Vermont Sports November-December 2018

BREAKING SAD (SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER) | CRAFTSBURY’S UBER ATHLETE | CYCLOCROSS SEASON

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NOV./DEC. 2018

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Holiday Gear +Gift Guide

THE VERMONT 30 THE BEST OUTDOOR GEAR MADE IN THIS STATE

6

START-UPS TO WATCH

VERMONT’S OUTDOOR ENTREPRENEURS SEND IT

THE NEW HUNTERS

(AND WHY WE NEED THEM)

Be covered in fresh powder again.

BE YOU AGAIN. THE RIGHT SPORTS MEDICINE PHYSICIAN CAN HELP. Our physicians provide comprehensive sports medicine care, no matter how complex the injury. Patients receive a course of treatment that’s ideally suited for them, built around the most advanced options available—whether operative, non-operative or a combination of both. So, if you live in the Burlington area, make an appointment with The University of Vermont Health Network's sports medicine specialists at UVM Medical Center.

To make an appointment, call (888) 974-9783.

UVMHealth.org/MedCenter/SportsMed

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The heart and science of medicine.

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VERMONT

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NEW ENGLAND’S OUTDOOR MAGAZINE ON THE COVER: Georgia Grace Edwards of SheFly takes on glaciers in style and comfort–and wants other women to be able to do the same.

Photo courtesy SheFly

PUBLISHER

Angelo Lynn - publisher@vtsports.com

EDITOR/CO-PUBLISHER

Lisa Lynn - editor@vtsports.com

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Abagael Giles abagael@vtsports.com

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Shawn Braley

MEDICAL ADVISORY BOARD

Dr. Nathan Endres, Dr. David Lisle, Dr. James Slauterbeck —University of Vermont Robert Larner College of Medicine; Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation; Jamie Sheahan, M.S., R.D.

CONTRIBUTORS

Brian Mohr, Phyl Newbeck, Leath Tonino

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Christy Lynn | (802) 388-4944 ads@vtsports.com

ASST. ADVERTISING MANAGER Liz Wallace | (802) 388-4944 ads@vtsports.com

Skida founder Corinne Prevot wearing her neckwear and hat—and Anon goggles, another Vermont brand. See her story on p.22. Photo courtesy Skida

ADVERTISING SALES Greg Meulemans | (802) 366-0689 greg@vtsports.com Dave Honeywell | (802) 583-4653 dave_golfhouse@madriver.com

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Vermont Sports is independently owned and operated by Addison Press Inc., 58 Maple Street, Middlebury, Vt. 05753. It is published 9 times per year. Established in 1990. Vermont Sports subscriptions in the U.S.: one year $25. Canada: (US funds), please add $5 per year postage.

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5 The Start

16 Feature

30

When deer season and holiday shopping collide.

The face of hunting in Vermont is

34 Endgame

'Tis the Season

6

The New Hunters and Why We Need Them changing. Here's why.

Great Outdoors

News Briefs

When companies do good; Vermont athletes rise to the top; Nationals come to Crafstbury, a new Derby date and more.

13 Health

Breaking SAD

Expert advice on how to beat the winter blues.

22

Feature

Just Sew Stories

A new wave of athlete entrepreneurs, stitching together gear for the outdoors— in Vermont.

28

Calendar

Race & Event Guide 7 Mountains I Did Not Conquer

Author Leath Tonino reflects on the joy (and anguish) of leaving a peak unclimbed.

Reader Athlete

The Groomer Duathlete

By night he grooms cross-country ski trails. By day he competes in world championships.

VERMONT SPORTS IS A PROUD MEMBER OF

ADVERTISERS! The deadline for the Jan/.Feb issue of Vermont Sports is Dec. 18. Contact ads@vtsports.com today to reserve your space!

NOV./DEC. 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 3

e x p lo r e fur t her Explore beyond the tracks with Offtrack skis and boots from Fischer. Lightweight constructions, full length metal edges, and our secure Offtrack Crown waxless pattern will provide the stability, control and climbing power needed to elevate your next skiing adventure.

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THE START

'TIS THE SEASON Chelsea Camarata of Kaden makes mountain bike apparel that is specially-designed to be comfortable for women. Photo courtesy Kaden.

T

his issue, we focus on two seasons that converge at this time of year—hunting season and holiday shopping—both vital to our state.

“Vermonters love to buy local,” as Sarah Segall notes in “Just Sew,” our story on Vermont’s outdoor apparel start-ups and the entrepreneurs behind them. Segall, the Stratton woman who started Orsden skiwear, is not just talking about local food and beer.

As holiday shopping starts, there are any number of good reasons to buy gear and apparel that’s from Vermont. Buying local supports our economy. Vermont-made products tend to be made in smaller batches than those produced by large national brands. And, more and more, they tend to be produced with an eye toward sustainability.

For example, Eva Shaw now makes her HoodEs at the Vermont Teddy Bear factory and employs local seamstresses. Amelia Leme’s bright Mana Threads are not only made from recycled products but also use biodegradable fabrics. Eastward, the new line from Ski the East, is being sewn in India at Fair Trade-certified factories using organic and recycled materials.

But perhaps the best reason? These products and others are produced by athletes who really know their sports.

A glance down our list of 30 more outdoor gear products from Vermont may not reveal the elite athletes who started them. Dick Dreissigacker and Judy Geer, the folks behind Concept2, were Olympic rowers and their daughters, Emily and Hannah, have both been on the Olympic biathlon team. Bob Dion of Dion Snowshoes has five national championship medals in snowshoeing. Dave Dodge, founder of Dodge Boots, raced at Burke and at UVM before becoming an engineer for Rossignol, Burton and other companies. Jason Levinthal of J Skis pioneered the twin-tip ski when he launched his previous business, Line Skis.

As for that other season, hunting? It’s a long-loved tradition and part of the fabric of Vermont life. But it is in danger as fewer

people are getting into the sport and as Vermont's landscape changes.

Perhaps no one embodies the spirit of the “new” hunter more than Heather Furman.

Furman is a former ultramarathon runner, climber and co-founder of CRAG-VT and now, head of the Vermont chapter of The Nature Conservancy. To find out why she got a rifle as a birthday present, read Abagael Giles’ fascinating story “The New Hunters (and why we need them).” After reading it, you might want to add a rifle to your holiday wish list too.

Outdoor recreation—be it skiing and snowshoeing or hunting and fishing—is vital to Vermont’s economy. This October, Gov. Phil Scott announced a new grant program designed to help Vermont’s villages and towns become more “outdoor recreation friendly.”

The Vermont Outdoor Recreation Communities Pilot Grant Program will award grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 to one or more Vermont communities.

The funds can be used to support environmental stewardship, recreational programming, events, capital projects, marketing and planning. As part of the application, communities will have to demonstrate how they expect to grow their local economies by leveraging new outdoor recreation zones.

Applications for the grants are due December 14. To learn more, visit fpr. vermont.gov/VOREC. The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation is also accepting grant applications from towns for funds provided by the National Park Service (NPS) through its Land and Water Conservation Fund. NPS has said it will provide as much as half of the funding for projects that conserve land or develop it for outdoor recreation. Pre-applications were due Oct. 15 and full applications are due Dec. 17. For more information, visit fpr.vermont.gov/ recreation/grants/lwcf.

That's a present we call can use.

—Lisa Lynn and Abagael Giles, Editors

Stop by, grab some swag and gift certificates.

NOV./DEC. 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 5

NEWS BRIEFS

NATIONAL CHAMPS COME TO CRAFTSBURY This winter, Vermonters will have the opportunity to toe the line with some of the top cross-country skiers in the country when the Craftsbury Outdoor Center hosts the U.S. Cross Country Ski National Championships in January. It’s the first time since 2012 that the Nationals have come to Vermont. Last year’s Nationals were in Anchorage, Alaska.

Running from Jan. 3 through 8, 2019, the event features an open mass start on Sunday, Jan. 6, with a 30K race for men and a 20K race for women. Both races will be loops, making for great spectating.

Both events are open to anyone who wishes to register.

On Friday, Jan. 4, Olympians and U.S. Nordic

6 VTSPORTS.COM | NOV./DEC. 2018

Team members such as Ida Sargent of Barton (who grew up training at Craftsbury), will race in the classic sprint series. “Anyone can enter the time trial [for the sprints],” says Craftsbury Nordic Race Director Ollie Burruss.

“The top 30 in the men’s and women’s fields will qualify for an open heat to compete for several rounds of head-to-head racing for the national championship.

The spread from first place through 30th is a difference of about 15 seconds, so it will be an action-packed afternoon,” said Burruss.

Skiers will be competing for SuperTour points, which contribute to their ranking and ability to qualify for a spot on the U.S. Team at the World Championships in Seefeld, Austria.

This year’s event will also feature sit ski races for para-athletes and will serve as a qualifying event for the Paralympics. Athletes will race in a staggered sprint

format. “If you have any base-level knowledge of cross-country skiing and see someone race on a sit ski, you are just blown away by how strong you have to be to compete and by how tough they are,” said Burruss.

Other events include a 10/15K classic individual start, a classic sprint, a freestyle mass start and a freestyle sprint. —Abagael Giles

RETURN OF THE STOWE DERBY? For the last three years, one of the most iconic races in Vermont has been cancelled due to weather. This year, the Stowe Derby, which has historically drawn as many as 900 racers in classic, freestyle and now even fat bike divisions, is being moved up to January 13, with the traditional date of Feb. 24 as the “rain” date.

“We’re crossing our fingers,” says Brooke Mitchell of

Fast and furious Olympic-caliber racing like we saw in the 2018 SuperTour finals returns to Crafstbury this January .

Photo Reese Brown/USSA

the hosting Mount Mansfield Ski Club.

The Stowe Derby typically takes skiers from the top of the Mt. Mansfield Toll Road in Stowe, over roughly 20 kilometers and more than a 2,700 foot elevation drop down to the town of Stowe, on a combination of alpine and Nordic ski trails. Between 1945 and 2016 the race was only canceled twice; once due to lack of snow and once during the heat of World War II. Then came 2016, one of the worst snow years on record. The following year, scouring winds and rain left the course with a surface like a luge-run. In 2018, lack of snow also made the course unsafe.

"This year, with the new date and the traditional date as a back-up we’re hoping we can make it happen," Mitchell says. To get updates, visit mmsc-mmwa.org.

—Lisa Lynn

NOVICE MARATHONER MAKES OLYMPIC TRIALS For most runners, qualifying for the Olympic Trials is a long-term dream. For 28-year-old Meagan Boucher, it happened in her second marathon.

On October 21, the St. Johnsbury resident qualified for the 2020 Olympic marathon team trials after setting a women’s course record in the 30th annual Baystate Marathon in Lowell, Mass.

