees, Michael
proclaimed this the best downhill skiing ever. Surrounded by nothing but
trees and soft drifts of snow – no cars,
no lift lines, no people, no money
exchanged – it was all virtually “free”
– at least if you don’t count the effort
getting up there.
The Cat is not a walk in the park,
even for decent cross-country skiers like us. A rough calculation suggests we climbed about 10,000 feet,
or the equivalent of summiting Mt.
Washington from Pinkham Notch
two and a half times in one week. We
were often at the rear of the pack,
photographing all the beauty, which
is how we got to know Dean Bloch,
often playing “sweep.” Our ages
ranged from thirty-five to seventytwo, fit and happy to be outdoors,
JIM FREDERICKS
ending at Trapp Family Lodge in
Stowe. After losing a full foot of snow
during a rainy week in late January,
we were excited to see six inches of
new powder at the Widow’s Clearing
Parking Lot off Route 125 in Ripton.
“Hmmm….what’s this widow’s thing
about?” I wondered.
First impression of our two dozen
compatriots: these back country types
sure like their gear – Ibex, Isis, Black
Diamond and Patagonia prevailed
and gore-tex gaiters covered every
calf. The women were clearly more
colorful than the men. Deb Page
from Williston looked menacing in
her black neoprene face mask (we
quickly dubbed her “Bank Robber
Deb”) but she turned out to be one of
my favorites. Most of the skiers were
from Vermont and most had done
Catamount sections before.
We got our feet wet together over
two days of relatively easy terrain,
skiing the power lines in Goshen to
Breadloaf and beyond in Middlebury.
By day three, we began some serious
climbing that would ultimately have
us scale Lincoln Gap, traverse the
flanks of Mt. Abraham and Camel’s
Hump, and thrill to fresh, foot-deep
powder in the back-country of Bolton
Mountain.
We were challenged each day
– especially snowplowing down, or
herring-boning up, over sheer ice for
so many hours on day four around
Sugarbush, that I thought my ankles
would break. I finally figured out I
wasn’t morally inferior if I just took
my skis off now and then! Sometimes
every muscle was stretched to maximum elasticity, carving turns around
trees. And it took serious mental focus
to spot a line down a hill or to turn
sharply across a narrow bridge over a
deep water crossing.
You sweat a lot, or at least I do.
At lunch stops, I shed my jacket and
draped it over my poles – with temps
in the mid-20’s it dried in ten minutes; but with temps in the teens, it
was stiff as a board when I put it back
on, causing laughter from compatriots
who are blessed with different genes.
We re-learned our preference for wool
(an unabashed plug here for Ibex of
Woodstock) because it dries so fast,
keeps you warm even when wet, and
still smells good after eight days of
wear.
Our fourth day was longest with
thirteen miles and eight hours of solid
trail packing. I now understand how
important all those early ski lessons
were when I was a kid. Descending a
steep, narrow glade on the backside
of Mt. Abraham, sliding precipitously
toward a rushing brook, my left ski
caught in thick heavy snow, dragged
behind, and for an instant, seemed to
stay there. By some rising childhood
instinct, my weight shifted, the ski
rose from the snow, realigned in paral-
Skiing the perfectly groomed trails to the unbroken powder of Bolton Valley.
• Spring 2009 •
Dagny St. John and Jan Rozendaal
our older inspirations. Each day-leader
offered a different style to witness and
Jill Aspinall was the perfect overall
coordinator – warm, welcoming and
informative. We made new friends
for future ski adventures, but these
were serious skiers and there was little
standing around and socializing. At
the celebration pizza party at Bolton,
we hardly recognized anyone without
their hats and Gore-tex gear.
All in all, we fared pretty well
– Sharon left her ski boots with our
Middlebury hosts and we had to rush
back to get them and catch up with
the group; Kevin broke his ski, three
miles into a steep glade – no computer
chip informing anyone – but a couple
of stick splints duct-taped to the ski
got him out. We bound blisters all
week and discovered the virtues of
“Vitamin I” (ibuprophen). A beautiful cardinal greeted us on Valentine’s
Day, we got up close to two pileated
woodpeckers, Rick and Jody found a
perfect otter slide and we all saw many
moose tracks and bear scratchings on
trees. We got to eat as much chocolate
as we wanted.
We were too focused on putting
one ski in front of another all week
to think about what this week really
meant. After fixing dinner each night
we were too tired for much but sleep.
But out there in the wilderness, in the
height of winter, the air was clear, the
sun browned our faces and there was
magic under our skis. Out there, there
was no war and no economic meltdown. As Sharon emailed me after
the trip, we were both already missing
“that wonderful week of just getting
out of bed, doing the car shuttle and
skiing with those kind people in that
white fluffy snow.”
Twenty-three more sections await
us, which should give us plenty to do
in winters to come. Losing that ten
pounds didn’t hurt either. ³
Catamount Trail Annual Trail Fund
I
f you have had the chance to get out on the Catamount Trail this winter, chances are you have seen many improvements that range from
miles of reroutes off of VAST corridors to the construction of many new
bridges, making those stream crossings more enjoyable. You might have
even noticed the new Catamount Trail “mapboards” situated at many of
the Nordic Ski Centers along the Trail. What you don’t see is the time
and effort that goes into accomplishing these tasks along with the endless hours of negotiations with private landowners, municipalities, VT
State Forest, and the GMNF. Without these efforts, the Catamount Trail
Association (CTA) would risk losing sections of trail and disrupting one
of Vermont’s winter treasures.
The CTA is a small organization with some major horsepower. With
2 ½ full-time staff members, the CTA accomplishes more than most nonprofits twice its size. There is no shortage of enthusiasm in this office
and this goes for our hundreds of volunteers as well. 2009 has been an
exceptional winter. Participation in Catamount Trail tours and events
is up over 300% from previous years by the end of this summer. We are
attracting many younger skiers to the Trail while continuing the growth
of middle age skier participation.
