Vermont Sports July, 2019 by AddisonPress

TIPS FOR BETTER BIKE FIT | THE WIFE-CARRYING CHAMP | THE VT BEER QUIZ

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WHERE TO PUT IN, PADDLE AWAY & CAMP OUT

SURF'S UP IN

MONTREAL WHERE THE WAVE NEVER ENDS

SUMMER GEAR WE LOVE

Be first down the mountain again. BE YOU AGAIN. THE RIGHT SPORTS MEDICINE PROVIDER CAN HELP. Our team provides comprehensive sports medicine care, no matter how complex the injury. Patients receive a course of treatment that’s ideally suited for them and built around the most advanced options available—whether operative, non-operative or a combination of both. If you live in the Burlington area, make an appointment with The University of Vermont Health Network’s sports medicine specialists at UVM Medical Center. To make an appointment, call 802-307-1017. UVMHealth.org/BeYouAgain

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NEW ENGLAND’S OUTDOOR MAGAZINE DESCRIPTION Sports Med Resize TACTIC Print MATERIAL DUE DATE 2-8-19 PUB(S) Vermont Sports Magazine

ON THE COVER: Photo by Nathanael Asaro. Finding a moment of zen on the quiet waters of the Northeast Kingdom.

INSERTION DATE

PUBLISHER

Angelo Lynn - publisher@vtsports.com

BUILT AT 100%

EDITOR/CO-PUBLISHER

Lisa Lynn - editor@vtsports.com

TRIM 10.25"ASSISTANT x 13" EDITOR Abagael Giles

LIVE abagael@vtsports.com 10.25" x 13"

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

BLEED Shawn Braley + .125"

MEDICAL ADVISORY BOARD

COLOR Dr. Nathan Endres, Dr. David Lisle, Dr. James 4C Slauterbeck —University of Vermont Robert

Larner College of Medicine; Orthopaedics and

LASER PRINTED AT Rehabilitation; Jamie Sheahan, M.S., R.D. 100%

CONTRIBUTORS

PROOF PRINTED ATNewbeck, Leath Tonino Brian Mohr, Phyl 100%

ADVERTISING

SPECIAL NOTES Lisa Lynn | (802) 388-4944 Information ads@vtsports.com QUESTIONS CALL Sara Miles ADVERTISING SALES 251.476.2507

Christine Pinsonneault shortboards the endless wave at Montreal's Habitat 67, a riverbreak her husband Corran Addison pioneered.

Photo courtesy Corran Addison

Greg Meulemans | (802) 366-0689 greg@vtsports.com Wilkie Bushby | (6464) 831-5647 wilkie@vtskiandride.com Dave Honeywell | (802) 583-4653 dave_golfhouse@madriver.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS, PRINTING & DISTRIBUTION Lisa Razo - lisar@addisonindependent.com

EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION OFFICE Vermont Sports | 58 Maple Street Middlebury, Vt. 05753 | 802-388-4944

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

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VERMONT SPORTS IS A PROUD MEMBER OF

5 The Start

Why we love to paddle.

Pro tips for a perfect bike fit.

The Water Trail

7 Great Outdoors News Briefs

The new Kingdom Heritage Trail, Chill Heats Up, A New Kind of Gym, The VT Beer Quiz

10 Nutrition Raising the Bar

Not all energy bars are created equal. Here's how to make you own.

13 Gear

The New Gear We Love

A new thermo-molded trail shoe, bugproof clothing and more.

Gear

Dialing in Your Ride

Feature

Surfing the Endless Wave

Inside Montreal's surf scene

20 Feature

A Weekend in the Saranacs

For mountain views, island camping and no portages, head west.

24 Feature

Peter Macfarlane's Epic Journeys

Paddling both ways on the Northern Forest Canoe Trail.

28 Feature

10 Great Paddling Trips

Our guide —from easy to epic.

31 Reader Athlete The Trail Builder

Meet the Vermont trail builder who just won the North American Wife Carrying Championships.

Calendar Race & Event Guide

42 Endgame

The Middle of Nowhere

Climbing nowhere can put you exactly where you need to be.

ADVERTISERS! The deadline for the August issue of Vermont Sports is July 18. Contact ads@vtsports.com today to reserve your space!

JULY 2019 | VTSPORTS.COM 3

» svhealthcare.org/ortho

RESTORING

ACTIVE +

LIFESTYLES

SVMC ORTHOPEDICS Don’t let joint pain or a lingering injury interfere with your daily life. SVMC Orthopedics can help get you back to the activities you love as quickly—and painlessly—as possible.

802-442-6314 Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Appointments

PA R T N E R S H I P I S P O W E R F U L M E D I C I N E

SVMC Orthopedics 332 Dewey Street | Bennington

THE START

Waterbury Waterbury

THE WATER TRAILS

VERMONT’S WATER TRAILS ARE JUST AS EPIC AND IMPORTANT TO OUR WAY OF LIFE AS OUR LAND TRAILS ARE.

One of the deluxe campsites along the Northern Forest Canoe Trail .Photo by Brian Mohr, EmberPhoto

lmost two decades ago, Kay Henry invited me on a canoe trip in Maine. At the time, she was owner of Mad River Canoe, a company she co-founded in Waitsfield, Vt. I was editing Audubon Magazine. How could I possibly say no? We drove for what seemed like hours on endless, unnamed logging roads that cut straight lines through the tall pines that darken the heart of Maine’s North Woods. We put in on the West Branch of the Penobscot and paddled a three-day loop of lakes and rivers. One night, as we set up campsites along a section that Henry David Thoreau had paddled in the mid-1800s, Kay started to talk about a longer canoe trail, inspired by paddlers who had been trying to connect waterways across the North Woods. She shared a vision for a trail that would cross the North Woods of New England, connecting waterways from New York to Maine. “It was going to be a way to bring energy and revenue to so many of these towns that had depended on logging and other vanishing industries,” she recalls, when we spoke in June. She and her partner Rob Center formed a non-profit dedicated to creating the trail in 2000. They worked with Senator Patrick Leahy and the congressional delegations of the four states as well as the National Park Service to map the route and get the funding to make it happen. By 2006, the trail was mapped and officially open. Since then, 113 people have (officially) done the entire trail, including Vermont’s Sam Brakely (who Phyl Newbeck profiles on p. 31) and Peter Macfarlane. Macfarlane, an Addison, Vt. resident, is the only one we know of who has done it both directions. Assistant editor Aba-

gael Giles caught up with him and tells the story ,“Peter Macfarlane’s Epic Journeys” on p. 22. We may not all be ready for a monthlong journey. But, thankfully, there are plenty of other shorter and easier “trails” to paddle around the state. One section of the NFCT dovetails with the Missisquoi, sections of which, along with the Trout Rivers, have been designated a National Wild and Scenic River. And around the region there are dozens of other routes to paddle. We picked just a few to profile in this issue. The Lake Champlain Paddlers Trail, the Lamoille River Trail and the Connecticut River Paddlers Trail are just as much a part of Vermont’s outdoor recreation landscape as the Long Trail, the Catamount Trail or Kingdom Trails. Fortunately, these trails and other waterways are getting some of the attention they deserve. Vermont State Parks now has seven state parks with paddlein campsites and several where you can rent a kayak or canoe on site. In Montpelier, a new boat launch is being built to access the Winooski. The White River Partnership just came out with a map that traces the river, its fishing and tubing spots, trails and more. Created by Noah Pollock (who has also done maps for a number of other rivers around the state) it’s a super handy guide. If you want to see these water trails grow, buy these maps and consider supporting the organizations that have worked hard to create them, to put in campsites, to remove dams and debris and to keep the rivers both accessible and healthy. These trails are just as important as the dirt routes and snowpacked trails we love. —Lisa Lynn

@prohibitionpig @prohibitionpig

VERMONT STATE PARKS Family-friendly, remote paddle-to camping at seven parks

vtstateparks.com

JULY 2019 | VTSPORTS.COM 5

5/22/2019

5:30:12 PM

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THIS SUMMER, THERE’S A WHOLE NEW TRAIL SYSTEM TO EXPLORE IN THE NORTHEAST KINGDOM FOR HIKERS, RUNNERS AND BIRDERS.

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The Kingdom Heritage Trail was first conceived in 1998 but didn't become reality until 2001, when the Green Mountain Club became corridor manager for hiking trails on the former Champion Lands and then 2010 when NorthWoods Stewardship Center crews constructed the first sections of trail on the north side of Middle Mountain. With support of the partners- Weyerhaeuser, Sweet Tree, the Town of Brighton, VT Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Nature Conservancy, and Vermont Land Trust- the Kingdom Heritage Trail system now rambles over 20-miles of Northern Forest terrain. You can help steward this resource by practicing the Leave No Trace ethics, volunteering time, supporting the non-profit trail management groups, and investing in the local economy.

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Sweet Tree, LLC and Maple Guild is the largest sugaring operation in the world. With over 450,000 taps, they are an important local employer and a global leader in the maple industry. Their lands are conserved with easements that ensure public access and support the working forest. Please respect private forestlands and avoid active operations.

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Bluff Mountain (Low Summit) elev. 2774' !

In partnership with:

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EMERGENCY: CALL 911 The Kingdom Heritage Lands are remote and unpatrolled where hazards, changing conditions, and varied terrain all affect your safety. Be prepared for a backcountry emergency. Cell phone service is limited and, in many areas, not available.

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In 1998, Champion International sold their lands in northeastern Vermont. Through a complex agreement, 22,000-acres became the state-owned West Mountain Wildlife Management Area, the US Fish and Wildlife Service acquired 26,000-acres for the Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge, and 84,000-acres were purchased by a private timber company (now Weyerhaeuser) with easements that ensure the lands will remain open to the public and continue as working forest.

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s of June 22, the Kingdom Heritage Trail System, a 20-mile network of foot trails through the 132,000-acre former Champion International Paper company timberlands near Island Pond, is open to the public. The trails connect existing paths on Bluff Island in Island Pond, Gore Mountain in Avery’s Gore and the Silvio O. Conte National Fish & Wildlife Refuge in Brunswick via a backcountry route that passes through remote and rugged forestland in northern Essex County. The footpaths take hikers to some of the most stunning parts of the Nulhegan Basin, through working timberlands, pristine forests and natural bogs. It’s not every day that the Green Mountain Club establishes a new trail system. This project is the result of 20 years of visioning and volunteer work on the part of locals and trail organizations. In many ways, the trail’s story starts in 1998, when the Champion International Paper company announced plans to sell 132,000 acres of land in the Northeast Kingdom. Through much negotiation and some complex partnerships, that land was divided into three parcels. One went to the State of Vermont and became the 22,971-acre West Mountain Wildlife Management Area, which today extends into the towns of Brunswick, Ferdinand and Maidstone. Another, at more than 36,000 acres, was acquired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and became the Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge. The third remained in private hands and is still managed today as a working forest where public recreational use is permitted through a public access easement. Collectively, they are known as the former Champion timberlands. Then, in 2001, the Green Mountain Club submitted a Hiking Trail Corridor Management Plan for the former Champion timberlands that envisioned a network of foot trails connecting existing infrastructure. Trail work on the project began in July, 2011 and was finally completed in May, 2019. The final product offers an unprecedented opportunity to explore the wilds of the Nulhegan Basin in a part of the state with few roads—or cars. The Green Mountain Club, NorthWoods Stewardship Center and Vermont Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation led the effort, in collaboration with Weyerhaeuser Timber, Sweet Tree LLC, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Town of

A NEW TRAIL SYSTEM IN THE NEK

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More than 20 years in the making, this new trail will connect paths in the far northeastern part of Vermont.

Brighton, Vermont Land Trust, LandVest and a lot of local volunteers. More than 120 Northeast Kingdom students participated in trail construction through the Northwoods Stewardship Center and dozens of local volunteers from the Northeast Kingdom Section of the Green Mountain Club contributed time and expertise. In par-

ticular, past Green Mountain Club president Jean Haigh and G.M.C. Northeast Kingdom Section member and past NorthWoods Stewardship Center director Luke O’Brien were visionaries who saw the project from start to finish over the last 20 years. For more information about recommended trips and maps, visit greenmountainclub.org.

AND THERE’S A NEW GYM IN TOWN

What happens when a Hollywood stunt man, the University of Vermont freeskiing coach and a top snowboard and gymnastics coach all collaborate on a new gym? You get the ElevateMovement Collective, a new 1475-squarefoot gym with foam floors, a Ninja Warrior rack and obstacles, climbing nad running walls and, down the road, an outdoor trampoline training site. The new Stowe facility is the brainchild of Noah Labow and George Coultas, the co-founders and head coaches at Green Mountain Academy. Both have been coaching aspiring freeskiers and riders in aerial maneuvers for years. They teamed up with Justice Hedenberg, gymnast and stuntman in movies such as Ghostbuster, to build the new gym and programming around it. The gym is scheduled to open in early July. “We'll start with seven weeks of summer camp for kids 8-15,” says Labow. “We also have two weeks of camp for kids 5-7, and a cool collaboration week with Stowe Youth Cycling.” In the fall, they plan to offer after-school programs, adult training classes and team sessions – as well as to host parties. “Fitness is in right now, but people still want it to be fun and creative,” says Labow, a former freeski competitor and American Ninja

Budding freeskiers practice on trampolines — part of the equipment ElevateMovement Collective will use. Photo by Noah Labow

JULY 2019 | VTSPORTS.COM 7

NEWS BRIEFS veteran. “Obstacle training is fun and addictive and a great workout. We teach fundamental movements but stick to our roots by calling our programs "ski and snowboard" inspired.” For more information, see Elevatecamp.net.

CHILL HEATS UP AT ESPN AWARDS

On July 9 in Los Angeles, the leaders of the Burlington-based Chill Foundation find out if they have won $100,000 as the winner of the ESPN Corporate Community Impact Award. Started by Burton founders Jake and Donna Carpenter, of Stowe, Chill is dedicated to providing outdoor opportunities such as snowboarding, surfing or other boardsporst to kids who might not otherwise have access to them. “This year, in Vermont alone, we’ll serve 150 youth through 8 different programs,” says Jeff Morton, Chill’s vice-president of marketing. Through Chill, boardsports have become a vehicle for empowerment and overcoming obstacles for more than 25,000 young people since the program started, impacting 1,900 youth at 15 locations annually. The Chill Foundation is one of four finalists for the award and, as such, has already earned a $25,000 prize.