Boucher ran the course in 2:42:23.7, shattering the previous course record of 2:45:36. To earn a spot at the Olympic Trials, she had to finish with a time of 2:45:00 or less. Boucher beat her only other marathon time (the 2017 New York City Marathon) by 15 minutes.

Boucher, who grew up in Manchester, N.H., teaches geometry at St. Johnsbury Academy and is the

assistant coach for the cross-country team. In her first year at the University of New Hampshire she earned a spot on the cross-country team as a walk-on and competed in middle distance events and steeplechase.

She became interested in running marathons after a running injury caused her to shift her focus to triathlon. “It really opened me up to the routine of training for two, three hours a day. But then I realized that what I really cared about in those races was the running leg,” said Boucher in October.

Her initial goal was to run a sub 2:50:00 marathon.

“Then I asked my coach, Sam Davis, if I should just go for it. He was apprehensive at first, but then we had a conversation and he said I should,” said Boucher.

Davis, a well-known coach from Burlington, helped her to develop a plan to pace herself such that by

NOV./DEC. 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 7

NEWS BRIEFS

Mazie Hayden (front, with red bike) led the UVM Mountain Bike Team to a win.

the halfway mark of the marathon she would be on pace to qualify for the Olympic Trials. “I didn’t think I’d beat it by two minutes,” said Boucher. “I was shocked by how I did.”

Boucher finished the race in 20th place overall. Burlington resident Scott Mindel, 32, was the overall winner with a time of 2:23:51.2.

The 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials for marathon will run on February 29, 2020 in Atlanta, Ga. Between now and then, Boucher says she plans to focus on her speed. “I may run the Boston Marathon this spring.” She says she’s excited to get back into training, but for now, is “really excited to be eating donuts and recovering.” Her favorite place to run near her home of four years is the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. —A.G.

GERARDI PODIUMS On Saturday, Oct. 13, Vermonter Hillary Gerardi became the first American to podium in the Overall category at the Migu Skyrunning World Series.

Gerardi, who is originally from Saint Johnsbury and now lives in Chamonix, France, took 16th place in the last race of this year’s series, the Limone Extreme SkyRace, a 29K footrace in Lombardy, Italy, on Oct. 13.

Gerardi was one of 927 runners from 37 countries who competed in the race.

The runners tackled 2,500 meters of elevation gain, at times climbing hand over hand on third class terrain to complete the race.

The top overall ranking in the World Series is based on a runner’s top two finishes of the season in the Sky Classic and Sky Extra categories.

8 VTSPORTS.COM | NOV./DEC. 2018

Photo courtesy UVM Cycling Club

At 55, Fritz Bedford is still setting world records.

Photo courtesy Barbara Hummel

of Landgrove, Vt., competing for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, took third place in the Women’s Short Track Cross Country Club category.

The UVM Team returned the bikes to local retailers after the race, but Spencer said, “Even when the UVM team is in a pickle, we always stick together and work through a problem.

It was a stressful time and we all came together to reach a solution… the other cycling teams and local community members really stepped up to let [us] borrow bikes. It just goes to show how great the cycling community is!” —A.G.

Gerardi took second place for the series in the Overall category, finishing the season with 390 points, just four points fewer than the world champion, Ragna Debats of Netherlands. Kilian Jornet was the Overall champion for the Men’s series.—A.G.

A NEW WORLD RECORD On Oct. 20, at the Upper Valley Aquatic Center (UVAC) in White River Junction, 55-year-old Fritz Bedford broke the U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) national record for the 50-meter butterfly, with a time of 26.55 seconds. Bedford, of Hanover, N.H., and the New England Masters Swim Club, also took down the masters’ world record for the 100m backstroke, which had previously been held by Steve Wood, with a time of 1:00:78.

Bedford was a 19-time All-American swimmer at St. Lawrence University.

After that, he coached swimming at the University of New Hampshire for three years before becoming an engineer. He currently holds seven national records and one world record for USMS age group events. —A.G.

A TEAM ON FIRE? On Oct. 18, the University of Vermont mountain biking team got some bad news. After traveling to Missoula, Mont., to compete in the 2018 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships, a group of student riders learned that a FedEx truck carrying 13 team bicycles had caught fire en route. Their bikes were mangled and melted.

Club President Sara Spencer made

Boucher winning her second marathon.

Photo courtesy

Baystate Marathon

a call to Trek Bikes. According to velonews.com, her call was referred to Gary Whitebird in customer care.

Whitebird had raced at the collegiate level as both an undergraduate and graduate student and rallied to have parts for eight bikes shipped to Open Road Bicycle and Nordic in Missoula, where staff assembled them at the last minute.

Trek supplied the bikes for free and the UVM team was able to race, with the additional help of a few borrowed bikes from students at Fort Lewis College and University of Montana at Bozeman.

Mazie Hayden of Pittsfield, Vt., took first place in the Women’s Downhill Club and the Women’s Dual Slalom Club races. Team president Nicholas Lando of Ringwood, N.J., took second place in the Men’s Cross-Country Club category. U.S Nordic Team member Katharine Ogden

TOUGH SOCKS FOR A GOOD CAUSE In June 2018, just months after Kikkan Randall and Vermonter Jessie Diggins became the first American women to win an Olympic medal (gold) in Nordic skiing, Randall announced that she had stage 2 breast cancer.

Randall, a 35-year-old mom from Alaska has vowed to stay active throughout her treatment. “Maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle will not only help me get through this but keep me stronger during the battle,” writes Randall on her website, kikkan.com.

On Oct. 26, Northfield, Vt.'s Darn Tough announced a partnership with Randall to produce a specially-designed pair of micro crew ultra-light cushion socks emblazoned with the slogan “It’s going to be OK,” designed by Randall’s brother Tanner Randall and June ShenEpstein of Darn Tough. Two dollars from every pair of socks sold will go to AKTIV Against Cancer. You can purchase socks at kikkan.com. ­—A.G.

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BREAKING SAD

HEALTH

ONE OF THE NATION’S TOP EXPERTS IN SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER, UVM’S KELLY ROHAN IS STUDYING HOW TO BEAT THE WINTER BLUES.

BY EMMA COTTON

E

very October, Corey Burdick starts

longer the men were exposed to bright

an unusual morning routine. She

sunlight, the more rapidly their bodies

pours her first cup of coffee, then

produced serotonin. “Our findings are

sits down next to an Apollo goLITE—a silver

further evidence for the notion that changes

square about the size of a camera that emits a

in release of serotonin by the brain underlie

bright, blue light. Basking in the glow of this

mood seasonality and seasonal affective

artificial dawn, she tries to stave off a very

disorder,” the study concluded.

severe case of the winter blues.

If light helps produce serotonin, and

A few years back, during one of those

increased levels of serotonin alleviates

particularly cold, dark winters that keeps

symptoms of SAD, one might logically

you indoors, huddled by the woodstove,

conclude that exposure to light helps SAD

Burdick stopped feeling like herself. An

patients, even if the light exposure occurs

avid runner—she’s run the Vermont City

in the middle of the afternoon. According to

Marathon, the Green Mountain Marathon

Rohan, gaining this exposure from natural

and a handful of halfs—she wasn’t used to

sunlight is even better than using a light box.

feeling listless and unmotivated.

“At first I thought, maybe I just have the

sky than from a light box,” Rohan says. “A

winter blues, because it’s dark all the time,”

light box produces 10,000 lux. On a clear,

she says. “But I wasn’t coming out of it, and

sunny day, you can get 100,000 lux outside.

nothing seemed to be helping. I just felt so

in school and in relationships,” she says.

down. It was during that time that I knew

“That’s where we can draw the line, I think,

something was really off.” Burdick dove into

between people who really have SAD versus

research and found an answer that made

people who are around the water cooler just

sense: Seasonal Affective Disorder.

commiserating that they don’t like winter.”

Rohan doesn’t know what, exactly,

WHAT IS SAD?

causes SAD, but it might have something to

Simply put, Seasonal Affective Disorder is

do with biological clocks being thrown off-

clinical depression that follows a seasonal

kilter by the changing seasons. Normally,

pattern. As the days shorten, patients

around bedtime, the brain secretes the

can lose interest in activities that they

hormone melatonin, which signals to the

normally enjoy, have trouble concentrating,

brain that it’s time to sleep. In some SAD

gain weight, sleep longer, and in the most

patients, that dose of melatonin arrives later

extreme cases, have thoughts of death or

than it should.

suicide. Winter drains the light from the sky

In a lab, Rohan can test whether a

and takes our primary source of Vitamin D,

patient’s biological clock is running on-

barbecues and swimsuits with it. It subdues

schedule by taking hourly samples of blood

and sends us into a state of hibernation or

or saliva and assaying those samples to see

worse, depression.

when melatonin is produced. But this testing

More than 14 million Americans suffer

is cumbersome and expensive, so Rohan

from the disorder, (appropriately abbreviated

instead uses clues from patients’ sleeping

SAD). Prevalence ranges from less than two

habits to determine whether winter light is

percent of people in southern states, like

disrupting circadian rhythms.

Florida, to nine percent in northern states,

like Vermont.

rising in the morning—maybe hitting snooze

to

Some treatments for SAD are similar traditional

right through that alarm clock, unable to

non-seasonal depression, like cognitive

wake up,” she says. “That’s because the

behavioral

melatonin might still be being produced (in

therapy But

and

there’s

for

over and over again, or maybe sleeping

classic,

medication.

treatments

“The patient might have a lot of difficultly

antidepressant one

very

big

the morning), in theory, for somebody who’s

difference: SAD patients can be treated

got this kind of a pattern.”

with light.

That’s where light therapy comes in.

Kelly Rohan, a leading expert in SAD and

Bright light, like that emitted from Burdick’s

a professor at the University of Vermont’s

Apollo

Department of Psychological Science, says

melatonin. Used consistently—the normal

symptoms are identical to those of major

treatment is 30 minutes each morning—the

depression. "It causes a lot of distress for

light can simulate an early dawn, readjusting

the person, and impairment in their ability

the biological clock and promoting normal

to function in important roles, like at work,

sleep patterns.

goLITE

lightbox,

suppresses

Of course, the snow will reflect that light, so

SUNSHINE AND SEROTONIN After Burdick was diagnosed with SAD, she tried various forms of treatment until she found a routine that worked. Now, she selftreats using a combination of light therapy, Vitamin D supplements, Omega-3 fish oils (no study backs this as a treatment for SAD, but Burdick swears by it), exercise and social activity. But one of the best treatments, she says, is sunshine.

“If I can get outside on a sunny day, I find

that really helpful, especially if the sun is reflecting off the snow,” she says. “It’s hard to get motivated, but if you can force yourself to get up and out there, even for a five or tenminute walk first thing in the morning, it really makes a big difference.”

“There’s more light to be had from the

According to Rohan, not all SAD patients

show evidence of a slow-running biological

if you’re out there doing winter sports, you can really get a lot of light.”