The trail is becoming a recreation source for thousands of Vermonters
and many people from out of state. People of all ages are finding a new
appreciation of what the Catamount Trail offers. Physical activity and a
sense of adventure are usually the first qualities that attract people to the
trail. Once they are out gliding through unbroken snow on a crisp winter
day, they gain even greater respect for the beauty of this winter landscape
and realize how important it is to protect this precious jewel of Vermont.
Even though you may never have skied the Catamount Trail, we hope
you will appreciate its value to Vermonters and our neighboring states. In
hard economic times like these, it is even more important to give to a cause
that will benefit generations to come. Without the foresight of past conservation leaders, we wouldn’t have the valued National and State Parks we
enjoy in the U.S. today. We hope you can share in our mission to conserve
the last 90 miles of trail and continue to improve the trail for all to enjoy.
AMY DILLER, Trail Management and Protection Director
JIM FREDERICKS, Executive Director
• Spring 2009 •
9
Thank You For Your Gifts
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
UP TO $99
Bonnie Acker & John Davis
Jim & Jennifer Adkisson
Pam & Louis Ahlen
Robert Anderson
Sally Andrews
Donna Arbas
Ken Austin
Jonathan Avery
Barbara J. Baker
Jane & Murray Banks
Mike & Theresa Barry
Al Bartsch
Robert Bast
Dick & Alice Baxter
Kim & Bob Sexton
Iris Berezin
Faith Bieler
Jonathan Bigelow & Tove Stigum
Gail & Steve Blumsack
Robert Bolus
Michael Bosworth
Dave Brautigam
Berne Broudy & Michael Donohue
Jacob Brown & Elizabeth O’Brien
Mary & Gerald Brown
Ann Powers Brush
Jill Bubier
Wilbur & Barbara Bull
Sara Burchard
Marilyn & Bruce Bulter
Steven Bushey & Angelia Faith
Michael Caminiti
David B. Caplan
Sarah F. Carter
Minna Case
John and Deborah Cave
Mary Chamberlin
John Cobb
Katherine L. Coppock
David Corbishley
David Corbishley
Brian & Rebecca Cordeiro
Anne Corley
Peter Cottrell Patricia Cottrell
Marcy & Laird Covey
Roger Crouse
Tim Crowell
Judy Daloz
Sharon & Doug Dennett
John Dinklage
Terri Donovan & Peter Jones
DUBAYB IRA
Timm & Jo Ann DuMoulin
Philip & Elizabeth Edgerton
Beth Eliason
Hap Eliason
Madeleine Fay
Barry & Susan Feinberg
Jeff Fellinger
Steve & Sylvie Finer
Sylvia Fjeld
Dr. Robert Paul Forte
Mary Gade
Sarah Gant
Leslie Gauff & Bruce Bell
Sandi Geller
Kurt & Patricia Giavara
Michael Gigante
10
Sue & Don Gilbert
Dr. Arthur E. Gillman
Jane Carol Glendinning
Richard & Elaine Goldsmith
William & Linda Goldstein
Nat & Caren Goodhue
Bob Gray
Erna Greene
Lelia Greenewalt
Lucy Guillet & Fred Boyden
Haley & Aldrich, Inc.
George & Charlotte Hall
Kara & Matt Hankes
Constance Haupt
Chris Hawk
Dr. Paul & Lori Hayes
Deborah Healey
Craig Heindel
Nancie Heinemann
Calef & Gloria Heininger
Dorothy Helling
Clem and Sylvia Holden
Peter & Katherine Howe
Jacquelyn W. Hunt
Julie Iffland
Paul P. Ives
Anne Johnson-Cummings
Paula Jones & Kevin Gough
Robert Jordan
Aaron Kerins & Stacey Doucette
Mark Keydel
Russell Kinaman
Sylvia Kinney
Deb Kirchwey & Suzy Fortier
Marvin Klikunas
John C. Koier
Aleksey Kovalyov
David & Debby Kvam
John Lane
Rich and Sheri Larsen
Susan Latchem
Guy & Nadia Leadbetter, Jr.
David LeRoy
Howard LeVaux
Christine Lojko
Jason Longo
Tom & Julie Longstreth
Paul Loughlin
Annette Lovelace Kennedy
Scott & Jane Luria
Mary Lyons
Denny Lyster
Perky & Don Maddocks
Ray & Pat Mainer
Jake & Sue Martin
Ed Matson
Thomas Mattson
Kate McEachern
Patricia McGivern
Gregor McGregor
Douglas McKain
Deri Meier
Robert and Louise Messner
Laura & Stuart Meyer
Jennifer Miller
Steven Minkwitz
R. John & Dorothy Mitchell
Karen & Peter Monsen
Malcolm Moore
our Trail Protection Program.
We are extremely grateful for the following gifts received at the CTA
between Jan 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008. If we missed anyone in
this list, we sincerely apologize.