THE VT BEER QUIZ

We love our sports and we love our beer. What we love best is when the two come together. Thanks to a number of recent collaborations, this is happening around the state. Here’s a quick test to see how much you know. Answers at bottom:

1. WHO DID A RECENT BREW/MTB COLLABORATION?

This beer company is not only hosting mountain bike demos at its new tasting room, it also recently released a special signature brew for Kingdom Trails NEMBAFEst

2) NAME THIS BEER AND SKI RESORT PIONEER

This person is equally well-known for pioneering one of the largest beer companies and building ski resorts across New England.

3) A DISC GOLFER OWNS THIS BREWERY

This brewery owner and master brewer not only has a disc golf course

on his property, he has also created special signature brews for the Disc Golf Worlds and Nationals, held at Smuggler’s Notch.

4) THESE BREWERIES HAVE TRAILS LEADING THERE

You can ride miles of dirt trails directly from these breweries. Or directly to them. We’re sure we left some out but here are two we love.

5) THIS BREW WAS MADE FOR HIKING

Named for a popular hiking trail, this brewery has also turned out signature brews for the Flyin’ Ryan Foundation and a brew called “Sick Day” that features a snowboarder.

ANSWERS: 1. Lawson’s Finest; 2. Fred Pabst, of Pabst Blue Ribbon fame, founded Bromley Mountain and a few other ski areas around New England, 3. Matt Cohen of Fiddlehead Brewing is a competitive disc golf player. 4. The von Trapp brewery and bierhall in Stowe is right off the mountain bike/ Nordic ski network and Lost Nation, in Morrisville, is off the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. 5. Long Trail has produced not only its signature Long Trail Ale but a variety of other brews that have a Vermont sports connection.

MY LIGHT MY WAY

PAT // I love being outside with the kids. I feel they can be themselves and be free to explore, ask questions and discover nature, in a world that is far too screencentered. Nighttime activities mean stories and a crackling campfire. Being out under the stars is magic, no matter how old you are. #petzlnightlife

TIKKA

Compact headlamp for proximity lighting and some movement. 300 lumens. www.petzl.com

8 VTSPORTS.COM | JULY 2019

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NUTRITION

t’s finally time: Lace up your hiking boots, tune up your bike and hit whatever trail, rec path or roadway is calling your name because summer is in full swing. Whether you are taking advantage of the season with century rides, leisurely hikes or tackling some trail runs, energy bars are a convenient way for many of us to get the energy we need to fuel our fun. And there is no shortage of bars to choose from either, which—as it turns out—can be both a blessing and a curse. Choosing the “right” bar goes beyond just what tastes good and fits in your pocket. Unfortunately, many energy bars are simply candy bars in disguise, loaded with highly processed ingredients that deliver on calories but little else. Here we break down what ingredients you should include and which to steer clear of. The old adage that the best things come in small packages couldn’t be further from the truth because in this case the best energy bars don’t come in a package at all—you can make them at home at a fraction of the price with this easy recipe.

RAISING THE BAR

TIRED OF ALL THE PROCESSED INGREDIENTS AND HIGH COSTS OF STORE-BOUGHT ENERGY BARS? HERE’S HOW YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN AND SKIP SOME OF THE INGREDIENTS YOU MIGHT WANT TO AVOID. BY JAMIE SHEAHAN, M.S., R.D.

Many of the "energy bars" on the market are more like candy bars, loaded with sugar and other less-than-healthy ingredients, such as palm kernel oil.

ral sources like fruit, honey and maple syrup provide plenty of energy, but like kindling on a fire, they burn out quickly. Oats still deliver on energy, but thanks to a good dose of soluble fiber, they have more staying power, providing longerlasting energy. They are also nutrientdense, packed with antioxidants including avenanthramides, a group of antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties found in few other foods.

THE NATURAL INGREDIENTS

Most energy bars, store-bought or homemade, start out with good intentions and good ingredients. These might include a healthy mix of oats, nuts and natural sweeteners. Here’s what they do for you: Dried fruit: Dried fruit is an energy bar staple for a reason. Fruits provide our body with an accessible source of energy in the form of fructose to power our exercise. As a general rule, it is best to limit dried fruit because it packs a lot of sugar and calories into a very small volume, but that’s also exactly what makes it so perfect in bars. Raisins, dates, tart cherries and apricots all deliver on energy and serve as binding agents so your bars don’t fall apart. Maple syrup: Forget the fake and processed sugars you see listed in packaged bars. Maple syrup provides the sugar your body needs during exercise to keep your muscles fueled without all of those other processed sugar sources. Any Vermonter worth their grit knows pure maple syrup reigns supreme in terms of flavor, but that’s not the only reason to opt for the real stuff over

10 VTSPORTS.COM | JULY 2019

WHAT STORE-BOUGHT BARS ADD

fake. Pure maple syrup has some antioxidants, which can help the body repair and recover from exercise. Plus, a healthy dose of zinc boosts the immune system to ward off any illness that could sideline you. Nuts and seeds: Nothing is worse than feeling your stomach rumble when you’re only halfway through a workout. Straight carbs and sugar can only keep you satisfied for so long, which is where nuts and seeds come in. Rich in energy, protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and healthy fats, nuts and

seeds are a must for crafting your own bars. And talk about variety! Almonds, peanuts, cashews, walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and so many more are an easy add-in that will give your bars major nutrition and a little crunch. Change out which nuts and seeds you use, as all have different vitamin and mineral profiles. There's no need to limit yourself to just one! Oats: Trail mix, granola and energy bars almost always include oats for an easy to digest, sustainable source of energy. Simple sugars from natu-

If you’re making your own bar, you can get away with all the ingredients listed above. However, when companies mass-produce bars, they often have to look for ingredients that cost less, extend the shelf-life of the bar, or make it hold together better. Here’s what to watch out for: Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil: If your chocolate-coated bar instantly turns into a gooey melted mess in your hand, then chances are this is on the ingredient list. This shelf-stable fat is highly processed and extremely high in saturated fat, more so than even butter. There are also numerous environmental concerns that make it a bad choice for our health and the health of our planet.

High Fructose Corn Syrup: It hardly seems worth mentioning as it’s no secret this chemically made sweetener is far from healthy, but that doesn’t stop it from cropping up in many packaged energy bars. The real concern when it comes to this sweet stuff is the ratio of glucose to fructose, which—as the name implies—is weighted towards fructose. Our digestive system can only handle so much fructose at a time. Too much fructose will result in diarrhea, cramping, gas and bloating. Not sweet! Inulin: We know fiber is good for us, so a bar packed with dietary fiber seems like a healthy option, right? Not if all that fiber comes from inulin, a type of soluble fiber naturally found in foods that improves digestive health by providing a food source for good bacteria (probiotics) in our gut. The problem is that most of the inulin found in bars comes from chicory root, which can lead to digestive problems like gas, bloating and diarrhea when consumed in large quantities. Not exactly what you want midway through a day hike. Soy Protein Isolate: Including protein in a bar is important for keeping hunger at bay for longer activities. Many energy bars offer protein-added options with this in mind; however, the quality of these proteins varies greatly

and soy protein isolate is far from ideal. While whole soy foods can be a healthy protein source, the process of isolating the soy protein changes the health profile for the worse due to possible heavy metal contamination and interference in thyroid function. Sugar Alcohols: Added to many bars to provide sweetness without the calories sugar provides, sugar alcohols sound almost too good to be true. That’s because they are. Listed most commonly as erythritol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, or malitol, the reason these are lower calorie than regular sugar is because they are tough to digest—another case of an ingredient likely to cause digestive issues. In addition, an energy bar is supposed to provide energy (seriously, it’s in the name) and sugar alcohols fail to deliver on an accessible source of energy to power your activities. Of course, the best solution is to make your own. These may not hold up as long as a store-bought bar or be quite as portable but you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing exactly what went into it. And here’s my favorite recipe, to the right:

DIY NO-BAKE ENERGY BARS

Quick, easy and perfect to make on a hot summer day when you don’t want to turn up the oven, these bars can be made ahead and wrapped in wax paper or plastic wrap. 1 cup (225 g) packed, pitted soft dates 1/2 cup (75 g) almonds 3/4 cup (75 g) oats 1/4 cup (40 g) hemp seeds 1/4 cup (70 g) natural peanut butter (or any other nut or seed butter) 1 tbsp (15 mL) maple syrup

1. Place the almonds and dates in a food processor or high-powered blender and mix until it forms a dough and the almonds are broken down. 2. Add the oats, hemp seeds, peanut butter and maple syrup and pulse until it forms a thick dough. 3. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or saran wrap then press the dough into the pan. 4. Place in the fridge or freezer for at least a few hours. 5. Cut into 8 squares or bars and store in the fridge in an air-tight container.

As the Director of Nutrition at The Edge in Burlington, Jamie Sheahan, M.S., R.D. works closely with athletes to develop customized fueling plans. Sheahan is also an adjunct professor of sports nutrition at UVM and has completed more than 20 marathons.

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GEAR

NEW GEAR WE LOVE

BUG-PROOF CLOTHING, MOLDABLE TRAIL SHOES, A DAYPACK THAT MOVES WITH YOU: WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE ABOUT THIS SUMMER’S NEWEST FINDS?

Tecnica Origin

Bug Barrier Jammer Knit Pant

Gregory’s Miwok

CUSTOM-MOLDED TRAIL RUNNERS

Last year Tecnica came out with the Forge, a hiking boot that could be thermo-molded to your foot for a custom fit. This year, the company whose U.S. headquarters are in Lebanon, N.H. is coming out with a trail running shoe that uses the same technology. Tecnica claims the Origin ($170) is the first thermo-moldable trail running shoe. Introduced at Outdoor Retailer in June, the shoe weighs in at 9 to 10.9 ounces with a 9 mm heel-to-toe drop. Retailers such as Skirack which already have the custom molding machines will carry and fit the shoes. You choose a model that is right for your weight: men and women’s shoes vary depending not just on foot size but on overall body weight. You then get the shoe molded to your foot and an orthotic. We have yet to try

Bug Barrier Tech Travel Top

these but have been wearing a customfit Forge which, a year later, we still love.

BUGS, BE DAMNED

Every once in a while a piece of gear comes our way that inspires a love letter. This is one of those. Royal Robbins, you had me at “Bug Barrier.” After getting eaten alive by black flies this June, I ripped open the Bug Barrier Jammer Knit Pant ($99) stretchy pants and light-weight Bug Barrier Tech Travel Top ($60) praying that the odorless Insect Shield ™ would repel black flies, mosquitoes, ticks, and everything else the hang tag said it would. It did—even after being washed four times. What I didn’t expect is that the pants and top—which are stylish enough to wear to the office and comfy

enough to sleep in—would become my go-to wardrobe for everything from corporate outings to camping trips. Fitted enough to hike or climb in, the pants have pockets on the rear (and a sweet little zip pocket) and a high waist band that keeps them where you want them. And did I mention the fabric, which is midweight and luxuriously soft, is made of recycled PET bottles? My husband is jealous. The good news: they come in men’s styles too.

A HYPER ADJUSTABLE DAY PACK

Gregory’s Miwok ($119 for a 24-liter) and Maya day packs have been go-tos for years. But this year, they get even better. The packs, which come in three sizes, have been redesigned with a BioSync Suspension system of stretchy mesh tendons that flex as you move, as

well as an Airwave panel on the back and a moisture-wicking harness. We compared the new pack with an older version and found that yes, it is more comfortable and tends to jostle around less. And the Airwave means your back doesn’t get as sticky as with some packs. It’s also one of the few packs that has pockets and features in all the right places. The bladder hook holds and works, a small mesh pocket inside is perfect for keys and waist pockets can fit a small cell phone., The Miwok comes in 12, 18 and 24-liter sizes and while the smaller size may be perfect for fast-packing, the larger one is a versatile daypack (it even has a laptop sleeve) that will let you carry pretty much everything you need for an 18-hour day.

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GEAR

DIALING IN YOUR RIDE

BIKE NOT FEELING RIGHT? THESE TIPS FROM VERMONT'S BIKE FIT EXPERTS WILL HELP YOU GET MORE POWER—WITH LESS PAIN. BY BENJAMIN GLASS

e've all been there: a strain in your hamstring, a sore back, a constant cramp in your glutes—sometimes after only a few miles in the saddle. And then there’s that century ride coming up. Do you really want to be out there for that many miles on a bike that doesn’t quite feel right? If you’re like most riders, you often blame the bike for these painful symptoms. The good news? There are plenty of adjustments you can make to your setup that will alleviate pain and increase your efficiency. Several shops around Vermont specialize in bike fitting. Their experts can tailor fit your existing bike to your riding style and body dimensions. Some do so using sophisticated software applications and hardware setups. And many shops won’t sell you a bike until they’ve had a chance to make sure it’s the right geometry. “Sometimes we see people coming in who want that sleek racing bike with the low stem and race profile—but they also want to ride comfortably over a long distance and that may mean a different geometry. Fortunately, the newer bikes are made for endurance riding and are, generally, way more comfortable than they were 10 years ago,” says Jason Boczar of Earl’s Cyclery in Williston. There are also some simple adjustments you can make at home. These might range from a new saddle to adjusting your pedals or using orthotics in your shoes. So before you head out on that next century ride or gravel grind, take some time to make sure your bike fit is dialed in.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BASE

Your butt not only rests at the physical center of the bike, but also at the psychological heart of your riding experience. “The saddle is the foundation of support for all your levers,” says Diny Sweitzer of West Hill Bike Shop in Putney, Vt. “If you’re not sitting comfortably, then you can’t pedal comfortably.” Over the years, Sweitzer has seen numerous cases of improper saddle positions. “I see this a lot in women, where their pelvises are tilted back,” she says. Skewing the sitting position restricts muscles from functioning properly, making it hard for the rider to apply power to the pedals, and can cause upper body pain. “A lot of times these [women] come in looking for stem reach fixes. Instead, I end up correcting their saddle position.” Josh Martell of Equipe Sport in Rawsonville says saddle width is a

Maybe it's not about the bike. The right saddle, saddle height, stem height and cleat positioning can save your knees, back and shoulders—and add speed.

dimension to consider as well. “If the saddle is too narrow, your ride will be uncomfortable,” he says. “On the other hand, if it’s too wide, you’ll get too much hip pressure.” Although most cyclists have their own tried-and-true methods for making saddle adjustments, both shop employees offered their own. “To start, try to make your saddle angle flat, by drawing an imaginary line from the saddle to the stem,” says Martell. For the majority of riders, excluding some mountain bikers, a flat saddle will distribute a rider’s weight

onto their butt and off of their hands, while also decreasing the chances of sliding forwards or backwards. Once the saddle is flat, try adjusting the seat height. Sweitzer recommends using the “heel test.” In a stationary position, either using a trainer or having another person hold your handlebars and support the bike, pedal backwards with your heels on the pedals. A proper saddle is high enough for your leg to extend fully in this position, yet is set just below the point where your hips begin to “rock.” Hip movement is caused by the need to elongate your

lower body in order to reach the bottom of the pedal stroke. This can lead to discomfort, knee pain and worse. “Often, when you have the saddle 100-percent in the right position, everything else falls into place,” said Sean Whipskey, of Skirack in Burlington. A properly fitted seat will not only increase muscular efficiency and pedaling power, but also reduces the chance of stress-related injuries, and produces a more enjoyable riding experience.