Rohan says that, while not every SAD

patient will benefit from spending time outdoors, the sunlight and fresh air could help athletes and people who enjoy getting outside in other seasons feel much better.

In an effort to practice what she preaches, Rohan jogs four miles every day.

“It has to be below zero and usually ice

on the ground for me not to go,” she explains to her patients. “How do I do this? I dress appropriately. I understand in the winter I have to put on more layers. Sometimes even ski pants, and sometimes crampons. But I’m willing to do that, because I know that if I go, I’ll feel better than if I don’t go.”

clock. In those cases, the patients wouldn’t

TALKING POWER

need to re-adjust their circadian rhythms,

Treatment for SAD extends beyond light

making the morning light box treatments

treatment, whether it’s natural or on a timer

less useful.

on your bedside table.

But light still helps, maybe because

of its link to the production of serotonin,

showing that cognitive behavioral therapy

a neurotransmitter that contributes to

(CBT) helps alleviate winter depression much

feelings of happiness. In a study published

more effectively than light therapy. Out of

in Psychological Medicine in March of

177 research subjects, 46 percent of patients

1998,

scientists

treated only with light therapy reported

administered a substance that depleted the

that their depression returned the following

serotonin levels of SAD patients during the

winter. Only 27 percent of those who were

summertime, when they were unaffected by

treated using CBT felt the symptoms again.

the disorder. Upon receiving this treatment,

the symptoms returned.

therapy extends beyond the psychologist’s

Then, in a study titled, “Effect of

office. There are two components: the

Sunlight and Season on Serotonin Turnover

“cognitive,” and the “behavioral,” and each

in the Brain,” published by The Lancet in

works to pry loose the underlying thoughts

2002, scientists took blood samples from

and behaviors that fuel depression.

101 healthy men and determined that the

Cambridge

University

In fact, in 2015, Rohan released a study

At its most effective, cognitive behavioral

On the cognitive side, the psychologist

NOV./DEC. 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 11

4 WAYS TO BEAR THE WINTER BLUES

One of the challenges of switching seasons is embracing new sports and finding new ways to train with friends. These fun events will get you out there. See Calendar, p. 32, for details.

Running > Snowshoeing | Runners often think of winter as a time for cross-training and gym workouts, but with snowshoes, you can run on trails through forests all winter long. Vermont’s burgeoning snowshoe scene features a growing number of races. Try the Susan G. Komen Snowshoe for a Cure at Stratton on Jan. 6 or the PEAK Snow Devil Snowshoe Race in Pittsfield on Feb. 17. If you're looking to test yourself, try the 100-mile Winter Ultra, also in Pittsfield on Feb. 17.

Running / Cycling > Nordic Skiing | Nordic skiing (particularly skate skiing) helps maintain both the cardio fitness and the strength that's built up all summer. But jumping into these sports can be daunting. f you're a runner, sign up for Craftsbury Outdoor Center's Skiing for Runners Camp, Jan. 24-27. Start with fun events, like the Stowe Derby, a race from the top of the Mt. Mansfield Toll Road all the way to town. Costumes welcome. Note a new date this year of Jan. 13.

Mountain Biking > Fatbiking | Many of Vermont's best mountain bike networks now groom for fatbikes and many cross-country ski centers own a rental fleet. Rikert Nordic Center’s Fatbike Round-Up is a day of rides, cookouts, and camaraderie on Dec. 22. Check out for Uberwintern, a fatbike festival in Stowe, Jan. 5 or head to Kingdom Trails for Winterbike, March 1-2.

Rock Climbing > Ice Climbing | As you might guess, these translate pretty well, and that’s not all: Ice climbing has one of the best parties of the winter, Smuggs Ice Bash, Jan. 25-27, which includes clinics for beginners, presentations, dinners and an (indoor) kick-off party.

encourages patients to identify, challenge

on that, and make that one of the pleasant

and change negative thoughts about winter.

activities that they’re going to strive to do to

Using the Socratic method, the psychologist

get out of hibernation mode.”

asks the patient to look objectively at the

depressing thoughts, then use evidence to

through running. “You have a support

argue them.

network with runners,” she says. “You have

“For example, if we can take people

group runs. You have this community. You

from the thought, ‘I hate winter,’ to, ‘I prefer

don’t always want to see people, but it’s

summer,’ which is more neutral in tone and

actually really beneficial.”

doesn’t have as much effect on mood, they’re

going to feel better,” Rohan says.

back, she now has an effective tool belt of

On the behavioral side, the psychologist

skills she can use to curb the symptoms. She

asks the patient to avoid “hibernating”—that

has learned how to call back her happiness

is, wrapping up in a blanket and watching

during the winter—especially on sunny days

TV, or allowing phone calls from friends to

when she’s running with friends.

go unanswered. Rohan says it’s important to

Burdick finds that sense of community

While Burdick’s SAD used to hold her

“Those days are magical,” she says.

find activities to enjoy, whether that means

Do everything or nothing at all – it’s up to you.

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braving the cold temperatures or finding indoor alternatives. But those who enjoy

Dr. Kelly Rohan is currently recruiting

outdoor exercise can fight SAD from multiple

volunteers ages 18 years old and older for a

angles.

clinical trial through which diagnosis, light

“Exercise seems to have anti-depressant

box treatment and cognitive behavioral

properties,” Rohan says. “So, if I work with

therapy are offered at no charge. Interested

someone who’s depressed, and I know that

volunteers can call 802-656-9890 or visit

they like to exercise, I will try to capitalize

our website at: uvm.edu/~sadstudy.

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FEATURED ATHLETE

GROOMER & DUATHLETE EXTRAORDINAIRE Name: Keith Woodward Age: 67 Lives in: Moscow Family: Significant Other, Patricia Driscoll; rescue dog, Simon Occupation: Groomer at Craftsbury Outdoor Center Primary sport: Duathlon

M

ost people know Keith Woodward as the groomer and trail keeper at Craftsbury Outdoor Center but there is another side to him that people may not be so familiar with. This past summer Woodward finished first in his age group at the ITU World Duathlon Championship for the second straight year. He has also been inducted into the Mount Washington Road Race Hall of Fame and in 2012, USA Triathlon named him its Grand Master Duathlete of the Year.

What was it like to win your age group for the second straight year at the Duathlon World Championship in Germany?

I had a target on my back from finishing first the previous year so it was especially rewarding to earn the respect of my fellow competitors, both international racers and Americans. In 2013 I won the Worlds in Ottawa in the standard duathlon [a 20K run, 40K bike and a 5K run]. The next two years the weather was really hot and I finished fourth and the last two years I raced the draft legal sprint length (a 5.5K run, a 19.9K bike, and a 2.5K run, where drafting is allowed on the bike leg) and finished first each time. I was really happy with my finish this year and also humbled since on that day I was the best in the world.

How did you become an athlete?

I started running when I was in high school in Newbury, Vt., when I realized my Little League dreams of playing for the Boston Red Sox weren’t going to happen. I was a catcher and I didn’t have much of an arm. I was actually a bit of an anomaly when I started running and people would recognize me because I was the only one running on the road. I ran

Keith Woodward, laying out trails at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center, where he's help tend trails since 1976. Photo courtesy Keith Woodward.

cross-country at Keene State and was an All-American. I didn’t really know what I was doing but I always enjoyed it.

Is it true that you did your first marathon in 1971 with virtually no preparation?

A friend of mine and I had started a track club at Vermont Tech with the goal of racing against local high schools but then the guy who was in charge got put on academic probation. I heard about the Rouses Point to Plattsburgh marathon after I’d been running for three weeks and I guess I had another three weeks to prepare. I did it in a pair of blue flats that were like Keds but I finished in 3:32. Marathon running was still in its infancy here and another guy ran in hiking boots and wool socks.

The following year I wore basketball sneakers and I did better. I’ve done 13 marathons but I never finished in a time that I thought I was capable of running.

My last marathon was in Philly in 1983 and I thought I’d take a short break but I haven’t gone back to it. I’ve done some half marathons and this year we’re going to do the Chickamauga in Tennessee in November as part of a vacation.

In 2012 you had a week when you won three silver medals in seven days. Can you tell us about that?

The first one was my breakthrough race for the standard duathlon at the World Championships in France. I had been racing since 2008 and my highest placement before then was sixth so I was very happy. The next race was the USA Track and Field’s 2012 USA Masters 5K Road Championships. I had a silver and my team (the GMAA 60+ team) finished second by less than a second in a photo finish. I guess I didn’t think it was that much of a big deal because one was a team medal but honestly, getting second as a team was more fun than finishing second as an individual.

How did you get to be inducted into the Mt. Washington Road Race Hall of Fame?

At one point I had the record for the most times running the race with either 36 or 37. I finished first in my age class several times. I’ve been overtaken because I missed some of the last few years thanks to racing duathlons. That was only the second year they had the Hall of Fame so it was a real honor to be nominated. I

went back last year and finished second in my age group even though I didn’t have a particularly strong race.

Tell us about how you train.

I’ve been cutting back on running to just three days a week at most and I try to bike at least four days. This year we had such a wet, cold spring that it was harder to get into the biking routine but it didn’t hurt me that much in the Worlds because of the draft legal rules (meaning I could legally draft off other cyclists). If I run 20 miles a week it’s a big week. I average maybe 120 miles a week on the bike in the summer. I even did a little bit of fatbiking last year. I confess that I have really poor eating habits. Working at Craftsbury I get breakfast and lunch and that’s where I get my salad and vegetables. Otherwise, I eat a lot of pasta.

How long have you been the groomer at Craftsbury?

I started working at Craftsbury when Russell Spring first bought the place in 1976. I grew up on a farm in East Corinth and when we sold it, I kept some of the machinery. Before coming to Craftsbury I did some haying and

NOV./DEC. 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 15

odd jobs and worked for a carpenter in Stowe for a few years. I came up and coached two one-week running camps in the summer of 1976 or 77 and I loved it. I came back for at least two or three more years and then at one point they started the Elderhostel which is now called the Road Scholar program and I came and washed dishes for a month. They needed someone to help with the grooming and they only had one beat up snow machine.

I was supposed to work three hours a day for room and board but sometimes it was up to 80 hours a week. At that time, the biggest events were the high school races. There weren’t many guests so I was basically grooming for the staff.

That’s changed, hasn’t it?

It’s amazing. We didn’t even have a tractor; we just weed-whacked the trails and we had one beat up alpine groomer.

Today we have three Pisten Bully grooming machines, four snow machines, four tractors and riding lawn mowers. We have access to three full-sized excavators and one mini excavator. Doing trail work is easy now.

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Do you get to enjoy those trails?

I used to be competitive, both in biathlon and regular Nordic ski racing.

