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Mountaineering in Morocco First Tracks in Antarctica Adventure Dog Contest Winners
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NEW ENGLAND’S OUTDOOR MAGAZINE ON THE COVER: Justin Pill took the winning "Adventure Dog Contest" shot of his wife Carrie and their two dogs, Bear and Luna, on the Slate Valley Trails near Poultney, Vt.
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Vermonter Aaron Gould-Kavet dreamed of skiing Morocco's Atlas Mountains. Here's how he made that happen—see page 22. Photo courtesy Aaron Gould Kavet
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5 The Start
15
The places you want to see before they die.
Four new pieces of gear with great stories behind them.
Bucket List Adventures
7 News
10 Spooktacular Races
Celebrate Halloween with one of these costume races and rides.
Gear
Origin Stories
16
Feature
Skiing Antarctica
9 News
Extreme skiing legend and Sugarbush fixture John Egan guides the ultimate adventure trip.
Stratton's new downhill park and more.
22 Feature
13 Nutrition
What Vermonter Aaron GouldKavet found when he set out to
What's Up Around Vermont
Under Fueled and Over Worked?
First Tracks in Morocco
ski the Atlas Mountains.
Why cutting calories isn't always the answer.
29 Feature
The Dogs We Love
Meet the winners of our 2019 Adventure Dog Photo Contest.
33 Reader Athlete The Mountain Runner
Why you should keep an eye on Heidi Caldwell.
34
Calendar Race & Event Guide
42 Endgame Blessings
World class athlete Karen Newman faces the greatest challenge and finds strength in gratitude.
ADVERTISERS! The deadline for the Nov./Dec. issue of Vermont Sports is October 18. Contact ads@vtsports.com today to reserve your space.
OCTOBER 2019 | VTSPORTS.COM 3
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THE START
Waterbury Waterbury
YOUR BUCKET LIST? THE PLACES TO SEE BEFORE THEY DIE.
G
rowing up in Williamstown, just south of Barre, Aaron GouldKavet was home-schooled. He ski raced at Mount Mansfield Academy, earned a degree in sustainable development at Hampshire College and headed out west to ski bum at Alta, Utah. Then, after what might seem like the typical trajectory for a Vermont-raised ski bum, his life took a hard left turn. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve dreamed of Morocco,” he said when we met about eight months ago, on one of his trips back to Vermont. More than just dream, Gould-Kavet learned Arabic, moved to Morocco and befriended a local mountain guide, Ahmed Achou, moving into his guest house or “gite,” living with his family and getting to know and understand the local customs and culture of the Berbers or Amazigh. Somewhere in that journey, perhaps as he skinned across the snowfields that look out across the Sahara desert, GouldKavet evolved from ski-bum world traveler into an activist. In this issue, Gould-Kavet tells the story of his travels and the plight of the people he befriended in Morocco, and will be showing “Amazigh,” the movie he made, on Nov. 16th at Rabble Rouser in Montpelier. It’s as much a documentary about how climate change is impacting a local culture as it is an adventure ski film. As Gould-Kavet watches the snowpack recede from the Atlas Mountains, the people he befriended there are also seeing their farms dry up. As Gould-Kavet writes: “Moun-
Penguins may soon be a rare sight, even in Antarctica, as their numbers dwindle.
tain tourism can sustain these vulnerable communities, but it can also change them beyond recognition. It can help farmers weather the effects of climate change, yet travel is itself a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions (the global tourism industry accounts for 5.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions). It can incentivize environmental preservation, reducing, for example, overgrazing and logging, but it also brings with it graffiti, trash, human waste and other pollutants.” That dichotomy is also apparent in our other adventure destination story in this issue, “Skiing Antarctica.” Sugarbush’s Chief Recreation Officer John Egan and Richmond-raised filmmaker and photographer Tyler Wilkinson-Ray traveled to Antarctica a year ago with Ice Axe Expeditions. It was a recreational trip, designed to let 100 or so avid skiers set down tracks on a continent few people see. Organizer Doug Stoup has been guiding trips to the Arctic and Antarctic for many years – both adventure trips and scientific expeditions— and been on the front lines of climate change. As you read this, a block of ice twice the size of Manhattan is cracking away from the continent and penguin colonies are collapsing. So why add to the problem? Why inflate your carbon footprint by flying thousands of miles to visit these places? Perhaps to serve as a witness, to bring back stories of what we could lose and share the urgency, so eloquently expressed by activist Greta Thunberg this past September, that countries and businesses need to act to save our planet. The book, 1,000 Places to Visit Before You Die is on my bedstand. Maybe it’s time for a sequel: 1,000 Places to Visit Before They Die. If there is one person who has seized the most out her time on this planet, it is triathlete Karen Newman of Charlotte. We have written about her struggles with recurring cancers and her refusal to let that stop her several times. In this issue she tells the unpublished story of her most recent and, sadly, possibly her last, big victory in her age group at the National Championships in aquathlon. Her essay “Blessings,” p. 44, is an inspiring and heartbreaking story and one we can all learn from. —Lisa Lynn, Editor
@prohibitionpig @prohibitionpig
Fall adventures await
Photos by Tyler Wilkinson-Ray
YOU
OCTOBER 2019 | VTSPORTS.COM 5
NEWS
I
10 SPOOKTACULAR RACES FOR HALLOWEEN
AS THE DAYS SHORTEN AND THE LEAVES START TO TURN, WHAT BETTER WAY TO DIVE INTO AUTUMN THAN WITH ONE OF THESE SPUNKY COSTUME RACES OR RIDES? WE PROMISE YOU’LL HAVE FUN—IF YOU MAKE IT. BY ABAGAEL GILES end-of-ride party with free Folino’s pizza, a dance party and portraits, with prizes for best group, most clever, scariest, best use of bicycle and best kids’ costume. facebook.com/BTVHalloweenride
t’s a trope: in the case of a zombie apocalypse, where do the survivors escape to? Vermont? In Danville this fall, you can try your hand at escaping real, live local zombies in the Zombie 5K. Head north to Newport for the infamous Vampire Swim in Lake Memphremagog (only vampires could endure such cold water) or swing over to Warren for the Trick or Trot 5K. And, if you’re looking to break any records for running long distances in a costume, check out the Nor’Witch Halloween half marathon, marathon and ultramarathon from Nor’East Trails.
Black River Beatdown, Craftsbury Common, Oct 27
Head for the woods of Craftsbury Outdoor Center in this challenging 15K, 30K or 45K trail race on a 15K loop course. This race is hosted by Ironwood Adventure Works, the same crew that puts on the Catamount Ultra and other races across the state. The rolling course features a mix of doubletrack and singletrack, skirting Great Hosmer Pond and the Black River. Costumes are highly encouraged, and the race can be run as a 45K relay. Postrace, expect a bonfire, hot drinks, great food and a costume contest. Keep an eye out for members of the U.S. Nordic Team at the start line. ironwoodadventureworks.com
Ooky Spooky 5K Benefit Race, Burlington, Oct. 19
Take a spooktacular trail run through Rock Point School’s stunning waterfront campus on a mix of singletrack, dirt road, the Burlington Bike Path and the beach. Prizes will be awarded to those with the best costume (as well as the best time in each race category) and proceeds benefit the Committee on Temporary Shelter. This one is kid-friendly. rockpointvt.org
The Inaugural Danville Zombie 5K, Danville, Oct. 19
“The goal of this race is not to achieve the fastest time, the goal of this race is to survive!” write the organizers. Runners 13 and older follow a course through the woods of northern Vermont while encountering “a terrifying array of the finest zombies Danville has to offer.” Just like in flag football, each runner is given a belt with three flags at the start line. Each flag represents a life, and the goal is to protect those lives from the zombies scattered along the course who will try to take them from you. Crossing the finish line with at least one life remaining means you have survived. Lose all your flags? Your fate is sealed. danvillezombie5k.com
Halloween Hustle 5K, Essex Junction, Oct. 26
Head to Essex for this certified 5K road race. Costumes are highly encouraged and prizes will be awarded to the fastest runners as well as the most-decked-out runners for best costume. A kids' race will follow the 5K at Maple Street Park. essexhalf.com
The Vampire Swim, Newport, Oct. 26
Kingdom Games hosts a ghoulish vampire party at the Newport City Dock as part of a global blood drive by cold water swimmers. To participate, you
5th Annual Mad River Valley Trick or Trot 5K, Warren, Oct. 27 You never know who you'll run into at the annual Halloween Ride in Burlington. Photo courtesy Burlington Parks and Rec.
must give blood within six weeks of the event, find a surrogate to give blood for you or donate $25 to the Red Cross at registration. Then, at 2 p.m., brave, costumed souls will take the plunge into chilly Lake Memphremagog and swim 25 to 100 meters. Be sure to catch Newport’s Halloween Monster Bash, which features costume contests, a ghost walk parade and more. kingdomgames.co
Halloween Running Scared 5K, Rutland, Oct. 26
This feel-good family 5K is the perfect Halloween event for kids. Held annually the morning of Rutland’s Halloween parade, kids and families run in costume through the decorated streets of downtown Rutland as community members watch from their porches and cheer them on. “Last year, everyone was costumed from head-to-toe,” says organizer Brittany Malmgren. “Even the jog strollers were decked out.” Prizes for best costume will be awarded after the race. Stick around for Rutland’s 60th Halloween Parade. rutlandrec.com/races
Wicked Creepy Cyclocross Race, Bennington, Oct. 27
For the last 13 years, the Wicked Creepy Cyclocross race has been a pilgrimage of sorts for cyclocross diehards across New England. Hosted by the Bennington Area Trail System and Peak Racing Gear Works Cyclery, the course features plenty of grass and natural obstacles and is timed to coincide with some great fall foliage in Southern Vermont. This year, thanks to hard work by BATS’ “Wicked Creepy Crew,” the course includes a few “spooky” challenges like the vast sand pit in the middle. There are a host of race categories for men and women, as well as for juniors, and a short course for little kids (those under nine race free). The race is the third of four races in the 2019 NY Cross series. If competitive cyclocross is not for you, join for the free costume lap. You never know what’s going to happen in the throes of a cyclocross race and that’s half the fun of the sport. batsvt.org
10th Annual Halloween Ride, Burlington, Oct. 27
Join hundreds of radically costumed riders for a Halloween party on wheels through the streets of the Queen City. It’s a three-mile meandering ride around town, followed by a costume contest and
Each Halloween weekend for the last four years, the tiny village of Warren has turned out to transform their hamlet into a spooky destination—all for the sake of the Warren School. Costumes are encouraged in this 5K walk or run through the spook-ified village and over its covered bridge, with live music and Halloween fun (look out for unicorns and ghouls) along the way. Celebrate at the finish with Halloween games, a kids’ fun run and wood-fired pies from Open Hearth Pizza. madrivervalley.com
Nor’Witch Halloween Half’Witch, Full’Witch & Ultra’Witch, Norwich, Oct 28.
The little town of Norwich gets a little spooky with this beautiful, rolling costume race hosted by Nor’East Trails. All distances—full, half and ultramarathon— feature a single-loop course on a combination of paved and dirt roads. The half marathon features 1,400 feet of elevation gain, the full marathon features 3,050, and the Ultra features 3,550 feet of elevation gain. Runners and “Zombie Walkers,” as walkers are referred to, will find both “Dead” and “Undead” aid stations every couple of miles along each route. Undead stations are staffed and may offer hot cocoa and cider in addition to the usual race snacks, while dead aid stations are self-serve. Run in costume for a chance to win Spirit of the Witch and Best Costume. netrailruns.com
OCTOBER 2019 | VTSPORT S.COM 7
Osprey Mira 32 L with Hydraulics 2.5 L
GEAR CHECK | HIKING HYDRATION
Reliable (Re)Source Water is fluid, but getting a handle on better ways
has integrated into all of its flexible bottles and
to haul it while hiking is the type of trailworthy
reservoirs. To save cubic space this material also
innovation that fires up our inner gear nerd. We’ve
collapses to minimal volume for easier packing
seen hundreds of bottles, backpacks, bladders and
when empty—a huge benefit when repacking an
even buckets over the years—but what is really
overstuffed pack. And, for even more space-saving
making a difference in our trail packs boils down
convenience, many of their bottles’ caps can be
improvements in durability and compressibility.
swapped with the Katadyn BeFree filter that turns
The big change in the former is lightweight, durable
lakes and streams into safe, drinkable backcountry
TPU—the outer coating on bombproof base
water sources.
camp duffels—that hydration leader HydraPak
Katadyn BeFree Water Filter fits all Seeker models Plug-N-Play Cap Kit fits all Seeker models
Stash 1 L expanded and collapsed
Seeker 3 L
NEWS
Zeke Neubauer testing out Stratton's handcarved flow trails. Photo by Ali Kaukas
STRATTON GOES DOWNHILL…AND UPHILL It’s been a long time coming but in August, Stratton Mountain Resort cut the ribbon on its first lift-served mountain bike trails. “They’re really fun, flowy and well-built,” says gravel and mountain biking pro Kris Dennan, who has worked on Stratton's trails and Nordic center. Morrisville’s Brooke Scatchard of Sinuousity Trails hand-built the trails to minimize environmental impact. You can rent one of a variety of Trek full-suspension bikes (and even an e-bike) at the base. Then take the American Express six-pack chair up. As part of Phase one Scatchard has laid out a half dozen trails that cover 4.6 miles, ranging from the gentle greens following Grizzly Access, to intermediate trails with some switchbacks, to expert trails with banks and berms. To celebrate the opening, the resort is offering a fourpack of tickets (normally $25 apiece) for $75. The park is open FridaySunday for the first two weekends of the month and then on October 14. If uphill running is more your type of thing, run up Stratton mountain (and get some of the best foliage views around), in The North Face Race to the Top on October 13. The course is all up, covering 2.18 miles and climbing 2,003 vertical feet from the base to the summit. There’s a $500 prize for the overall winner with equal prize money for men and women as well as cash and other prizes for the runners up and age
group winners. Stick around after for the Indigo Girls concert that evening. And if you are really, really into running uphill, stay all week and see what it’s like to run up Mt. Everest … sort of. On Thursday, October 17 29029 comes to Stratton. The event, which also takes place in Snowbasin, Utah, challenges athletes to run or hike 29,029 feet of uphill vertical (taking the gondola down) over the space of three days. In 2018, 130 people completed
the full distance, doing 17 laps up the mountain, climbing 1,750 vertical feet over 1.3 miles with each lap and then downloading on the gondola. The event organizers set up a “base camp” at the base with glamping tents, catered meals and bands. The 2019 event is sold out but you can sign up now for 2020. Winter Wondergrass, the traveling ski-town bluegrass festival that came to Stratton last December is back but moved its winter dates to April 10-11, 2020.