ADJUST YOUR REACH With a properly fitted saddle, your

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bike’s reach (the distance from the saddle to the stem) is a good next measurement to consider. Martel noted that this is something riders have agency over. “Some people like to have themselves fully stretched out or hunched up,” he said. “A shorter stem brings the center of the handlebars behind the front axle, which will make the bike more responsive. A longer stem will do the opposite, pushing the bars in front of the axle, making the bike more stable on a straightaway.” Sweitzer cautions against aggressive reach positions. “I hear a lot of complaints about numb hands and necks and shoulders,” said Sweitzer. “The geometry of most new bikes is forgiving for less athletic people, but when I see [upper body discomfort], I try to move the rider’s center of gravity back and take weight off the upper body and put it onto the butt.” Sweitzer noted this could be as simple as moving the saddle farther back, lightening the rider’s upper body load. Martel says adjustable stems (ones which can be raised or lowered by the rider to fit their current needs) are a piece of equipment to consider. “We get a lot of older couples coming into the shop with back pain because they are too hunched over,” says Martell.

They just want a more comfortable ride. We’ve done a quick [adjustable] stem fix that has really solved everything.” Sweitzer also brought up mountain bike tips that are important to consider. “The ability to maneuver your body and hover over the bike has become ever more important in mountain biking,” said Sweitzer. “If you are riding with a newer geometry in an off-saddle position, you want to be able to lunge forward so that your chest is over the stem and steering tube. You want to be in this position very comfortably.” This may be as simple as shortening a stem or finding a different saddle that allows you to get out of the sitting position faster. “Handlebars come through wide,” she also said. “One tip is: don’t jump right into cutting handlebars until you’ve ridden them because wide bars help control the front wheel.”

CALL IN THE PROS

If you are looking for a custom fit, find a shop that does a thorough twohour-plus long fitting session, where the customer can discuss their needs and riding style, have their body measurements recorded and work with a pro fitter to tweak any problem areas. “The biggest problem I see is in generalizing, trying to find universal

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solutions to problems,” says Ian Buchanan, founder of Fit Werx in Waitsfield. “It’s easy to find a piece of information somewhere that applies to a segment of the population, but that won’t apply to your situation. Saying, ‘this is where your saddle should be’, or ‘this is where your stem should be’ is a dangerous game without really knowing the individual who is riding.” Many shops have fitting technology and nearly all recommend a free fit analysis before you buy a bike. In 2018, Skirack installed a Retül Match system—a free “bike dating” system they use to better set riders up with bikes, shoes and gear. The system lets the shop pro digitally trace everything from the shape of your foot to the length of your torso or legs and then input it into the Match Tower to help determine what shoes, bikes or other gear might suit your body type the best. For a more elaborate fit, both Earl’s and Fit Werx use Purely Custom’s Size Cycle—a highly adjustable platform with a seat, pedal and stem set up as they would be on a regular bike. The system uses digital measurements and software to analyze your body position, cycling patterns and how those impact your power output on the bike. If you are buying a new bike, the

cost of a custom fit is usually bundled in but if you want a custom fit for your existing ride, Earl’s charges $150. At Fit Werx, a bike fit costs $350 and customers get $200 of their fit back as credit towards a new bike purchase anytime in the future. Fit Werx founder Ian Buchanan has worked with thousands of riders in his career, including ex-pro Ted King and triathlete Donna Smyers, and now has Fit Werx shops in four states, as well as the headquarters in Waitsfield. “Our fits take two to four hours and include a complete postural and technique analysis with video,” says Buchanan. “The fitting information from an ‘Existing Bike Fit’ can help riders find the bike that fits them best before they buy,” notes Buchanan. With that said, Buchanan is an optimist when it comes to tweaking an existing setup. “The times where there is nothing you can do to make your bike better are very few,” he says. “Even if the bike is not a complete match for the person, there is almost always something you can do.” Intern Benjamin Glass is a member of the Middlebury College cycling team.

Frederick Asselin in his element at Habitat 67 Photo by Mike Hitelman

THE MONTREAL SURF SCENE IS HEATING UP WITH A NEW RECORD FOR RIDING A WAVE, A SURF SCHOOL IN FULL SWING AND A SCENE LIKE YOU MIGHT FIND AT A CALIFORNIA BREAK.

t dawn on June 8, Guillaume Larouche headed out his front door, down the streets of Chambly, just south of Montreal, and dove into the Richelieu river, which runs from Lake Champlain to the St. Lawrence. Larouche, a legend in the local kayak and paddling world, paddled his Taiga surf SUP out to his favorite wave, a curling four-foot swell that the river kicks up as it passes over submerged rocks.

BY LISA LYNN “I was in the water at 6:45 a.m.,” says Larouche, a 44-year-old school teacher. “And for the next six hours, I was surfing steadily.” Not, surfing one wave and then paddling out for another, but steadily surfing one wave. For exactly 6 hours and 12 minutes, Larouche stayed on that wave, carving his board in and out, paddling occasionally so as not to lose the push of the river. “The hardest thing was the water was so cold my feet kept freezing so I

had to hop around on the board,” he said. At times, as the sun rose on the horizon, the glare off the wave’s surface disoriented him. “I thought about jumping off after four hours but then decided no, I’ll keep going. I could have kept on far longer than six hours but it was exhausting,” he admits. Larouche, a dedicated paddler, had trained for the event by doing 5,000 squats over a month and he hopes his

time will make the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest singlewave surf session ever. “I teach at an alternative school and my class focuses on students following their passions,” he said in a phone interview. “This was about me persevering. I want to be a model for them.”

HE CAME FOR THE WAVES

Larouche is one of a growing cadre of kayakers, SUP’ers and surfers who are

JULY 2019 | VTSPORTS.COM 17

Corran Addison slashes the lip off Mavericks at the Lachine break. Photo courtesy C. Addison

flocking to inland whitewater. While most wave chasers head to the coasts of Maine and New Hampshire or to the Cape and islands, some top paddlers are finding the lack of crowds and the consistent waves that kick up on the St. Lawrence and other rivers around Quebec appealing. “I moved to Montreal for the waves,” says Corran Addison, a 50-year-old Olympic kayaker from South Africa, who first saw the St. Lawrence waves during a competition more than 20 years ago. “Guys were telling me there were these giant waves out in the middle of the river, like overhead,” he says. He found them and kayaked them, impressed by their power and regularity. “Then in 2002, I had just come back from Hawaii. It was early spring and I looked out and thought: I wonder if I could surf these on a surfboard? I grabbed my 7-foot, 6-inch egg-shaped surfboard and headed out.” At first, Addison was, by his reckoning, the only one to surf the St. Lawrence. He started a surf school, Imagine, and recruited and taught friends, including Guillaume Larouche and his brother, Yannick and former Olympic kayaker Hugo Lavictoire, owner of the school Kayaking Sans Frontiers. “It was safer to have more of us out there. It

18 VTSPORTS.COM | JULY 2019

Guillaume Larouche four hours into his record-setting surf session on June 8 on the Richelieu. Photo by Joanet

can be very dangerous with submerged rocks and other hazards and the river flowing at 300,000 cubic feet per second in spots,” says Addison. Addison pioneered several surf spots such as Habitat 67, a zone named for the boxy, architecturally avant-garde apartment complex that sits above it, and some of the hairier waves (many of which require tow-ins) that rise head high off Lachine, such as “Mavericks.” Addison began teaching at Habitat 67 and Lavictoire offered surf les-

sons from his kayak school in LaSalle. The LaSalle break called Vague à Guy has since become the preferred learning spot. Addison grew his school and board shaping shop to the point where it was bought by a California company. He moved with it. But in 2015, he returned. “I came back for the waves. Out there [in California] it’s good—and sometimes great. But here, it’s always good. Sure, there are more crowds. There’s a bit more attitude now too. But in the time since I

left, a real surf scene has built up here,” says Addison. “You go to Vague à Guy and you see 50 to 100 people milling around in board shorts, stickers on their cars, talking the lingo, looking the part.” He says it’s still not hard to catch a wave there. “You have to paddle into the right spot but then you can surf for 10 or 15 seconds, then drop off and let someone else have a turn.” Addison no longer gives lessons but now runs Soul Waterman, which makes whitewater paddleboards, river surfboards and kayaks. “If you’re planning to try surfing here I recommend something wide, short and flat—something 20 inches wide, 2 ½ inches thick and not too small—maybe six feet. And be ready to hit a rock. What Addison will also tell you is don’t try to figure out the river on your own. “It’s a really strong current and you have to know what you’re doing, so it’s a must to take a lesson or go with someone who really knows the river, even if you are experienced,” he says. Hugo Lavictoire's company KSF teaches surf kayaking, SUP surfing and standard stand-up surfing, with a threehour lesson at Vague à Guy (equipment included) going for $80 CDN. After mastering that, students can progress

Cutline Photo by At KSF,here. in LaSalle, you can rent a board and get a three-hour lesson for $80 CDN. Photo by Mike Hitelman

up to the more difficult waves at Habitat 67. While there are other spots along the river that may be accessible, currents and undertows can be very strong and both Lavictoire and Addison caution against exploring. “If no one is surfing there, it’s for a reason,” says Addison.

THE VERMONT SURF SCENE

Around the country, inland towns such as Glenwood Springs, Colo., Bend, Ore., and Boise, Idaho have built features

into rivers to create waves and downtown whitewater parks. Like skateparks or playgrounds, they have become popular with both those who are catching the waves and those who stand ashore watching. “River surfing has definitely become a thing,” says Addison. Vermont has several rivers that kick up waves after a big rain or snowmelt, that are occasionally, big enough to surf. Brian Mohr, the Moretown-based photographer who spends part of his year surfing in Costa Rica and in Nan-

tucket, has used an old beater surfboard and caught rides on waves in the Mad River. And pro surfer Ben Gravy included a session on the Mad River as part of his campaign to surf in every state. However, the biggest and best chance of catching a wave from a Vermont shoreline remains waiting for a strong, windy day on Lake Champlain. Tamas “Tommy” Buday, Jr. is another former Olympian (his father coached the Canadian team and he competed in three Olympics in sprint canoe) who is

part of the SUP scene around Montreal. “I don’t do that much surfing,” says Buday, who also comes down to Burlington once a week to coach SUP paddle technique at the Burlington Surf Club. However he and a few others do take advantage of the rollers that build up on Lake Champlain to do long downwind paddles, with some surfing down the waves. “If you discount the surf, I actually think there’s no better SUPing than on Lake Champlain,” says Buday.

There's a full-on surf scene at Vague à Guy, just south of Montreal in LaSalle. Photos by Mike Hitelman

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On Upper Saranac Lake, paddlers can find stunning campsites on Green and Buck Islands or in Saginaw Bay. Photo courtesy TK

A Weekend in the

SARANACS

FOR A CANOE TRIP THAT OFFERS ALL OF THE GLORY OF THE HIGH PEAKS AND NONE OF THE PAIN OF PORTAGING, HEAD TO THE SARANAC LAKES. BY ABAGAEL GILES

s the Saranac River began to bend around a turn, and we with it, the water slowly accelerated. I lost my words and our conversation slipped away. At the bow, Levi was still except for his paddle, listening with his whole body. I was listening too. I could hear the cascade, tiny but mighty, the river tumbling into temporary chaos ahead. “Do you feel it?” I asked, j-stroking for a better view of the tongue . “Yeah,” he said. The river was tugging us forward, beckoning toward the mouth of the small cascade—unmarked on our paddlers' map—and the unknown. My toes were planted firmly on the floor of the boat but something welled up in my chest—an urge to leap off of a rock into deep water below. “Yeah. Wow,” was all I could muster. It had been a long time since I'd paddled whitewater and this was a delicious tease. I quickly steered us left to the floating dock at the upstream entrance to the Upper Locks, which connect Middle

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noe. We traveled at a leisurely pace— soaking up the first sunshine of summer, fishing as we paddled and leaving no good swimming spot untested.