I’d go to National and World Masters’ Championships and usually get the silver in the Worlds and be part of the gold medal team for the relays, but I haven’t been to Worlds since 2008. The last few winters, my training and desire to ski has waned a little. Ever since we put in snowmaking, I’ve been skiing less. Once I’m out there I enjoy it. World Masters are in Norway this year and I have it tentatively on the calendar. Hopefully I can get in shape before then.

What other sports are you doing?

I’ve actually been doing more snowshoe racing and I went to Nationals for that this year. Conditions were a lot better than one year when the Worlds were in Syracuse and we raced on ice and mud which actually was really fun. Snowshoeing is easier than skiing because you don’t have to worry about wax. I don’t ski race that much because there aren’t that many citizen races although we have one here at Craftsbury on Tuesday nights. Nordic ski racing isn’t that much of a vibrant sport anymore because many college racers stop when they graduate. The Stowe Derby was always my favorite event but lately it’s been getting cancelled due to bad weather. Hopefully it will make a comeback.

What do you enjoy about grooming?

It’s rewarding to see people reap the benefits of my work. I notice it more in the summer when people are riding the mountain bike trails. There used to be nobody in the parking lot at 5 p.m. except the overnight guests but now it’s full. It’s fun to see.

What is it like to be able to watch the elite athletes at Craftsbury?

We almost take it for granted because you get to know them so well that they become just regular people. It’s interesting to see their training methods.

I wish I’d known 20 years ago what I know now. I never had a coach and I ran too much and didn’t rest enough when I was starting out. I’m learning a lot from the elite athletes but it’s a totally different world now with all the testing and technology. It’s almost too scientific.

I have a Garmin, as well as a power meter for my bike and I hardly ever use them. I just go by feel.

Anyone been really helpful?

Co-worker Sheldon Miller has helped me with strategy, technique and training tips for cycling. I’m hoping to get some running tips from Craftsbury’s new running coach, Heidi Caldwell. She was the second place finisher at this year’s Mount Washington Hill Climb.

What are you excited about for the upcoming season at Craftsbury?

This is going to be a great year. We’ve got our season opener in early December and the Eastern Cup later in the month and then we’ve got the U.S. CrossCountry Ski Championships in January.

That will be the biggest event we’ve ever held here so we need to hope for good early season snow.

What is the key to winning, in your 60s?

For me the hardest part is getting out the door and trying to be consistent.

I can’t do the hard intervals I did even ten years ago. I just try to do a little bit at a time and I’ve started going to the weight room to do strength work so that I can keep racing. As long as you can be competitive, it’s worth the effort to get out the door and put in the hard work.

I’ve competed for a long time and it’s the only thing I know how to do.

—Phyl Newbeck

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The New Hunters (and why we need them.)

AS THE NUMBER OF HUNTERS IN VERMONT DECLINES, THE SPORT’S VETERANS ARE WORKING TO EDUCATE A NEW GENERATION TO STEWARD THE LAND.

BY ABAGAEL GILES

18 VTSPORTS.COM | NOV./DEC. 2018

Hunters play an important role in keeping Vermont's deer populations in check. Since the early 1990s, the statewide deer population has remained relatively stable, at about 150,000 individuals. However, where those deer are located has changed dramatically. Photo by Heather Furman

NOV./DEC. 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 19

he air is still. In the predawn light,

T

She also finds hunting deeply rewarding.

Heather Furman moves slowly.

“I find that my awareness of what is around

Layered in a mix of technical

me and the diversity of experiences I have in

outdoor gear and rugged camouflaged

the woods are so much greater than when I

clothing, she walks through the cold hollows

was trail running with the goal of covering

of her Jericho Center land to the woods at

ground and territory,” says Furman. “Now

neighboring Mobbs Farm.

I’m content to spend a whole day exploring a

In the silence, her slow breathing is

quarter-mile of forest. I couldn’t say that five

barely audible. Beneath her feet, the leaves

years ago when I was running back-to-back

are brittle with frost. She makes her way

25-mile training runs on my weekends.”

to her deer stand, which she installed at a place near a small creek, at the edge of an

THE DECLINE OF HUNTING

area where there has been a recent timber

Overall, hunting is on the decline and

harvest. She chose the location weeks prior

Furman is part of a group of new hunters

by following informal paths and reading

working with veterans of the sport to recruit

signs of deer—trees where the bark is

newcomers. This spring the State of Vermont

scraped off, game trails. She climbs the

hopes to roll out a new hunting mentorship

ladder of the deer stand very slowly. With

program, one of a host of programs it runs

cold hands, she juggles rifle and pack. Then,

to address issues like access to land and

seated, she waits. In the stillness, she listens

retention rates.

while the trees creak and the forest begins

Since 1990, the number of hunting

to wake up. As a wood thrush launches

licenses issued to Vermont residents has

into its two-toned, ethereal song, the dawn

declined by nearly 50 percent. In 1991, the

chorus starts.

Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department

After a long time, a deer appears,

issued about 92,000 licenses to residents.

soundless. Furman’s heartbeat picks up and

In 2017, the department issued just 54,836

she breathes intentionally as she raises her

resident licenses. That’s fewer than the

rifle. Slowly, calmly, she takes aim through

department issued in 1945, when, at

the sights of her gun, steadies it on a nearby

315,000, the state’s population was roughly

branch and waits for a clean shot. After

half of what it is today.

several long, cold, still minutes, the deer

Vermont is not alone in this trend.

freezes. In the blink of an eye, it is gone.

Nationally, a report by the U.S. Fish and

Heather has been through this routine many times in the four years that she has

Wildlife Service found that the number of Heather Furman spent four years preparing physically and mentally for her first kill. "The most important thing for me was to be sure that the animal didn't suffer," Furman said. She is pictured here with the pronghorn antelope she shot in Wyoming this fall. Photo courtesy Heather Furman

hunters in the United States declined by 11

of deer hunting, I shot a pronghorn antelope

as a park ranger at Maidstone State Park

of Fish and Wildlife reports that roughly 15

on a trip to Wyoming.” Her patience paid

in the northeastern part of the state. She’s

percent of Vermonters hunt. In the Northeast

off. “When I finally had the opportunity to

now the Director of the Vermont Chapter of

Kingdom counties of Orleans and Essex,

be in that situation and actually pulled the

the Nature Conservancy, which stewards 55

that number climbs to nearly 25 percent,

trigger, I was calm in heart and mind and

natural areas around the state. Fifty-four

close to what the statewide average was in

was able to make a highly accurate, instant

are open to hunting

1974. Ninety percent of hunting carried out

been hunting. But, as she later tells me, that’s OK because “two weeks ago, after four years

kill.”

percent between 2011 and 2016.

On average, the Vermont Department

in Vermont is for white-tailed deer.

Furman is a former ultra marathoner

Furman, 48, is one of about 55,000

who has competed in more than a dozen

According to Scott Darling, Wildlife

resident hunters in the state of Vermont

ultra races, including the Vermont 50,

Management Program Manager for the

and she’s an anomaly. Roughly one in four

where she had a top ten finish in 2013.

Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department,

Vermont men hunt and for most, it’s a

She’s also a former rock climber who

tradition passed down to them by their older

has climbed at the 5.11 grade and is the

Vermont, hunting licenses account for

male relatives. Only one in ten Vermont

cofounder of the Climbing Resource Access

roughly one third of department revenues,

women hunt. Furman is also unusual in that

Group of Vermont, CRAG-VT. She served as

which fund research, conservation efforts

she started hunting as an adult.

the group’s first president for six years, from

and regulation of more than 25,000 species

Furman started hunting grouse at the age of 36, after her husband Dave, an upland

that decline presents a challenge.

of fauna and 2,000 native plants. Annual

1999 to 2005.

Furman

In

picked

up

deer

hunting

bird hunter and former rock-climbing

around the time when she retired from

guide, gave her a shotgun for Valentine’s

running ultra marathons. She had grown

Day. After years of rock climbing together,

accustomed to spending long hours at a

he was hoping to include her in a sport

time in the woods as a trail runner and was

Ed Gallo has no problem sharing his land and hopes to spread goodwill by being a good ambassador of Vermont's tradition of open access, something he says is a big part of the state's cultural history. Photo by Ed Gallo

license sales peaked between 1965 and 1987 but have been on the decline since. “It’s the primary funding source for the Fish and Wildlife Department as well as the match for much of the federal dollars we receive,”

that he was rediscovering. Shotguns are

compelled by the growing impact of deer on

native woodland plants from establishing

the tool of choice for bird hunting, which

the landscapes she works with at the Nature

themselves to regenerate the forest. This is

As Project Coordinator for the Wildlife

Heather never really took to. Four years ago,

Conservancy.

increasingly common in parts of the state

Management Program, Darling’s colleague

as the climate warms and deer populations

Chris Saunders studies the human factors

are no longer kept in check naturally by

involved in wildlife management. Saunders

predators and Vermont’s harsh winters.

hunts and fishes with his own sons. It’s a

at 44, she decided to try deer hunting and,

Hunting is an important tool for

naturally, her husband bought her a rifle for

managing

her birthday.

populations, which, when overpopulated,

Vermont’s

white-tailed

deer

Furman was born in Ohio and first

can strip a forest of its undergrowth, leaving

moved to Vermont over 20 years ago to work

the deer malnourished and preventing

20 VTSPORTS.COM | NOV./DEC. 2018

As Furman says, she hunts because, “I like to do my part.”

said Darling in October.

tradition he learned from his dad, who works as a naturalist. He grew up hunting and

Chris Saunders (left) credits his father Dr. Andrew Saunders (right) with instilling in him a deep love of wildlife and the landscape. As an adult, Saunders hunts in part because he loves to bring home venison and other game meat. According to the 2017 White-Tailed Deer Harvest Report, compiled by Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, hunters harvested more than 15,984 deer during the four Vermont deer seasons in 2017, providing more than 3 million servings of local venison. Photo courtesy Chris Saunders fishing and likes to eat wild meat for health

know from national studies that people

reasons and for the connection it provides

have less time. They are working more,” says

him with his land. “Wildlife is extremely

Saunders.

important to me. I birdwatch rather avidly

and deer can become pests.

In 2012, the state launched a HunterLandowner Connection Program, an online registry which allows landowners concerned

and am a gardener too, and I don’t see a

WHERE TO FIND DEER?

big distinction between these activities.

As more areas in Vermont become developed,

register with the State through a website.

It’s about getting intimate with nature and

bubbles of posted land—places where

Hunters are also encouraged to register, and

understanding where we belong.”

hunters are not allowed without permission

the state connects the two parties so that

from a property owner—increase.

they can arrange permission to hunt.