However, on October 26, the organizers offer a preview concert, “Caravan to Wondergrass” at Earth Sky Time farm, a third-generation family farm and woodfired bakery in Manchester. Catch Andy Falco of The Infamous Stringdusters, Saints and Liars and Terrible Mountain String Band as you sample the pizzas and breads Earth Sky Time Farm serves up. Tickets are $10 and if you compete in the costume contest, you may win tickets to Winter Wondergrass.
KILLINGTON’S “BIKE” ACADEMY This September, Killington Mountain School announced plans to roll out a new competitive downhill mountain bike program— the first of its kind anywhere. Vermont is a natural place to pioneer such a program as the state is already home to some of the best cyclists in the world, including cross country Olympic mountain biker Lea Davison and Pittsfield native and downhiller Mazie Hayden, who recently raced in the World Championships for the U.S. team. KMS is tasking local coach and former motocrosss and MTB pro rider Jason DiDomenico to oversee the new downhill program. Meanwhile, Stowe native Elle Anderson, who finished eighth in the 2018 World Cyclocross Championships, is also joining KMS
Raised as a ski racer in Stowe, Elle Anderson has become one of the best American cyclocross riders on the highly competitive European pro circuit. Now, she's coming back home to Vermont. Courtesy photo.
as head coach for the endurance cycling program. Anderson, a former ski racer, has spent the past few years
competing in cyclocross in Europe and racing for the U.S. Team.
OCTOBER 2019 | VTSPORT S.COM 9
NEWS NO EASY MILE
The Talent's got kid—and will be bringing them to the new venue at Burton this fall.
Photo courtesy Talent
TALENT FINDS A NEW HOME This December, Talent Skatepark is coming back to Burlington with a brand new location at Burton Snowboards’ South End campus. Talent Skatepark was the place where kids in the Burlington area went to skateboard, 360 days a year, for 17 years. The park, run by Hannah Deene Wood and her husband, skatepark builder David Wood, became a hangout for skaters and attracted stars such as Chris “Cookie” Colbourn, who went on to be featured in a number of movies. But in 2018, facing financial pressures, the couple had to close. “I went into this deep depression,” says Hannah. “But then a few parents of some of the Talent kids got together and pulled me out of it and said, hey we have to restart this.” At the time, Burton was looking for something to do with its nearly 10,000 square feet of empty warehouse space in Burlington. “It was a perfect fit,” says Hannah. This December, Talent will re-open in the Burton space as a nonprofit.
After losing seven friends to opioid addiction in Vermont over the course of three years, West Bolton ultrarunner and auto-mechanic Phil LaCroix launched “Enough is Enough.” His goal? To run all 273 miles of the Long Trail in ten days and raise $50,000 for sober housing in Vermont. LaCroix set out on his run in the summer of 2018. This Oct. 2, a documentary about his journey is set to premier at Arts Riot in Burlington. The film, made by Rupplebon Productions, follows LaCroix through his run and uses his experience as a platform to talk about addiction in Vermont. It features interviews with family members of those lost, addiction experts and people who are thriving and recovered, plus music by local Vermont artists. The event at Arts Riot will feature a Q & A with LaCroix, the film’s producers and members of the recovery community, with proceeds going to “Enough is Enough.” facebook.com/ events/2406408812965049
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NUTRITION
T
here are few things more satisfying after a tough workout than glancing at your watch or odometer and gauging how many calories you’ve torched with your efforts. Undue gym selfies and “humble brags” on social media are a testament to how much we love a good calorie burn session. In addition to taking great satisfaction in the calories we expend, we also tend to agonize over the calories we consume. Taking in too many calories is a constant worry for those trying to lose or maintain their weight. For athletes who are trying to improve their speed by reaching their “ideal” racing weight, the oft-touted “calories in versus calorie out” can quickly become a recipe for excessive exercise and under-eating. Instead of a performance boon, this often has the opposite effect, leaving athletes run-down and injured and can even compromise their longterm health. Low energy availability (LEA) occurs when energy consumed is exceeded by energy expended through exercise and lifestyle, resulting in short-term or long-term caloric deficits. LEA may be the result of intentional dieting—a means to achieve a lower body weight for aesthetics or competition, or it may be due to an eating disorder. This is especially true in sports like track and field, distance running, biking and triathlon where low body weight confers a performance advantage. In athletes, LEA can also be unintentional due to the large energy demands of high-volume training. Ironically, this is more prevalent among athletes committed to eating healthy. The staples of a “healthy” diet tend to be lower in energy-density, making it difficult for athletes to eat enough to support their elevated energy expenditure. LEA in athletes has historically been seen as an issue primarily affecting females. The “Female Athlete Triad,” a syndrome characterized by irregular menstruation, low energy availability and low bone density, has been widely studied, particularly in female endurance athletes. However, LEA and the resulting negative performance and health affects impact men as well. In fact, one study found clinical LEA in 58 percent of male endurance athletes compared to 51 percent of female endurance athletes. In recognition of this finding, Relative Energy Deficiency
12 VTSPORTS.COM | OCTOBER 2019
UNDER-FUELED AND OVERWORKED?
IF YOU’RE CONSISTENTLY BURNING MORE CALORIES THAN YOU ARE EATING, YOU COULD BE SETTING YOURSELF UP FOR FAILURE AS AN ATHLETE, WEIGHT GAIN AND INJURY. BY JAMIE SHEAHAN, M.S., R.D.
A 2018 study of 50 competitive cyclists found that those with LEA were less responsive to training.
in Sports (RED-S) syndrome is now a more inclusive term to identify the LEA that can alter metabolism, hormones, bone health, immunity, protein synthesis and cardiovascular and psychological health. To understand why LEA can be so detrimental to health and performance, it is first helpful to grasp where this imbalance stems from. Everyone, athlete or not, has unique energy requirements. There are three components that determine one’s daily energy needs: basal metabolic rate, thermic effect of food and physical activity. Basal metabolic rate is the energy our body requires to perform the basic functions of living such as breathing, circulation and thermal regulation. Basal metabolic rate is affected by a number of factors out of our control— age, genetics, gender and hormones— as well as those that we can influence, including skeletal muscle mass, caffeine
LEA and the resulting negative performance and health affects impact men as well. In fact, one study found clinical LEA in 58 percent of male endurance athletes compared to 51 percent of female endurance athletes. intake and environmental temperature. Metabolic rate can be estimated using predictive equations or measured in a laboratory setting.
Thermic effect of food is simply the calories required to digest and absorb the food we consume. Its relative contribution to our total daily energy needs is so negligible that it is rarely accounted for. Physical activity is the most highly variable when it comes to predicting one’s energy needs as it can range from just a few hundred calories for a sedentary individual to thousands of calories for those engaging in highvolume or high-intensity training. When our energy intake is mismatched with our energy requirements we will either gain weight (if consuming more calories than we require), or lose weight (if consuming fewer calories than we require). Logic would suggest that the fewer calories we consume and/or the more we burn off, the faster we lose weight. Not so much. From an evolutionary perspective our bodies don’t like losing weight.
Extra body fat was essential for survival when food was scarce for our huntergatherer ancestors. Thus, our bodies are designed to hold on to body fat and burn fewer calories when there is too great a disparity between our intake and expenditure. This is just one of many adaptations that kick in when our calorie consumption gets too low. Although the physiological impacts of LEA are still not fully understood, what we have found so far is hardly desirable. To start with, both men and women experience a reduction in sex hormones. In females this can result in irregular periods and reduced fertility. Less is known about what hormonal repercussions exist for males with LEA, however lower testosterone levels have been measured in endurance male athletes with LEA. Low testosterone levels are associated with reduced muscle mass and fatigue; hardly ideal outcomes for male athletes. These reduced hormone levels also negatively impact bone health in both males and females. This is particularly concerning for athletes participating in impact sports like running where bone stress injuries are common. Studies have shown that bone mineral density, a measure of bone health, is lower in male and female runners with
Not eating enough can actually slow down your metabolism.
lower body weights. Perhaps more concerning is that independent of bone mineral density, athletes with lower testosterone levels had a greater risk for bone stress injuries. Runners aren’t alone in their concerns over bone health. Numerous studies have found that cycling, a non-weight bearing sport, can also be associated with lower bone mineral density. LEA likely compounds this effect. In a 2018 study of 50 competitive cyclists, researchers found that those with LEA had the lowest bone mineral density of the group. Additionally, the
cyclists with LEA were less responsive to training. Essentially, they were putting in the same amount of time and effort, but with poorer performance outcomes than the study participants who were consuming adequate calories. Perhaps most concerning is the longterm affect LEA has on basal metabolic rate. As mentioned previously, our body resists weight loss. By reducing its basal metabolic rate it is able to prevent drastic weight loss. Unfortunately, this reduction in metabolic rate is not transient. Studies have shown that those with extended periods of LEA experience
an irreversible reduction in metabolic rate that makes it increasingly difficult to maintain a lower body weight. This is why many who lose a significant amount of weight through crash dieting gain back the weight they have lost, plus additional pounds, after returning to their old eating habits. Clearly, we’ve established that LEA isn’t ideal for health or performance, but simply acknowledging this isn’t necessarily enough to avoid or correct it. Those who recognize they are at risk due to a demanding training schedule or a tendency to be restrictive with food intake should work with a professional to estimate their energy requirements for optimal health and performance. Whether you are training for your first 5K or setting out to traverse the Long Trail, food is fuel and although calories can at times feel like the enemy, they are what power us for the activities we love. Jamie Sheahan is the Director of Nutrition at The Edge in South Burlington. Jamie holds a Master of Science in Dietetics from the University of Vermont, where she serves as an adjunct professor of sports nutrition. Jamie has run over 40 marathons in addition to several ultra marathons.
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Walker Mackey at camp during a Christmas Day ascent of 14,259’ Longs Peak, Colorado. Photo: Max Seigal
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OCTOBER 2019 | VTSPORT S.COM 13
GEAR
ORIGIN STORIES
HOW DOES SOME OF THE COOLEST NEW GEAR COME ABOUT? HERE’S THE BACKSTORY ON SOME NEW PRODUCTS WE LOVE.
Saola Tahoe
Deuter Kid Comfort Active SL
Freedom & Unity’s Tantric Muscle Butters
Skate to Ski
VEGAN SHOES? In 2015 Guillaume Linossier was working in Boulder, Colo. as the general manager of the company that produces apparel under the brands Eider, Millet and Killy. A biker, skier and trail runner, Linossier had a vision: he wanted to lower the carbon footprint for…shoes. According to one 2013 study, producing one pair of shoes generates 30 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. Linossier moved back to France, joined the outdoor industry incubator that had just launched in Annecy, in the foothills of the Alps, and created Saola (named for an extremely rare Asian mammal discovered in 1992 that resembles an antelope). The upper parts of the shoe feel like suede but are in fact made from recycled bottles, the laces are recycled organic cotton and the outsoles are made from “Bloom Foam”—which is made from algae gathered in lakes, dried and pulverized into a powder. Saola now has a half-dozen models for both women and men. We recently tried the slip on Saola Tahoe ($109.95) women’s pullon and found the cork soles do indeed mold to your feet. If the rest of the shoe is everything Linossier says it is, that’s a footprint you can feel good about.
MOM PACKS When Deuter set out to build what it claims is the first “women’s specific Kid Comfort kid carrier," it didn’t kid around. The manufacturer known for its line of technical packs went for grassroots feedback from Hike It Baby, an online community of new moms and parents. The result, the Deuter Kid Comfort Active SL ($240) backpack is a slim and dynamic pack that’s comfortable and adjustable without adding the bulk of many packs. It weighs in at under 6 lbs and can be adjusted to meet varying torso lengths. The slight frame is perfect for a fit mama and easy to lift and load independently. Straps are comfortable and easy to buckle for the little one, with a side entry that’s useful as they grow. One of our testers, a new mom, writes: “On a recent trip to Colorado, the Deuter kept my 20-pound 10-month-old happy for 50+ miles over the course of a week! He slept happily on the comfy pillow and stayed protected from the harsh wind and alpine sun.” TANTRIC MUSCLE BUTTERS Tania Doric has been many things: a fitness and wellness leader at a large
government agency in Washington D.C., a yoga instructor in Hinesburg and now an entrepreneur who just launched a line of what she calls “Freedom & Unity: Vermont Cannatopicals.” Made with fullspectrum CBD from whole hemp plant extract, Freedom & Unity’s Tantric Muscle Butters ($29 per 2 oz tin) come in two varieties, Shiver and Smolder. It was only last year that cannabis and cannabis derivatives with very low concentrations of THC were removed from the illegal controlled substances list, so few conclusive scientific studies have been completed. One of our testers who has been plagued with a repetitive strain injury tried Smolder for a week. She notes: “The pain is due to inflammation, something that CBD is particularly well-suited to address, advocates say. I lathered it on my wrists twice a day, morning and night. After a week, I did feel a difference. Notably, I had fewer extreme tweaks (the most painful kind) which, when they occur, lead to greater inflammation and ongoing pain.” While it’s hard to isolate what brought that about, she notes that “If nothing else, Smolder reminds me to take care of my body and it smells really nice." Both butters contain oils
of organic coconut, sweet almond, avocado and jojoba, along with mango and shea butters, beeswax, and healing arnica and calendula extracts—plus organic essential aromatic oils and of course cannabis extract. At present, the best way to find the products is at freedomandunityvt.com A PRE-SEASON TRAINING APP Waaayyyyy back in the 1990s, when inline skating was big, Rollerblade launched a series of Skate to Ski videos to help skiers train in the off-season. Now, Rollerblade is relaunching its Skate to Ski program as a free downloadable app that walks you through how to use inline skates to train for everything from carving through gates to building the leg muscles you need. Olympian Doug Lewis has been using inline skates for years at his ELITEam camps for young ski racers in Waitsfield and appears on the app, helping to talk you through the turns. Rollerblade is also rolling out the program with members of the Professional Ski Instructors of America and the National Ski Patrol. Now, all you need is to find those old inlines (or better yet, upgrade to new ones).
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LEGENDARY EXTREME SKIER AND SUGARBUSH AMBASSADOR JOHN EGAN SKIS ONE OF THE LAST TWO CONTINENTS ON HIS BUCKET LIST. BY LISA LYNN | PHOTOS BY TYLER WILKINSON-RAY
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Extreme skiing legend John Egan, a long way from his home in Vermont's Mad River Valley, making his first turns on the Antarctic Peninsula.
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n November 9 of 2018, John Egan stretched climbing skins onto his skis, clicked into his touring bindings and looked around him. “It was a crystal-clear day and we had a beautiful skin ahead of us with a long approach into the mountains of Nansen Island, through two different valleys. It was also my dad’s birthday and he’d passed away recently so that made it especially memorable,” he says. Remarkably for Egan—legendary extreme skier, Sugarbush’s Chief Recreation Officer and a long-time resident of the Mad River Valley—it was his first day skiing in Antarctica. There are few places he hasn’t skied.