THE BEST SORT OF ADVENTURE

The paddle from Little Weller Pond back toward Hungry Bay yielded great fly fishing and plenty of pitcher plants, carniverous native flora that attract and feed on black flies. Photo by Abagael Giles

Saranac Lake with Lower Saranac Lake. While some people do paddle that Class II rapid, this weekend, I was glad not to have to navigate the drop or portage around it with our 90-pound canoe, loaded with food and gear for a

weekend camping trip. Thanks to the Saranac’s defining lock system, that weekend we managed to paddle four lakes (we could have paddled four more) without ever negotiating a rapid or carrying our ca-

The first time I carried a canoe, I was in the Adirondacks. I lifted it off the granite slab at the mouth of Slang pond in the St. Regis Wilderness Canoe Area during a 25-mile, two-day trip. I was a freshman at St. Lawrence University and when I saw an older girl gracefully flip an 80-pound Old Town onto her shoulders, I looked at my paddling partner and said, “I think I want to try that.” It was staggeringly heavy, but I carried it, a little wobbly at first, a quarter-mile to Long Pond, where a classmate had to help me get it off my back (still, I think, the hardest part of carrying a canoe). After a weekend of chilly, firelit skinny-dips, first casts with a flyrod, misty mornings with percolator coffee, and the first frost-sweetened

wild cranberries, canoe tripping was, in my 18-year-old mind, solidified as the best sort of adventure. Since that first trip, I’ve carried canoes in Maine’s Debsconeag Lakes Wilderness Area and heard wolves cry from beyond the horizon while paddling into camp in Canada’s Algonquin Provincial Park. Last May, I scored a spot on a three-week, self-guided rafting trip down the Grand Canyon with some of the same college friends who first taught me to put a canoe on my back. Canoe tripping puts you between shores, in a liminal place where magic is at work and you’d better pay attention if you don’t want to miss it: wailing loons that dip under your boat, morning mist in the fall, a salmon jumping or a mayfly emerging, leaving its aquatic life behind with one vast, exhausting push upward and outward into flight. At any rate, with a day off from work and the forecaster’s morning promise of the first break in the weather in three months, I decided to head west.

through the High Peaks Region, radio on and ready for an adventure.

GRITTY GRANDEUR

The author waits for water to drain from the Upper Lock on the Saranac River. The locks are maintained by Adirondack State Park staff and save paddlers a trip down Class II rapids or a carry. Photo by Levi Keszey

It was a pilgrimage of sorts: the first time I’d been on a canoe trip in the Adirondacks in nearly five years, since returning to Vermont, where I grew up, after living for three years in California.

With a full thermos of coffee, Levi’s weathered Nature Bound canoe on the roof and a cooler packed with fresh produce, we drove across Lake Champlain and wound our way

“Wait, that’s it! That’s the turn!” I said, nearly choking on my coffee, a glazed buttermilk donut from a Stewart’s Shop in-hand, as we drove past the turn for Ampersand Bay, in Saranac Lake. After a long and winding drive through the towering high peaks and along the Ausable river via Route 9N, Routes 73 and 86, we arrived in the village of Saranac Lake a little over-caffeinated and eager to get on the water. Nestled between the McKenzie Pond Wilderness Area and the nearly kissing mouths of two large lakes: Lower Saranac and Lake Flower, the town has the gritty grandeur of a lot of Adirondack communities that have seen industries grow and fade. The iconic neon sign above the Grand Saranac Hotel rises above it all, looking out toward Lake Flower. In 1864, the Saranac Laboratory

JULY 2019 | VTSPORTS.COM 21

FACILITIES AVAILABLE 87 Campites 5 Lean-to Sites Outhouses Hiking Trails Boat Launch

3 Sisters Is.

To Upper Locks and Lower Saranac Lake

Crescent Bay

Is.

Second Is.

Halfway 14 Is. 16 15 18

Middle Saranac Lake

Lumbermans Point 41 42

Plymouth Rock Ship Is.

o Bo

Is.

Partridge Is.

Little Twins Is.

Green Is. 13

Kelly Bay

Cabin

Lion Is.

Pope Bay Tongue

Pope Bay

First Pond

State Bridge

51 Registration

Booth

62 Second Pond

Kelly Slough

Loon Ba y

Upper Locks

Mink Is.

Hatchet Is.

To Tupper Lake

Bluff Is.

26 Pope Is. 25

Goose Is.

19 20

Sable Is.

Is.

Burnt Is. Coal Pit Is. Pirate Twins Is. Is. 21

Gull Rock

Duck Is.

te 3

Larom Is.

To Saranac

Martin Is.

Shaw Is.

Bartlett Carry to Upper Saranac Lake

8 73

Norway Is.

3 4

11 12

76 Umbrella Point

Knobby Is. 10 9

35 Hocum Point Is.

Bartlett Is. 75

Halfway Is.

Point

Eagle Island

04/19

To Tupper Lake

To Lower Locks

ACTIVITIES Hiking Fishing Boating

There are more than 85 campsites on Middle and Lower Saranac Lakes, all part of the Saranac Islands Public Campground. Photo courtesy N.Y. Dept. of Environ. Conservation.

With Levi at the stern, we fell into an easy rhythm, moving as partners along a narrow channel through the brush. As the creek became open lake, we pulled out the Adirondack Paddler’s Map North and tried to identify Norway Island amidst a smattering of 11 islands. With Ampersand Mountain looming above and the High Peaks Wilderness behind that, the scattered granite boulders and tufted islands with their rocky shores appeared like battle scars, debris carelessly tossed from on high by the same glaciers that carved the

Saranac lakes some 80,000 years ago. “Do you think it's deep enough there to jump off of that rock?” we kept asking each other like little kids, assessing each passing mountain-torn boulder. Levi was a little more specific: “Look at that crack! What do you think about the bouldering potential?” We paddled on for about a mile, bisecting Middle Saranac Lake and tracing the shoreline as we made our way to Weller Pond for the afternoon. As we passed Halfway Island, a woman waved to us from her perch

The campsite on Norway Island was excellent and large enough for a group of five or more paddlers. There are six islands on Middle Saranac Lake where camping is allowed, and each features a single campsite. Norway Island has a stunning view of the lake looking South, great swimming and birding. Photo by Abagael Giles

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Lower Saranac Lake

80 79



ute Shingle Bay 34

Tamarack Pond

To Saranac

83 82

Am pe Ba rsa y n

Tot Is.

Riv

When we checked in at about 10 a.m. at the Saranac Lake Islands Public Campground to get our camping permit I felt like I was unfurling a lottery card. There was one site left on Middle Saranac Lake: number 74 on Norway Island. Levi looked at me and nodded. “That sounds great!” I told the ranger. We bought a pile of firewood and headed to the put-in at South Creek. South Creek drops under Route 3 and then moves through a bog to the main lake. Black spruce, with their tall tufts of needles, dotted the bushy landscape, with cranberry, bog rosemary and Labrador tea and tufts of sedges in between.

86 Tick Is.

nac

GLACIAL REMAINS

85 87

Sara

opened in downtown Saranac Lake, the first lab built in the United States for research on tuberculosis, churning out cutting edge studies for nearly a century. Today, it’s a museum, but the grand houses, great camps, ornate facades and ice cream parlors remain. As do the guide services, a natural foods coop, and a classic dive bar, the Rusty Nail. Our trip would take us from the outlet of South Creek on Middle Saranac Lake, down the Saranac River and through the Upper Locks, to Lower Saranac Lake, through its myriad islands and back to Ampersand Bay. From there, we’d leave our canoe and dry bags with a note, hop on our bikes and bike the 10 miles back to the truck on Route 3 to complete our shuttle. Then, we’d return to Saranac Lake for the boat, gear and the first ice cream cone of summer.

on a granite slab, her knees cradled in one hand and a book in the other. At that point, as we entered Hunger Bay, the lake began to constrict and the wind dropped to a gentle lull. We were quiet, basking in summer sun and fighting private battles with the black flies that hummed around the boat. “Do you see the mayflies?” Levi asked, making a rudder out of his paddle and looking beside the boat. In the shadow of the cedars that loomed over the shallows, their boughs trimmed to an even line by deer and moose, the surface of the lake was covered in wriggling nymphs. It’s hard to imagine that the thuggish looking macro-invertebrates with their hard shells and thick biceps could transform into flies. And yet, in the hot sun, we watched them take flight, delicate wings flapping frantically. We paddled onward, fishing lazily as we went with one spin rod and one fly rod between us. From Hunger Bay, we meandered up a shallow creek that runs through yet another bog, like a trail, lined with pitcher plants, shrubs and reeds. The conversation ranged from plant identification to music theory, to our past life in California, with its high, dry peaks and vast desert wildernesses and finally to home: Vermont. As we turned with the creek, paddling ever-so-slightly upstream, we caught a glimpse of an osprey and in the golden light, with the bog behind us and Weller Pond ahead, I had the feeling that we were coming to the edge of something. It’s a feeling I associate with the North Woods of the East, an inexplicable thing that starts in my bones and tells me this wild place stretches into eternity; a magic trick known only by small ponds and wild bogs.

The view from tiny Tot Island on Weller Pond. For the intrepid, there is a one-mile portage that leads through old hardwood forest from Weller Pond to Saginaw Bay on Upper Saranac Lake Photo by Levi Keszey

NORWAY ISLAND

Norway Island—a spec of land a fifth of a mile across—appears sliced in half, with rocky tendrils shooting out into the lake on one end and a shrubby granite cliff on the other. Still marveling at our luck to have the place to ourselves, we rolled into camp. I hopped out, tied a quick bowline and started unloading dry bags. For the first time since we left South Creek, we were rushing, racing against the setting sun to set up. A cooking site with picnic tables and a fire pit sat on a rocky point facing the lake’s north shore. At the height of the island, which was covered in red fir and white pine, was a rocky knob that offered a window through the trees and out over the lake. Beneath the trees, we found several flat places for a tent. Down the hill there was a privy. And then, a natural pool formed by a granite boulder stacked on top of a long slab that reached out into the lake. From there, we could see Ampersand Mountain rising on the horizon, with neighboring Second Island framing the view. As I set up the tent, still standing in my bathing suit, I said to Levi, “Can we agree that this must remain an absolutely sacred, bugfree zone?” He gave a serious nod. Then we both pulled on pants, long sleeves and I a wool hat. We donned headlamps, grabbed the bug spray and cooler and paddled out one more time in the fading light, a Luci light in tow behind us. With the setting sun casting a glow on the mountains around us, Levi pulled out two cans of Rock Art’s session IPA from the cooler, along with some olives, chevre, crackers and, a staple of

Floating hors d'oeuvres on Middle Saranac Lake. Photo by Abagael Giles

any good canoe trip: cheap cured meat. We paddled back to our island home for a fire and dinner as alpenglow enveloped the High Peaks. Everything was pink until it was purple, and then all that was left was the crackle of the fire, a game of cribbage and the eerie, mournful calls of two loons echoing off the lake's many granite cliffs, so that it was impossible to tell from where or whence they came.

HEADING HOME

Sunday started with an early morning swim while the percolator hummed over the new MSR PocketRocket Deluxe, set to a simmer. Oatmeal was next. We set out for the day, with me at the stern and Levi at the bow. It was a short paddle to the mouth of

the Saranac River, where we met a few fishing boats trolling for largemouth bass and lake trout. We could see fish swimming in the reeds beneath our boat as we hugged the river’s winding exterior. It was as if a channel had been cut through the heart of a grassy wetland, the forest still kept at bay while the reeds crept ever inward. About a mile into the river, an island split the stream into two channels. At the head of the island sat the lock-keeper’s cottage, a little cabin with a welcoming porch. To the right were Middle Falls, and to the left, the Upper Lock. Middle Saranac Lake was originally called Round Lake, and it’s common to hear old-timers and guides refer to it that way still. Various structures have altered the flow from Round Lake to Lower Saranac since 1877, when a steamboat operator named William Martin built a dam in one channel and used dynamite to blast rocks out of the other. It was purportedly sabotaged by a group of disgruntled river guides, rogue woodsmen who objected to a steamboat stealing their business (they were happy to take clients down the rapids as they were). Today, the lock is a simple mechanism: two sets of gates with long wooden beam handles sit at either end. A set of instructions is posted, along with a phone number you can call if the lock keeper is out (she was when we passed through). After much shoving and pulling on the gate beams, we filled the lock, led our canoe into it, closed the upstream gate, and started letting water out of the lower gate. Soon, with minimal effort, we were headed downstream on the Saranac River,

passing beaver dams and granite cliffs. We paddled for about a mile past banks lined with Tamarack and Spruce, until the river widened into the open water of Lower Saranac Lake. As we moved from Loon Bay and into the main lake, we avoided motor boats, sticking close to shore. It was now noon and with five miles of paddling left, we kicked into high gear and decided to skip Bluff Island, where you can find cliff jumping and a handful of established traditional climbs on south-facing granite cliffs. Second Pond, which is off of Lower Saranac Lake, also offers bouldering. Paddling at a brisk pace, we moved between the lake’s dozen or so islands. Most are large and host several campsites. The canoeing was epically scenic, but we missed the quiet calm of Middle Saranac, where we didn’t see a single motor boat. Party barges towed tubes, and campsites were packed with elaborate setups. “Look at us, with our canoe and our dry bags,” said Levi after one boat came by for a closer look. We’d been joking about glamping all weekend. “Next time, we need some more coolers. And bacon. We definitely did not bring enough salty pork products,” he said, with real admiration and a little longing as we passed a barbecue with peanutbutter-and-jelly sandwiches in our laps. Gradually, houses started to appear along the shores, and the lake narrowed. With the wind behind us, we cruised past a marina and onto the gravel beach at Ampersand Bay. We found our old beater bikes, which we were only half-certain would be there, stashed our gear under the canoe, and embarked on a long, sweaty bike ride to South Creek, where Levi had stashed a full water bottle in the car. As he drove us back to Ampersand Bay, I stuck my bare feet out the window and watched Lower Saranac roll past, picking out islands we’d passed and singing along to Jackson Brown on the radio. Not wanting the day to end, we stopped, canoe loaded on top of the truck, at Mountain Mist Ice Cream, a retro spot squeezed between Lake Flower and Route 86, with a vintage sign that’s almost as big as the snack bar. A burger goes for $4 and the chocolate dips are decadent. Sitting by Lake Flower under a Coca Cola umbrella with dripping cones, we decided three things. First, that we should have stopped at Bluff Island and could have paddled the full 20 miles from Upper to Lower Saranac had we camped at Fish Creek Ponds on Friday night. Second, that canoe glamping is a true artform that demands skill, calories and non-herbal bug spray. And third, that it was good to be back in the East Coast’s North Woods.