On the whole, Vermont’s hunters

about overbrowsing on their property to

are an aging population. Since 2000, the

A study of parcelization published by

Darling is quick to point out that

number of youth hunting licenses issued to

the Vermont Natural Resources Council

parcelization is a big source of declining

Vermont residents has diminished by more

(VNRC) in early October, 2018, found that

access. The average age of Vermont’s forest

than fifty percent, from about 10,000 in

the amount of undeveloped forestland

landowners is 60 to 65. “Everyone involved

2000 to just over 4,000 in 2017. “Research

across the state decreased by 12 to 15 percent

is worried. Will that land be passed down to

has shown that people who get into hunting

between 2004 and 2016.

their kids or sold? Will it be subdivided?” he

at an older age are less likely to keep it

Furthermore,

deer

populations

are

asked.

up over the long term,” said Saunders in

highest in the parts of the state that have

In October, a 776-acre property, the

October.

the most legally posted land. For example,

largest remaining parcel of undeveloped

Saunders says that decline is due in part

Grand Isle leads the state in terms of deer

land in Stowe, was listed for $10 million.

to Vermont’s aging demographics statewide.

density (30 per square mile) and also has

"We are losing parcels like this—those

“Hunters by and large come from rural

the highest percentage of legally posted

areas,” says Saunders. “The fewer young

land (eight percent). Franklin County is

people you have in rural areas, the fewer

close behind, with seven percent of its land

young people you’re going to have hunting.”

posted and 21 to 30 deer per square mile.

Kyle LaPointe started out as a bow hunter and now hunts with a rifle as well. In 2017, the overall success rate for deer hunters in Vermont was 18 percent. Photo by Kyle LaPointe

Saunders emphasized that hunting’s

In contrast, as of 2016, Essex County had

decline is also due to changing social

no posted land and a deer density of five to

is the maximum density that Vermont’s

circumstances. “It used to be that if you

nine animals per square mile, well below

woodland ecosystems can sustain. Beyond

were a rural kid, you hunted and you fished.

the state’s target of 20 deer per square mile,

that density, the natural cycle of forest

There are more things to do now. And we

the number biologists have determined

regeneration is inhibited by over-grazing

over 500 and 1,000 acres—at an alarming rate," said Furman. "Each one that is sold, subdivided and developed compromises productive intact habitat and eliminates the opportunity for traditional uses."

VNRC’s report found that subdivided parcels are more likely to be developed and less likely to be used for forest management

NOV./DEC. 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 21

or for farming, uses that have supported

and leaves of] native timber species, like

hunting for much of Vermont’s history. As

sugar maples,” says Darling. “As their

Saunders noted, “Even if land isn’t posted,

populations become overabundant in parts

you can’t hunt in a field that is now a

of the state, we have seen a lack of sugar

Walmart.”

maples growing in the understory. That can have a big impact on landowners managing

THE OLD GUARD

their forests for maple products.” When deer

When Ed Gallo was growing up in Barre

are overpopulated, Darling says they impact

in the 1970s, he says you would have been

other native species. “Songbirds, pollinators

hard pressed to find a man or boy in Central

and butterflies are all fewer in number

Vermont who didn’t hunt. “Everybody went

where there is overbrowsing of the forest

to deer camp. During deer season, any

understory.”

business that primarily depended on male

Moose have their own problems, which

labor, like construction, was totally shut

are exacerbated by deer overpopulation and

down,” says Gallo. “Mom-and-pop stores

fed by warmer winters. Citing an estimated

would put out big signs that said, ‘Welcome

statewide population of just 1,650 moose,

Hunters’ and churches would sponsor cheap

in 2018 the state issued only 13 permits to

hunter breakfasts.”

hunt bull moose, and those permits were

Gallo is a retired software engineer who

only valid in the far northeast corner of

now lives in Richmond. He is vice president

Vermont. In 2017, the statewide population

of the Hunters Anglers Trappers Association

was estimated to be 2,000 and 80 permits

of Vermont. At 61, he is part of the old guard.

were issued. In the early 2000s, the moose

He learned to hunt from his father, who

population was closer to 5,000. Nuse and his

bought him his first gun when he was in fifth

wife Ingrid have been lucky to pull moose

grade. He speaks poetically but practically

tags twice. Both times, they were successful

about the land in the way of someone whose

in their hunt. He hopes that someday more

family has been tied to it for a long time.

Vermonters can have the same experience.

“Hunting is not about killing the deer,”

According to Darling, a study of moose

Gallo insists. For Gallo’s extended family,

calf survival rates in Vermont launched in

going to deer camp is a social affair that

2017 has preliminarily found that mortality

starts when the kids are about five or six.

rates among moose calves in the Northeast

There’s no drinking at his camp. You get the sense that there are no cell phones either. “I know guys who are quite old and go every

From 2009 to 2017, the number of female hunters in Vermont increased by 3 percent. Eric Nuse (above with dog Lex) says he's glad to see more diversity in the sport. Photo courtesy Eric Nuse.

are currently as high as 60 to 70 percent.

The culprit is a parasite, the winter tick.

“When we have milder falls, Winter Ticks

year but have never gotten a deer. It’s about

Wildlife in August, 86 percent of Vermont

Like Gallo, he says that these trends

stay out longer searching for a moose host.

lifelong friendships,” Gallo says. For him,

residents look favorably on hunting. It’s also

are tied up in Vermonters’ changing social

By winter, when moose are most vulnerable,

learning to hunt was also about learning to

safe. Only one hunting accident involving

attitudes about the land. According to

you see as many as 20,000 to 60,000 ticks

be still and patient. “You spend the night

a non-hunter has occurred since the state

the Northeastern Area Association of

on a single animal. This fingernail-sized

at camp together, but once daylight breaks,

made hunter education mandatory in 1975.

State Foresters, 80 percent of Vermont’s

parasite can suck almost all of the blood volume out of a calf,” said Darling.

you’re on your own. You live with your

This was confirmed by Eric Nuse,

forestland is held by private landowners. Of

decisions and you learn to enjoy being alone

a retired Vermont game warden from

that, about 2.9 million acres, or 62 percent,

in the woods.”

Making matters worse, in areas where

Johnson. For most of his 32-year career, he

is owned by families and individuals. “The

white-tailed

Gallo has no problem sharing his 120

was assigned to Lamoille County. He has

old Vermont way of leaving your land open

(more than 20 deer per mile by the state’s

acres with other hunters. He is quick to report

hunted waterfowl, turkey, deer and moose

for your neighbors to recreate on is fading

standards), they can transmit a parasite

poor behavior and always asks permission

in Vermont. He enjoys squirrel hunting. He

away. We still have a strong ethic of that in

known as brain worm to moose. The parasite

to hunt on others’ land regardless of whether

grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania, where

most of Lamoille County and the Northeast

doesn’t affect deer but causes moose to

it is posted. “When I grew up, most of the

his father was a “consummate pick-up-the-

Kingdom.

appear disoriented and often leads to weight

land owners were farmers and most of them

roadkill kind of guy.”

Addison? Way less so.”

But

Chittenden,

Franklin,

deer

are

overpopulated

loss and death by paralysis. In short, “it’s not a good time to be a moose,” summarized

didn’t have a problem allowing you on their

At 70, Nuse is an active sportsman

property to cull the deer population. This

and serves on the Board of Directors for the New England chapter of the nonprofit

CHANGING CLIMATE, CHANGING POPULATIONS

Darling.

is a different era and it feels like a bit of a culture clash,” says Gallo.

Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. This

Since 2017, the Vermont Department of Fish

the department is working to temporarily

Vermont’s tradition of open access is as

year, the group is partnering with the

and Wildlife has been working to develop a

limit moose populations in Vermont to one

old as our statehood and was born out of a

Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife

new ten-year big game management plan for

animal per square mile. Hunting is a useful

regionally distinct and very strong sense

to create a new hunter mentorship program.

moose, black bears and deer.

tool for doing so.

of community. Vermont has long had strict

“We find we have a lot of people who didn’t

Darling says Vermont’s harsh winters

The department has not yet been forced

laws in place that protect property owners

come from a hunting tradition or family who

are no longer consistent enough to cull deer

to reduce its services or programming

from liability and encourage this. However,

take hunter education and then say, ‘what

populations without human intervention

as a result of fewer hunting license sales.

a person who is new to a community

now?’” The idea is to connect new hunters

as in the past. Additionally, development of

However,

may not have the family connections to

and prospective mentors through weekend

previously wooded areas has allowed black

deer population and the state’s wildlife

their neighbors that were common in old

trainings, social gatherings and established

bear to expand their food sources to include

management budget will be affected shortly

Vermont and plenty of people are reasonably

connections to help more young people

human garbage, and Vermont’s deer are

if younger hunters don’t emerge to replace

distrustful of gun-toting strangers.

get involved with hunting. Nuse hopes the

no longer hunted by their historic natural

the funds provided by the ones who are aging

program will launch in time for turkey

predators—catamounts and wolves.

out of the sport. “Sadly, in other states where

However,

according

to

a

survey

conducted by the department of Fish and

22 VTSPORTS.COM | NOV./DEC. 2018

season next spring.

“White-tailed deer prefer to eat [buds

To reduce the spread of winter ticks,

Darling

expects

both

the

overabundant deer exist in localized areas,

Deer are not evenly distributed across Vermont, and neither was the 2017 deer harvest . Areas west of the Green Mountains accounted for nearly 40 percent of the total deer harvest in 2017, despite containing just 24 percent of the state's deer habitat. In the diagrams above and left, each green dot represents a deer killed in the underlying town. The far right chart shows towns that experienced near-record total deer harvests in 2017. According to VDFW Deer Project Leader Nick Fortin, "the best deer habitat today is generally closer to where people live, while the big blocks of forest are fairly poor habitat." Charts by Nick Fortin, VDFW especially ex-urban areas, communities

LaPointe

lives

with

his

wife

and

have gone to paid sharpshooters,” says

three young kids on a small homestead

Darling.

in Townshend, Vt. He didn’t grow up in a

THE NEW HUNTERS

hunting family but taught himself to bow hunt at 21, when he found himself living off

For some young Vermonters, hunting

the grid on a remote property in southern

is compelling because it presents a rare

Vermont. He’s also a fly fisherman and

opportunity to unplug from today’s world

cross-country skier. He primarily hunts deer

of smartphones, to slow down and focus on

on public land in Windham County.

being still. They seem to want some of the

“Archery is like the fly fishing of the

things people like Ed Gallo and Eric Nuse

hunting world.” says LaPointe. “It is very

suggest we are all lacking: time to be still

quiet. There is no bang or loud noise. You

and present.

have to be very in tune with the wind and

As with rock climbing, Furman says,

your every movement. Lots of little factors

hunting demands your full attention. “When

have to come into play to make a good shot.”

you’re hunting, you have to find a balance

It also requires getting very, very close to

between being quiet and relaxed and not

a deer. “You have to get a lot closer to your

doing anything but being alert to what is

prey in order to ethically harvest them. In

around you,” she says. “I don’t have a lot of

Vermont, you’re talking 20 to 60 yards for a

quiet in my life these days. It’s a different

clean shot. With rifle hunting, depending on

way to be.”

how accurate you are, you could be several

For 31-year-old Kyle LaPointe, bow

hundred yards away or more.”

hunting is a quiet respite from a fast-paced

LaPointe is a member of Backcountry

work life as a paramedic. He works long

Hunters and Anglers and wishes the newly-

shifts to earn days off in a row, which he tries

planned mentorship program were available

to spend outside with his kids. The rhythms

to him when he was learning. He killed his

of hunting suit his life as a dad better than

first deer by arrow in Vermont last year.

his former passion: rock climbing.