“I’ve really specialized in the Arctic and been up there maybe 20 or 30 times” he says. “It started when Paul Fremont Smith started GO—Greenland Outdoors—and invited me to go heliskiing. Since then, I’ve helped the Inuit and other native people set up trails and guiding services in places ranging from Greenland to Siberia.” Egan has laid down tracks in remote areas of Labrador and as far north as Baffin Island and Canada’s Ungava Bay. He’s also helped to set up ski guiding operations in Kamchatka, in the northwestern corner of Siberia. Up until last November he had skied five of the seven continents. Antarctica was
his sixth. Africa remains the last. “That bucket list?” says Egan with a laugh, “It’s gotten down to a small coffee cup.” Wearing only a sun shirt for a top, his face covered in sunscreen, Egan set off that day last November guiding his group of Vermonters ( Melody Blodgett, Jen Bennett, Steve Keyes and Egan's wife, Barbara Friedsam) toward an unnamed mountain. “It was a bluebird day and... my face was totally covered because the sun will eat you alive.” The group skinned in a single track, roped together as they covered an uncharted landscape of ice, rock and snow where crevasses could appear at any minute. “When we reached the top
there was a plateau with a 360-degree view of nothing but snow and ice and peaks and the ocean beyond. It was so vast and beautiful.” Pulling off their skins, the group arced turns down what was at times corn snow, at others, hardpack that tested even the Vermont contingent. They gathered at the shore, climbed in a Zodiac and headed back to their ship, the Ocean Explorer, for lunch.
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ntarctica has long been a bucket list destination for explorers and scientists and, now, for tourists and skiers. “My friend Doug Stoup invited me on this trip as a guide,” says
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The first stop on the trip was the abandoned whaling station (top) on Deception Island, in the South Shetlands. A century ago, whalers plied the icy waters in open boats like this relic, far left. Today, skiers and others arrive by large inflatable Zodiacs from the small cruise ship, the Ocean Explorer (bottom). The penguins don't appear the least bit surprised.
Egan. “How could I say no? The trip was a who’s who of guides from around the world.” Also along was native Vermonter Tyler Wilkinson-Ray, the Richmond-raised photographer and filmmaker behind T-Bar films whom many know from his film “2.5 Million,” which documented his University of Vermont buddy Aaron Rice as he set the record for most vertical uphill skied in a year. "I live in Colorado now and I'm used to seeing big, beautiful mountains but nothing prepared me for Antarctica," said Wilkinson-Ray, who was hired to shoot the trip for Ice Axe Expeditions. "The most astonishing thing was the raw beauty of being down there— the most jagged, rugged, impressive landscapes I have ever seen. It's breathtaking and you never get used to it. It's staggering." At the head of the all-star crew was Stoup, who runs Ice Axe Expeditions. Stoup has logged more miles on
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Antarctica than any skier. He’s skied to both the North and South Poles. In 2014, with Parker Liautaud—then a 19-yearold sophomore at Yale—Stoup set the world speed record for skiing from the coast to the South Pole. The pair pulled
a 176-pound sled over 314.58 miles in 18 days, 4 hours and 43 minutes, National Geographic reported. Stoup’s company, Ice Axe Expeditions, has been taking groups of 100 or so skiers and 27 guides to
Antarctica since 2009, and smaller expeditions well before that. They now use Quark Expeditions’ Ocean Explorer, a ship designed to handle the icy conditions. After acclimatizing, Egan and his crew boarded the ship in Ushuaia, Argentina. “We had the wind at our back and it only took us a day and a half to cross Drake Passage—one of the most notorious stretches of ocean on the globe,” says Egan. With that head start, they were able to make a stop at Deception Island, a volcanic island in the South Shetland Islands. “I love volcanoes and really wanted to ski there,” Egan recalls. “Andrew McLean had been to Deception so there was plenty of route and crevasse intel,” Egan said, referring to the Utah backcountry guide and author of The Chuting Gallery, a guide to the steepest descents in the Wasatch. “It was a perfect, stormy Antarctic day and here we are at this abandoned whaling station with snow swirling all around and it's so windy we could barely get our skins on,” Egan said. “On other days we had to try to land twice with the Zodiac. All I could think of was Ernest Shackleton.”
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Clockwise from top left: Ice Axe Expeditions founder Doug Stoup sets the boot track on a steep. While avalanche danger was low, crevasse danger was high and skiers stayed roped together except when descending. Stoup (below) skins with the ship in the background. A leopard seal poses for a portrait and eyes Stoup as he skis by. Vermont;s John Egan, happy to be in extreme weather again.
In 1916, after his ship, Endurance was locked in the Antarctic ice for 10 months, Shackleton and 28 men piled into two open lifeboats hoping to reach the Deception Island whaling station. They came within 180 kilometers before they were blown off course and ended up at Elephant Island. The skiers on the Ocean Explorer got a taste of what that was like: “We had days when our Zodiac was swamped and we were left with wet ski boots,” Egan says. “You can imagine what it must have been like for Shackleton’s team to be constantly wet and out in 20 degree weather.”
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rom Deception, the ship sailed south to the Palmer Archipelago, a series of islands off the northwest Antarctic Peninsula, an 800mile stretch of volcanic mountains that
rises steeply from the Southern Ocean. The guides would look for spots to land the Zodiacs—not an easy task with cliffs of glacial ice often rimming the shore and submerged icebergs to navigate around. “The ship would move at night and we’d wake up and work our way around where the ice was. Some days it was so slick we used crampons on our skis and we were really glad we’d been trained on the East Coast on hard snow. Other days we had corn and even fresh powder.” say Egan. Starting at sea level the skiers climbed, at the highest, to about 4,000 feet. There were times, too, said Egan that skiing played second fiddle to simply taking in the landscape. “It is so vast and big and beautiful. You could climb and skin and look forever and see nothing but whales and seals and sea
lions and penguins. Or, when we got near the water, you could sometimes see whale bones at the bottom of the ocean 40 or 50 feet below you. Even though you know it’s been touched, it’s the most pristine landscape—no trash and no signs of other humans. Everest is one of the craziest and most remote places to go to and now it’s full of trash,” Egan says. To keep Antarctica’s environment pristine, visiting ships have a strict protocol. “We spent much of the voyage from Ushuaia cleaning every piece of our gear and vacuuming every pocket of every jacket, pant and backpack,” says Egan. Before going ashore, everyone dipped their ski boots in a disinfecting solution. No food is allowed on Antarctica—not a scrap—and no waste can be left there. “You’d have to hold it or use a WAG bag and we’d come back to
the ship at lunch every day. ” One day, on returning to the ship the skiers found that the passage the crew had planned back out of their anchorage had been blocked by sea ice. Instead of skiing that afternoon, they would go looking for another passage out and if it was calm, the captain promised, guests could go for a swim. He wasn’t kidding. “About 60 of us, one by one, walked down the gang plank and dove into the coldest water I’ve ever felt. After about a second, my arms went numb,” Egan said. On other calm days, guests could take kayaks out to paddle
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Most days brilliant sun made for near spring-like conditions and corn snow. One day was even warm enough and calm enough for Egan (below) and others to go for a polar plunge and have lunch on deck. Doug Stoup, bottom left, has skied more Antarctica miles and vertical feet than anyone.
among the icebergs. The months between October and February are relatively mild on the peninsula, where temperatures hover in the 20s and can rise above
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freezing. And they are getting warmer. Scientists have found that since the 1950s, winter temperatures have risen a startling 10 degrees on the western side of the peninsula. Around the peninsula,
colonies of penguins have been collapsing. In 2019 Ice Axe’s Doug Stoup told Protect Our Winters, “In the Antarctic, rising water temperatures are causing dramatic changes to wildlife habitats,
affecting the entire food chain from krill to penguins. At Ice Axe Expeditions, we will soon be forced to change the way we plan trips and design gear. In the near future, our polar trips might involve as
much kayaking as they do skiing.” For the past year, scientists have been monitoring a fissure in the ice on the Brunt Ice Shelf that is predicted to break through any minute. When it breaks, it could launch a 660-square mile iceberg, releasing a piece 500 feet thick and twice the size of Manhattan into the sea, which would put rising sea levels just a little higher.
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he trip back to Ushuaia was far from calm. “We had 40-foot waves and winds hit 99 knots (113 mph),” Egan says. “Some guests were violently seasick and stayed in their cabins. But I’d say for the most part the Vermonters enjoyed it. I spent a lot of it up on the bridge watching these waves rise up four stories and crash over us.” Egan pauses and then adds, “But I love extreme weather and extreme situations–weather wise and beauty wise.” And that’s why he plans to return in 2020.
WANT TO GO? Ice Axe Expeditions' next available ski cruise to Antarctica is in November 2020. The 13-day trip starts at about $12,000. Interested skiers are expected to fill out a form ahead of time documenting their experience in backcountry skiing and mountaineering. Ice Axe also organizes a 100-mile fat bike expedition to the South Pole and a smaller private ski touring trip for groups up to 8 on a sailing yacht, Australis. For more information, see iceaxe.tv
As Antarctica's ice continues to break up and snowpack thins, Stoup fears future trips to this continent may involve more kayaking than skiing.
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FIRST TRACKS IN
WHEN VERMONT'S AARON GOULD-KAVET SET OUT TO SKI NEW ROUTES IN THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS, HE DISCOVERED SO MUCH MORE. STORY AND PHOTOS BY AARON GOULD-KAVET
A long way from his home town of Williamstown, Vt., Aaron GouldKavet crosses a sand dune in Marzouga, wearing the traditional djalaba and ready to try sand skiing. His film about skiing and the cultures he encountered in the Atlas, "Amazigh" screens Saturday, November 16th, at Rabble-Rouser, 62 Main St., Montpelier, from 6:30-8:00 p.m., followed by a Moroccan dance party until 10 p.m.
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t 5 a.m. on a January morning, Ahmed and I embarked on our first adventure. Our destination was North Africa’s fourth highest mountain, Jbel M’Goun, a long massif with numerous peaks above 4,000 meters in Morocco's Atlas Mountains. According to Ahmed, “M’Goun” in Tamazight, a native North African language used by the Berber, means “someone sitting and enjoying the view.” Although I never verified this claim, I’d like to think that a hiker sat atop M’Goun’s mighty summit thousands of years ago, only to name the mountain after what he himself was doing there. Up until January, snow had been elusive in the Atlas, and I was beginning to wonder if it ever actually snows in Morocco. But just as we walked out the door, big white flakes began to drift down from above, gently coating the fine leaves of Ahmed's olive trees. We were in Oulad Ali Youssef, a rural town of 6,000 in the Fes-Meknes region. I could feel those butterflies you get in your stomach right before the first run of the season, but these were different this time. I would be making my first tracks on a new continent, reaching the culmination of years of work and the realization of a dream. The Atlas Mountains are vast. Stretching from the shores of the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, these mountains span Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, reaching heights of over 12,000 feet along the way. They are home to millions of species of flora and fauna, forests, caves, lakes, and snow-capped peaks, providing views that seem like they are out of science fiction movies set in outer space. The mountains are also home to the indigenous North African
population called the Amazigh (Berber). Before you can even think of laying tracks on these mighty mountains, there are a lot of things you must first endure. Getting to the base of most mountains in Morocco is a headache of massive proportions: There is no public transportation, so you’re best off renting a car and spending hours dodging children riding donkeys, while trying to pass hay trucks going 15 miles per hour—and getting passed by a 1979 Fiat Spider going 110 mph. If you get through that, you still have to forge rivers and drive for hours on winding, muddy tracks. By the time Ahmed and I arrived in Ait Bougmez, the village at M’Goun’s base, the track was lined with meterhigh snowbanks on each side. Through the crisp, moonlit night I could see wisps of clouds rising from the summits 2,300 meters above. The din of murmuring goats mixed with the sound of a nearby stream. After a dinner of tagine, a Moroccan stew, we tucked in at the house of a friend, Rachid. Alarms were set and I was left to lie dreaming of powder, watching the moonlight reflect off the freshly sharpened edges of my skis. As it turned out, the snow was terrible, Ahmed hurt his knee, and we didn’t reach the summit. But I was hooked. The Atlas region is the most remarkable place I’ve ever skied. The terrain is from another world, with descents reaching 2,000 vertical meters in the right conditions, with wild terrain features, such as slot canyons with streams which freeze up and become skiable. But the best thing about the Atlas, I discovered, is the Amazigh. “Amazigh” is the Berber word which
roughly translates “the free people.” Ahmed Achou, more than anyone I’ve ever met in Morocco, embodies this spirit of freedom. LIFE IN THE ATLAS Ahmed grew up in Oulad Ali Youssef, a small village at the edge of the Middle Atlas Mountains, roughly 200 kilometers southeast from the city of Fes. At the time, Oulad Ali had no electricity, and only a rough 4 x 4 track that led to its muddy walls. Ahmed's father passed away when he was only three, which forced his brother to look for work in the city and send home what little money he could. After completing the seventh grade, Ahmed himself left school to provide for his family. He picked olives and herded sheep through the remote steppe which lies above Oulad Ali. In 2005, a flood of truly Biblical proportions destroyed his family’s home, forcing the whole family—nearly a dozen people—to live in just a single tent. Through it all, Ahmed found sanctuary in the mountains, where the enormous vistas seem to reach out and swallow any earthly problems. Perhaps it is, in fact, this feeling for which the mighty “M’Goun” is named. In any case, it was while cleansing his mind in the mountains that Ahmed began to notice the handful of Spanish climbers who had started to visit the Middle Atlas. Sensing an opportunity, he decided to become a mountain guide. In ten years, Ahmed taught himself Spanish and French, learned how to climb and ski and built a beautiful mountain guesthouse called Gite Bou Naceur. It was here, while gazing at the mighty cliffs above his gite, or guesthouse, that I met Ahmed. And we both knew
immediately that we had a unique kind of friendship. We’re the kind of friends who finish each other’s thoughts, who understand what the other is thinking before the other speaks. It’s the kind of friendship that transcends even the vastest cultural and linguistic barriers. I had originally come to Morocco to learn Arabic, part of a dream I had while working at Alta Ski Area in Utah. I knew if I actually wanted to ski the goods in the Atlas Mountains, I would need to learn the local language and befriend rural Moroccans. How I was going to do that remained elusive, that is, until I met Ahmed. Ahmed doesn’t speak any English, but my broken Arabic which I had dutifully learned was enough for us to communicate. After a single meeting, he invited me to come live with him and his family in Oulad Ali Youssef. I finished my studies in Rabat, Morocco’s capital. Six weeks and a big snowstorm later, I returned to Oulad Ali, only to immediately pack the car, and set my alarm for 5 a.m. FIRST TRACKS Ahmed and I would go on to ski every major peak across the Atlas Mountains, as one of the snowiest seasons in a decade brought powder skiing well into May. Sometimes, for more than a week at a time, we ventured through the mountains, skiing first descents high above the Sahara. I was doing little to document all the amazing places I was skiing, so I began exploring the idea of making a new kind of ski movie in Morocco. I wanted to make a film that both shows the wonder of skiing and riding in this remarkable place, while also providing a platform for the Amazigh people to share their story and their
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experience living in these mountains. A longstanding frustration I’ve had with adventure films which take place in developing countries is that they often focus on the story of the athletes, while leaving little room for the voices of the people who actually live in the countries they’re visiting. It’s great that so many people from developed countries have transformative experiences traveling to societies different from their own, but the neocolonial trope of Westerners having life-changing travels in Africa has been repeated ad nauseum across all too many types of media. Unfortunately, few people seemed to understand my idea, and I had just about given up on making a Moroccan ski film this season. Yet to my surprise, Charlie Coquillard, otherwise known as “The Vertical Wanderer,” found some of my snowy pictures of the Atlas Mountains on Instagram and reached out to me. Just a few short weeks later, we packed up Charlie’s van, and began shooting a film unlike any either of us had ever seen. Even now, having completed the film, I still sometimes hesitate when someone asks me what it’s about. It is a film about the Amazigh, mountain tourism, and of course skiing, but none of those things are the essence of the movie. If I had to put it simply though, the film is about our relationship with the mountains, about how we live with the mountains, our place in them and their place in us. While working on the film, I indeed asked many of my Amazigh friends to describe their relationship with the Atlas Mountains. Their responses were nearly uniform: “Aalaqt hub” ()بح ةقالع meaning “A relationship of love.” Far from jaded, most of the people who call the Atlas home know that they are the guardians of a very special place. They love these mountains in the way one loves a grandmother, seeing in them a deep wisdom and calm that can scarcely be found anywhere else. These mountains are the place where Ahmed and the Amazigh go to clear their mind, to sing at the top of their lungs, to release themselves from trials of life, and to be at one with nature. MOUNTAIN TOURISM AND MOROCCO The desire to feel removed from civilization is as old as civilization itself. We are seemingly designed to connect with nature, to simply sit and enjoy a majestic view, and to explore the wonder of the natural world around us. However,
as cities grow and our societies become increasingly detached from nature, more and more people are traveling to mountainous regions in search of the unique sense of remoteness that they provide. However, these visitors bring the very trappings of modern life they are trying to escape: money, technology, and trash, to name a few. In turn, mountain communities and environments are being transformed at a rapid pace. In the worst cases, these transformations lead to the destruction of previously pristine alpine areas. Mountain cultures, preserved in their isolation, are also quickly changing as they come in contact with the outside world. Simultaneously, there is a considerable need for human development in mountain communities, which necessitates significant investments in basic services and infrastructure. Because mountainous regions are by nature remote, inaccessible and sparsely populated, carrying out these expensive investments inevitably requires subsidies from the urban population. Consequently, development is often foregone in these regions and increasingly these
Top: Camels line the roads to the Atlas Mountains. Opposite: 1. The author, spring skiing on Jbel Bou Iblane, in the Middle Atlas Mountains. 2. Mid-winter skiing on Jbel Bou Iblane, the author and a local Moroccan skier. 3. Oulad Ali Youssef, the home of Ahmed Achou and Bou Naceur Sustainability 4. Donkeys looking confused by the 110 lbs of camera equipment the author lugged to basecamp while filming on Jbel Ayachi 5. The area around Midelt offers excellent backcountry skiing, with descents approaching 6000 vertical feet. 6. Adventures in Morocco often end with a starry night and a campfire. 7. Snowbanks rise up on the roads into the mountains.