Diane Muhr & Frank Gibney
James & Maija Murray
Sam Nelson
Britt Nielsen
Hubie & Sherry Norton
Andrew & Reidun Nuquist
Bob Nuzzo & Ann Gillespie
Mary O’Leary
Peter Oliver
Amy Otten
David Palmer
Randy Pebbles
Joseph Perella & Aimee Motta
Nicole Pfister
Jack and Joyce Phillips
Paul Pilcher
Walter Pomroy
Merle Pomroy
Bill Pope
David & Gail Poulin
Robert F. Provencher
Margaret Ramsdell
Andrew Raubvogel
Daniel & Elizabeth Reardon
Eleanor Reddington
Robert & Mary Roger Reiber
Ernie & Bette Reuter
J. Chadwick Reynolds
Mary & George Richards
Cammy Richelli & Emanuel Betz
Michael & Suzannah Roche
Muriel Roeth
Robert & Denise Romeo
Lewis & Claudia Rose
Wendy Rosenblum
Judy Rosovsky
Armand Roy
Elisabeth W. Russell
Wendy & David Savoie
Paul G. Schaberg
Christina Scharf & Jamie Dolan
Jeff and Beth Schoellkopf
Jeremy Schrauf
Margaret Schroll
Michael Scollins
David & Sue Scott
Huntington Sheldon
Eugene Shlatz
Katherine Sims
Robert & Judith Sinsheimer
Diane Sinski
D.K. Smith
Jas Smith
Willie and David Smith
David Spitz
Dagny St. John
Daniel Streeter
James Sullivan
Sam Swanson & Joyce Gallimore
Peter Swift
David Taplin
John E. Taylor
Beth and Bernie Tolmie
Robert Tortolani
Randall Travis
Inge & Heinz Trebitz
George & Jodi Turner
Eric Wales
Nell Walker
• Spring 2009 •
David Webb
David Weinstein
John Wesley
David Westcott & Gail Weed
Laurie Renzo White
Valerie Wilkins & Dean Bloch
Susan Wisehart
Frank Wootten
Dan & Mary Wyand
Peter & Rosemary Zamore
$100 TO $499
Hans Ahlgren
Gar Anderson & Moira Durnin
Anderson
Bill and Nancy Anderson
Paul & Katherine Arthaud
Jill Aspinall & Rick Molz
Ken Austin
Eric Bakeman
Sam & Marie Bartlett
Lynda & Jeff Baydin
Jody and Rick Biddle
Alan Binnick
Eric Bishop & Barbara Frankowski
Don & Sally Brunjes
Lenore & Ralph Budd
Priscilla Carr & Jay Stewart
David Chipman & Helen Folweiler
Alice Chornesky
Charles F. Christ
David & Carol Conard
Anne Cramer
Judy Davis
Paul Demers
Linda DeNering
JoAnne Diller
Amy Diller
John Riley of Fifth Element
Associates, Inc.
Lynn Fisher
Mitchell R. Fleischer
Jim & Liz Foster
Ronald Gingerich
Ronald P. Goldberg
P. Alex Graham
Laurie & Greg Hammond of
Turtle Fur
Peter & Louise Harris
Gail & Edgar Holmes
Trina Hosmer
Philip & Barbara Howard
Phil & Audrey Huffman
Christine Hume
Bill & Keefer Irwin
Robert Kancir
Priscilla Kimberly & Jerry Lasky
Ted & Jessica Klick
Ragnar M. Knutsen
Bill & Kate Koch
Mark Langan
Gertrude Lepine
Steve Lloyd & Cecil Maxfield
Debra & James Lyneis
Jeff & Kim Markuns
Tim & Betsy McKay
McKee, Giuliani & Cleveland
Sherman & Sylvia Medalie
Barbara Meyer
Karen & Peter Monsen
Mary Muse
Robert & Dorsey Naylor
Perkins Charitable Foundation
John Peterson
William Pinchbeck
Pitney Bowes
Global Impact
Pizzagalli Foundation
Connie Gunther
Andrew & Jilda Pomerantz
Daniel Raleigh
Jay Reichman
John & Ellen Riley
Janine Roberts
Suzannah Schroeder
Sally Sharp
Sandra Shenk
Marc Sherman
Mark Smith
Nancy & Tom Steffen
Peter Swift
Prudie Taylor
Ann & Ron Houser of The
Mountain Goat North
Thread Rolling Inc.
Scott Livingston
Lee & Diana Todd
Ernie & Hazel Tracy
Sharonlee & Jonathan Trefry
Carol Tremble
Neil & Barbara Ulman
United Way of Chittenden County
Andrea Houlihan
Ted Vogt
Wolfgang Weise
Kathleen Olwell
Ann S. Wittpenn
David & Karen Wright
Arnold & Ronna Ziegel
$500 PLUS
Paul & Katherine Arthaud
Thomas Blumenthal
Jim and Mary Lou Briggs
Concept II, Inc.
Richard Dreissigacker & Judy Geer
Elizabeth Ehrenfeld
Jim Fredericks & Joann Hanowski
William & Linda Goldstein
Donald Groll
Andrew Harper
Peter R Kellogg
Paul Kendall & Sharon Rives
Keybank
Phil & Barbara Kivlin
Kroka Expeditions
William C. Michels
Northfield Savings Bank
Patrick Robins & Lisa Schamberg
Thomas Rosato
Jan & Mary Jane Rozendaal
Robert Starbuck
James Stearns & Kim Hopper
Elizabeth Steele
Jim & Lyn Taylor
Robert & Marilyn Wilson
JIM FREDERICKS
And they’re off….Racers leave the starting line during the 2009 Backcountry Challenge from Trapp to Bolton.
Catamount BC Challenge – A Racer’s Perspective
By JoAnn Hanowski
I
estimate that I have competed in
close to 1000 sporting events over
the past 30+ years, including road and
trail running, road and mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking, triathlons,
and cross country skiing. Although I
have completed several “wilderness”
canoe marathons and triathlons, I
have never done a back-country ski
race. So, in the spirit of adding a new
race to my winter schedule, I decided
to do the 2nd Annual Catamount
Backcountry Challenge from Trapp’s
to Bolton on the Catamount Trail.
This 9.5 mile race starts on the
groomed trails at Trapp Family
Nordic Center, traverses the ungroomed surface of the Catamount
Trail, before ending on the groomed
trails at Bolton. The big challenge
is the 2300 foot climb to the top of
Bolton Mountain followed by a twisty
downhill descent on the narrow trail
to Bolton Nordic Center.
In my previous “wilderness” races, I
have found that the biggest challenge
is dealing with what Mother Nature
decides to throw in your way. In addition, because you are totally out there
on your own, there is a greater need
to have your equipment hold up to
the elements. I remember competing
in many mountain bike and trail races
where the surface became so wet that
it was impossible to bike or to run on
it. In another mountain bike event the
puddles were deep enough to totally
submerse a bike, and I have not so
fond memories of swimming in a cold
Hi Jim and Joanne,
I have been meaning
to write and thank yo
u both for the wonderful event that you put
on last Sunday. What
a spectacular day. I wa
absolutely ecstatic wit
s
h the beauty of the rou
te. I cannot wait the
get my daughter on tha
t section of the trail alo
ng with some of her
friends. I really want to
find more time to get
out and do some mo
backcountry skiing! Th
re
anks again for making
it such a wonderful
event. It should grow
and grow. I think it is
really smart having a
tion for people who jus
sect want to tour. I will ad
mit that some times I
just wanted to stop an
d take in the views.