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Peter Macfarlane's HOW A BOAT BUILDER FROM ADDISON BECAME THE FIRST PERSON TO PADDLE THE NORTHERN FOREST CANOE TRAIL ACROSS NEW ENGLAND, BOTH WAYS. BY ABAGAEL GILES

At 740-miles long, the Northern Forest Canoe Trail offers diverse paddling on 13 major New England rivers. Here, Peter Macfarlane enjoys a misty morning on the West Branch of the Penobscot in Maine on his May 2018 thru-paddle. Photo by Peter MacFarlane

eter Macfarlane is not someone who does things the easy way. Stepping into his barn workshop in Addison you see this right away. At the center of the room, Macfarlane, 56, is bent over a 16-foot custom cedar-strip canoe, polished to be impossibly smooth on the exterior, with cherry gunnels and the boat builder’s insignia along with his company’s name, Otter Creek Smallcraft, under a rail. A gray tabby cat flicks its tail as it watches him gently polish the newlyfinished wooden canoe. Two chairs are set out, left over from the Scottish fiddle lesson Macfarlane taught last night, as is a book of fiddle tunes. “It’s a funny thing to feel for an inanimate object, but by the time you spend 200 hours creating a

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boat, you have an intimate relationship with it,” says Macfarlane. Peter Macfarlane is wiry, with white hair and an impish grin. He speaks with a gentle lilt, which hasn’t faded in the 16 years he has lived in Vermont. When he talks about paddling, his blue eyes light up and despite his white hair, he moves like a dancer—something he picked up from years of Scottish folk dancing and marathon whitewater kayak racing. He’s been restoring and building cedar strip canoes since 1996 and is largely a self-taught craftsman. His first project was a half-destroyed vessel he salvaged from a woodpile. He and his wife Viveka restored it, “wrestling it back into shape,” and they still paddle it today. He grew up in England, where he has paddled the 125-mile Devizes-to-

“The Northern Forest Canoe Trail offers the whole gamut of paddling...I'm not aware of another trail like it anywhere.”

Westminster kayak race in Southern England, along with a multitude of other paddling marathons. He’s a for-

mer slalom kayak racer who has been paddling competitively since he was 12. Years on the water have given him a keen sense for how small adjustments to the shape of a hull or the width of a boat’s bottom will change its capacity to track in open water or navigate a rapid. Order a custom boat from him and he will ask for your height and weight to optimize everything from the angle at which your paddle strikes the water to the balance between the bow and stern as the boat sits on your shoulders during a carry. He built the first boat of his own design, a 15-foot, flat-bottomed, 44-pound canoe, in 2007. Then in 2012, he set out to build an even lighter touring rig. He called that design, which yielded a stunning, asymmetric 14-foot solo canoe, Sylva. The original Sylva canoe was

guides. Though much of it can be kayaked, it’s called a canoe trail to honor the traditional mode of transport. The trail spans private and public land and is overseen by a non-profit, the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, which maintains campsites, creates trail maps and coordinates access for paddlers. To date, an estimated 113 people have thru-paddled the trail from west to east.

designed, shaped and lovingly finished specifically for the rugged rivers and streams of the Adirondacks, the Northeast’s deep lakes, Vermont’s rolling rivers and the scattered ponds of Maine. “By the time I got the lines just right, it weighed just 35 pounds. I just knew that this would be the boat, and that paddling in my own boat would be a much more intensely personal experience,” says Macfarlane. He had a plan for that first Sylva canoe: to celebrate his 50th birthday in 2013 he was going to paddle the length of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, a 740-mile trip from Old Forge, N.Y. to Fort Kent, Maine. Over 28 days from May 19 to June 15, 2013, Macfarlane covered the length of the trail. Then, not satisfied with having completed the trail once in the conventional manner, in 2018 he decided to do it again. But this time, Macfarlane suspected that he and his boat had it in them to do the canoe trail in a way no one had ever done before: by paddling upstream.

THE ULTIMATE TEST

The Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) is the longest canoe trail in the country. It's a network of 23 streams and rivers and 59 lakes and ponds that spiders across the Adirondacks and the northernmost regions of Vermont, dips into Quebec, traverses New Hampshire and heads deep into Maine’s North Woods. Along the way the trail features 65 portages over everything from farm roads to rarely trafficked wilderness trails. The longest haul is more than five miles and the most infamous is the Mud Pond Carry, a 1.7-mile slog through what can be thigh-deep

The Northern Forest Canoe Trail takes paddlers through New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Quebec and Maine along historic trade and water travel routes. The trail is managed by the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, a nonprofit that secures access for paddlers through land use agreements. Image courtesy NFCT

mud in the heart of Maine’s woods. The trail also follows some of the Northeast’s most scenic waters, including a section of the Mississquoi River between Enosburg Falls and Richford that is one of two designated Wild and Scenic river sections in Vermont. From the Saranac River in the Adirondacks, to the Clyde and Nulhegan in Vermont, the Androscoggin in New Hampshire and Allagash Wilderness Waterway in Maine, the trail offers a rare view of the

Northeast’s landscape. Paddlers might pitch a tent on an island in Maine or camp in a field near grazing cows along Vermont’s Mississquoi. On Maine’s Allagash Wilderness Waterway, the trail follows shorelines that have sustained the Abenaki for centuries and which inspired Henry David Thoreau in his 1864 book, The Maine Woods. The trail was established in 2006, based on traditional travel routes used by Native Americans, settlers and

28 DAYS, NEW YORK TO MAINE In 2013, Macfarlane gave himself 28 days to paddle from west to east, the “downstream” route. He embarked on May 19 from Old Forge, N.Y. hoping for high water levels, long daylight hours and bearable black flies. Rather than carry a heavy tent, Macfarlane packed a hammock and tarp for sleeping and a small woodstove for cooking. The first section of the trail takes paddlers through the eight lakes that comprise the Fulton Chain. With portages between them, many of the lakes are dotted with historic camps and homes, and the occasional lean-to or campsite, with camping on the rocky, fir-covered islands spread throughout the chain. The first five days took McFarlane through the heart of the Adirondacks, linking Fourth Lake, Raquette Lake and Long Lake before arriving in the Saranac Lakes region. On day three Macfarlane encountered his first Class II rapid on the Saranac River, called Permanent Rapids. After attempting a technical maneuver in a gorge, his boat was shunted sideways into a rock. “The audible crack is deflating,” he wrote in his journal that day. A 10-inch crack in the fiberglass on the interior of the boat was a warning that he heeded all the way to Chase Rapids on the Allagash River in Peter MacFarlane paddles the Fulton Chain on the final day of his 2018 journey from Fort Kent, Maine to Old Forge, N.Y. Photo courtesy Peter MacFarlane

JULY 2019 | VTSPORTS.COM 25

fir was everywhere as I slid my boat into the water to start the day’s paddle downstream, and it stayed. I saw moose grazing and birds of prey, far from any road that led anywhere. It was pure paddling pleasure.”

“YOU’RE PADDLING THE WRONG WAY!”

Paddlers navigate low flows on the Nulhegan River in the Northeast Kingdom. One of the most scenic and wild stretches of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail through Vermont, it's best navigated early in the summer. In 2018, MacFarlane paddled, poled and waded his way up the stream. Photo by Chris Gill, courtesy NFCT

Maine, which at class II is the biggest cascade paddlers navigate on the trip. After five days and several carries around dams, the Saranac River spilled out in Plattsburgh and Peter took to the open waters of Lake Champlain. There, he embarked on a 32-mile crossing done by island hopping, paddling along the western shore of South Hero, then the eastern shore of North Hero before arriving at the mouth of the Missisquoi River, north of Swanton. Most nights Macfarlane would sleep in his hammock suspended between two trees, at campsites along rivers and lakes, or on the occasional island. But the Northern Forest Canoe Trail runs through communities, towns and farmlands as well as wilderness and public lands. Its banks are as diverse as the rivers and lakes it follows. On nine nights, Macfarlane took shelter from deluges in motels, inns and private homes when strangers he encountered along the way invited him in. The trip coincided with one of the wettest springs on record. “Parts of that trip were sublime, with beautiful paddling,” says Macfarlane, who acknowledged being tempted at times to bail due to the torrential rain. Furthermore, he chose to carry all of the food he would need for the first half of the trip, with a single planned resupply in the Connecticut Valley. On each portage, he estimates he hauled 90 pounds of supplies. And he was still hungry most days. On day 10, he paddled down Lake

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Paddlers find slow-moving water in Maine. Sections of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail make for incredible overnight, weekend and week-long river trips in a canoe or a kayak. Photo by Brian Mohr

Memphremagog and on toward Clyde Pond. On the Clyde River he was met with everything from rapids to placid waters and flooded woodlands. At times, the river was a pristine stream channeling through bog-lined northern forest. At others, it was deep with wide stretches as it passed through towns like East Charleston. Three days later, he was paddling under covered bridges and past paper mills on the upper Ammonoosuc in New Hampshire, headed for the rugged waters of Maine. Through headwinds, early morning mist and wet conditions, he paddled onward, never failing to find

beauty in the north country landscape. “Even in dark times and struggles, there is a perverse sense of enjoyment I get out of overcoming difficulties and seeing where I can push myself,” he said. “Once I was confident in my boat’s ability to complete the trail, the question became: what magnitude of difficulty can I overcome?” The scenery helped. One day in Maine, he arrived at a sandy campsite on the West Branch of the Penobscot, a great, wide, meandering river. “The next morning, after falling asleep in a torrential downpour, I awoke to radiant sunshine. The fragrance of balsam

Once he completed the trail, MacFarlane’s body returned to work but, as he says, “my mind remained on the water.” Over the following five years, the allure of the Northern Forest gnawed at him. In spite of the nearly relentless rain, he had found a sense of calm and peace traveling by canoe. He’d also learned he was capable of tackling long days with a lot of mileage. “On a river trip, the rhythm of paddling gives you permission not to think. You have purpose and calm and I knew the day I finished, it was a case of ‘when’, and not ‘if,’ I would get back on the trail.” As of spring 2018, no one had completed the trail going from east to west— and with good reason. Doing so requires traveling upstream on nine of 13 major rivers, including the Allagash, Raquette and Saranac. It also means finding a way to move upstream or portage around the biggest rapids of the trip. “For me, the uncertainty in taking on a paddling trip of the scale and length of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail lies in the physical challenge, certainly, but also in the psychological challenge,” says Macfarlane. His reason for doing so was simple: he wanted to replicate the sense of satisfaction he’d gotten from completing his first trip. This required testing his body and his boat in a new way. Macfarlane had just 28 days to spare from his work as a boatbuilder and fiddle teacher and so was determined to paddle as much of the trail as he did on his first trip, averaging 26 miles of paddling per day for 28 days, often entirely upstream. For Macfarlane, doing so was a test of his willpower, craftsmanship, design and physical fitness. His primary training regimen? “Splitting and stacking enough wood to fill our empty woodshed,” he says. He launched his canoe in Fort Kent, Me., on May 14, hoping to reach Old Forge, N.Y. by mid-June. For much of the way, the currents were running against him. To paddle upstream, Macfarlane employed three traditional canoeing techniques: eddy hopping, poling and wading. Where the river was deep enough for a paddle stroke, he zig-zagged his way up rapids by sprinting at intervals through the turbulence at the center of the river to the closest upstream “eddy.” These slackwater respites are often found behind the obstacles that create river rapids, like large boulders

and logs. They pull a boat in, keeping it from being pushed back downstream. Macfarlane created a system of slingshotting himself up cascades, sprinting from eddy to eddy until he was forced by shallow water to pole or wade forward. While navigating Chase Rapids on the Allagash, he battled the current as paddlers headed downstream calling out that he was headed the wrong way. “Initially, I was able to eddy-hop. Sometimes, it was a thing of beauty,” he recalls. “Accelerating smoothly from the eddy, nosing into the current and maintaining momentum to carry me to the next eddy,” said Macfarlane. He’d make four or five moves, rest and scout his next move. In total, he paddled 3.5-miles up the class II rapid. Where he couldn’t get his blade fully submerged in shallow water for optimal propulsion, he poled, kneeling in his boat and using a pair of old ski poles to push himself up rapids, double poling in the riverbed like a Nordic skier. Where the current was too strong to pole or paddle, he got out of the boat and waded upstream, pulling the canoe with one hand and using a ski pole as a walking stick in the other. This proved especially useful on the lower stretch of the Nulhegan River in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, where he navigated upstream between rocks and small waterfalls to emerge at a stretch of flatwater that he paddled to Nulhegan Pond, a quiet stretch in the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. Unlike on his last trip, this day was filled with radiant sunshine. “Negotiating this stretch of river, which I’d carried around the first time, with its cascades and granite boulders and pristine water, was physically demanding. I had a sense of accomplishment at the top of that rapid that I’d never experienced traveling downstream with my boat.” When he found himself, on the last day of the trail lounging in the sunshine on the town beach at Fourth Lake in New York’s Fulton Chain, 11.5-miles from the trail’s western terminus, he felt accomplished but a little ambivalent about the journey. He weighed the possibility that someone else had completed the trail in this direction in secret and whether, either way, the whole journey had been worth his while. In the end, the answer was yes, for the sense of physical accomplishment it gave him. He persevered through persistent upstream currents and unrelenting headwinds to reach his destination. It expanded his sense of possibility about where his canoes could go, and he learned that they were hardy. Like himself, the Little Canoe that Could emerged unscathed, if in need of a second coat

Here, MacFarlane poses at the trail's terminus in Old Forge, N.Y. on June 10, 2018, having just completed the first ever recorded thru-paddle of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail from east to west, with his 14-foot cedar strip canoe he called Sylva, a design he created and built. Photo by R. & H. Danforth

of varnish after hundreds of miles of upstream travel, through rapids, swamps and bushwhacked portages. When he arrived at Alger Island, just before the passage to Third Lake in the Adirondacks, he was met by Viveka, sterning his first canoe, Lutra, with two friends and a picnic basket between them, ready to paddle with him into Old Forge after a glorious lunch on the island, complete with a white table cloth.