isolated mountain communities are left behind. Balancing the need for human development with that of environmental and cultural protection is perhaps the greatest challenge of our time. At the same time, there is a clear need for economic and human development in these areas, which has recently been exacerbated by the diminishing returns from agriculture and the increasing effects of climate change. A THREATENED CLIMATE While we were making the film, we experienced the impacts of climate change firsthand. Persistent high pressure left us with the lowest snowpack in 20 years, and when it did snow, we faced howling winds, and the sky became a murky brown from the Sahara dust. For the people living here, climate change is an everyday reality. While conducting nearly 40 interviews throughout the Atlas region, every person I spoke with said that the climate in their region had changed significantly in their lifetime. In light of the dramatic changes they described, it’s hardly surprising that there is this level of climate awareness among the Amazigh. Rainfed agriculture has nearly been eliminated, replaced by extensive irrigation. Where the droughts are worst, even irrigation fails to address the lack of mountain runoff which has traditionally
watered the farms of the Atlas region. Sandstorms, floods, and erosion are also a threat to many Atlas communities, all of which have increased in frequency and magnitude as the climate warms. Although mountain tourism poses dangers to both the communities and environment of the Atlas Mountains, there are also ways in which it sustains mountain communities and enables environmental protection. Mountain guides in the Atlas pick up trash, look after forests to protect them from loggers, and deliver much-needed supplies by foot to even the most remote areas. Meanwhile, many farmers in the Atlas are already facing the choice of migrating and supporting their families or trying to survive off of farms which can no longer produce food in the changing climate. For many in the Atlas Mountains, their livelihoods already depend on mountain tourism, and with this income they support not just their families but also countless members of their communities. This is where a complicated, if not paradoxical image of mountain tourism emerges, one that this film can only begin to address. Mountain tourism can sustain vulnerable communities, but it can also change them beyond recognition. It can help farmers weather the effects of climate change, yet travel is itself a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions (the global tourism industry accounts for 5.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions). It can incentivize environmental preservation, reducing, for example, overgrazing and logging, but it also brings with it graffiti, trash, human waste and other pollutants. It can sustain traditional artisans, while also changing traditional culture and society. In living and working with Amazigh communities across the Atlas Mountains for more than a year, the message I heard was often the same: “We are in love with our mountains, and we are happy to share them with you. In exchange, please help us sustain our communities and protect our culture and environment.” Aaron Gould-Kavet Williamstown, Vt.
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WANT TO GO? Ahmed Achou and Aaron Gould-Kavet have created Bou Naceur Sustainability, dedicated to sustainable tourism. You can stay in the dorm rooms at Achou's guest house, Gite Bou Naceur for $40 a night. A 10-day ski tour (all inclusive except airfare and gear) with four people costs around $1,000 per/ person. Guests bring all backcountry gear and avalanche equipment including beacon, shovel and probe. bounaceursustainability.com
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MEET THE DOGS THAT KEEP US ON THE TRAIL
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or nearly a decade, Vermont Sports has been holding an annual adventure dog contest. Over the years, we’ve had various levels of prizes and participation. This year eclipsed all others: We received more than 300 entries–photos and stories about your dogs— and more than 2,500 votes on the semi-finalists when we posted them on social media. Since our surveys indicate that 70 percent of our readers own dogs, we are not surprised. This year, we had a pretty sweet prize: Topnotch Resort and Spa, a swank spa and dog-friendly lodge in Stowe, offered up a two-night stay with breakfast and a dog massage as a grand prize. Our long-time partner Pet Food Warehouse of Burlington also offered prizes for each of the category winners. It wasn’t easy choosing the semifinalists from so many incredible entries (and if you didn’t get chosen this year, we encourage you to submit again next year.) We winnowed it down to semifinalists in four categories (Buddy, Action, Adventure and Face Shots) and then had you, our readers, vote for the Readers’ Choice on social media. However, it’s not just a popularity contest. The ultimate decision was made by our editors and art director and we show the five top finalists here. In some cases the Readers' Choice and the winner dovetail, in other cases we chose a shot that we felt was stronger. Regardless, anyone who gets to spend time with the dogs featured here is a winner.
1: LOUIE, STOWE, VT
1 BEST ACTION SHOT WINNER
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Photographer Mike Hitelman rarely travels without his camera—or his Viszla, Louie. Hitelman, who goes back and forth between Montreal and Stowe, will take Louie snowboarding, mountain biking or just running in the woods. As he says, Louie is up for "any adventure, any time, tongue out and ready to explore." And this shot captures that spirit.
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Action dogs are the ones that get us out of the house. These dogs are giving their owners a run for their money.
READER'S CHOICE WINNER
2. READER'S CHOICE AWARD: SUMMIT AND BERM, E. FAIRFIELD, VT With names like Summit (the redhead) and Berm (black and white), you know these two Siberian Huskies are up for adventures. As owner Danielle Sweet writes: "I see Summit (left) light up with excitement when we pull into a wooded parking lot. He knows what’s to come next. He'll tell us a story about how he is going to lead us on an adventure before stepping out of the car. He is our vocal guy. On trail, he is always a couple strides ahead, making sure to keep pace but will always respond to a pocket full of sensational treats, if needed. Don’t hang out too long in one spot; Summit will let you know its time to descend. Every muscle pulses as he keeps up on the downhill, jumping over rocks, dodging trees. The power and agility of this dog is a sight to see. He will never be the last one down. Berm is the powerhouse. He is the protector of the pack and if you fall behind, he will check in with you to make sure you are okay. If you take a tumble, he will be licking the wounds and aiding you." This image won the hearts of our social media fans and earned the Readers' Choice award in this category.
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3. OLIVER, STOWE, VT Rex Patterson's Labradoodle "Ollie" (short for Oliver Jack Sparrow) is, in his owner's words "just the best dog ever." Here, he seems as happy on his run on the dirt backroads of Stowe as his dad is.
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4. RUMBLE, WOODSTOCK Tim Gould submitted this fantastic action shot of Rumble. Writes Gould, "He's a rescued Lab mix whose parents are good friends of mine. I lost my Rotty/Black Lab mix of 17 years two years ago. I was not quite ready to have another best friend yet, so I take Rumble out for my dog fix and fun hikes. Rumble is two and getting more adventurous in the water. It took him quite a bit of time to even get his feet wet. Now he's part otter and it's hard to get him out!! Labs!!!"
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5. TISO, MORRISVILLE, VT Grant Wieler is another professional photographer who takes his dog on his adventures, shown here near the summit of Mount Mansfield. Wieler writes: "Tiso was rescued from a kill shelter in Virginia and sent north. He spent nine months bouncing from one Humane Society shelter to another. As a young and highly energetic dog, he was intimidating to many and was
hard to place. I had recently put one dog down due to cancer, and our other dog was having difficulties with the loss. After a couple of weeks, we decided it might be time to find another companion for our lonely, mourning pup. Visiting the Montpelier Humane Society I stumbled across Tiso
(formerly called "Adonis") and after staring at each other for a minute I decided to take him out for a walk. He was a handful, but responded well to my cues. After an hour we had formed a bond. I left that day without adopting. I was hesitant, and wanted to introduce the other dog and see how they
interacted before making any rash and emotional decisions. A few days later, with the shelter opened specifically for my purpose, I returned with the other dog and after a successful introduction, left with my new adventure buddy.
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BEST ADVENTURE
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Adventure dogs are the ones you never have to leave home when you head out on the trail, or the water or the crag.
BEST ADVENTURE DOG SHOT 1: STELLA, WATERBURY, VT Stella, Kerry Lohr's Beagle/Jack Russell mix was found living on a commune in Tennessee. "She didn't mind it there, but no one in particular was her human, and she had a lot of ticks," writes Kerry Lohr. "A friend decided to put her in the car and find her a home and it didn't take long! She doesn't often swim, but she enjoys being the commodore of her parents paddle board fleet." Shown here, in full color, on the Waterbury Reservoir.
2. KIMBA, JOHNSON, VT Ivy Garven's Kimba won the Readers' Choice in this category and we can see why. "Kimba is a big Alaskan Malamute who spent her fourth birthday hiking around the mountains." She is one of four Malamutes Garven owns, including one, Kavik, that has been named one of the top 10 Malamutes in the country and has won weight-pulls.
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3. SID AND ODIN, JEFFERSONVILLE, VT Sid, a Pomeranian and Chihuahua mix and Odin (a Beagle mix and rescue pup) live with Raeden Zavis and his wife and go with them pretty much everywhere—whether that's skinning the trails at Smuggler's Notch after hours or floating the Kennebec River.
4. MAGIC, READING, VT "Magic is a five-year-old Border Collie rescue who loves ANY sport outdoors," Jean Goldsborough writes. "Her owners love to rock climb and sometimes she is allowed to
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go to their special clifftop and watch from a safe perch on her very own carabiner leash. Hiking is the best part of the journey though as she doesn't need a leash because she stays on trail, obeying immediately any call to return." Originally rescued from Georgia, she is now in a happy home in Reading, Vt.
5. BEAR, SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT If you recognize the skier and the German Shepherd in this photo, it's Nicole Handel and Bear. Bear, who won our Adventure Dog contest in 2017, is something of an Instagram sensation and Handel doesn't hesitate to post shots of the two of them hugging at the summit of every climb. "Bear is the reason why I became an ultra runner, climber, mountain biker, splitboarder and hiker," Handel writes. "He inspires me to get outside every day. On runs, he’ll sometimes jog a few yards ahead and then sit and wait for me, tongue out and smiling. It really motivates me to keep going."
BEST FACE SHOT 1
Everyone thinks their dog is the best looking—of course they do. But, as is true with people, not every dog can look great after a hike or swim.
BEST FACE SHOT WINNER
2. BUCK, BENNINGTON, VT
1. COOPER, WARREN, VT
Trey Dobson's Buck, a five-year-old yellow Lab, is the ultimate trail running partner. He'll tackle a 25-mile run on the Long Trail and loves skinning up Prospect Mountain and Dutch Hill to race Trey to the bottom.
Amanda House's Viszla Cooper is another repeat Adventure Dog Contest winner and earned more than 350 votes in our social media contest for Readers' Choice awards—just shy of winner Justin Pill's photo of his two pups (see Best Buddy Shot). "Cooper loves being outside with his people. He enjoys exploring new trails, biking, skiing, swimming, and lounging in the river," writes House.
3: RUBY, LUDLOW, VT Ruby, Stephanie Firstbrook's Sharpei/ Lab/Hound mix, has made the cover of Vermont Sports in previous contests. "Ruby loves anything outdoors-related," writes Firstbrook. "She’s always excited to go on a hiking, kayaking or winter romping adventure. We call her a 'percher:' Give her a high piece of land and she will plop down to watch the world go by for hours and hours."
4. CALI, COLCHESTER, VT Cali is an 11.5 year old Golden Retriever and her owner, Emily Sanders-DeMott writes: "She is my best bud and knows exactly how to make me smile when I am sad. I couldn’t ask for a better dog or companion. Our favorite hike is Stowe Pinnacle during peak foliage. I get nervous, but she bounds up it."
5: RILEY ROO, BURLINGTON Phil Jones captured this image of his Golden Doodle, Riley Roo at the Mad River Glen Green and Gold Festival and Riley looks the picture of fall!
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2. IGOR, BURLINGTON, VT
BEST BUDDY SHOT We had so many submissions this year showing dogs playing with their owners that we created a new category, the Buddy Shot, to showcase how dogs are our best friends.