Like Gallo, LaPointe sees value in

Putting good meat in the freezer is a

introducing kids to the outdoors through

bonus. “I’m a foodie,” he explains. “A lot

farming and hunting. He encourages his

of people my age who are getting into it as

five-year-old daughter to practice listening

adults care about conservation and where

and being still while they hunt grouse.

their food comes from.” That’s why he loves

“My wife and I raise and process pigs and

venison. “It’s the best meat you can get.

chickens on our farm and my daughter has

It’s free-range, local, totally organic. I love

always been a part of that. For her, that’s

being able to cook up intricate dishes for my

where meat comes from. If she grows up and

whole family,” said LaPointe, who is working

decides not to hunt and not to farm, that’s

to recruit his wife to the sport.

OK. At least she’ll understand that.”

too big, the deer get skinnier,” he lamented.

A VICIOUS CYCLE I met Furman on a crisp day in late October at the LaPlatte River Marsh Natural Area in Shelburne. It is a perfect example of an ecosystem that has been impacted by the overabundance of deer. Oaks and beech trees abut the muddy river banks, but there is very little understory. The measured density of deer at the parcel is 32 per square mile. The target is closer to 20 deer per square mile to meet the Conservancy’s management goal: to maximize the biodiversity of native bird, pollinator and plant species there.

Deer

have

already

impacted

the

forest’s ability to regenerate. Since the Conservancy's recent effort to remove invasive buckthorn and honeysuckle cleared the forest floor, native plants have been slow to grow back. As Furman explains, the native plants they expected to replace the invasive species have been over-browsed by the numerous white-tailed deer, preventing new forest growth.

Bow hunting is allowed at the 225-acre property, which Furman describes as “a wild landscape in a suburban setting.” Hunting is allowed on all Nature Conservancy properties in Vermont. At the LaPlatte site, the Conservancy decided to limit other types of access from 3 p.m. to 10 a.m., so that hunters would have more opportunity to hunt deer during the prime dawn and dusk hours.

On our walk, we run into one local hunter, a gentleman named Ken, who has bow hunted at the preserve for 38 years.

He told us he rarely sees large bucks in Shelburne anymore. “When the herd gets

His biggest concerns? Development and parcelization. “I think we hunters all consider ourselves conservationists. When you take an animal, it’s spiritual.”

Overbrowsing affects more than just hunters. According to Furman, it can have long term impacts on forest regeneration and starts a vicious cycle. “A lot of private landowners who own larger parcels manage their woodlots for income. This problem can have long term effects on their ability to do so.” With too many deer, Foresters may find that when they harvest trees, the forest can't regenerate as quickly. Then, without a reliable harvest cycle, the financial instability of the woodlot makes them more likely to have to sell their land and divide it.

“That impacts us from a cultural standpoint,” Furman says. “Whether you’ve lived here for a year, ten years, your whole life, the landscape and our relationship to it defines us as Vermonters. These issues affect all of us.”

Furman gestured around her. “There is a deep culture of hunting in Vermont, born from a time when a lot of Vermonters hunted for subsistence,” she said. “The culture of hunting is an interesting one. It’s a changing tradition, with more young adults and women getting into the sport who want to be connected to their food.”

Furman says that strong sense of connection with the land makes her optimistic that Vermont’s hunters and nonhunters can come together overcome these challenges. “We may not all agree about how, but we all want to enjoy our forests.”

NOV./DEC. 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 23

A NEW WAVE OF VERMONT ATHLETE/ENTREPRENEURS IS STITCHING TOGETHER GEAR FOR THE OUTDOORS.

BY RACHEL COHEN, ABAGAEL GILES AND LISA LYNN

B

y now, the story is almost a

Turtle Fur headwear. Others have come and

can’t find it, some just go off and make it

plans for Hula, a co-working space that will

legend: In 2003, Cabot Hosiery of

gone: Jogbra started here in 1977. Ibex wool

themselves,” says Bradbury. “Think of the

occupy the site of the former Blodgett Oven

Northfield was facing tough times.

clothing was born in Woodstock that same

Burton AK line—no one else was really

building on the waterfront, just west of the

The family-owned private label sock maker

year. Isis women’s activewear came into

making high-end, technical snowboard

surf club. “I can see outdoor businesses

was looking at layoffs. Then Ric Cabot, son of

being in 1998 (Isis founder Poppy Gall now

apparel— or Eva Shaw’s HoodE, which she

being attracted to move here—we have a

the owner and a die-hard snowboarder and

designs for Darn Tough.) Those brands were

created because as a ski racer, she was cold

great lifestyle. How many other places can

outsdoorsman, came up with an idea: Cabot

bought, and, in some instances, shuttered,

and wanted something to wear over her

you leave your office if it’s windy and walk

would make its own brand of bullet-proof

but plenty of new ones are moving in.

helmet.”

downstairs to kiteboard or SUP at lunch

socks for the outdoors and offer a lifetime

“Vermont is a fertile proving ground

Bradbury has helped a number of recent

guarantee. Fifteen years later, Cabot’s Darn

for all sorts of innovations,” says David

start-ups—ranging from Renoun skis and

in the summer, or be skiing in an hour in

Tough is booming, adding new knitting

Bradbury, president of the Vermont Center

Skida hats to student projects at Middlebury

Co-working spaces and incubators have

machines and hiring new employees in

for Emerging Technology, an incubator

College such as Overeasy and SheFly—and

taken over Burlington and are popping

Northfield. Starting in January, it plans to

that provides coaching, co-working and

VCET is just one of several organizations

up around the state, ranging from The

churn out an additional 1.5 million socks.

mentorship and has spaces in Burlington

dedicated to growing start-ups in Vermont.

Lightning Jar in Bennington to Valley.Works

winter?”

Darn Tough is just one of Vermont’s

and Middlebury. “We have a lot of top

Russ Scully, owner of WND&WVS

in Waitsfield to the Incubator Without Walls

outdoor apparel success stories, along with

athletes here. They know what they want

surf shop in Burlington and founder of the

(iWOW) in Lyndon. “Think how cool it is to

brands such as Burton’s apparel line and

from a piece of gear or apparel and if they

Burlington Surf Club, recently announced

know you can have an office space just a few

Mana Threads' Amelia Leme (far right) creates bright, stretchy shorts, leggings, skorts and tops for everything from cycling to stand-up paddling. Photo courtesy Mana Threads/Ali Kaukas

24 VTSPORTS.COM | NOV./DEC. 2018

miles away from Kingdom Trails,” Bradbury

others? They just might become the next

that was really fun. I found that by making

she could find some privacy, which usually

says of iWOW.

Jogbra or Burton or Darn Tough.

small-batch activewear I could use lots of

came in the form of a large piece of ice or a

different colors and designs, versus the

boulder. She'd then shed her three or four

all-black that larger companies often have

layers of clothing in sub-zero temperatures,

to make.” Mana Threads launched with a

answer nature’s call and hike back to work.

If you ask Brazilian Amelia Leme what

retail shop on Church Street in Burlington

“It was a waste of time, a waste of energy

brought her to Vermont she laughs and

in 2015. “We did $10,000 in sales the first

and it usually left me feeling cold for hours

quickly says “Snow. ” But that’s not the

day it opened,” Leme recalls. The shop was

afterward, to the point where I started

whole story. She arrived, originally as an

open for a year before she decided online

cutting my water consumption,” Edwards

au pair, studied at St. Michael’s College and

sales was a better business.

said. “After a few weeks, I thought, ‘There

Thirteen

years

ago,

Fresh

Tracks

Capital’s Cairn Cross launched Peak Pitch as a way for start-ups to pitch their companies to potential investors. The twist? The pitch takes place on a chairlift ride at Sugarbush each year. Alumni of Peak Pitch have grown into early-stage ventures such as Renoun skis and Powe. Snowboards.

“There’s a principle in business that the faster you can prototype, build, test and improve, the faster you can come up with a good product. In Vermont, it’s easy to do if you’re creating an outdoor product because we have so many experts in outdoor gear willing and ready to test,” says Cross.

In 2014 Cross took the Peak Pitch idea on the road—literally. Road Pitch is a sort of

Hell’s

Angels-meets-angel

investors

motorcycle tour of Vermont where the riders (mainly venture capitalists and successful entrepreneurs) meet with start-ups and listen to pitches in towns around the state.

And from 2018’s Road Pitch several new businesses are blossoming in the outdoor field, including SheFly. Here’s a sampling of what Vermont’s new entrepreneurs in the outdoor apparel industry are up to. Some of these companies may not be around in five years but the

MANA THREADS: EXERCISEWEAR WITH FLAIR

went on to get her MBA.

This year, Leme is taking a new

has to be a better way to do this.’”

However, "the corporate life wasn't

direction: “We’re going to be making our

That was in 2015. Shortly after, Edwards

really me," says Leme. After returning to

line here in the U.S. and using fabric that’s

developed the idea for SheFly, “a layerable

Brazil, she and her boyfriend (now husband)

not only recycled but also biodegradable,”

line of outdoor pants for women that allow

moved back to Vermont in 2008. "I loved

she says with pride. manathreads.com. –

them to easily relieve themselves outside,”

snowboarding, had started mountain bike

Lisa Lynn

as she describes it.

Edwards enrolled in MiddCore, a four-week

colors of Brazil so I started making my own

SHEFLY: SOLVING AN AGE-OLD PROBLEM

clothes."

Georgia Grace Edwards was working 10- to

and Sam Roach-Gerber. Over her winter

These days, Leme, now 42, is more

12-hour days as a guide on Juneau, Alaska’s

break, Edwards taught herself how to sew,

into surfing and stand-up paddleboarding.

Mendenhall Glacier when, as the only

and came back to campus with several pairs

Which explains why the newest shoot for

female guide, she noticed how the work

of snow pants, outfitted with zippers that

her clothing line, Mana Threads, took place

was different for her than for her male co-

went all the way around, from front to back.

at the Burlington Surf Club. The money

workers.

racing, and became a personal trainer," Leme recalls. "But I missed all the bright

Back at school at Middlebury College, course taught by VCET's David Bradbury

One of Edwards’ first class projects was

shot (below) shows the various elements of

To relieve herself on the glacier, Edwards

to develop a market survey. After receiving

her line–stretchy running tights, electric

had to trek across the ice field in her boots

more than 100 responses in less than 24

cycling shorts, bra tops and skorts.

and crampons, avoiding crevasses, until

hours, Edwards found that 25 percent of

Mana

Threads

started

out

as

a

young female adventurers she surveyed on

collaboration with her sister, who lives in

Middlebury’s campus had an "accident" in

Brazil. “I couldn’t find exercise gear here

the outdoors in the past year.