THERE’S ALWAYS ANOTHER RIVER

A year out from his journey, Peter is still dreaming about adventurous canoe routes. His new fascination is with river trips that start and end at Lake Champlain and the Otter Creek, which lies just a few miles from his home in Addison. “Imagine paddling down the Richelieu, to the St. Lawrence, the St. Francis and on to Lake Memphremagog and back to Lake Champlain,” he says. He’d gladly do the Northern Forest Canoe Trail again, he admits. Since 2013, he’s volunteered as a Northern Forest Canoe Trail steward, helping

to maintain campsites and collect information about trail use for the nonprofit. He cares for the roughly 10-mile section from the southern tip of North Hero to the mouth of the Mississquoi. “Having got so much out of the trail on my first trip, I thought it would be good to put something back into it, so I adopted the nearest bit to home and have cared for it since,” he says. “The Northern Forest Canoe Trail offers the whole gamut of paddling, except for saltwater,” he reflected. “I’m not aware of another trail like it. You’ve got highly populated lakes like the Fulton Chain in the Adirondacks, near Old Forge. You’ve got rivers that flow through inhabited areas, like the Saranac, where you’re paddling past houses along the banks. Then you’ve got agricultural environments along the Mississquoi and Connecticut Rivers, where cows come to graze by your campsite and there are fields right up to the riverbank.” Those industrial and human-shaped zones are interspersed with some of the

wildest waters of the Northeast. “You have too the small streams in the wilds of Maine and big magnificent rivers like the West Branch of the Penobscot, the St. John. You have managed wilderness with designated campsites, and then you find these wild places in Maine that are not managed as such but are effectively more wild, more remote and more rugged. You can battle four-foot waves on the sixth largest lake in the country [Lake Champlain] and class II rapids on the Allagash,” said Macfarlane.” For his part, he doesn’t plan to attempt the trip upstream a second time. “Frankly, it was a bit of a stunt,” he said with a laugh. “It really tested me.” Reflecting further, he added, "Aside from the cursing at algal rocks—and there were quite a lot of both, cursing and slippery rocks—I really enjoyed the upstream travel and my surroundings." To the intrepid paddler looking to repeat that east-west trip? He offers this: “Good luck.”

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Great

Paddling trips From Easy to Epic

A lazy day on the Lamoille where you can drift through the heart of the Green Mountains. Photo courtesy Bert's Boats

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER LIKE DRIFTING ALONG A RIVER OR LAKE AND CAMPING NEAR THE SHORELINE. HERE’S HOW TO PADDLE SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WATERWAYS OF VERMONT AND THE NORTHEAST.

ith big rains this spring, the rivers around New England are still running high. Now’s the time to plan a paddling trip—by canoe, kayak or even SUP. Most of these trips can be done as single or multi-day adventures. Check ahead about campsite availability, what portages may be necessary and the river conditions. While it’s hard to limit paddling trips to just 10, all of these are accessible for new paddlers and most have nearby campsites. Here are our picks for great trips, south to north plus three epic journeys. Trips that require no portages or whitewater sections are rated easy. Don’t have a boat? Many of the outfitters mentioned can help with rentals, guided trips, shuttles or buying your own boat.

1. SOMERSET RESERVOIR (EASY)

If you want an easy paddle, calm waters and few signs of civilization, head to Somerset Reservoir near Dover for a day or overnight trip. The north end is fed by the East Branch of the Deerfield River and five miles to the south is a dam. It’s a 10-mile drive down a dirt road that veers off Route 9 to reach the put-in at the southern end, which keeps traffic low and there’s a Federal forest

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campsite there—which can get noisy on weekends. The land surrounding the lake is Green Mountain National Forest, which allows dispersed camping 200 feet away from the water. Near the north end is a trail to Grout Pond, which does have camping facilities at its north entrance and remote campsites at the southern end of the pond. It’s a 0.3 mile hike (and elevation gain of 70 feet) to get there. There are trails around both Grout and Somerset. Paddle to Somersets’ Streeter Island for a picnic, watch for otter and loon and bear. “One day if there’s high water I’d love to paddle all the way from Somerset down the Deerfield,” says Bruce Lessels of Zoar Outdoors, based just across the border in Charlmont, Mass. If you’re not that ambitious, don’t worry: there’s plenty at Somerset to fill a day.

York border. A number of outfitters can arrange for pickups and there are private riverside campsites and classic B&Bs along the way. Because it is spring-fed, the river stays clear and the water level is relatively steady for much of the summer. Perhaps the favorite stretch is the 26 miles from Arlington, Vt. to Shushan, New York. There’s a commercial campground (Camping on the Battenkill) in Arlington and Batten-

kill Canoe & Kayak in Cambridge, N.Y. has cabins and a B&B. Vermont River Runners and a variety of other outfitters can arrange for canoe or kayak rentals and shuttles.

3. THE WHITE RIVER (MODERATE)

“One of my favorite Father’s Day trips is to run the White River,” says Steve Brownlee, owner of Umiak Outfitters in Stowe and Richmond. If the wa-

2. THE BATTENKILL (EASY)

The Battenkill may be best known as the river that runs through Orvis (of fly rod fame) country but it’s as much a paddling (and tubing) river as it is a trout stream. From Manchester, where the legendary fishing outfitter has its flagship store, you can paddle under covered bridges, through farmland and small villages all the way across the New

Spring-fed clear waters and covered bridges make the Battenkill a popular paddle.

a 5 mph speed limit, and a largely forested shoreline, the reservoir is one of the gems of the Vermont state park system. It’s also become extremely popular. With tight parking and only a few camping spots, the state limits use. But if you can reserve a campsite (call ahead), get there early and paddle north, you’ll be rewarded with a quiet lake that’s a perfect weekend getaway. vtstateparks.com

ter is high enough and you’re adept at running what can be Class III rapids, you can start in Rochester and paddle, wade and (occasionally) portage more than 50 miles past Bethel and Sharon to where the White meets the Connecticut. “The water is generally shallow, clear and fast, which makes it fun,” says Brownlee, who notes that there are plenty of remote campsites, as well as some private ones, just off the river. In June, The White River Partnership released The White River Watershed Recreation Map and Guide with access points, paddling trips, tubing routes, fishing tips, hiking trails and more. It also has an online interactive Water Trail that features highlights on the White and its five tributaries. whiteriverpartnership.com

4. THE WINOOSKI (EASY TO DIFFICULT)

It’s possible, for the intrepid to paddle 57 miles of the Winooski River as it runs from a new put-in (to be completed this summer) in Montpelier to Lake Champlain. However, if you want to avoid low water and major portages, start with the 16-mile Middlesex to Waterbury section. Jen Roberts of Onion River Outdoors in Montpelier knows the Winooski like the back of her hand. The former trail director of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, Roberts says this is her favorite section. “This stretch has a couple rapids (Hugo and Junkyard) that are Class II or III depending on the water level. After Junkyard Rapids, the river flows through a gorge with tall cliffs and passes islands with sandy beaches that make good picnic spots. Big ledges along the river are popular fishing and swimming spots. Approaching Waterbury, the landscape again opens up. You can take out in a couple places in Waterbury or keep paddling a slow stretch to Bolton Dam.” Friends of the Winooski River publishes a map and river guide and can offer more information about recommended trips. winooskiriver.org

5. WATERBURY RESERVOIR (EASY)

Perhaps the easiest and most accessible paddling is on the Waterbury Reservoir. Campsites, cabins and kayak and canoe rentals are available at the staterun Little River State Park at the south end of the reservoir. Or you can rent a canoe, kayak or paddleboard from Umiak’s put in off Route 100 in Waterbury Center. While the shoreline of the 850-acre reservoir is largely undeveloped and forested, the waters can get busy with motorboats and waterskiing during the day. The north end, 6.5 miles from the southern terminus, has a speed limit of 5 mph and a no-wake zone. Come sunset, head to one of the

8. THE MISSISQUOI (EASY TO MODERATE)

The northern sections of the Connecticut make for easy paddling and great scenery . Photo courtesy Northern Forest Canoe Trail

Vermont has 46.1 miles of designated Wild and Scenic rivers. This is 0.1 of them—where the Mississquoi travels through open farmland. Photo courtesy Vermont Wild and Scenic Rivers.

27 remote campsites maintained by Vermont State Parks along the shore for some solitude and a chance to listen to some of the nesting loons. vtstateparks. com

6. THE LAMOILLE (EASY TO DIFFICULT)

In the last few years, lots of work has been done on both the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail and the Lamoille Paddler’s Trail. Upon completion, both will follow the river from Greensboro all the way to Lake Champlain. The Lamoille Valley Paddlers Trail has maps and information on its three campsites, spaced conveniently 10 to 15 miles apart as well as recommended day trips or three-to-four-night, longer paddles. As Ken Roberts of Bert’s Boats, notes, “In the spring, if the water is high and you are comfortable in white water, you could conceivably put in at Hardwick and paddle all the way to Lake Cham-

plain—provided you are up for a number of portages.” However, there are plenty of great shorter trips. For a twoday trip, put in at Cady Falls and then paddle five miles past Ten Bends, to the Teetor Totter Campsite. From there, it’s 14-miles downstream to Jeffersonville with visits (and portages) at Dog Head Falls and Sloping Falls. An easy day trip is a six-mile paddle downstream that ends at Boyden Valley Winery. Bert will rent you a canoe or kayak and drop you off six miles upstream of the winery for a self-guided paddle for about $80. Umiak Outfitters of Stowe offers similar trips for $90. lamoilleriverpaddlerstrail.org.

7. GREEN RIVER RESERVOIR (EASY)

The most difficult thing about paddling the Green River Reservoir in Greensboro is getting a campsite. With 27 remote campsites, some on islands and many only a mile from the put in,

Part of the Vermont segment of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, the Missisquoi ambles south from Quebec through some of Vermont’s most scenic farmland before it spills out at Lake Champlain’s Missisquoi Bay. With big views of the Green Mountains, it’s no surprise that this section is part of our state’s 46.1 miles of designated National Wild and Scenic Rivers. For a short (one to two-day) trip, put in at Davis Park in Richford and drift west 22 miles to take out at Enosburg Falls. At Samsonville Dam you can choose to portage (though it is runnable). A bonus of this trip (besides the scenery) is that you can camp at Doe campsite on a bluff above the river. Also, the rail trail runs alongside the river, making for a pleasant bike back to your car (or plan to do the Missisquoi Pedal and Paddle Race next June). There are also two other maintained campsites if you want to make it a leisurely weekend. “We did a trip in June and saw bear, a fisher, otter, eagles and deer—all from the river,” says Lindsey Wight, coordinator for the Upper Missisquoi and Trout Rivers Wild and Scenic Committee, which celebrated its fifth anniversary with a paddle down all 46.1 miles this past June. For trips and rentals, Montgomery Adventures can help. vtwsr.org

9. UPPER CONNECTICUT (EASY)

“One of my favorite trips is the Connecticut River,” says Bruce Lessels of Zoar Outdoors, which puts together trips all over New England. The 69-mile stretch of the Connecticut River that runs from West Stewartstown near Quebec to Gilman, Vt. features some of the fastest water on the Connecticut River, though the bulk of the paddling is meandering and calm. Scenery ranges from vast timberland to old farms, with only one long stretch of rapids, just after the Columbia covered bridge. Make a sidetrip to hike 3,166-foot-high Monadnock Mountain on the way. For directions, maps, camping and paddling information, contact the Connecticut River Paddlers’ Trail. The full river provides 400 miles of paddling with more than 50 campsites. connecticutriverpaddlerstrail.org

JULY 2019 | VTSPORTS.COM 29

10. THE SARANAC LAKES (EASY TO MODERATE)

While there are literally hundreds of canoe routes in the Adirondacks, a perfect introduction to paddling here is the Saranac Lakes. Upper, Middle and Lower Saranac Lakes are a chain of three glacially carved lakes at the edge of the High Peaks Wilderness Area. Together, they comprise a popular 17mile chain of paddling with only one portage, called the Bartlett Carry. The half-mile canoe carry separates Upper from Middle Saranac Lake and is a great introductory portage, with part of it on a road. For a shorter, easier trip, the Middle and Lower Saranac Lakes are connected by a hand-operated lock on the meandering Saranac River. There are more than 18 island campsites and paddling that ranges from open water to tight creeks, coves and meandering rivers. Register for one of the 87 campsites with the Saranac Lake Islands Public Campground (open between May 15 and October 15). Sites are $27 per night for out-of-state campers. You can see a map and reserve ahead at dec.ny.gov/outdoor/24496. html. The Adirondack Paddler’s Guidebook is waterproof and offers great trip information. For canoe and paddle rentals, shuttle services, guided trips and information, call Raquette River Outfitters in Tupper Lake or St. Regis Canoe Outfitters in Saranac Lake.

THREE EPIC PADDLER’S TRAILS IF YOU HAVE A FEW WEEKS OR A MONTH, THESE TRAILS ARE TO PADDLING WHAT THE LONG TRAIL IS TO HIKING. BEFORE SETTING OUT MAKE SURE YOU ARE PREPARED, HAVE THE RIGHT EXPERIENCE AND EQUIPMENT AND KNOW WHAT YOU ARE IN FOR. lake can be rough, the trail does offer some protected sections that can make for an enjoyable weekend trip. Paddle out from St. Albans or South Hero and camp at Vermont State Park sites on Burton, Knight and Woods Islands. In the southern waters, you can camp and put in at Button Bay State Park (which also has cabins) and follow the trail 48 miles south to Whitehall, stopping to camp out at Five Mile Point in Shoreham, Vt. To use the trail (or even to get a map and permission to camp), you have to join the Lake Champlain Committee ($45 for general membership) but know it goes toward protecting and maintaining both the lake and the trail. lakechamplaincommittee.com Checking a Northern Forest Canoe Trail map on Maine's Allagash. Photo by Brian Mohr/EmberPhoto

THE CONNECTICUT RIVER PADDLER’S TRAIL

The Connecticut River Paddler’s Trail traces the river from Quebec all the way to its outlet on Long Island Sound and lists access points, campsites and portages along the way. For a short trip, spend four days on one of the more remote stretches in the northeasternmost corner of Vermont, a 70mile paddle from Canaan to Gilman with views of Mt. Monadnock and the Great North Woods. connecticutriverpaddlerstrail.org

LAKE CHAMPLAIN PADDLER’S TRAIL

The Lake Champlain Paddler’s Trail runs the length of the lake with more than 600 campsites (many, situated on private property are for the exclusive use of through-paddlers) at more than 40 locations on the New York and Vermont coasts and in the islands in between. While the broad

THE NORTHERN FOREST CANOE TRAIL

Completed in 2006, the Northern Forest Canoe Trail is a 740-mile paddling trail that runs from Old Forge, N.Y. to Fort Kent, Maine and follows traditional travel routes used by Native American Tribes and guides. It claims to be the longest inland water trail in the nation. Thru-paddlers paddle 23 rivers and streams, 59 lakes and ponds and go through 45 communities in New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Quebec and Maine. There are 65 portages, making for more than 70 miles of on-land travel. You might camp at a lean-to in the High Peaks Wilderness of the Adirondacks, or at a campsite that abuts a pasture in Northern Vermont, see moose in the Maine Woods or run whitewater on the Androscoggin River in New Hampshire. Nearly half of the trail is in Maine. To date, 113 people have paddled the trail in a single expedition, with most taking anywhere from 30 to 50 days to complete it. For maps, trip planning tools or suggested sectionpaddles, visit northernforestcanoetrail.org.