1 OVERALL GRAND PRIZE WINNER
1. BEAR AND LUNA, RUTLAND, VT Our overall winner (and cover image) is of Justin and Carrie Pill’s two Border collies on a mountain bike ride at Slate Valley Trails, in Poultney, near their home in Rutland. They write: “Bear (mostly white), age five, and Luna, age six, are inseparable best friend adventure pups." We loved the light, the way the dogs seem to be enjoying the ride as much as Carrie is and the view from the spot out to Lake St. Catherine. More than 377 others agreed and voted this image the Readers’ Choice as well as the best overall image.
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We love that Igor appears just as ready to go as his two-footed fellow trail runners. Owners Michelle Peters and Brennan Guerriere write: “Igor was very skinny when we got him from the shelter, at 28 lbs with short legs, a long body, and HUGE head. After a few months of eating a high quality diet and regular exercise, Igor quickly gained weight and developed very defined muscles. His DNA samples show him to be American Staffordshire Terrier (50%), Miniature Schnauzer (15%), American Bulldog (15%), and the last 20% is unknown. Today, Igor is nearly four years old and has gained 10 lbs of lean muscle. Every year on his 'gotcha day' Igor gets a celebration Shopping Bag Sizzler hamburger (no onions) with candles and sung to—not spoiled at all."
3. LUNA, MORRISVILLE, VT Luna is Hazel Brewster’s two-year-old, 25-pound “perma-puppy.” Brewster writes: “Luna's hobbies include being an MTB trail dog in training, helping her aunt Lily achieve her mission of hiking all the 4,000-footers in New Hampshire, and spending nights in the woods of the Northeast Kingdom in her Dad's built-out Tacoma."
4. RIVER, BURLINGTON, VT River, a two and a half year-old “Beagle Bull—a beagle-pitbull mix—is a rescue dog who now lives with owners Aiden and Marie Gilbert. They write: “River is the ideal adventure dog: The stoke is high whether he’s coming climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, splitboarding or pulling me on my skateboard.”
5. OTIS REDDING, SYRACUSE, NY “It may be too long to catalogue all the great adventures Otis has had,” writes Noah Carroll of his three-year-old Viszla, Otis. “We’ve been on mountain tops, marshlands, sand and pebble beaches, schools gymnasiums, coffee shops, movie theaters and his fair share of beer gardens. We’ve been to 13 states together, with five more coming up this year, and the other 32 to follow swiftly after."
RUNNER UP
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BEST STORY Sometimes, dogs surprise us. We may think we're rescuing them, but more often than not they show up for us in ways we could never foresee. Here are a few dogs whose stories stole the show, whether they were heroes or because they gave us a good laugh.
1. WINNER: TESSA, PANTON, VT When owner David Raphael first saw his half Newfoundland, half Great Pyrenees Tessa as a puppy, it was love at first sight. Little did he know that eight years later, the same dog, now 150-pounds and nicknamed “Snow Dog,” would save him. Raphael tells the story: "It happened one seemingly bright winter day when I headed out with my canine companion to ski the backcountry of the Adirondacks. I started on a familiar trail in light snowfall. After skiing for some time, I veered off the trail to bushwhack to a hidden summit and the promise of some sweet tele-turns on the way back. I became lost in thought as the steady strides of my backcountry boards took over and brought me higher into the deepening forest. I lost track of time. Energized by the fresh, fluffy powder and caught up in the swirl of the storm, I pushed deeper into the now wilder woods, enveloped in winter’s weather. The afternoon evaporated and before I knew it, breaking trail was an effort. By then, Snow Dog had dropped behind and gusts of wind were whipping up heavier snowfall. Dusk was darkening around me. I checked my compass only to have it tease me with an illogical needle north. 'That’s not right,' I muttered. Cell coverage was non-existent and my map was of no use. Tessa was unruffled, at my side and ready to respond to my lead. But as the whiteout worsened and snow pellets stung my face, I became disoriented in the sameness of the landscape, which was disappearing in the shroud of a blizzard. The storm had completely hidden my tracks and the trail. A shiver went through me. I had a headlamp, fire starter, warm clothes, some food and a space blanket, but not enough to weather a cold night in the deepening snow. And there was Snow Dog, looking up at me with her moon eyes as if to say 'Now what?' I started off in one direction and then went another way, not sure where I was. And then, I said aloud: 'Snow Dog—you can get us back, you know these woods…right?' We had skied and hiked here before. 'Find our way back Snow Dog, find the trail!' I shouted out as I gestured for her to take off.
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afraid to move independently that she hardly left her home. Then, about two years ago, she got Cooper. “He has helped me get a piece of my life back that I thought I’d lost forever.” This July, Jones bought a condo at Bolton Valley. After a summer of tackling small daily hikes with Cooper, she decided to hike Bolton Mountain. On the morning that she set out, she was terrified. Her boyfriend, who joined her, assured her, “You can do it. You’ve got Cooper.” When she eventually reached the summit after many hours, Jones was overcome by tears. “My boyfriend skis and so I'd seen pictures of the view, but to see Lake Champlain from up there for myself? I can’t even describe how it felt,” she said. Now, thanks to Cooper, she’s set her sights on hiking in Smugglers’ Notch and on trying Bolton Valley’s adaptive ski program. “I feel like I can do anything with Cooper by my side,” says Jones. “I never thought I’d fulfill my dream of living in the mountains, but because of Cooper that dream has become a reality.” If you see Jennifer and Cooper on the trail, give a friendly wave, but don’t approach him, handsome and friendly though the four-year-old yellow Labrador may be. "When he's working, which isn't always the case, I need him to stay focused so I can stay safe," explains Jones. You can follow Cooper, who, in his off time loves carrying big sticks and showering strangers with kisses, on Instagram at @ ssd_cooper.
3. RUNNER UP: J.P., NEW LONDON, NH
Tessa immediately set off through the trees. I followed. For over an hour, she broke trail. Over a rise, around a side slope and down through the black lines of leafless trees, her clearance allowed her to descend the mountain, plowing through drifts that would bury smaller dogs. I was right behind, marveling at how a pet can surely become so much more. I trusted her, relied on her and found reassurance in her stoic countenance as she slid down the steeps, and pushed through the uphills. My spirits lifted when, in the last light of the Adirondack afternoon, I recognized a familiar face—a cliff that marked our point of departure from the trail. We were back on familiar ground. With headlamp on, and Snow Dog at my side, we retraced the now hidden tracks back to our beginning. When we finally arrived at the trailhead it was an inscrutably dark winter’s night, but to me it was bright again."
2. RUNNER UP: COOPER, BOLTON, VT This August, Jennifer Jones of Bolton did something that just a few short years ago, she was sure she’d never do again: move to a mountain town and climb to the top of a high peak. Jones, who grew up hiking as a teenager in Pennsylvania, has a fused spine—the result of a long career as a builder. But thanks to her specially-trained Balance dog Cooper, she’s now out on the trails at Bolton Valley, where she owns a condo, most days of the week. Balance dogs are service animals that are trained to support an owner with limited mobility. Cooper pays close attention to Jones’ stability and will lean into her to offer support if he detects she needs it. Together, they’ve skied and snowshoed all over Vermont over the last two years. It wasn’t always that way, though. “I had a really bad fall right before I got him,” says Jones. The fall re-broke several bones in her back and caused her to be so
Brandon Baker told us this about his blackberry-foraging rescue pup Joey, a.k.a J.P: “As an ultra-runner and mountain biker, J.P. has joined me outside every day since he came to us in November, 2018. He’s a shy dog who takes a while to warm up to strangers. After finding him with 57 quills in his snout following an off-lead porcupine encounter in May, I finally got the courage to let him off leash for a short, one-mile loop hike near our home in New London, N.H. this summer. Seconds after I let him off-lead, I heard a loud snap to my left and spotted a giant buck about 10 feet away. No sooner had I uttered the words “Joey, no!” than a close chase between my 30-pound terrier and the 150-pound (at least) deer ensued. Regardless of my running background, I couldn’t get to him in time and the dog and deer were soon out of sight. After calling for a bit, I decided to double back with help and some extra treats. At the trailhead, I got a call from my wife: our little stranger danger man had jumped into a stranger’s car for a snuggle. His caretaker called the number on his tags and was offered a gift certificate to a local breakfast joint while we went (yet again) back to square one of run/hike training.”
OCTOBER 2019 | VTSPORTS.COM 31
FEATURED ATHLETE
Heidi Caldwell is just as at home running long mountain trails like the Presidential Ridge in New Hampshire's White Mountains as coaching on the track at Craftsbury Outdoor Center. Photo courtesy
THE MOUNTAIN RUNNER
Heidi Caldwell
Name: Heidi Caldwell Age: 27 Lives in: Craftsbury Common Family: Parents Margaret and Tim; sister Lucy (29), brother Patrick (25) Primary sports: Running, hiking, cross-country skiing Secret: Born on a leap day Aspires to be: A tennis player
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eidi Caldwell is Craftsbury Outdoor Center’s first ever full-time, year-round running director, and this year she’s taken some big races by storm. In June, she won the Catamount Ultra 25K with a time of 1:58:28 just a week after coming from behind to tie for first place in the Mount Washington Road Race on June 15. In her second marathon attempt, she took 29th in the 2019 Boston Marathon to earn a PR of 2:54:00—despite many other runners dropping out due to persistent sleet, rain and snow. She’s also part of a family of incredible athletes. Her grandfather, John Caldwell of Putney, Vt., is a former Olympic skier and coach who authored the definitive book on cross-country skiing. Her father Tim Caldwell competed in four winter Olympics in Nordic skiing starting in 1972, her uncle Sverre is also a former Olympian and recently retired as coach for the Stratton Mountain School T2 team and her first cousin is two-time Olympic Nordic skier and current team member Sophie Caldwell. On June 15, you became the first person to tie for a first place win in the Mount Washington Road Race, catching up to Brittni Hutton in the last thirty seconds on the steepest portion of the course to finish neck and neck in 1:16:17. What was that like and how did you get there? I love that race! I ran it for the first time in 2018 and was excited to get back this year. Something I try to focus on with steep terrain like what you see on Mt. Washington is shortening my stride going uphill and building in recovery time as I move. I made a decision to do a lot of power hiking this year and focused on making myself take 10 strong hiking strides every mile or so throughout the race. I think that was what gave me the reserves to catch up at the end.
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You grew up in a family of Nordic skiers. How did you become a runner? When I was growing up, we had a weekend ritual of going for a hike as a family. In the winter, we’d go skiing together, either downhill or cross country. Being active was something that we always did and did as a family. My parents have always exercised in the morning together—whether it’s a hike, run or ski—and they’re still doing it. It’s a habit I admire. Some of my earliest memories are from a baby jogger. My parents would take all three of us out for their morning run and we would cheer for them from the stroller when they went up a hill. Running was always around me growing up, and I loved running to play. I started running cross-country freshman year of high school at Hanover High after playing soccer. I was lucky to have an amazing coach who fostered a really healthy love of running and of competing. I attribute a lot of my love of the sport to him and to the other women on that team. You ran track successfully at Brown University. For a long time, I thought I wanted to be a skier and go to Dartmouth. I was still cross-country skiing through sophomore year of high school, and I really thought that was my main sport.
Running the track was what got me to switch and led me to focus on running in college. I ended up having two really amazing coaches at Brown and some amazing teammates who are still some of my best friends. My senior year, I set a goal to break 16 minutes in the 5K. I’m proud of the time I achieved, 16:05:00, but I never broke that barrier. I never thought I would be as competitive as I was, and by the end of my career I was pretty burnt out on track races. After you graduated from college, what did you do? I took a break from running! The only running I did that first summer was to hike or run all of the 4,000-footers in New Hampshire. I was living at home, without a job and I thought getting back to my roots would be a good way to figure out what I wanted to do next. In the end, it reminded me how much I loved the mountains because of those early hikes with my family—something I’d stopped doing in Providence. I ended up moving to Boston to coach crosscountry running at Tufts University, still with no intention of racing. You have a master’s degree from the University of Vermont in counseling. What led you down that path and how does it relate to your work as a running coach?
Working as a coach at Tufts, I became part of a support system for the students I worked for, several of whom experienced mental health challenges. I felt under-equipped to help them in a holistic way. So many people come to running for relief from all kinds of things in their lives. I think it has a grounding effect on people, regardless of how they engage it. I decided to go back to school to get my master’s degree in counseling at the University of Vermont, with a focus on school counseling for middle school and high school kids. I feel really fortunate to work at Craftsbury Outdoor Center. As a running coach, I work with kids, master athletes and community members. The work I do there is the perfect marriage between counseling and coaching. Tell us about your role at Craftsbury Outdoor Center. It’s a new position. I started in spring 2018 at a time when the Outdoor Center decided to make running a yearround presence in their programming. It opened the door for more community events, like our weekly 5K trail races, Sunday morning group runs and our weekly Thursday night community track practices. Those are my favorites. You get people who’ve never been on a track before and ex-competitive racers together, local middle schoolers and 60- to 70-year-olds. Over the summer,
we have a lot of running camps and that’s also fun. This September, we are hosting a 10-miler fundraiser for a local general store. What led you to tackle racing longer distances? When I moved to Burlington for graduate school in 2017, I got this old itch back to run the Boston Marathon, so I registered for the Burlington City Marathon. I thought, “I’ll just see if I can break three hours, run in Boston and do it once and be done.” The Burlington City Marathon was my first marathon, and it was tough! I was underprepared and didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. I ran into some stomach issues that landed me with a time of 3:10:00. But I qualified for Boston and in 2018, I ran the race in 2:54:00 to finish as the 29th female. I think the fact that a Nor’easter hit the morning of the race, so we were running with wind and snow and sleet helped me. The New Hampshire mountain lover in me was like, "This is great!" even as other racers were apparently dropping out. I had a blast. What do you love about longer distances? I’ve gotten psyched on road racing and
dipping a toe into more mountain running and the fastest-known-time world. I don’t think my body loves marathon training all that much.
trail running over the last few years, and it’s just a completely different way to train from what I did in college. As a coach, I have fun treating myself as a guinea pig and testing out different trainings and workouts. I love how many realms there are to engage with in competitive running. I may be done competing in track and crosscountry, but it’s been exciting to try other disciplines like marathon, half marathon, mountain running and trail racing. I’ve learned that you can still experience a sport you’ve loved forever and push your body in a different way. What are you eyeing now, on the horizon? Well, last fall, I injured myself. I ran 1:13:40 at the Newburyport Half Marathon in October 2018—my best time by a long shot. I was training for the California International Marathon, with hopes of running an Olympic Trials qualifying time. I felt invincible! I was running more than I ever have and got a pelvic stress fracture from overuse. I spent the winter healing and skiing again—my second favorite activity. It was a great break from running. Now, I’ve got a bee in my bonnet about running the marathon time I know I
Caldwell crossed the finish line in first place at the Catamount Ultra 25K in June, with a time of 1:58:28. Photo by Ironwood Adventure Works
can. I’m eyeing a couple of marathons this fall to qualify for Olympic trials. After that? I’m interested in
What was it like growing up in a family of Olympians? I give my parents and aunts and uncles and grandparents tremendous credit for fostering a love of the outdoors and of being outside in all of us in a way where there was no pressure built around it. I think most all of us 10 cousins on my dad’s side have a true love of being in the mountains in a variety of different ways. Growing up, hiking in the summers and skiing in the winters was just something we did. The adults around us kept it pretty low-key. A lot of people don’t believe me when I say that because of how successful our family has been in competitive spheres, but that love of the mountains has been the real inspiration for those of us who have reached higher levels of competition as adults. My immediate family still goes on hikes together, and when all of us cousins get in one place, we do the same. I feel fortunate for that gift, which started with my grandparents and was passed down to me by my parents. —Abagael Giles
Fall sports season is here. It’s good to know that we are, too. A COPLEY HOSPITAL PRACTICE Sports Medicine at Mansfield Orthopaedics
802-888-8405 mansfieldorthopaedics.com OCTOBER 2019 | VTSPORTS.COM 33
RACE & EVENT GUIDE
VERMONT
SPORTS LISTING YOUR EVENT IN THIS
5 | 5th Annual Front Porches Half Marathon, Rockingham A scenic half marathon or 8-mile course through Saxtons River and Bellows Falls. vtfrontporcheshalf.com
CALENDAR IS FREE AND EASY. VISIT VTSPORTS.COM/SUBMIT-AN-EVENT OR E-MAIL EDITOR@VTSPORTS.