NOV./DEC. 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 25

Middlebury College entrepreneurs include SheFly's Georgia Edwards and Bianca Gonzalez (left) and Middlebury ski racer Eva Shaw, modeling her Overeasy HoodE (right).

Photo courtesy SheFly and Overeasy

“One in four grown women at Middlebury

School students,” reflected Shaw. “At our

College peed their pants in the past year

best, we could make four or five in an hour.”

because they couldn’t get their clothing out

Shaw said that each HoodE takes about

of the way in time or they couldn’t get to a

40 minutes to construct, start to finish. She

bathroom in time. It’s pretty crazy if you

continued like that, balancing orders and

think about it,” Edwards said.

sewing with school at Middlebury College,

So with the help of her co-founders,

until this past January, when she enrolled

fellow Middlebury College students, Bianca

in the Middlebury Entrepreneurs January

Gonzalez and climber and guide Charlotte

Term course. Like the SheFly gang, she got

Massey, Edwards set out to make SheFly a

coaching from VCET.

business. At first, she modified pants that

After hearing Shaw’s pitch, Bradbury

her friends and family members owned to

and Roach-Gerber advised that she go all in,

include wrap-around zippers. Now, she says,

hire seamstresses and launch a website.

In the first day that overeasy.co was

SheFly is trying to create pants of their own

up and running, the company did $1,300

design from start to finish.

“Pants were invented for men, and

in e-commerce sales. “We just had one

haven’t really been modified since then,”

seamstress and we didn’t even really have

she says. “We are tired of the shrink-it and

all the materials in hand,” said Shaw, who promptly hired more seamstresses and

pink-it strategy in women’s outdoor clothing design,” SheFly’s website reads.

Despite facing the challenges that come

Chelsea Camarata models the line of mountain bike gear she designed for herself and other women.

brought in classmate and family friend Meg

Photo courtesy Kaden/Ryan Bent

Collins to help out.

with starting a business while being a full-

now studying in the Czech Republic) but

class in seventh grade and over a break from

In September, 2018, Overeasy was one

time student, Edwards and her team have

still phone in for meetings. Massey is a

college in December 2016, experimented

of seven finalists out of 44 applicants in

received their fair share of accolades. In

senior and juggling finals with growing the

with making an over-the-helmet hood.

the Female Founders Start Here Challenge,

2018, SheFly won first place in Burlington’s

business.

The result was the first HoodE: a faux-fur

sponsored by VCET. As runner-up, Overeasy

“Soup” pitch competition, held at the

In the meantime, SheFly, which began

creation that rests on top of a skier’s jacket

(which recently trademarked its name) won

co-working space Study Hall Collective,

by making snow pants, has expanded into

and can be pulled up and over the helmet

$5,000. Starting this fall, most of Overeasy’s

and won second place in Middlebury

hiking gear and long underwear and is busy

while skiing or sitting on a chair lift. The

HoodEs will be made at Vermont Teddy Bear

Entrepreneurs’ Final Pitch Competition.

fulfilling its first major order: Middlebury

garment has drawstrings that let you pull

Company, which will allow the company

SheFly was the regional winner for Road

Outdoor Programs’ Equipment Room, which

it snug against a helmet so it stays on while

to produce several hundred products at a

Pitch and made it to the finals in Burlington

provides outdoor gear for college students

you ski. When the hood isn’t needed, the

time. No seamstresses have been laid off

on Oct. 17 where, according to Cross, they

to rent free of charge, has ordered 10 pairs

drawstrings can be loosened so the HoodE

as a result of this transition—Shaw plans to

earned the second-highest score, just shy of

of SheFly’s “Long Janes” long underwear.

inconspicuously falls to the shoulders to

keep them on board to spearhead product

winning the grand prize.

Sheflyapparel.com —Rachel Cohen

look like a fluffy tube scarf. There are also

prototyping and any custom orders.

Perhaps the most exciting competition:

fleece-lined flannel patterns available, as

For now, HoodEs can only be purchased

applications to be part of Title Nine’s

OVEREASY: SLOPE STYLE HOODS

“I wore it over my helmet at the

outdoor retail shops in the next year, or on

Movers and Makers Pitch Fest in the San

Eva Shaw grew up ski racing in Vermont so

mountain on a few really, really cold days,

the slopes at the Middlebury Snow Bowl.

Francisco Bay area. “We finished ninth, but

she knows cold. And cold was the inspiration

and people kept asking me where I got it. I

overeasy.co —Abagael Giles

the cool thing is Title Nine is interested in

for the Middlebury College student’s start-

thought, ‘Wow maybe there’s a market for

talking with us,” says Massey of the national

up, Overeasy.

this,'” Shaw said.

SheFly was chosen from more than 200

well as wind and waterproof models.

online, but look out for them in Vermont

KADEN: AN MTB LINE FOR WOMEN

Shaw, who raced alpine for Burke

With just her sewing machine and a

The SheFly team now has a patent

Mountain Academy, is from a family of

few yards of faux fur, Shaw launched an

Chelsea Camarata grew up in New York but

pending and hopes to create a Kickstarter

ski racers. Her father, Tiger Shaw, was an

Instagram account in 2016 and started

after graduating from Champlain College in

campaign

research

Olympian and now heads up U.S. Ski and

taking orders for HoodEs. Soon she was

2009, knew she wanted to stay in Vermont.

and development stage and pair with a

Snowboard and her relatives still operate

scrambling to keep up.

Then she got into mountain biking. That

manufacturer. Edwards and Gonzalez have

Shaw’s General Store in Stowe.

women’s apparel brand.

to

complete

the

graduated (Edwards is a Fulbright Fellow

26 VTSPORTS.COM | NOV./DEC. 2018

Eva learned to sew in a home economics

“I made over 175 HoodEs last winter

not only sealed the deal but gave her a new

with the help of two Green Mountain Valley

idea: “I quickly realized that it was really

is in its traditional position.

hard to find good mountain biking apparel for women that wasn’t really loud and that

“We’ve been starting slowly,” Segall

fit well.” So, she brushed up on her sewing

says, “doing all of our retail online and

skills and began designing jerseys for

direct to consumers.“ One thing that has

herself. “After a while, I got to where I had

helped is being in Vermont. “There’s a

something I really liked,” she remembers.

real commitment to buying local here and

She launched a Kickstarter campaign,

Vermont skiers are passionate and like to

which earned her $5,000, built a website

support their brands.” orsden.com –L.L.

and named her brand Kaden (“kind of like

JERRY OF THE DAY: RESPECTING THE SEND

the cadence on a bike,” she says).

Now in its first year, Kaden has about 350 jerseys for sale and will come out with

Some people have learned how to make

a pair of cycling shorts for 2019. “These are

money by looking good on Instagram.

designed for women mountain bikers,” says

Burlington’s Colton Hardy has made money

Camarata. “They have lots of articulated

by looking bad, or at least hilariously goofy.

areas so they move with you and don’t ride up and gussets under the arm to reduce

UVM buds, Geoff McDonald and Chris James launched Ski the East and now, Eastward Photo courtesy Ski The East

“I never really had a plan from the beginning,” says Hardy, founder of Jerry of

chafing.” The colors and styling are simple

the Day. The website started off as a joke.

and muted. “I wanted something you could

Hardy was ski racing for the University of

wear out after cycling too, say if you grab a

Vermont alpine team when teammate Tim

beer with a friend,” she says.

Kelley (of the Cochran-Kelly ski racing dynasty) brought four pairs of boots to test

The line has already been picked up by

one day but forgot his shin guards.

three shops (Earl’s Cyclery in Williston, Waterbury Sports and the Village Sport

Hardy took a photo of Kelley and

Shop in Lyndonville) but Camarata, who

uploaded it to Facebook with the caption

has worked in digital marketing for Dealer.

“Jerry of the Day.” That was in 2012.

com and now Vermont Bicycle Tours, also

Since then, Hardy has made a practice of

hopes to sell direct through her site. Putting

uploading anything that strikes him as goofy

her MBA from Southern New Hampshire

(jeans and football jerseys on the slopes, fur

University to work, she wears just about

and most anything with an animal print),

every hat in the company–from design to

reckless, inept, or simply funny to his blog

marketing. kadenapparel.com —Lisa Lynn

and to Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

SKIDA: HATS AND MORE FOR ATHLETES

ski suits with goggles on upside down,

There are photos of people in one-piece

If there’s one person that the founders of SheFly and HoodE can look to as a role model, it’s Corinne Prevot, 28. In 2006, Prevot, a Nordic racer, started stitching together stretchy fleece-lined hats for her teammates at Burke Mountain Academy.

By the time she graduated from Middlebury College in 2013, Prevot had founded Skida (Swedish for “snow").

This past May, she made Forbes magazine's national list of "30 Under 30 in Manufacturing" and was also featured in Outside magazine. Prevot’s hats are ubiquitous now, often seen on the heads of Nordic Olympic team members.

Prevot, who is based in Burlington, frequently travels to Nepal where she sources the cashmere for her new line—and gets some mountain biking in when she can.

In 2011, she received an order from a man who wanted to give 12 hats to his wife, who was undergoing cancer treatment, and her medical team. Instead of selling the hats, Prevot came up with the Skida Plus One concept, which allows customers to use a Plus One checkout code to help send an extra hat to a patient at one of eight cancer hospitals around the country. In 2017, Skida sold more than 100,000 Vermont-made products, Forbes reports. skida.com —L.L.

Colton Hardy and Lindsay Laird came up with"Jerry" wear, after Jerry of the Day took off. Photo courtesy Jerry of the Day

videos of skiers crashing into liftlines at high speed, gear blowing off roof racks and plenty of big sends… that didn’t quite make it. Jerry

ORSDEN: AFFORDABLE SKI WEAR

has also extended into other seasons. Recent footage (or footy, as Jerry would say) shows

Recently, Orsden founder Sarah Segall

a news anchor doing a live report, oblivious

was walking down the streets of New York

to an ATV that crosses the road behind her…

City when she spied someone in one of her

and flips.

ski jackets. “Of course, I ran up to them

Hardy now gets nearly 300 submissions

and asked them how they liked it—and the

a day and has more than 2,300 Instagram

response was all positive,” she says. For the

posts and 1.4 million followers.

past three years, Sarah and her husband

Early on, Hardy started selling t-shirts

Steven have been building Orsden, what

with the motto "Respect the Send." That’s

she calls an “affordable” ski-wear brand, as

morphed into a whole line of ironically goofy

a direct-to-consumer business from their

gear. “It’s gear that you would get as a gift,”

home near Stratton, Vt.

says Hardy—things like a purple fanny pack

The line features men’s and women’s

with skiers all over it, a sweatshirt designed

jackets and pants—all made with technical,

Sarah Segall of Stratton models her Orsden jacket.

four-way stretch materials—in muted colors.