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my teenage years at a traditional canoe camp called Keewaydin in Salisbury. When I went on the trail with my friend Andy Rougeot, we used a traditional canoe which weighed 50 pounds, wannigans (wooden boxes) and cooked over a fire. That’s what I knew. It was only later that I learned most people use lightweight boats and stoves. The heavier canoe wasn’t really a problem for the portages because many of them were along roads and the footing was better than what I was used to, although a six-mile portage is nobody’s idea of a walk in the park.

FEATURED ATHLETE

THE TRAIL BUILDER Name: Sam Brakely Age: 31 Lives in: Sharon Family: Five siblings Primary Sports: Skiing, canoeing, backpacking, and rugby

am Brakely likes covering distance trails—over dirt, over snow and through water. He has completed the Long Trail, the Appalachian Trail, the Catamount Trail and the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. A professional trail builder, Brakely may also be the only winner of the North American WifeCarrying Championships to be featured in Vermont Sports.

How on earth did you end up at the North American Wife Carrying Championship? I have a cousin who is an avid wifecarrier and he competed for a number of years and won the fifth time he entered. He was going to defend his title at Sunday River, Maine, in 2015 but he broke his foot. He and his wife came over for dinner one night and I pitched the idea of taking his place. I picked her up and ran around the house and jumped over some couches. That was the extent of our training, but we were fortunate enough to win. The winner gets five times the woman’s weight in cash, as well as in beer so they put her on one end of a seesaw and keep piling cases of beer on the other end until it evened out. Unfortunately, it was Bud Lite. This winter they tried to hold the event as a snowshoe race, but it was cancelled because of rain. If they do it again, I might compete in that. How did you carry your cousin’s wife? I used what they call the Estonian Carry which is what 99 percent of people participating used. The woman is upside down which puts most of her weight on your shoulders instead of down around your waist and allows her to most effectively use her own strength to really latch onto you. That means you can focus the entirety of your own efforts on racing which is more or less moving at a quick trot given the weight on your shoulders and the awkward phenomenon of it being a person. It’s super important for her to squeeze as tight as she can and hold herself as still and as close to you as possible. It might look like she’s not doing much but she’s

North American Wife Carrying Champion Sam Brakely. Courtesy photo.

actually working nearly as hard as you are—and doing it while she is upside down! You seem to have a knack for long-distance trails. Of all the ones you’ve completed, which was the most satisfying? They are all satisfying in different ways. Some I’ve done with partners and some solo. Some are along popular routes, but others are historical. They have all come at times of my life when I felt like I needed to get away from things and tackle life with a new outlook. It’s a bit of an escape from the daily routine and it allows me to reset and find my even keel and move forward from there. Was the Long Trail the first? I did the Long Trail in May and June of 2007 when I was 19 and had a wonderful time. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was doing but I figured it out along the way and was really helped by an experienced hiker I met on the trail. What was next? I decided to do the Appalachian Trail in 2008. The Long Trail was through my backyard, so I wanted something bigger and more challenging. The L.T. was such a positive experience that I headed out on the A.T. in early March and finished in mid-July. And next up was the Northern Forest Canoe Trail? By that point I was starting to think about the history of some of these trails. I had a background in canoeing from

And then you moved from water to snow. I did the Catamount Trail in January/ February of 2015. The first day I had snow sticking to my skis but then it got pretty frigid for the rest of the trip. During the second half, the temperatures were in the negative teens and it bottomed out one night at 22 below. It also snowed most days, so I got fresh tracks and was often breaking trail. The snow and cold made it challenging but I didn’t have to deal with crust or sticky snow except for the first day so gliding was no problem. I had new boots and skis for the trip and I had warm gloves and a coat but otherwise I used a lot of old gear and a summer-weight tent. I used a backpack instead of toting a sled. Clearly you must have enjoyed it because you wrote a book about it. Skiing with Henry Knox: A Personal Journey along Vermont’s Catamount Trail is the third book I’ve written. I wrote one about the Northern Forest Canoe Trail and one about a solo canoe trip through Maine and Quebec. Those are self-published but for this book I’m working with Islandport Press out of Maine. The book is due out in October. It’s three stories intertwined. One is about Henry Knox, a Revolutionary War general who made a 300-mile winter journey from Fort Ticonderoga to Cambridge, Massachusetts carrying cannons on oxen-drawn sleighs. He kept a journal and I drew my information from that. The second story was about my own 300-plus mile ski on the trail and the third was a bit about my life story. My partner was moving to Utah to continue her medical career and I was struggling with whether to follow her or not. All my roots and family and business were here, and I was debating whether to chase her across the country. The three tales are intertwined. Tell us about your trail-building business. Hermit Woods Trail Building does dry

stone masonry and trail work. We’re probably divided 50/50 between things like patios, walls, and stairs, and trail projects throughout Vermont and New Hampshire. Our trail building is usually related to stone, as well. Some of the trails we’ve done include an ADA-accessible trail at VINS in Quechee and hundreds of steps up Gile Mountain in Norwich in partnership with the Upper Valley Trails Alliance. We’ve also worked with The Nature Conservancy in North Hero to improve their Butternut Hill Natural Area trails, and the Vermont River Conservancy to build a number of river access projects including ones to the White and Winooski Rivers and a project to improve access to the Bolton Potholes with a series of stone staircases. The company is me, two full-time employees and one part-time worker. I’m a certified instructor and a Level 2 Certified Dry Stone Waller through the Dry Stone Walling Association. I teach the occasional class and I’ve guest lectured at Vermont Technical College. What trail will you tackle next? I just did a two-month trip to New Zealand. There is a trail called Te Araroa which means long pathway in Maori. It’s a 3,000-mile trail which runs the length of both islands and I did 1,400 miles on the South Island from end to end. I’d never been to that part of the world before. It had stunning vistas, mountains and scenery and wonderful people; both those who traveled from across the world to hike there and natives. That was my first long distance international trail unless you count Canada. It was interesting to combine a slightly different culture and lifestyle. I think my next trip will also be abroad. I’d like to continue having a new culture as a component so I’m looking at a couple of options but I’m hoping to go someplace where English isn’t the native language. Why do you enjoy your longdistance treks so much? I love the lifestyle, specifically how simplified it becomes. Each day there is a single goal of getting from point A to point B and that gives structure to the day. Besides eating and sleeping, the rest of the day is moving across the landscape, traveling at a human powered speed and taking it all in and interacting with folks you meet along the way. Breaking it down to the basics is simple and powerful and helps me take a deep breath and put both feet on the ground for when I return to the “other” world of day to day life. It helps me reset my mind and body.

--Phyl Newbeck

JULY 2019 | VTSPORTS.COM 31

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RUNNING/HIKING JULY 3 | Montpelier Mile, Montpelier Kick off the city's 3rd of July celebration with a mile race through town, starting and finishing at the state house. cvrunners.org 4 | 37th Annual Clarence DeMar Road Race, South Hero Run a scenic 5K out and back on South Street. Don’t miss the ¼-mile kids race in the schoolyard before the 5K. gmaa.net 4 | Montcalm Mile, Ticonderoga, N.Y. Run downhill for one mile into downtown Ticonderoga before the 4th of July parade in this fun road race. lachute.us 4 | Saxtons River Firecracker 5K, Saxtons River A fun run to celebrate the 4th of July in downtown. stillmilling.com 4 | Bill Powers Memorial Firecracker 4-Miler, Brattleboro A point-to-point race through downtown from Living Memorial Park to the Town Common. redcloverrovers.org 4 | 43rd John Langhans Green Mile Road Race, Woodstock Run or walk a 10K through Woodstock for Spectrum Teen Center or register kids for the free kids’ fun run. active.com/woodstock-vt 4 | Harry Corrow Freedom Run, Newport Hosted by Kingdom Games, this race features a 10-mile, 10K, 5K and one-mile fun run on the Newport-Derby Bike Path and Memphremagog Ski Touring Foundation Trails. kingdomgames.co 4 | Battenkill Valley Runners’ Four on the Fourth, Manchester Center A four-mile run or walk that begins at Manchester Rec Park and supports Vermont Heartworks and the Nurse Family Partnership. bkvr.net

RACE & EVENT GUIDE 6 | Run for Rotary 5K, Fair Haven A 5K race through Fair Haven to support Rotary Club charities. facebook.com/ fairhavenrotary 6 | Echo Lake Color Challenge, East Charleston Run a 5K loop around beautiful Echo Lake with five color stations throughout the course where participants, provided with white t-shirts and sunglasses upon registration, will be blasted with colored powder. Look out for loons. echolakeassociation.net 6 | LAWMSF Bakersfield Bash 5K, Bakersfield An out-and-back race with a 5K option for adults and a 1K fun run for kids, followed by the Bakersfield BASH festival.active.com/ bakersfield-vt 7 | 38th Stowe 8-Miler and 5K, Stowe Take to the roads for a fun summer race and celebrate your finish with Island Homemade Ice Cream and beer from Harpoon. stowe8miler.com 7 | Mad Marathon, Mad Half and Relays, Waitsfield A weekend of races on dirt roads with tough climbs and great views of the Green Mountains. madmarathon.com 7 | Running of the Bears 5K, Stratton Run a 5K from the courtyard of Stratton Mountain Resort. The first 100 participants receive a t-shirt and the top 3 men and women in age categories get Stratton gift cards worth $100, $50 and $25, respectively. Preregistration ($30) closes July 6. stratton.com

13-14 | Ethan Allen 24, Bennington Nor’East Trail Runs hosts this fixed-time track race, with categories for 6 hours of running, 12 hours of running and 24 hours of running. netrailruns.com 20 | The Vermont 100 Endurance Race, West Windsor This beautiful run winds over country roads and on forest trails. vermont100.com 20 | 4th Annual Goshen Gallup, Goshen Blueberry Hill Inn in Goshen hosts a 5K and 10.2K trail race in the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area, billed as the “toughest 10K in the East.” blueberryhillinn.com 21 | 8th Annual Essex Half Marathon, Essex Junction Run a half marathon on this out-and-back course or a 10K on the scenic dirt backroads of Essex. essexhalf.com 27 | 40th GMAA Round Church Women’s Run 5K and 10K, Richmond Run out and back on paved Cochran Road with a few rolling hills. Courses start and end across from the Round Church. gmaa.net 27 | Barre Heritage Festival 5K, Barre A 5K race through the granite quarries and Barre Town Forest on singletrack. cvrunners.org 27 | 4th Annual Brite Nite 5K, Essex Junction Grab your flashing, glowing, neon gear and run a 3.1-mile race off of Main Street with music and light stations along the course. This night race starts at 9 p.m. essexhalf.com

13 | Bear Swamp Run, Middlesex A 5.7-mile, hilly route on scenic dirt roads. Part of the Central Vermont Runners ORS Race Series. cvrunners.org

28 | Caspian Challenge, Greensboro Run 6.8-miles on a loop through Greensboro Village or a 5K out-and-back on Lake Shore Road. Both courses are on rolling dirt roads. greensboroassociation.org

13 | Paine Mountain Trail Race, Northfield Run a half marathon or a 10K on the singletrack, forest roads and abandoned ski slopes of Paine Mountain, at Shaw Outdoor Center. ironwoodadventureworks.com

28 | Mansfield Double Up, Stowe Gain 5,000 feet over 11 miles on Vermont’s most technical terrain as you race across the state’s highest peak. nativeendurance.com

13 | Brain Freezer 5K, Burlington Run 1.5 miles from Battery Street Park, eat a pint of Vermont-made ice cream, then run all the way back. Proceeds support People Helping People Global. brainfreezer5k.com

28 | Three-Day Stampede, Bristol Run a 5K road race through the hills of Addison County as part of a weekend-long festival featuring group motorcycle rides, a used book sale, a Walk-a-thon and more. threedaystampede.org

AUGUST 3 | Booster Dash 5K, Springfield Run or walk a fun, flat out-and-back course on the Tonnerville Trail, along the Black River. active.com/springfield-vt 3 | Fairfax Egg Run, Fairfax Run or walk a 5K or run a 10K on an outand-back course past River Berry Farm on asphalt or hard-packed dirt and receive a cooked-to-order post-race omelet. Don’t miss the 1K kids run for those 13 & under. fairfaxrecreation.com 10 | Kingdom Run, Irasburg Try a half marathon, 5K or 10K out-and-back race on scenic dirt roads. Race is followed by live music, free lunch and blueberry sundaes. Walkers welcome. kingdomrun.org 10 | Melissa Jenkins Memorial 5K, Danville A fun run/walk on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail to raise funds for the Melissa Jenkins Memorial Scholarship Fund. danvillevtchamber.org 10 | Sugarhouse Trail Run, Shelburne Run/walk one lap (1.5-miles) or run two laps for a full 5K on the new trail system that Shelburne Sugarworks has developed. Don’t miss the 300-yard fun run for kids. racevermont.com 10-11 | Smugglers Mountain Race, Jeffersonville Try the 25K trail run and the Madonna Mountain Vertical Challenge. A weekend of Sky Run-style mountain races on the trails of Smugglers’ Notch Resort. ironwoodadventureworks.com 11 | Get Your Rear in Gear 5K, Colchester Run a 5K race or walk out-and-back from Colchester High School to support Colon Cancer Coalition. coloncancercoalition.org 15 | Berlin Pond 5-Miler, Berlin A 5-mile loop around Berlin Pond on a mix of flat and hilly dirt roads. Part of the Central Vermont Runners ORS Race Series. cvrunners.org 16-17 | Ragnar Trail Run Vermont, Ascutney Mountain Sports Trails of the Ascutney Basin hosts this three-day camping and running adventure. Teams of 8 (or 4 ultra-runners) conquer a series of three trails that start and end at “Ragnar Village.” runragnar.com