COM. ALL AREA CODES ARE 802.
ALL LOCATIONS ARE IN VERMONT, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
5 | Going the Dismas 5K, White River Junction A fall-themed 5K fun run to benefit the Hartford Dismas House, a transitional home for individuals leaving incarceration. dismasofvt.org
FEATURED EVENTS, IN YELLOW, PAY A NOMINAL FEE.
RUNNING/HIKING OCTOBER
5 | 46th GMAA Art Tudhope 10K, Shelburne A certified 10K out and back through Charlotte on a fast mix of dirt and paved roads. gmaa.net
Oct. 2-30 | Hump Day Fun Run, Burlington Join Outdoor Gear Exchange staffers for a weekly community jog on Burlington’s various trail networks. Expect to run 6 to 8 miles at a 9 to 12 minute pace. Meet at OGE at 6 p.m. gearx.com
5 | Pick up the Pink 5K Trail Run/ Walk, Catamount Outdoor Center Williston A fun run on trails to benefit Dragonheart Vermont Breast Cancer Survivors. catamountoutdoorfamilycenter.org/.
5 | New Hampshire Marathon, Bristol, N.H. Run a full marathon, half-marathon, 10K or kids’ race around Newfound Lake in this Boston Marathon qualifier. nhmarathon.com
6 | 9th Chase Away 5K, Essex Junction Run to raise funds for research into canine cancer. chaseawayk9cancer.org
5 | Stark Mountain Hillclimb, Fayston Celebrate Green and Gold Weekend at Mad River Glen with a race from the ski area's base to the summit of General Stark Mountain. Mileage depends on route taken to the top, with 2,000 vertical feet of climbing. achillclimb.org
6 | Leaf Peepers Half Marathon and 5K, Duxbury Run out and back along River Road. leafpeepershalfmarathon.org
6 | Stark Mountain Hillclimb, Fayston A foot race from the base of Mad River Glen to the summit of General Stark Mountain to benefit the Stark Mountain Foundation. achillclimb.org 6 | CURE for IBD Fun Run, Walk and 5K for Crohn’s & Colitis, Burlington Run or walk a one-mile, two-mile or 5K race from Oakledge Park. cure4ibd.org 12 | Shelburne Farms 5K, Shelburne Race begins and ends at the Shelburne Farms Coach Barn and moves between dirt roads and trails. racevermont.com 12 | North Face Doggie and Me Hikes, Stratton Enjoy a private guided hike with your dog on Stratton Mountain. stratton.com 12 | 2nd Annual Coolidge 5K, Plymouth Explore the grounds of the historic Coolidge homestead in this 5K fun run or one-mile “I Do Not Choose to Run” walk, named for President Calvin Coolidge’s famous declaration about his intention not to seek re-election as president in 1928. coolidgefoundation.org
12 | VT Educational Opportunity 5K, Burlington Run or walk a 5K fundraiser hosted by the VT Educational Opportunities Program to support scholarships for under-resourced students. localraces.com/events/burlington-vt/vteducational-opportunity-5k 13 | Ripton Ridge Run, Ripton An annual fundraiser to benefit the Ripton Elementary School, put on by Friends of Ripton School, Inc., This 32nd annual race includes a 5K run, a 10.4K run, and a noncompetitive 5K Fun Walk. There is also a short, non-competitive event for children. All courses start and finish at the Ripton Elementary School. The race traverses roads in Ripton and the Green Mountain National Forest and includes water stops. Race check-in and day-of-race registration open at 11 a.m. Races begin at 12:30 p.m. riptonridgerun.addisoncentralsu.org 13 | North Face Race to the Summit, Stratton Race from Stratton’s base area to the summit to win cash prizes and swag. stratton.com 13 | 49th GMAA Green Mountain Marathon and Half Marathon, South Hero This is an out-and-back race on the west shore of South Hero and Grand Isle, land of farms, apple orchards and summer cottages. About half dirt roads. gmaa.net
West Hill Shop 29th Annual
Cyclocross Race
Sun, Nov 17th BikeReg.com
49 Brickyard Lane, Putney Vermont
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13 | 7th Annual Harvest Run for Sustainability, Burlington Choose between a 5K and 1-mile fun run on the farm and wooded trails at the Intervale. citymarket.coop 13 | 24th Mad Dash, Waitsfield A classic Vermont foot race on mostly dirt roads to benefit the Mad River Path. madriverpath.com 17 | 29029, Stratton Run/walk/crawl up Stratton Mountain. Take the gondola down. Repeat 17 times until you climb 29,029 feet, the height of Mt. Everest. Celebrate with music and beer. stratton.com 19 | Trapp Mountain Marathon & Half Marathon, Stowe A challenging race through the heart of the Green Mountains at beautiful Trapp Family Lodge during peak fall foliage. trappmountainmarathon.com 19 | The Dee Run, Rockingham A challenging 5K race with steep hills, wooded trails and dirt roads. There is also a kids 1K fun run. thedeefoundation.org 19 | The Zombie 5K, Danville Runners 13 and older run a spooky course with a flag football belt. The goal? To escape the volunteer zombies scattered along the trail and make it to the finish line with at least one flag. danvillezombie5k.com 19 | Ooky Spooky 5K to Benefit COTS, Burlington A spooktacular 5K trail run through the Rock Point School to benefit the Committee on Temporary Shelter. Prizes for best costumes. rockpointschool.org 20 | Heady Trotter 4-Miler, Stowe Run a fun road race followed by beer, live music and lawn games at The Alchemist Brewery. thealchemistbeer.com 20 | The Hills are Alive 5K XC, Stowe GMAA hosts a rolling 5K on the trails at Trapp Family Lodge Outdoor Center. gmaa. net 26 | 7th Annual Glow Run, St. Albans A fun nighttime 5K where costumes are encouraged. Race starts at 6:30 p.m. Prizes for best costume. stalbansvt.myrec.com 26 | Halloween Hustle 5K, Essex Junction A certified 5K costume run. Prizes for age group winners and costumes. essexhalf.com 26 | Kingdom Challenge, St. Johnsbury Run a 5K or half marathon. The 5K is a loop and the half marathon is a challenging pointto-point course that starts at the Lyndonville Town Offices and features 3,000 feet of elevation change, with 60 percent on dirt roads. thekingdomchallenge.com
27 | Black River Beatdown, Craftsbury Common Ironwood Adventure Works hosts this epic 15-, 30- and 45K solo and relay trail run race at Craftsbury Outdoor Center. ironwoodadventureworks.com
28 | Zack’s Place Turkey Trot, Woodstock Run or walk this community fundraiser race through the village of Woodstock to Billings Farm to the Town Green and live music. zacksplacevt.org
6 | VT Youth Cycling Series #5, Randolph Vermont Youth Cycling hosts races ranging from 5K to 15K for middle and high school students at the Randolph Reservoir trails. vtyouthcycling.com
27 | Nor’witch Halloween Half’witch, Full’witch and Ultra’witch, Norwich A 13.1K, full marathon or 50K on mostly dirt roads with rolling terrain on loop courses. Costumes encouraged. netrailruns.com
28 | 43rd GMAA Turkey Trot 5K, Burlington A 5K walk or run on the UVM women’s cross-country course. gmaa.net
8 | No Drop Tuesday Ride with Windham County Trails Alliance, Bellows Falls Come out for a fun no-drop ride on the Bellows Falls High School trail network. Meet at 5 p.m. behind the high school near the Bald Hill Trailhead. vmba.org
27 | The Randolph Ramble, Randolph, N.H. This rugged 10K is a self-supported trail race through the great North Woods of New Hampshire, at the base of the Presidential Range. randolphramble.com 27 | Trick or Trot 5K Run, Warren Walk or run a (not very) frightening 5K through the decorated Warren Village to benefit the Warren School PTO. Costumes are encouraged and wood-fired pizza, prizes and candy await at the finish. warrenschool. org
NOVEMBER 3 | Fall 5K/10K and Half Marathon, Shelburne Run scenic loop courses past Shelburne Farms, out Shelburne Point and back along the Shelburne Bay Path into the village. racevermont.com 3 | Vermont 10-Miler, Stowe The final event for the season in the New England 10-Miler Series, this race through Stowe features a beer garden at the finish at von Trapp Brewery, where participants get one free brew. vermont10miler.com 16 | Run Your Can Off!, Winooski Run as many loops as you can in a three- or six-hour period on a 1.25-mile trail circuit on forest single track through the Gilbrook Natural Area. Make one donation to the food shelf for each lap run. runyourcanoff.blogspot.com 23 | The Westford Turkey Trot, Westford An annual 100-yard tot-trot, 3K walk/run and 10K run through the rolling dirt roads of Westford. westfordturkeytrot.wordpress. com 24 | Middlebury Turkey Trot, Middlebury Run an out-and-back 5K or 10K race at this food drive for the Addison County Food Shelf. middleburyfitness.com 28 | Gobble Gobble Wobble 5K, Stratton Pre-Thanksgiving dinner 5K road run. Costumes are suggested, with ski passes and cash prizes on the line for winners. stratton.com
29 | Turkey Hangover Hillclimb, Mount Snow Burn off your Thanksgiving dinner and get in shape for ski season with this annual fun run, often on snow. mountsnow.com 30 | The Jingle Jog 5K, Shelburne The first 100 entrants in this race get a free Santa hat and jingle bells to ring along the course. racevermont.com
BIKING OCTOBER 1 | Analog’s Gory Hollows Ride, Poultney Tackle 50 miles of riding on 120-yearold disused roads, up and over mountain saddles, through dark hollows and down into deep gores on this spooky adventure ride. analogcycles.com 3 | Queen City Bicycle Club Ride, Burlington Queen City Bicycle Club is a group of femme, trans, womxn and queer folks on bikes. All are welcome to joing them for a monthly ride around Burlington with glitter and a giant boombox on a bike trailer. facebook.com/ groups/queencitybicicyleclub 5 | Analog’s Gorey Hollows Ramble, Poultney Choose the Scramble, a 45-mile self-guided gravel grinder on “creepy, scary backroads” with plenty of Class IV, or the Mellow Ramble, a 35-mile scenic ride on dirt roads and pavement. For the intrepid, tackle the ATB Race, with 75 miles of riding and over 10,000 feet of climbing. analogcycles.com 6 | Allen Clark Hillclimb, Waitsfield Ride up the east side of Appalachian Gap for the last race in the annual BUMPS series. achillclimb.org 6 | RV Bike Raffle & Members Appreciation Party, Burlington Vermont Mountain Bike Association throws a party at Skirack with plenty of brews, root beer, pizza, snacks and door prizes for all of its volunteers. Plus, catch a screening of VISION, a women-led freeride mountain bike film. RSVP for pizza count. vmba.org
12 | Oktoberfest Weekend, Suicide Six Catch a fun downhill race at the Suicide Six Bike Park on Saturday and an Enduro race on Sunday at the Mt. Peg Network. suicide6.com 12 | Evolution II Trail Building Day, Waitsfield Head to Camel’s Hump State Forest from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for a day of trailwork with the Mad River Riders to complete this brand new mountain biking trail in time for midfall riding. madriverriders.com 12 | The Leaf Blower Fall Classic Mountain Bike Festival, Stowe The Stowe Trails Partnership and Mountain Bike Vermont host a mountain bike festival featuring group rides, vendors, live music and local food and drink. mtbvt.com 12 | Braintree 357 Gravel Enduro, Braintree Race or ride 50, 35 or 18 miles with 8,000, 5,000 and 2,700 feet of elevation gain. Rides follow gravel roads to an after-party with craft beer and bluegrass music. braintree357. com 12-14 | Burke Bike Park Closing Weekend, East Burke Be sure to stick around for the Best Whip Competition (it’s stiff) on Sunday, sponsored by Fox Racing. skiburke.com 12 | 1st Annual Leaf Peeper Bike Bash, Intervale, N.H. White Mountains chapter of the New England Mountain Biking Association hosts a potluck with live music, bike raffles, beer and demos. bikereg.com/leafpeeper 17 | 29th Annual West Hill Shop Cyclocross Race, Putney Tackle a cyclocross course, with an open singlespeed race and conventional categories on technical singletrack. westhillshop.com 19 | VOBA Enduro, Bolton Valley An enduro mountain bike race, group rides, the SunCommon bouncy castle and familyfriendly activities throughout the day, as well as an outdoor recreation expo. All benefit the Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance. vermontoutdoorbusinessalliance.com
OCTOBER 2019 | VTSPORTS.COM 35
MADSHUS VOILE SCARPA 22 DESIGNS FISCHER ROSSIGNOL DYNASTAR K2 G3 SCOTT MAMMUT OUTDOOR RESEARCH TUBBS
RENTALS SALES TOURS WWW.UMIAK.COM
19 | Keene Pumpkin Cross & NH State XC Championships, Surry, N.H. The Monadnock Cycling Club hosts this race series, with categories from kids to masters at Surry Mountain Recreation Area. monadnockcyclingclub.com
5-6 | Green & Gold Weekend, Mad River Glen Kick-off Mad River Glen’s ski season with bike rides, skyruns, barbecues, shareholder and homeowners’ meetings, fall foliage rides and live music. madriverglen.com
19 | Green River Rip, Dover A 31-mile supported, guided gravel ride through rolling southern Vermont, near the base of Mount Snow. hitherandyonadventurerides.com
6 | Wrecktangle Regional Championships, Killington Post your fastest time through the Wrecktangle Ninja Obstacle Challenge and test yourself against a national network of racers competing on the same course at locations across the country. Age seven and older. killington.com
19 | The Hibernator, East Burke Tackle a 100K gravel ride with 8,000 feet of climbing or a 50K gravel ride with 4,000 feet of climbing on the Class IV roads and double track. Either a gravel bike or mountain bike will do. skiburke.com 20 | Vermont Forest Fondo, Lincoln A 45-mile ride on 70-percent gravel roads, 20-percent Class IV roads, 5-percent single track and 5-percent paved roads, with 5,000 feet of climbing. vtforestfondo.com 23 | Youth Mountain Bike Race, Grafton Head to the Grafton Trails & Outdoor Center for an annual youth mountain bike race put on by Burr and Burton Academy and Stratton Mountain School. graftoninnvermont.com/grafton-trails 27 | Wicked Creepy Cyclocross Race, Bennington Bennington Area Trail System hosts this NYCROSS race for all ages. Costume and singlespeed races and a raffle. nycross.com
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17 | 29th Annual West Hill Shop Cyclocross Race, Putney This classic cyclocross race is tough but fun with slippery hills, big banks and a singlespeed race. Part of the Zanconato SSCX Trophy Series. westhillshop.com