Warm regards,
Carrie Nourjian
Commodores Inn, PO
Box 970, Stowe, Verm
ont 05672
802-253-7131 • 800-4
4-STOWE (78693)
www.commodoresinn
.com
• Spring 2009 •
11
Overuse Injuries in Cross-country Skiing
by George
Terwilliger, M.D.
Below are a few which are more common to cross-country skiers in general.
R
Patellofemoral Syndrome
(also called chondromalacia
or runner’s knee)
This most common of all running injuries can be a problem for skiers too. It is
an overuse syndrome that involves various degrees of degeneration of the cartilage of the patella (knee cap) or the
knee joint surface of the femur. There
are numerous anatomical factors which
can predispose to this injury. These
include (a) faulty tracking of the patella
on the knee due to asymmetric development of the quadriceps muscles, and
(b) increased angle between the femur
and the lower leg, more commonly
seen in women. Often, patellofemoral
syndrome will be precipitated by skiing, running, or cycling too far, too
soon, too fast.
The symptoms of patellofemoral
syndrome are:
1. Gradually progressive aching or grating pain under the knee cap.
2. Stiffness
3. Giving-way sensation
4. Grinding, popping, or clicking
sound on knee flexion
5. Crunchy sensation felt when holding
fingers on the patella through knee
range of motion
6. Provocative factors
i. Going up or down stairs, or
down hills
ii. Running
iii. Squatting
eview of
the medical
research on crosscountry skiing
related overuse
injuries reveals a
“Catch-22”:
1. 60% of overuse injuries in competitive cross-country skiers are caused
by preseason fitness training.
2. Experts advise that cross-country
skiers engage in preseason fitness
training to prevent injuries.
This paradox bedevils elite athletes
of all sports and raises high-level competition to an art form with endless
debate concerning optimal training
regimens. For a recreational skier it is
fairly easy to resolve the conflict.
In spite of the potential for overuse
injuries, cross-country skiing is one
of the safest and most efficient fitness enhancing sports in the world.
However, for a recreational skier
contemplating embarking on a long
excursion on the Catamount Trail, a
weekend at a touring center, or skiing
a marathon the very real potential for
sustaining an overuse injury can be
minimized by sensibly training ahead of
time, learning about common injuries,
and knowing how to prevent them.
There are many overuse injuries
which can afflict cross-country skiers.
12
• Spring 2009 •
iv. Prolonged sitting with knee
bent (Theater sign)
If there is locking or catching, a
meniscal cartilage tear should be considered instead.
Management of patellofemoral syndrome:
1. Relative rest
i. Avoid squats and lunges
ii. Reduce mileage to painless distance
iii. Cross-train with biking, swimming, or elliptical trainer
2. Pain relief
i. Tylenol or ibuprofen–
sparingly
ii. Ice Therapy
3. Patellofemoral knee exercise instruction with a physical therapist
4. Footwear modifications
i. Replace when excessively worn
ii. Consider custom Orthotics
5. Avoid provocative factors
i. Limit weight on a flexed knee
ii. Reduce mileage and pace
iii. Avoid uphill and downhill
running
Exercise Induced
Bronchospasm (EIB)
This is a condition which, while not
an injury in the usual sense, seems to
be the result of repetitive exposure to
cold air while vigorously exercising.
EIB is the constriction of the small
airways (bronchi) in lungs making
breathing difficult during exertion.
Sufferers often will have a hacking
New CTA Stickers are Here!
B
y now, many of you have seen
our great new CTA sticker.
Thanks go to Jeff Nicholson and his
team at Freely Creative / Websticker.
com in Stowe, VT for designing and
printing the stickers. We’ll be happy
to send you one with your next
donation or purchase from the CTA
store, or you can pick one up at one
of our events.
During the design process, we
learned that in addition to having
a knack for creating eye-catching
stickers, Jeff is a talented musician.
You can listen to and purchase
his new CD, Another Season at
www.jeffnich.com. The website also
features a calendar listing of Jeff ’s
upcoming performances.
Vermont’s Independent Newspaper Seven Days had this to say
about the album:
“Another Season is crisply produced, passionately performed and
rife with imagery from our little
corner of the world….. The album’s
pace is fittingly down-tempo; much of
Help us promote the CTA with our new sticker!
the subject matter pays tribute to the
often leisurely way of life in Vermont.
The allure of trading in the breakneck
speeds of city dwelling for more rural
surroundings is the focus of “Moved
to the Mountains.” Over prominent
piano and layered harmonies Nich
sings, “Moved to the mountains to
slow down / Moved to the mountains
to get a better look around / Seasons
sing and spin, oh, what a ride / A
finer place to stand and stare must be
hard to find.”
We hope the past ski season led
you to some great places to stand
and stare at our beautiful Vermont
landscape, and that you continue to
find them as the snow melts. ³
Catamount Tales
to the Catamount Trail Association
is publicity. We hope that you all
enjoy our weekly E-bulletins. This
is the easiest and most effective way
to reach our constituency and keep
them informed of CTA happenings
and other pertinent news. The CTA
website is experiencing a large volume
of visits with approximately 4,000
per month. Some of these visits are a
direct response to the many newspaper and magazine articles featuring the
Catamount Trail or events sponsored
by our organization. So far this winter,
we have had articles in Cross-Country
Skier Magazine, Ski Trax Magazine,
the National Geographic Traveler
Magazine, and the Blue Cross Blue
Shield of VT newsletter. Featured
articles also appeared in the New
York Times (1 ½ pages), Burlington
Free Press, Rutland Herald, Times
Argus, Vermont Sports, VT Ski &
Ride Magazine, Valley News, Stowe
Reporter, and many other local newspapers. WCAX TV also covered the
BC Challenge Race.