Photo courtesy Orsden

to look like an ugly Christmas sweater.

realized there was an opportunity for a

people are ordering things like the Send-o-

new line of ski wear. “I heard so often from

Vision glasses, then wearing them in photos

other women they were constantly cold,” she

and videos and doing something stupid just

says. Instead of creating another puffy, boxy

so they can be featured as Jerry of the Day,”

jacket, she worked with designers to create

says Hardy.

“I like a slimmer profile when skiing,” says Sarah, “but I found a lot of the slim profile jackets and pants just didn’t flex or move and they were expensive.”

Segall, a 2007 Dartmouth grad, and Steven met at Columbia Business School where they were both pursuing MBA programs. Steven had been a ski racer, Sarah an avid skier. She went on to work for a variety of high-profile retail and apparel companies including Revlon, Berluti, The Jones Group and Hermes.

Segall grew up skiing at Stratton and

“It’s almost become this meta thing:

a tailored one, with a unique attribute: a

Behind all of this funny business, Hardy

zipper that goes diagonally across the body,

has managed to make enough to create a

finishing on one side of a high neck. “This

full-time job for himself and his girlfriend

allowed us to create that great high neckline

Linsday Laird, who helped design the first

that you can snuggle your face down into

t-shirts. A team of designers now churns out

when it’s cold,” she says. The men’s version

more than 40 items, but Hardy has final say

also has a high neck and hood, but the zipper

as to what gets sold. jerryoftheday.net –L.L.

NOV./DEC. 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 27

SKI THE EAST: BORN FROM ICE, RAISED IN NEW ENGLAND This month, you’ll see something new

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dropping from Ski The East, and it’s not another ski video showing sick lines and big

Turtle Fur Hats

air. Nor is it another hoody with the nowfamous Ski The East logo. No, it’s a new line of apparel– “Eastward,” described as

Concept2 ergs

a “an outdoor lifestyle brand designed with a sense of place; inspired by the unique weather, terrain and history of Eastern North America.” The line is being sewn in India by Fair Trade-certified factories and will use organic and recycled materials.

“We’re committed to environmental, social, and

sustainable

pursuits,”

says

Chris

"Rooster" James.

Eastward is the latest way that James and his business partner and buddy Geoff McDonald

have

managed

to

reinvent

themselves in what could be called one of New England’s longest-running (and only) apparel/action sports film start-ups.

Dion Snowshoes

“Born from Ice,” is the tagline that often appears on the more than 600 SKUs (items) that have come out of the Williston offices of Ski the East. It’s also been the inspiration, for all that the two friends have produced in the last 14 years. “We met as freshmen at UVM,” says James, “and just started skiing together, filming each other and doing crazy things. We’re both from the East Coast and no one was really celebrating East Coast skiing.”

“Natural Force,” their first official film

Dodge Boots

produced under their Meathead label, played to a standing-room only crowd of about 350 at UVM’s CC theater. Within a few years, they were touring films to more than

Renoun Citadel Skis

50 locations around New England and had lined up sponsors such as Subaru, Eastern Mountain Sports, Head Skis, Ben & Jerry’s, Clif Bar and others. “When I told my dad this is what I wanted to do after college he told me, “You’re living a pipe dream–it will never work,” James recalls. “Yeah Dad, that’s right I’m living the dream…” he remembers

Adirondack Guide Boat: heirloom, handcrafted rowboats

Louis Garneau: cycling gear from Canada, made in Newport, Vt.

saying.

Budnitz Bicycles: High-end belt-drive titanium bicycles

Mad River Rocket: sleds you can steer like a canoe

Burton: snowboards and apparel, Anon goggles and helmets

Norton: classic toboggans

their films, they began distributing the now-

Clustas: magnetic weight balls

Orvis: fly-fishing gear and apparel

ubiquitous Ski the East bumper stickers.

Concept2: rowing, cycling and ski ergs and oars

PowderJet: build-your-own snowboards

As the college buddies began touring

It didn’t take long for the stickers to

Darn Tough: socks with a lifetime guarantee

Powe. Snowboards: craft snowboards with eco-friendly design

morph into a brand and a brand to morph

Dion: performance snowshoes for running and racing

Renoun: carbon skis with hyper-damping technology

into a clothing line. In 2015, they opened

Dodge Boots: custom-fit carbon fiber ski boots

Rome SDS: snowboards, bindings and accessories

a retail shop but soon realized the traffic

Hammerhead Sleds: performance sleds

Silo: hand-crafted, custom made skis

wasn’t there. Where it was, was online: With

Height of Land Publications: Backcountry, Cross-Country Skier,

Snurfer/Vew-Do: the precursor to the snowboard, and

more than 90,000 followers on Instagram

Mountain Flyer and The Alpinist magazines

Vew-Do balance boards

they had a solid market.

Hemetic Trading Co.: Backpacks and luggage

Terry: cycling apparel, saddles and accessories for women

J Skis: limited edition, hand-signed skis

Turtle Fur: hats, headwear and accessories

Julbo: The French maker of goggles and sport glasses has its

Untapped: maple-based all-natural athletic fuel

U.S. headquarters in Williston, Vt.

Warren Pieces: handcrafted wood longboards and skateboards

KneeBinding: ski bindings designed to save ACLs

WhiteRoom: custom-crafted wood skis

And that’s a market they hope to extend with Eastward. skitheeast.net –L.L

Kombi: gloves, mittens and base layers that know cold

28 VTSPORTS.COM | NOV./DEC. 2018

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ENDGAME

7 MOUNTAINS I DID NOT CONQUER

IF YOU WANT TO QUIET YOUR INNER-ALEX HONHOLD (AND EXTINGUISH ANY URGE TO FREECLIMB EL CAPITAN), JUST READ THIS. BY LEATH TONINO

A

uthor Leath Tonino has shoveled snow in Antarctica, worked as a

Sometimes, the view from below is better than summiting. Here, Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada. Photo by Mark Cort

wildlife biologist in Arizona,

and has skied, paddled, biked and hiked the length of Vermont. But there are a few things he hasn’t done—namely, climb (most of these) mountains.

1. MOUNT EREBUS, ANTARCTICA It’s the world’s southernmost active volcano, a hulking ice monster with a beating magmatic heart. Need I say more? Okay, I’ll say more. I was working for the United States Antarctic Program at the time, and my superiors—who were many—kept telling me that I was at The Bottom of The World to shovel snow, not go on adventures. They explained that should I wander from the station, drawn heavenward by the promise of soul-purifying solitude or “whatever it is dudes like you [me] get off on,” my contract would be terminated, and I would be sent home. On top of that, they said, I would die.

The volcano seemed to confirm this last part.

2. LA PLATA PEAK, COLORADO Chris remembered his ice axe but forgot his boots. And his pants. It was early December and our objective was the Ellingwood Ridge, two miles of confused jaggedness topped with a foot of fresh snow—horribly exposed, horribly loose, not for the faint of heart or, in our case, the faint of preparedness.

Delicately, ever so delicately, I picked a line through the chaos. My stylish partner followed in tennis shoes and boxers worn over long underwear tights. The boxers were paisley patterned. A third of the way across we were forced to bail down a steep gully, not that I blame anybody or anything.

3. SGÙRR NAN GILLEAN, SCOTLAND “It’s only a wee scramble,” my guide Eliot said, then repeated it again as if I hadn’t heard him the first time, although he knew I had.

We were stuck on a small ledge in the rain on the Isle of Skye’s Pinnacle Ridge. The rock: sharp, black gabbro. The rain: increasing.

The surrounding peaks: terrifying names like Sgùrr Dearg and Basteir Tooth. I replied that there was nothing wee about the situation. Eliot, a mostly drunk, mostly chain-smoking, mostly fearless Glaswegian, said that I was being wee. It took many pints at the pub that evening to resolve this difference of opinion.

4. MOUNT RITTER, CALIFORNIA

feet from the edge of a 100-foot cliff; having

7. CAMEL’S HUMP, VERMONT

Of his first ascent, back in 1872, John Muir

tiptoed around black bears; having lost

She’s my personal Mount Everest, my

wrote the following: “After gaining a point

ourselves in a haunted alpine fog; having

Sagarmatha,

about half-way to the top, I was brought to

edged up to insanity at the relentless behest

Goddess Mother of the World. The first

a dead stop, with arms outspread, clinging

of mosquito hoards; having run out of food,

time I climbed her I was five years old and

close to the face of the rock, unable to move

courage and hope (in that order), we finally

accompanied by my father and sister. Since

hand or foot either up or down. My doom

reached the lake that led to the glacier that

then, I’ve stood atop her summit in snow and

appeared fixed. I must fall. There would be a

led to the peak. The peak we’d circled on our

rain and brightness, alone and with friends,

moment of bewilderment, and then a lifeless

maps a lifetime ago. The peak we no longer

in the company of dogs and wild birds, in

rumble . . . .” Sure, old, squirrely J.M. lived

cared to climb.

all seasons and moods. I’ve sipped from her

to tell the tale, but let’s recall that this was

Chomolungma,

my

springs and gulped down her clouds; I’ve

a man known for climbing Douglas firs in

6. MIDDLE TETON, WYOMING

eaten of her mossy, ferny flesh. I’ve slept

windstorms and rambling for weeks on end

There was ice in the couloir at 12,100 feet

with her, laughed with her, learned from her,

with only bread and tea for fuel. Anyway, I

and I had no crampons, nothing better than

suffered by her again and again and again.

was on a backpacking trip with my lovely

a sharp rock for a self-arrest. I retreated to

I’ve been up there, that’s all I’m saying.

girlfriend Sophia. Who needs “lifeless

a lower meadow and consoled my thwarted

But conquer her? Conquer Camel’s Hump?

rumble” when you’ve got “mac n’ cheese and

ambition with a long snooze in the sun.

Hardly. If anything, she has conquered me.

cuddling?”

When I awoke, there were marmots and pale blue butterflies flew like snowflakes around

5. MOUNT TOM TAYLOR, BRITISH COLUMBIA

me. I was held in the embrace of alpenglow. I

Having bushwhacked 60 miles of hellacious

was wrapped in the joy of a plan abandoned,

thicket; having watched one member of our

a desire released and forgotten. It was a joy,

party tumble down a slope and stop three

I thought then and still think now, that no summit could ever grant.

34 VTSPORTS.COM | NOV./DEC. 2018

my

Contributing editor Leath Tonino is the author of The Animal One Thousand Miles Long: Seven Lengths of Vermont and Other Adventures. This essay originally appeared in Orion.

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