WATER SPORTS/MULITSPORT/ OTHER OCTOBER 5 | 20th Annual Green Mountain Iron Dog, Colchester Run a 1.5-mile obstacle course with your dog, designed to simulate real-world Police K9 deployments. irondogvt.weebly.com
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5-6 | Fall Fest, Craftsbury Outdoor Center Saturday, compete in the Singletrack Shootout, a mountain biking (7K) or running (6K) biathlon. Then, field a team in the Farmer Games. Sunday, try the orienteering race and mountain bike and biathlon clinics. craftsbury.com
6 | Wag It Forward, Colchester A festival for pets and their owners at the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds. ffwt/wagitforward.com 12 | Fall Rollerski Classic, Jericho Race at Camp Ethan Allen hosted by Mansfield Nordic Club. nensa.net 19 | 9th Annual Fall Disc Golf Tournament, Pittsford Drop in for 18 rounds of disc golf, hot chocolate, donuts and a fun time at the town’s public disc golf course at Pittsford Recreation Area. Gear is available. pittsfordvermont.com 24 | The Green Mountain Club Presents: “Walking Across Switzerland: the Haute Route, Chamonix to Zermatt,” Middlebury Tales from a recent adventure in the Alps at the Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society. greenmountainclub.org 26 | Vampire Swim, Derby, Newport Head to the Northeast Kingdom for a 25- to 100m swim in Lake Memphremagog as part of an international blood drive by cold water swimmers. kingdomgames.co 26 | Kidding Around Yoga Teacher Training, Stratton Learn how to teach yoga, mindfulness and meditation to children. stratton.com 27 | Free Family Yoga Class, Stratton Free family yoga class at 2 p.m. in the Living Room at Black Bear Lodge. stratton.com 27 | Walter N. Levy Challenge, Northfield A 6.5-mile combat endurance race. Raises funds and awareness for wounded military veterans. semperfifund.org 27 | The Maine Event: Rollerski Agility Sprint Festival, New Gloucester, Maine This first ever rollerski cross country ski cross event will test skiers on a 400m loop with sprint and agility components. Hosted by NENSA. nensa.net
NOVEMBER 2 | Bouldering Youth Competition, Burlington Petra Cliffs hosts a youth climbing competition as part of USA Climbing Region 802. petracliffs.com 2-3 | NENSA Trapp Invitational Rollerski Race, Stowe Hosted by Trapp Family Lodge, this elite rollerski event typically draws 2018 Olympians and World Championship medalists. nensa.net 9 | Bolton Valley Skate Park & Bowl Competition, Bolton Valley Head to the indoor skate park at Bolton Valley for youth competitions early in the day with adult competitions to follow. Afterparty into the night. boltonvalley.com 16 | The Dark Horse Bouldering Competition, Essex Metrorock hosts round one of this northeast climbing competition, with subsequent rounds in Brooklyn and finals in Everett, Mass. on March 28, 2019. darkhorseseries.com
SKIING OCTOBER 5 | Dutch Hill Ski Slope Work Parties, Readsboro The Dutch Hill Alliance of Skiers and Hikers hosts two work parties this fall to clear glades for the season. Repeats Oct. 27. dhash4vt. org
NOVEMBER 2 | Vermont Ski & Snowboard Museum Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Stowe A reception to honor this year’s inductees: Jeff Hastings, John Brodhead, Doug Lewis, J.G. Gerndt and Ann “Nosedive Annie” Bonfoey Taylor. vtssm.org/hall-of-fame 7 | 7th Annual Vermont Backcountry Forum, Rochester Join RASTA, the Catamount Trail Association for a potluck, beer, backcountry project updates and premier of the film “Leave Nice Tracks.” catamounttrail.org/ 23 | The Big Kicker, Sugarbush Mt. Ellen holds a party with rail jams, kids’ games, live music, a raffle and prizes to celebrate the start of the ski season in the Mad River Valley. A fundraiser for Vermont Adaptive Sports. sugarbush.com
Nov. 29-Dec. 1 | FIS HomeLight Ski World Cup, Killington Catch a full weekend of ski racing by the top racers in the world in slalom and giant slalom at the Killington Women’s World Cup. killington.com
SKI SWAPS Oct. 4-5 | Colchester Ski Sale, Colchester Equipment drop-off: Oct. 4 from 5-7 p.m. at Colchester High School gym. Sale hours: Oct. 4 from 6-9 p.m. & Oct. 5 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. colchesterskisale.weebly.com Oct. 4-6 | Pico Ski Club Annual Swap & Sale, Pico Mountain Equipment drop-off: Sept. 28-Oct. 3. Sale hours: Oct. 4 from 5-9 p.m.; Oct. 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Oct. 6 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. picoskiclub.com Oct. 18-19 | Montpelier Recreation Department Ski & Skate Sale, Montpelier Equipment drop-off: Oct. 18 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Montpelier High School Gym. Sale hours: Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. montpelier-vt.org Oct. 11-13 | Killington Ski Club Monster Ski & Bike Sale, Killington Equipment drop-off: Oct. 5 from 1-4 p.m.; Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Oct. 10 from 12-6 p.m.; Oct. 11 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Oct. 12 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Ramshead Ski Lodge. Sale hours: Oct. 5 from 5-9 p.m.; Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Oct. 10 from 12-6 p.m.; Oct. 11 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Oct. 12 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. killingtonskiclub.com Oct. 11-13 | 36th Annual Smugglers’ Notch Ski & Snowboard Club Ski and Snowboard Sale, Colchester Equipment drop-off: Oct. 11 from 6-8 p.m. at the Tarrant Recreation Center at St. Michael’s College. Sale hours: Oct. 11 from 5-8 p.m.; Oct. 12 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Oct. 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. smuggs.com Nov. 22-23 | Cambridge Rotary Club Ski & Ride Swap, Jeffersonville Equipment drop-off: Nov. 22 from 6-8 p.m. at the Cambridge Community Center. Sale hours: Nov. 23 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. rotarycambridge.org Nov. 22-24 | Okemo Mountain School Ski & Snowboard Swap, Ludlow Equipment drop-off: Nov. 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Jackson Gore. Sale hours: Nov. 22 from 4-7 p.m. (3-4 p.m. early hour with $5 admission fee, free for Okemo employees); Nov. 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Nov. 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. okemomountainschool.org
Rolling out the white carpet Nov. 15th
We roll out the stored ribbon of snow almost two weeks before Thanksgiving. Lodging too. Find more:
craftsbury.com © Kris Dobie
OCTOBER 2019 | VTSPORTS.COM 37
MANY HEROES: ONE MISSION
RUN • WALK • HIKE • BIKE • VIRTUAL • VOLUNTEER
October 20, 2019 • Hanover, NH Register, volunteer or donate at CHaDHERO.ORG
38 VTSPORTS.COM | OCTOBER 2019
IKE SHOPS
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ALPINE SHOP
1184 Williston ALPINE Rd., South SHOP Burlington, VT 802-862-2714 | alpineshopvt.com V
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In operation since 1963, we specialize in mountain bikes, hybrid, commuter and E-bikes from Norco, Felt, Devinci & Rossignol. Alpine Shop is a full-service bike shop with ample free parking and riding space. Rental and demo bikes available. Stylish clothing for men and women plus gear, shoes & apparel for tennis. Hours: Mon. – Sat. 10 – 6; Sun. 10 – 5.
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BASIN SPORTS
2886 Killington Rd., Killington, VT 802-422-3234 | basinski.com Purchasing a bike is a big investment. This investment unlocks the door to adventure. For the thrill seekers, boardwalk cruisers and tarmac chasers we’ve got a little bit of everything for you. Just below Killington Resort, we focus on all-mountain mountain bikes and downhill too. Carrying Specialized, Santa Cruz, Juliana, and Devenci we’ve got the perfect match for just about anyone, plus all the other gear and apparel you need to have fun on the road or trails.
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WHY BUY LOCAL?
These local, independent bike shops have become go-to resources for riders. Here are five reasons why: 1) Trust. When you buy from your local bike shop you know that if something goes wrong, they're there to help. 2) Fit. A bike has to fit right to perform well. Your shop will find the bike that fits your riding and your body. 3) Local knowledge. No one knows the local roads and trails like these shops. 4) Weekly group rides. What's more fun than riding with an awesome group? 5) They make it happen. Whether it's helping build trails or volunteering their support on a charity road ride, these shops work hard so you can have fun.
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BATTENKILL BICYCLES
Battenkill Bicycles has been Manchester’s choice for bicycle sales, service and rentals since 1972. We offer the entire line of the latest Trek and Specialized bikes. Come in for a fitting and advice; each new bike includes one free tune up for a year. Our service department will work on all bikes and repair and maintain your bike in tip-top shape for the road and trail. We offer road, mountain and hybrid bikes and our staff enjoys sharing local knowledge about where to ride. Our shop has lots of parking, so please come park for the day while you ride and take advantage of our shower before going out to dinner in Manchester. Check our website, Facebook or join our mailing list to find out about regular group rides. We look forward to serving you and your family for all your cycling needs.
BELGEN CYCLES
24 Bridge St., Richmond, VT 802-434-4876 | belgencycles.com Belgen Cycles offers custom and stock bicycles supported by 40 years of hands-on experience. Focused on the right bike for you covering the spectrum from road to ‘cross and mountain to fat with bikes from Salsa, Xprezo, Moots, Parlee, Litespeed, Lynskey and Soma. Full service maintenance and repair as well as fitting solutions. In business as Village Bicycle in Richmond for 20 years. Hours: Mon. – Sat. 10:30 – 6:30.
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BERKSHIRE OUTFITTERS
RR 8, 169 Grove St., Adams, MA 413-743-5900 | berkout@bcn.net
We are a full-service bike shop at the base of the Mt. Greylock State Reservation. We also border a beautiful 12-mile paved rail trail. We carry Jamis, Rocky Mountain and G.T. We offer sales, repairs and hybrid bike rentals for the rail trail.
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BOOTLEGGER BIKES
60 Main Street Jeffersonville, VT 802-644-8370 | bootleggerbikes.com
A full-service shop near Smugglers' Notch. We offer new, used and custom bikes as well as custom wheel builds for mountain, road, gravel, fat bikes, bikepacking and touring. Rentals offered at our Cambridge Junction shop on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. Bikes are a passion here.
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BRADLEY’S PRO SHOP SKI & SPORT
2012 Depot St. Manchester Center, VT 05255 802-367-3118 | bradleysproski.com Bradley’s Pro Shop Ski & Bike is the premier bike shop in Southern Vermont! We are located in Manchester Center. Always known as your go-to ski shop we are now your go-to bike shop. We have one of the best bike mechanics in Vermont on staff, Dan Rhodes. Many of you know of his reputation as a master bike mechanic. Dan runs all aspects of our bicycle operations. We carry the full lineup of Cannondale and GT bikes—mountain bikes, gravel, e-bikes, BMX and hybrids. We are a full-service operation with sales, service, accessories and rentals including e-bikes. We always offer a great bike tuneup price so be sure to bring your ride in. As always: THINK DIRT!
45 Bridge St. Morrisville, VT 802-888-7642 | chucksbikes802.com Putting smiles on people’s faces for over 35 years. Bikes by Jamis,Transition, Norco, KHS, Surly, Raleigh, Marin and Diamondback. Hours: Mon. – Fri. 9 – 5:30, Sat. 9 – 3, closed Sundays.
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CLAREMONT CYCLE
12 Plains Rd. Claremont, NH 603.542. BIKE (2453) | claremontcycle.com We are always evolving to stay current with trends to meet our customers needs. With certain change, we always stay true to who and what we are: a true bike shop where customer satisfaction is the top priority and staff is enthusiastic, knowledgeable and friendly. Everyone who walks through our door is welcomed into our diverse bike community. We bring people together from all walks of life and ages that share the same love and passion for cycling. Hours: Mon. 8:30 - 5:30, Tues. - Fri. 10:30 - 5:30, Sat. 10:30 - 4, closed Sunday.
10 COWBELL MOBILE BIKE SHOP
25-mile radius around Burlington and White River Junction 802-373-3411 | cowbellbike.com Cowbell mobile bike shop is Vermont’s first full-service bike shop in a van. No more waiting around for weeks to get your bike tuned up. Just book an appointment and Cowbell shows up and you ride the same day. Todd the owner and operator has 24 years of experience and arrives in the Burlington and Upper Valley areas with a van full of parts and accessories. More than just a rolling bike shop...Cowbell also offers corporate visits, ride support and bike maintenance classes.
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8474 Route 4, Killington, VT 802-422-9050 | firststopboardbarn.com
FITNESS
2069 Williston Rd., South Burlington, VT 802-864-9197 | earlsbikes.com
12 EAST BURKE SPORTS 439 Route 114 East Burke, VT 802-626-3215 | eastburkesports.com We are the original home to Kingdom Trails. Located in the heart of town, we pride ourselves in expert knowledge while providing friendly customer service. A fullservice shop awaits you and your repair needs. We have 100 rental bikes with an enormous selection of clothing, parts, and accessories. Hours: 9 - 6 every day.
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Killington’s authorized Cannondale and Trek dealer. We also carry: Fox, Giro, Shimano, FiveTen, G-Form, Pearl Izumi, Smith, Spy, Oakley and more. We’ve helped outfit first timers to world class athletes since 1979. We have a Service Center that can fix practically anything and a Rental & Demo Test Center that lets you try equipment before you buy. We have Gear Experts who can help you find the right gear, right now. If you’re not sure where to get started, give us a call or stop by—we’re open 365 days a year.