Now that the winter season is
behind us, it is time for me to start
promoting the Race To The Top Of
• Spring 2009 •
Vermont. We look forward to making this event one of the CTA’s most
aggressive fundraisers. Along with
organizing this major event, I will
have my head deep in budgets, PR,
and outreach while Amy will be busy
with grant writing, contacting all the
landowners for future permissions and
potential easements, and organizing
trail projects for the summer. Diana
will continue to tend to the office
logistics and making sure that we serve
our members the best we can. ³
13
Catamount BC Challenge – A Racers Perspective
14
JIM FREDERICKS
lake after capsizing in five foot waves
during a wilderness canoe marathon.
I was smiling the week before the
race when Mother Nature dumped
from two to three feet of powder
snow on the mountains. I love backcountry skiing in deep powder and
pretty much limit my backcountry
outings to those nice powder days.
However, with mid-week temperatures reaching the 50’s and rain showers on the Friday before the event,
I knew that the nice powder snow
would now be hard-packed and icy. I
was heartened by reports of some light
powder at the higher elevations and
figured that my Rossignol Evo light
touring skis with kicker skins applied
about half way up the climb would be
the way to go.
I packed my kicker skins, water
and scraper in my fanny pack and
started the back country adventure
with about 25 other hardy skiers. The
first half of the race went smoothly.
I was feeling good, my skis were getting adequate grip on the hard packed
Chris Rodgers 3rd, Marc Gilberston 2nd, Eric Tremble 1st
snow and I was catching a few of the
men on the climb. My strategy was to
put my kicker skins on when I reached
the second stream crossing, as this is
where the trail becomes steeper and
narrower, making it pretty darned
hard to herring bone. I pushed my
• Spring 2009 •
pole tip into my binding release button and tried to get my foot out. It
was stuck and my struggles to twist
my foot and push with my hand
were not successful at releasing the
frozen binding. I quickly dismissed
the thought of putting one skin on
the other ski, put my head down and
clawed my way up the hill.
Unfortunately, my only other time
on this part of the Catamount Trail
was a few years back and we were skiing it the easy way (Bolton to Trapps),
so I had no idea of how far I had to go
to get to the top. I jokingly asked Sam
von Trapp who was in the touring
group and had started an hour before
us “how much further to the top” and
as expected, got the obligatory answer
“your almost there”, knowing of course
that it was still a good ways to the
summit. When I got to the overlook,
I mistakenly figured that was the top,
but wrong again–it was still a ways
up and this is the narrowest part of
the trail. I struggled to get my herringbone narrow enough to prevent
the tips from getting caught in the
crusty snow and had switched from
race mode to survival mode. I was telling myself not to get frustrated by the
situation and to enjoy the view at the
top and the warm sun on my face.
After getting to the top, I figured
that I just had to survive the downhill,
which was getting tricky due to the
strong sun which made the snow soft
in the openings and hard in the shade.
It was not pretty, but I made it to the
groomed trail at Bryant Cabin, greatly
enjoyed the 1.4 km downhill run to
the finish, and managed to win the
women’s division by a few minutes.
All races end with participants
exchanging their “story” of the event,
and I have found that wilderness
event stories are usually the best due
to the unknown elements of the race.
Experience paid off for the men’s winner Eric Tremble as he said that he
had the right combination of skis and
kicker skins. After trailing the leader
Marc Gilbertson early in the race,
he passed the struggling non-kicker
skinned Gilbertson and went on for
the victory. Tremble, the returning
champion struggled without skins
in the previous year’s race and got
it right this year to claim his second
straight victory.
I finally got my ski out of my binding by taking my boot off with my ski
attached and then twisting it in a way
that my foot would not have bent. I
guess that I will have to replace that
binding if I chose to do the race next
year. Putting this event into perspective
against my previous race “meltdown”
experiences, I decided that it would
probably be in the top ten. Number
one is still the mountain bike race
that I completed after I broke my arm
early in the race and the second was
the day that I rode about 10 miles of a
mountain bike race without a saddle.
Hmmm, maybe that explains why I
don’t mountain bike race any more. ³
THANK YOU BUSINESS SUPPORTERS
Please suppport these businesses with your patronage
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
Bowl N. E., Inc./Yankee Lanes
Caplin’s Army Store
Casablanca Motel
Catamount Outdoor Family Center, Inc.
Churchill House Inn
Clearwater Sports
Climb High
Concept II, Inc.
Couture’s B&B
Craftsbury Outdoor Center
Earl’s Cyclery and Fitness
Eastern Mountain Sports
Echo Lake Inn
Edson Hill Manor
English Rose Inn
Farm Resort
Fiddler’s Green Inn
Fleischer Jacobs & Associates
Fox Creek Inn
Freely Creative
Grafton Ponds Nordic Ski & Mtn. Bike
Green Mountain Inn
Hawk Inn & Mountain Resort
Hazen’s Notch Association
Highland Lodge and XC Center
Hildene Ski Touring Center
Inglenook Lodge
Inn At the Long Trail
Inn at the Round Barn Farm
Inn at Weston
Jay Peak Ski Touring Center
Jay Village Inn
Kingdom Trail Association
Kroka Expeditions
Landgrove Inn
Littlefield Farm
Mad River Glen Ski Area/MRG Cooperative
Manchester Highlands Inn
Map Adventures, LLC
McGregor & Associates
Mike Skinner, Consulting, LLC
Millstone Hill
Morse Farm Ski Touring Ctr & Maple Sugarworks
• Spring 2009 •
Mountain Top Inn & Ski Touring Center
Mountain Top Nordic Ski & Snowshoe Ctr.
Mountain Travelers
Mountain Meadow XC Ski Area
North Star Sports
Okemo Mountain Resort
Ole’s Cross Country Center
On The Loose Expeditions
Onion River Sports
Outdoor Gear Exchange
Red Clover Inn
Rikert Ski Touring Center
Ski Inn
Ski Rack
Ski Trax Magazine
Sleepy Hollow Inn and Ski & Bike Center
Smugglers’ Notch Nordic Center
Sojourn Active Vacations
Stowe Area Association
Stowe Mt. Resort, MT Mansfield XC Ctr.
Stowehoff Inn
Stratton Mountain Nordic Ctr
Sugarbush Resort
The Gables Inn
The Golden Eagle Resort
The Hermitage A Country Inn
The Inn on Trout River
The Montgomery House
The Old Hotel B&B
The Red Fox Inn
The Red Shutter Inn
The Shoe Horn at Onion River
The Underhill Country Store
The Vermont Inn
The White House Inn
Timber Creek X-C Ski Area
Topnotch Cross-Country Ski Center
Topnotch Resort & Spa
Trapp Family Lodge X-C Center
Tucker Hill Lodge
Umiak Outdoor Outfitters
VASA, Inc
VAST
Vermont Dept. of Tourism and Marketing
Viking Nordic Center
VT Recreation and Parks Association
West Hill Energy & Computing
West Hill House
Windekind Farm B&B
Woodstock Nordic Center
Yurt Rental at Maple Wind Farm
15
CTA Teams Up With Mobius Mentoring
for Race To The Top Of Vermont
M
ARTWORK BY JIM FREDERICKS
ark your calendar for the
Second Annual Race To
The Top Of Vermont on Sunday,
August 30th. The 4.3 mile run or
mountain bike up the famous
Mt. Mansfield Toll Road in
Stowe, Vermont is an event not
to be missed. After the success of
last year’s race, the CTA is in full
swing preparing for 800 competitors in this year’s event.
This year the CTA will team
up with Mobius in the hopes of
attracting more participants and
furthering the mission of both
our organizations.
Mobius, a 501©(3) non-profit
organization based in Burlington,
VT, is dedicated to growing a culture of mentoring in our communities and to finding caring adults
to mentor children. Mentors,
mentees, and all other race par-
Winners of the 2008 Race to the
Top of Vermont approaching the
finish. CTA is gearing up for the
2009 Race on August 30, 2009.
16
ticipants will have the option of
recruiting sponsors for their trek up
the mountain. All funds raised in the
“climbathon” will benefit Mobius.
The race will be a perfect opportunity for mentors to work with their
mentees in goal setting.
Now is the time to start setting your goals to the top of Mt
Mansfield. Whether you are walking,
running, or biking, this fun event
will attract everyone from the serious
competitor to the recreational athlete. The 4.3-mile course begins on
1/3 mile of pavement and then turns
to gravel. Please refer to the race-
• Spring 2009 •
course and profile view below.
Each participant will receive
a RTTOVT tech shirt and post
race meal, and will be eligible to
win merchandise in a large raffle
at the post race party. Prizes will
be awarded to the top three males
and females in each age group and
discipline. Race registration will
begin on April 1st. Please go to
www.catamounttrail.org for more
information. If you would like to
volunteer at this event, please contact Jim Fredericks. jfredericks@
catamounttrail.org ³
Overuse Injuries
cough after skiing hard in the cold. EIB
is pronounced in winter sports because
of the irritative effect of cold, dry air.
It is prevalent in several winter sports
affecting nearly one of every four winter Olympians. In fact, studies show
that 50% of Olympic cross-country
skiers have the condition. Obviously,
those with EIB can perform at a high
level but they need to know how to
manage the condition:
1. Warm up slowly in the cold.
2. Avoid exercise in very cold weather
and, if you must ski, use a face mask.
3. Don’t smoke and ensure that indoor
air is of high quality and smoke-free.
4. Avoid viral upper respiratory infections such as colds and influenza by
assiduously washing hands.
5. Consider using asthma inhalers
before skiing if your doctor believes
it is indicated.
6. If you have asthma, follow you doctor’s recommendations.
Exertional Compartment
Syndrome
While not as common as the above
conditions, exertional compartment
syndrome, a cause of leg or arm pain,
can be very serious if not identified and
treated early. Extremity muscles are
encased by compartments formed from
connective tissue. If the muscles swell
due to rapid muscle growth or injuryassociated inflammation, pressures in
the compartment increase. This rise in
pressure can constrict nerves and blood
vessels running through the compartment. Constriction of veins causes a
vicious cycle of increasing swelling and
pain resulting in more venous constriction. This occurs most commonly in
the lower legs and presents with exercise-induced pain and swelling relieved
• Spring 2009 •
with rest. There is a sensation of fullness over the involved compartment.
Pain begins predictably after exercise
for a fixed time interval or at a specific
intensity level. Pain is relieved with 20
minutes of rest and resumes on exercising again.
Blood clots, stress fractures, clogged
arteries or other serious disorders
can mimic this condition. Definitive
diagnosis is made by having a doctor
measure pressures within the involved
compartments. Severe cases can involve
a cold, pale, numb, or painful foot and
require immediate medical attention
and surgical treatment to prevent tissue
damage and permanent disability.
Conservative treatment, when
begun early, is often effective and
involves rest, activity alteration, rehabilitation exercises, and stretching.
Listen to Your Body
The bottom-line: be aware of signals
from your body. Pain can be your
friend. When you are having persistent discomfort pay attention. Do not
merely treat the symptoms with pain
pills and ice. Educate yourself about
sports medicine and take action to
prevent and treat problems. Seek help
from physicians or other qualified
practitioners when appropriate. Proper
preparation and attention to symptoms
will improve your enjoyment of the
outdoors. ³
JIM FREDERICKS
Sesamoiditis
The sesamoids are small bones (sesame
seed-shaped) associated with tendons
around some joints. These bones are
prone to overuse inflammation. This
condition is called sesamoiditis and
is common in the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint which is located
in the ball of the foot just behind the
great toe. Cross-country skiers using
classic technique are especially prone to
this. Treatment is focused on removing
pressure on the sesamoids and reducing
inflammation.