EQUIPE SPORT
8749 Rte. 30, Rawsonville, VT 802 297 2847 | equipesport.com With locations on the Stratton and the Mount Snow valleys, Equipe Sport offers a wide range of services including sales, rental and repair. We sell bikes from GT, Santa Cruz and Rocky Mountain and have a rental fleet of Rocky Mountain bikes.
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74 Main St., Middlebury, VT 802-388-6666 | froghollow bikes.com
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Take advantage of the most advanced and courteous service in our region, with quick turn-around time in our service shop downstairs. Upstairs in the sales room, we offer the best in new and used road, mountain, lifestyle, and children’s bikes and new gear. We carry brands that offer superior products that balance innovation and performance with reliability and value. Hours: Mon. - Sat. 9:30 - 5:30, Sun. 11 – 4.
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2733 Main St., Lake Placid, NY 518-523-3764 | highpeaks cyclery.com
20 Hanover St. Lebanon, NH 603-448-3522 | omerandbobs.com
Lake Placid’s source for bicycling and outdoor gear since 1983! Sales, service, rentals and tours. Bikes by Intense, B.M.C., Salsa, Surly, Giant and Scott. Your information headquarters for Lake Placid and the Adirondacks for gravel road, mountain biking and road riding adventures. Free maps. ADK80 and Ironman race info and course conditions. New! Basecamp lodges. Hours: Mon – Fri 9 – 6, Sun 9 – 5.
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Earl’s Cyclery has been serving Vermont's cycling and fitness needs for more than 65 years. With over 12,000 square feet at the new location, Earl’s has the largest selection of bikes from Trek, Giant, Scott, Bianchi, Electra, Haro, and more. The service center at Earl’s has professionally trained technicians who are certified to work on all makes and models of bicycles, not just the ones we sell. Whether Logo Typface: you need a flat tire fix or a suspension Tracked +20, UPPERCASE DIN staff Bold is ready to help. rebuild, the service Estimates are always free! Check out the new location at 2069 Williston Rd, South Burlington, or call us.
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GREEN MOUNTAIN BIKES
105 N. Main St. Rochester VT 800-767-7882 | greenmountain bikes.com Located in the heart of the Green Mountains, we are surrounded by terrain that calls to mountain and road bikers alike. Whether you ride twisting trails or back-to-back gaps, we service, sell, and rent all styles of bicycles, featuring Kona, Jamis, Juliana, Raleigh, Santa Cruz, Transition and Hinderyckx bikes - hand crafted by our own Rochester boy Zak Hinderyckx. So STOP READING and RIDE YOUR BIKE! Hours: 7 days a week, 10 – 6.
794 W. Lakeshore 1-Color Options: Dr. Colchester, VT 802-863-2453 | mbbicyle.com
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Service, rentals and sales. Located on the shores of beautiful Malletts Bay, our shop offers expert repairs, top quality rentals, a fine complement of accessories and new bicycles from KHS, Swix, Intense and Reid. Rent a bike from our Airport Park location and be out on the Colchester Causeway, the ‘Jewel of the Island Line Trail,” in minutes!
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MOUNTAINOPS
Color(s): (Pantone, CMYK, RGB, HTML): Black, White, Orange Orange: Pantone 021 C R: 254 G: 105 B: 0 CMYK: 0 65 100 0 HTML: FE5000
4081 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT 802-253-4531 | mountainopsvt.com
MountainOps offers bike sales and service, fast and friendly, with no attitude. We sell Niner and Scott bikes for all abilities and riding styles. You’ll find tons of clothing and accessories in our converted 1893 barn. Our techs have decades of experience with all types of bikes and our knowledge of local trails is awesome. We are Stowe's MTB Demo Center with more than 60 different mountain bikes for demo. They range anywhere from trail-worthy hardtails to carbon frame full suspension enduro bikes. Sizes and prices to fit everyone!
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OLD SPOKES HOME
331 North Winooski Ave., Burlington, VT 802-863-4475 | oldspokeshome.com Old Spokes Home offers Vermont’s best selection of professionally refurbished used bikes and new bikes for touring, bike packing, commuting, fat biking, and simply getting around town. Named one of the country’s best bike shops by Outside Online for it’s “plain-talk advice and no-nonsense service.” A non-profit as of 2015, Old Spokes Home uses 100% of its revenue to run programs creating access to bikes in the community. Don’t miss the famous antique bicycle museum! Mon. – Sat. 10 - 6, Sun. 12 - 5.
The Upper Valley’s bike shop since 1964. We carry road bikes, mountain bikes and kids bikes from specialty brands including Trek, Specialized and Colnago. Featuring a full service department offering bike fitting, bike rentals and a kids’ trade-in, trade-up program. Hours: Mon. – Fri. 9 – 6, Sat. 9 – 5.
22 ONION RIVER OUTDOORS
20 Langdon St. Montpelier, VT 802-225-6736 | onionriver.com
Gear, clothing and expert advice for all your hiking, biking, running, camping, outdoor adventures! Friendly, knowledgeable bicycle and car rack sales and service. Check out onionriver.com to learn about all of our fun events and clinics. Hours: Mon. through Fri. 10 - 6:00; Sat. 9 - 5, Sun. 10 - 4.
23 OUTDOOR GEAR EXCHANGE
37 Church St., Burlington, VT 802-860-0190 | gearx.com
OGE offers Burlington riders a premier bike shop with a knowledgeable, friendly, and honest staff. We have commuters and gravel grinders from Marin and KHS, mountain bikes from Pivot, Transition, Rocky Mountain and Yeti and a wide consignment selection as well as a demo fleet so you can try it before you buy it. Our service department is capable of everything from tuning your vintage road bike to servicing your new mountain bike and offers full Fox shock service. Come on down and see us on Church Street! Hours: Mon. – Thurs. 10 – 8, Fri. – Sat. 10 – 9, Sun. 10 – 6.
24
POWERPLAY SPORTS
35 Portland St. Morrisville, VT 802-888-6557 powerplaysports.com North Central Vermont’s Trek and Giant Dealer. With over 200 new and used bikes, P.P.S. has a bike for everyone. Service and rentals too! Hours: Mon. – Fri. 9 – 6, Sat. 8:30 – 5, Sun. 10 – 4.
25 RANCH CAMP 311 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT 802-253-2753 | ranchcampvt.com Ranch Camp is Stowe’s mountain bike base lodge, and your hub for bikes, gear, and culture! Ranch Camp offers a full-service mountain bike shop, tap room, and fast casual eatery, featuring sales and demo bikes from Ibis Cycles, Yeti, Rocky Mountain, Evil, and Specialized. Looking for top of the line mountain bikes and components? Got ‘em. How about local brews from New England's finest purveyors of craft libations? You bet. And if you need a thoughtfully crafted grab-and-go meal for your ride, or a place to sit down and refuel afterwards, Ranch Camp has you covered. Best of all, Ranch Camp is situated trailside with its very own public access entrance into Stowe’s iconic Cady Hill trail network and beyond.
26 SKIRACK 85 Main St. Burlington, VT 802-6583313 | skirack.com Locally owned since 1969, Skirack provides gear, clothing, expert fitting and accessories for all cyclists, with full service tuning and repairs...plus complete bike suspension service on most forks and rear shocks. Designated one of America’s Best Bike Shops, Skirack is blocks from Lake Champlain. Open 8 a.m. Mon. - Sat. for bike service, car racks and rentals.
27 STARK MOUNTAIN
9 RTE 17 Waitsfield, VT 802-496-4800 | Find us on Facebook Located at the lowest spot in the Mad River Valley so you can coast in when you break your bike on a ride! 20 years of advise, directions and fixing anything that pedals. You know you want a Yeti. Come try one of ours! Hours: Tues - Fri. 9 – 6*. Sat. 9 - 4, Sun. 9 - 1, closed on Mon. *Closes at 5 on Thursdays for Shop ride.
28 VILLAGE SPORT SHOP
511 Broad St. Lyndonville, VT 802-626-8448| villagesport shop.com
Established in 1978, we are a family-owned, passiondriven sporting goods store serving customers for four seasons of adventure. Strongly focused on bike and ski, we have highly skilled knowledgeable technicians and sales staff to assist in all needs of purchase, rental and service. With two locations, one nestled trailside on the world-renowned Kingdom Trails, and the other in downtown Lyndonville, we’re here to make your adventures happen!
29 WATERBURY SPORTS 46 South Main Street, Waterbury, VT 802-882-8595 | waterburysportsvt.com WBS sells Trek and Giant bikes of every flavor from high-end mountain bikes to kids, hybrids and cross bikes. Our service techs are among the best in northern Vt. We also rent and Demo from our downtown location right near the Perry Hill Trails. Hours: Mon. – Thurs. 10 – 6, Fri. - Sat 9 – 7, Sun. 10 – 4.
30 WEST HILL
BIKE SHOP
ADS
49 Brickyard Lane, Putney, VT 802-387-5718 | westhillshop.com Since 1971, the West Hill Shop has been a low-key, friendly source for bikes ‘n gear, service and rare wisdoms. We are known regionally as the go-to place for problemsolving technicians. Our bike fitters specialize in comfort without sacrificing efficiency. Recently, we’ve focused on stocking gravel road bikes, with awesome dirt road riding right out our door. Join us for our Annual West Hill Grinder in September. It’s truly a rural adventure with loops on scenic gravel roads or wily trails. Hours: Mon. to Sat., 10 – 6.
DID YOUR SHOP GET DROPPED? TO JOIN THE BIKE SHOP DIRECTORY, GIVE US A CALL AT 802-388-4944 OR SEND AN EMAIL TO ADS@VTSPORTS.COM OCTOBER 2019 | VTSPORTS.COM 41
ENDGAME
A
s I lie on the coach or the picnic table or the floor day after day, hour after hour, I purposely remember my blessings. Remembering the blessings in your life gives you strength when the waters rise, when defeat looks imminent. It’s hard to lay still. It’s especially difficult when moving and being a worldclass athlete was your identity, your joy. I cannot change my circumstance, yet with God’s help, I can rule my mind. Ruling your mind is powerful. Remembering your blessings helps you keep your mind focused on the victory. One of the blessings I keep close to my heart as I traverse this valley, battling stage IV cancer, is something that happened just last November. For nearly 30 years, God gifted me with the ability to compete in triathlons, aquathlons and biathlons. I love everything about them: The challenge, the extraordinary places you travel to; waking in the wee hours when the world is still asleep, the brilliant stars that take your breath away, the electric energy as you arrive, the new and old friends you meet; the beauty of a sunrise, the glistening water, the prayers, the frenzy as the gun goes off; the mind control, the jumping over fear and doubt, the pushing of one’s body beyond the limits, the elation of crossing the finish line or standing on a podium. I miss racing so much. And yet I am so grateful for all the years God let me chase my triathlon dreams. At first, I just wanted to finish. And then I raised the bar. I wanted to place in my age division, then overall, then make Team USA and compete in an age group World Championship, then win Nationals, then Worlds and then break a World record. By 2013, all those dreams had co me true except winning a National Championship. To win, everything needs to go perfectly. Sadly, for years at Nationals, something always came in my way; a slow leak in my tire, chemotherapy, a competitor grabbing me in a vice grip induced by fear during the swim, bone metastasis, rocks in my goggles, a race belt falling off, loosened handle bars, to name a few. But on November 10, 2018 in Miami Fla., something extraordinary happened. I wasn’t planning on being in Miami to compete at the National Aquathlon Championships. I was planning on retiring. I’d just competed on July
42 VTSPORTS.COM | OCTOBER 2019
BLESSINGS
ONE YEAR AGO, TRIATHLETE KAREN NEWMAN ACHIEVED A GOAL SHE HAD BEEN WORKING TOWARD FOR 30 YEARS. TODAY, SHE FACES THE TOUGHEST CHALLENGE OF ALL. BY KAREN NEWMAN
Karen Newman, carrying the U.S. flag in the Parade of Nations at the 2016 Aquathlon and Triathlon Worlds in Cozumel, Mexico. Photo courtesy Karen Newman
12, 2018, at the age group World Aquathlon Championships in Denmark where I placed 6th overall and was the top American with the fastest run, despite enduring radiation to four pelvic tumors just months before. When a fellow competitor asked if I was going to the National Age-group Aquathlon Championships in Miami and subsequently announced the date November 10, 2019 (11-1-19), hope rose up within me. The number "111" had been God's special way of encouraging me through hard times. Maybe that long ago dream of winning Nationals was in my future. Leading up to Nationals, I won every race overall for women and once overall for men and women. I felt strong, ready. Yet when I arrived, doubt crept in. Each time doubt threatened to overwhelm me, God would send me a 111 on a building, or the clock would read 10:11. He was so faithful in his encouragement. I could only do my best. The Larry and Penny Thompson zoo was a perfect venue for the race even with the alligator signs warning us not to swim in the lake. I wasn’t scared, but another competitor was. I asked her before our wave went off if she would like me to say a prayer. I don’t know what I said but when I finished, multiple hands of other competitors were upon us. We all felt blessed. Never had that happened before a National Championship. I
I stayed on my knees with my arms raised and wept. I just couldn’t believe that God gave me my dream. And incredibly on November 10th (111). It was more than I could ask or imagine. The cancer treatments, the pain, the doubt, the trials, the insurmountable odds were all washed away in a moment of unimaginable bliss. When the announcer put the gold medal around my neck and said “Here is Karen Newman, she is a stage IV metastatic breast cancer survivor, and she is your National Champion,” I wept again. Then I smiled in awe as I looked out over the crowd. I pointed to the heavens and the two award winners to my left and right knew it was going to be a great day. grabbed my hands, raised them higher. When the gun went off, I gave It is a moment, I will never forget. everything I had. My swim and transition No other National Championship were perfect. As I began to run, I felt win would have been so rich. Jesus running with me. My mantra; “All Do not lose hope if your circumstances for your glory Lord; all for your glory." look dire or your dreams are taking a I pushed past the heat, the pain. When while. I waited nearly 30 years before I crossed the finish line, there was winning a National Championship. nothing left to give. I had given it all. Before that win, I waded through My husband Peter met me at the many deep dark valleys. I know what finish line, hugged me and told me he it’s like to be on a bedpan; I know what thought I came in fifth. I was crushed. it's like to be broken. And I know what I really thought I had won. I collected it’s like to taste victory. my things and we began to socialize. In the waiting, remember your When the announcer said he’d be blessings; write them down, keep presenting awards in 3 minutes, I went them close. Thank God often. This to check the standings. Miraculously, is the only way I am making my way I saw my name in the number one through my present circumstance with slot and fell on my knees. I’d won. glimmers of joy and hope and victory.
“Before that win I
waded through many deep, dark valleys.
I know what it's like to be on a bedpan. I
know what it's like to
be broken. And I know what it's like to taste victory.”
GAME ON awesome food, 100+ beers, 1,000+ records and a bunch of good people
serving dinner every night and lunch friday - monday
track us down: 802 760 6066 docponds.com @docponds
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