Sesamoiditis ranges from a mild,
occasional ache to a debilitating, intense
throbbing with swelling. One of the
major causes of sesamoiditis is suddenly
increased activity. Speed work, hill
work, or increased distance can cause
this. Also, a high arched foot will put
more pressure on the ball of the foot.
Treatment for sesamoiditis is almost
always conservative; surgery is rarely
necessary.
1. Be sure to have properly fitting footwear for training, walking, and, most
importantly, for skiing.
2. Consider buying new ski boots if
your old ones are worn and overly
flexible at the ball of the foot.
3. Consider using Combi boots (can
be used for both classic and skating
technique and have a relatively stiff
sole) when classic skiing.
4. Cross-train by ski skating. Skating
boots are much less likely to aggravate the condition due to their stiff
soles reducing flexion at the MTP
joint.
5. Get arch supports or custom orthotics to reduce pressure on the sesamoid bones by distributing pressure
more evenly on the foot.
6. Use ice treatments and anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen or naproxen to reduce pain.
7. Deep massage in the hands of a massage professional who understands
sports medicine.
8. Cut down on duration of skiing or
even stop skiing for a time.
JoAnn Hanowski and Liz Hollenbach enjoy the magic of
winter at Trapps.
17
5th Annual Deerfield Valley Marathon, Sunday March 1, 2009
by Sam Bartlett
CTA Trail Chief and Tour Leader Sam
Bartlett submitted this report following
the 5th annual skiing of the Deerfield
Valley Marathon, also known as “The
Dam Long Tour”. This 35-mile backcountry ski tour runs north to south
on the CT from near the headwaters
of the Deerfield River to the MA border, passing Somerset, Searsburg, and
Harriman Reservoirs (and their respective dams) along the way.
T
his year we tried to do the
Marathon without a shuttle
driver. This meant some folks had to
give up the ‘opportunity’ to ski the
whole dam (sic) thing. We had prespotted one vehicle at Route 9 (the
half-way point) the day before when
two of us pre-broke trail on Section
3 and part of Section 4. On Sunday
March 1, five of us left Kelly Stand/
Grout Pond at 6:15am, headed south.
We were expecting one other, Ferd,
who was a no show, and we couldn’t
wait.
The crunchy crust was a skills
challenge on the downhills, but not
a deterrent for straight-ahead skiing.
Trail breaking was pretty minimal; the
legendary Somerset Reservoir drifts
were firm and not too high. Along the
reservoir, we saw fresh ski tracks come
up from the lake, ski the trail a bit,
and then go back to the lake several
times. We couldn’t figure out whose
track it was. The group made it to
the first dam (sic) by about 9:30, having skied 7.8 of rolling backcountry
miles in about three hours. We were
way ahead of last year’s drift busting
epic, and feeling strong! The mystery
skier, on racing skis, had headed down
Section 3 ahead of us. We flew or
struggled, depending on ability, down
into the woods of Section 3. The
18
gulch, as always, was a challenge, more
so with a tree down in the middle.
Most found a good bushwhack off to
the east. The mystery skier had followed my track from the day before,
across a one-log ‘bridge’ and down the
gulch under the tree.
After negotiating the streambed
and its many stream crossings we hit
the gentle railroad bed down grade
and all flew, the waxers finally glad to
have some speed. At Searsburg Dam
(sic) the tricky descent led to some
crotch-deep post-holing down the
bank. The group made Route 9 at
12:30, and were met by a friend with
hot tea and food. We couldn’t leave
water overnight with the pre-spotted
car in March in VT, so the tea was
great. 15 miles down, 18 to go (the
new guidebook makes these four sections total 33.1 miles, I’m sure it used
to be 35).
At this point the mystery skier
revealed himself, as it said “Ferd
10:45” on the dust on my truck.
About an hour and a half ahead of
us! We still didn’t know where he had
started. Did he have a driver? By
plan, one skier passed up his chance
at glory and drove the vehicle around
to Harriman Dam (sic) and met us
there. The ‘new’ part of the trail,
from Route 9 to Medburyville South,
had the deepest drifts we had yet
encountered. The leg to the dam was
straightforward and quick, part snow
mobile trail, part unbroken ski trail,
except for those racing ski tracks.
Aside for nearly losing one skier who
took a wrong turn (“Downhill, looks
good to me!”) in a bonked haze, we
made the Dam (sic) with the sun
still up.
Our skier/shuttler put his skis back
on (actually someone else’s, detail) to
• Spring 2009 •
do the next three beautiful downgrade
miles, while two others forsook their
chances at glory and drove back up to
Kelly Stand to get the morning’s van.
Three skiers did those three miles in
35 minutes. Next was the Route 100
road-walk to Readsboro, where a car
stopped, with Ferd, hitching (I think)
back to his car at Kelly Stand. He had
gotten to Kelly Stand late, yet finished
3 hours ahead of us, and skied back
up to Readsboro! Somehow he had
bypassed us on the Reservoir, and
then just kept going. Quite a performance: backcountry solo over 35
miles in 9 hours on racing skis! Route
100 at mile 29 was enough for one of
us. He waited at the Readsboro Inn
for the drivers to return, while two
headed south in the gloom for the
road-walk/ski to the Mass line, the
whole dam (sic) thing. Some of the
best snow all trip was right there in
the last 1.5 miles of roadbed to the
state line and back. We met the shuttled cars by 6:30pm, twelve hours and
many calories after our start. Some of
these (fool) hardy folks have already
signed up for next year’s Deerfield
Valley Marathon, aka The Dam Long
Tour! ³
CTA is on Facebook,
Are You?
We created a Catamount Trail
Group on Facebook. Simply
type Catamount Trail into the
search bar at the top of your
Facebook profile page and
you should be able to find us.
Become a Fan of CTA today!
SAM BARTLETT
Trail Volunteers
These names were compiled from work day reports submitted by our Trail Chiefs. We know we don’t have everyone.
If we missed you in this list, or if you headed out to do some trail work independent of an organized CTA work day, be
assured we are equally grateful for your help.
Peter Abele
Lynn Achee
Joan Ambusk
Terri Armata
Aaron Ashton
Jill Aspinall
Sam Bartlett
Marie Bartlett
Lynda Baydin
Nathan Bell
Jim Berry
Alix Berry
Chad Bessette
Alan Binnick
Eric Bishop
Dean Bloch
Dave Blumenthal
Deric Bocutto
Grant Braddish
Tim Bradley
Lindsay Bradley
Jim Briggs
Mary Lou Briggs
John Brodhead
Beth Bullock
Paul Burgess
Dave Burns
Alex Carver
Sally Carver
Basil Charbonneau
Lenny Christopher
Peter Cottrell
Monique Couture
Deborah Deluca
Paul Demers
Liz Dickson
David Diller
JoAnne Diller
Debby Dorsett
Patty Eagleson
Jim Edgecomb
Owen Edgecomb
Edee Edwards
Kit Emery
Sarah Faulkner
Lynn Fisher
Mark Flinn
Liz Fuccillo
Robert Fuller
Tom Gardner
Marc Gilbertson
Cathy Glick
Barry Glick
Tom Good
Jim Goodine
Barry Goodman
Chris Goodwin
Cindy Gray
Joseph Grzyb
John Gulbrandson
Melissa Haberman
Craig Haden
JoAnn Hanowski
Linda Hanson
Andrew Harper
Bill Hegman
Paul Hemmerich
Fred Hiltz
Herm Hoffman
Clem Holden
Dave Hosmer
Trina Hosmer
Phil Howard
Audrey Huffman
Phil Huffman
Renee Igo
Dia Jenks
Peter Jeffers
Bob Jordan
Soctt Josselin
Anton Kelsey
Paul Kendall
Doug Kensicki
Cilla Kimberly
Shannon King
Shelby King
Jean Kissner
Randy Knaggs
Rick LaDue
Pete Lane
Rich Larsen
Sheri Larsen
Lew Lasher
Jerry Lasky
Stephen Leather
John Lepinski
Bob Lindemann
Ron Lucier
Shelley Lutz
Denny Lyster
Rob MacGregor
Chris Maclean
Jill Madden
Tim Marr
Geoff Matter
Kate McEachern
Andrew McIntosh
Laura McIntosh
Lucas Michel
Bill Michels
Ryan Mitchell
Rich Molz
Sam Nelson
Jeff Nugent
Jesse Osmun
Adrian Owens
Alison Parker
Samantha Parry
Tim Perez
Jim Peters
Nort Phillips
Fred Pond
Eben Punderson
Thayer Raines
Volunteers helped clear the Trail in Southern Vermont after January’s
ice storm. Fortunately the Trail didn’t suffer too much damage.
Jan Rancatti
James Robertson
Becka Roolf
Armand Roy
Jan Rozendaal
Josh Ryan
Ann Schaffner
Mark Schwabe
Dave Scott
Sigh Searles
Melanie Simon
Lauren Slater
Geoff Slater
Tony Smith
Dagny St. John
Mike Stafford
John Stearns
Emily Steers
Al Stiles
Bobby Sudekum
Marie Thibault
Margery Thurber
Hale Tomasson
Ernie Tracy
Hazel Tracy
Mary Twitchell
Kyle Tyler
Neil Ulman
Elisa Vandervort
Margo Wade
Alex Wagner
Simone Wersman
Charlie Yerrick
Arnie Ziegel
CTA was also assisted by
the following Colleges and
Universities:
Green Mountain College
Johnson State College
Marlboro College
Middlebury College
Sterling College
University of Vermont
SHERI LARSEN
Volunteer Opportunities
I
f you have some free time and would like to volunteer to assist CTA, we have a
wide variety of office tasks, events, and trail projects you may choose from.
Here are just a few examples of how you could help:
• Review and update landowner files
• Review and update easement files
• Assist with mailings
• Contribute a story to the Newsletter
• Proofread CTA publications
• Volunteer for the Race to the Top of Vermont (August 30, 2009) or another
CTA event
• Contribute photos, illustrations, video, or other artwork for our publications
• Update the CTA list of camp sites on or near the trail
• Be a shuttle driver for CTA tours
• Introduce a group of your friends to the trail
• Represent CTA at other events such as EMS Club Day, Banff Film Festival, or
the Lake Morey Winterfest
• Give a community presentation and share your Catamount Trail experience
• Spring 2009 •
Rich and Sheri Larsen finishing the End-to-End.
New End-to-Enders
in 2009!
Congratulations to the End-to-End
Class of 2009: Jill Aspinall, Phil
Kivlin, Rich Larsen, and Sheri Larsen!
Official end-to-enders are CTA
members who have submitted a journal documenting each ski day in their
end-to-end quest. When you have
completed the entire Trail, submit
a copy of your journal to the CTA
office. You will receive your end-toend certificate and pin and your name
will be inscribed in the record book.
19
HAVE YOU RENEWED YOUR MEMBERSHIP
FOR THE 2009-2010 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
State
Telephone (
(Membership Year June 1 – May 31)
Zip
Business . . . . . . . . . . . . $350*
Protector . . . . . . . . . . . . $250*
Benefactor . . . . . . . . . . . $100*
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 $________
ÊI am a new member.
I am willing to volunteer for events.
TOTAL ENCLOSED:
Payment:
VISA
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. _____
MasterCard
Signature:
CTA is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization.
$________
Check
Catamount Trail Association
1 Mill St.
Suite 350
Burlington, VT 05401
Non-Profit Rate
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit #421
Burlington, VT

Ladies Nordic Ski Expo is a Resounding Success

Transcription

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