JULY 2019 | VTSPORTS.COM 33

17 | The Vermont 100 on 100 Relay, Stowe Starting at Trapp Family Lodge, this team race covers 100 miles on Route 100 to Ludlow. 100on100relay.com

25 | Delta Dental Race to the Top of Vermont, Stowe Run, bike or hike the 4.3-miles up the toll road on Mt. Mansfield, with 2,564 feet of climbing. rtttovt.com

7 | Groton Forest Trail Runs, Groton The Central Vermont Runners host these 26.5-mile and 15-mile runs at the Groton Forest State Park on a combination of hiking and multi-use trails. cvrunners.org

17 | 27th Annual GMAA Scholarship Trail Race, South Burlington Run 5K entirely on dirt trails with views of the lake at Red Rocks Park. gmaa.run

25 | Dorset Hollow Road Race, Dorset Run 5K or 10K on a scenic loop through Dorset Hollow, with sweeping mountain views and steep trails. netrailruns.com

17 | Under the Tree 5K and 10K Races, Hartland Tackle a fun run to support the Hartland Christmas Project, a non-profit that helps local families in times of need. underthetreerace.org

25 | Essex Dog Jog, Essex Junction Celebrate the dog days of summer with a two-mile run/walk for dogs and their owners from Maple Street Park. essexhalf.com

7 | Charlotte Covered Bridge 5K/10K Run & Walk, Charlotte This race begins and ends at Shelburne Beach and follows a scenic gravel road by the orchards and shores of Lake Champlain. racevermont.com

18 | Woodchuck Cider Chase 5K, Middlebury Dash from barn to farmhouse and back through the village, followed by live music, food trucks, yard games and family-friendly fun at the ciderhouse. ciderchase.com 24 | Lost Cat 50K, East Dorset Choose from a 13.1-mile run, a 26.2-mile run and a 50K on this rugged trail race over Dorset’s Mount Aeolus, through forests and past historic marble quarries. netrailruns.com 24 | 2nd Annual Vermont Trail Running Festival, Stowe Head to Trapp Family Lodge for clinics about training, nutrition, trail running and for group runs. catamounttrail.org 24 | 38th Vergennes Day Race, Vergennes Walk or run a 5K or 10K or register for a short kids’ fun run. vergennes.org 25 | Zoe's Race, Burlington Support the Howard Center with this 1K fun run, 5K run/walk and 10K run. zoesrace.org

31 | Hops for Hope 5K, West Dover A beginner-friendly multi-terrain walk or run leading up to the 15th Annual Mount Snow Brewers Festival, featuring over 50 breweries and more than 100 beers. mountsnow.com 31 | Northfield Savings Bank 5K, Northfield Hosted by the Central Vermont Runners, this race features a 5K for adults and a kids’ one-miler. cvrunners.org Aug. 30- Sept. 1 | 8th Annual Jay Peak Trail Running Festival, Jay Peak Sign up for one of several 5Ks on trails of varying difficulty, an 11-mile race and ultra races on Sunday. jaypeakresort.com

SEPTEMBER 1| 51st GMAA Archie Post 5-Miler, Burlington Run the bike path and take in sweeping views of the Green Mountains. gmaa.run 7 | Maple Leaf Half Marathon and Kotler 5K, Manchester Run through picturesque villages on country roads and back to the finish during the early stages of fall color in southern Vermont. Choose between the marathon and 5K. manchestervtmapleleaf.com

14-15 | 24 Hours of the Northeast Kingdom, East Charleston See how many laps you can complete as an individual or as part of a relay team in this 6-, 12- or 14-hour race on the trails at NorthWoods Stewardship Center. ironwoodsadventureworks.com 15 | L.L. Bean Flannel 5K, Burlington Run from Leddy Park to Battery Park on a point-to-point course on the Burlington Bike Path. flannel5k.net/burlington

7 | The Endurance Society Sky Run, Mad River Glen Choose between a 5K and a 10K. Both courses take you to the top of General Stark Mountain, offering 2,000 feet of vertical climbing and 3,700 feet of vertical climbing respectively. Descend to the base camp for a post-race party. endurancesociety.org

15 | The 16th Annual TAM Trek, Middlebury Choose between a 19-mile race, a 10K and a two-mile family fun run on the beautiful and rolling Trail Around Middlebury, which features rolling terrain with lots of single track. Proceeds support maintenance of the TAM. maltvt.org

7 | 3rd Annual Samantha Brochu Memorial Run, Morristown Run on the scenic Lamoille Valley Rail Trail to support the Samantha Brochu Memorial Fund, a scholarship for graduates of Hazen Union High School. Race followed by a festival at Oxbow Park with draft beer, games and kids’ activities. samanthabrochu memorialfundscholarship.formstack.com

15 | Pisgah Mountain Trail Races, Chesterfield, N.H. Choose between a scenic 23K and 50K race at Pisgah State Park in Southwestern New Hampshire. pisgahmountaintrailraces.blogspot.com 18 | Sodom Pond 5-Miler, Adamant A scenic dirt road race that joins trails to circumnavigate Sodom Pond. cvrunners.org

14 | 3rd ADK 5K, Lake George, N.Y. Run an out-and-back course that hugs the lake and offers sweeping views of Lake George, followed by live music, food trucks and yard games at the Adirondack Pub and Brewery. adk5k.com

21 | Miles for Migraine, South Burlington Run a 10K, 5K or two-mile course to raise awareness about migraine disease and research. milesformigraine.org

14 | 11th Annual Lt. Mark H. Dooley Race of Remembrance, Wilmington A 5K walk/run and kids' fun run followed by live music, food, a bagpipe performance and awards ceremony. markdooley5K.com

21 | The 3rd Annual Vermont Great Run, Rutland Run 8K, 6K, 4K or 2K or an 8K relay to support palliative care at Rutland Regional Hospital. rrmc.org

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21 | 8th Annual Sprouty, Sharon A 5K walk/run and 10K run along the White River to support the Farm-to-School program at Sharon Elementary followed by refreshments and live music from The Panhandlers. thesprouty.com 21 | Maple 5K, Brattleboro A 5K fun run and walk to support Black Mountain Assisted Family Living. bmafl.org 22 | 6th Annual Island Vines 10K, South Hero Run a scenic 10K through the Champlain Islands and enjoy wines from Snow Farm Vineyard afterwards. runvermont.org 22 | 10th Annual CircumBurke Mountain Challenge, East Burke Run or bike 26.2 miles or 18 miles on trails at Kingdom Trails. All proceeds support trail maintenance. circumburke.org 22 | Trapp Cabin 5K, 10K and Half Marathon, Stowe All courses run on the scenic trails at Trapp Family Outdoor Center, with proceeds benefiting Stowe Adaptive Sports. stoweadaptive.org 26 | Beebe Farm, Dorset Choose between a 48-hour, a 12-hour, a 6-hour race, a marathon, a 50K and a “quadzilla” all on a 0.87-mile loop at Harold Beebe Farm. Hosted by Nor’East Trails. netrails.com 28 | Vermont Craft Beer Half Marathon, St. Albans Run through historic downtown and on the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail to a festival and craft beer tasting with food trucks, live music and Vermont craft breweries. 14thstarbrewing.com 29 | Kingdom Games Fly to Pie Kingdom Marathon, West Glover Run, bike or hike 26.2, 17 or 13.5 miles or a 10K to an after-party at Parker Pie with Hill Farmstead and other beer and live music by Beg, Steal or Borrow. kingdomgames.co

29 | 27th Annual Vermont 50, West Windsor Head to Mt. Ascutney for this ultramarathon on trails or an epic 50-mile, cross-country mountain bike race to benefit Vermont Adaptive Ski + Sports. There are also a team relay and a kids fun run. vermont50.com

BIKING JULY

19-21 | Conquer the Kingdom, Lyndon A mountain bike skills-building weekend. Lessons and small group rides with Cannondale demos. kingdomexperiences.com 20 | Raid Lamoille, Craftsbury Ride approximately 100K on mostly gravel roads through the rolling countryside. 6,000 feet of elevation gain. A 50K route is also available. raidlamoille.com 20-21 | Eastern States Cup Sugarbush Showdown, Warren Catch high calibur enduro and downhill mountain bike races with a combined cash purse. sugarbush.com

6 | Gnar Weasels: Bubba Trophy Series #4, Brownsville This EFTA-sanctioned event offers a $400 prize for the first man and woman to finish this mountain bike race. bubbatrophy.com

21 | Farm to Fork Fondo, South Hero A non-competitive cycling event where all riders enjoy aid stations with chef-prepared treats made from local farms’ ingredients. farmforkfondo.com/champlain-islands

7 | Eastern States Cup Enduro World Series Qualifier, Burke Mountain Some of the best riders in the East head to Burke Mountain Resort for a day of enduro mountain bike racing and a chance to qualify for the Enduro World Series. easternstatescup.com

26-27 | Vermont WTF Bikepacking Weekend, Burlington Organized by Queen City Bicycling Club, this is for W/T/F/GMC folx. A gravel bikepacking adventure to Glover. wtfbikexplorers.com

12 | The Dirty Project, Hartford Bike 103 miles with 11,000 feet of elevation gain or 74 miles with 7,000 feet of climbing. thedirtyproject.org

27 | Lake Placid Smashfest: A Smile Train Fundraiser, Lake Placid, N.Y. Take on an 85-mile road cycling course or a 59-mile course with aid stations. thecyclingformula.com/smashfest

12-13 | The 38th Annual Prouty, Hanover, N.H. Bike, walk, row or golf to raise funds for Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s Norris Cotton Cancer Center. Cyclists choose between 20-, 35-, 50-, 77- and 100-mile routes as well as a 65-mile metric century gravel ride. theprouty.org 13-14 | Divas of Dirt Gravity Camp, Killington Join pros Amy Alton, Ali Zimmer, Clarissa Fink and Ella Skawold for a weekend of technical skills for downhill mountain biking with fellow women. killington.com

27 | The Irreverent Road Ride, Richmond Adventure through Central Vermont on a mountain bike route that has not yet been set with pit stops for ice cream, swimming holes and lots of time in low gear. shorthandledshovel.com 27 | Mount Washington Century+, Albany, N.H. A century ride that circumnavigates the base of Mt. Washington. An 80-mile course and a 40-mile course are also available. 2019_HC-ZoesRace_4.6x5.9.pdf 1 6/19/19 11:00 tinmountain.org

43RD ANNUAL

27 | The Ididaride, North Creek, N.Y. The Adirondack Mountain Club hosts this cycling fundraiser with a 23-mile offroad mountain bike course through the mountains, a 75-mile road course and a barbecue. adk.org

AUGUST 3 | Mt. Ascutney Bicycle Hillclimb, Windsor Held annually from 1999 to 2014, this event is back! It features a paved 3.7mile course with an average 12 percent grade. Part of the BUMPS hill climb championship series. facebook.com/ bikeupthemountainpointseries 3 | Tour de Slate, Middletown Springs Choose between a 100K metric century road ride, and a 36-mile, 23-mile or 8-mile ride on the Delaware and Hudson Rail Trail. Post-race chicken curry and a barbecue on the town green. tourdeslate.org 3 | Kearsarge Classic, Warner, N.H. Choose between a 55-mile, 35-mile and 83mile adventure route in this gravel grinder through the rolling farmland of the Mt. Sunapee region. grvlt.net/kearsarge-klassic 4 | Maxxis Eastern States Cup Intense Downhill Series, Killington The best riders in the East head to Killington for a day of downhill competition as part of the Eastern States Cup. There will be a kids’ class too. easternstatescup.com 4 | Rooted Vermont, Richmond Ride 85 or 45 miles on gravel at this event organized by former World Tour pro racer and current “King of Gravel” Ted King. rootedvermont.com

11 A NNUA L ! TH

FREE 1K Fun Run 8:30 AM

R U N A G R O U N D T R I AT H L O N C

5K Walk/Run 9:00 AM

10K Run 9:00 AM

CMY

Sunday August 25, 2019

Sunday, September 15 THROUGH 5 TOWNS IN THE BEAUTIFUL BERKSHIRES Bike • Canoe/Kayak/SUP • Run Triathlon Team & Iron Categories

Oakledge Park, Burlington

#JoshBillingsTri

active.com and trireg.com joshbillings.com

802-488-6535

•

howardcenter.org

JULY 2019 | VTSPORTS.COM 35

9-11 | Adult Downhill Mountain Bike Camp, Killington Learn basic downhill skills or hone your expert-level technique with pro coaches during a weekend of drills and coaching at Killington’s bike park. killington.com 9-11 | The 2019 Vermont Gravel Camp, Stowe Head to the Round Hearth for a weekend of adventure riding on unmaintained historic roads with Cycling Formula coaches and gravel racing legend Mike Barton. thecyclingformula.com 10 | The Point to Point, powered by VSECU, Brownsville Ride 100, 50 or 25 road miles or choose a 20-mile trail bike ride or a 28-mile gravel grinder or a trail half marathon. Catch live music and food trucks at the base of Mt. Ascutney. thepointtopoint.org 10 | Farm to Fork Fondo: Finger Lakes Region, Burdett, N.Y. Choose from rides ranging from the 88-mile Gran Fondo to the 54-mile Medio, to the 37-mile Piccolo to the 7-mile ride at this weekend of food, drink and cycling in the Finger Lakes region. farmtoforkfondo.com/ finger-lakes 10 | 10th Annual Bike ‘N’ Brew, Burke Catch live music, mountain bike rides, games and beer tastings. skiburke.com 15-18 | The Vermont Challenge, Manchester This classic four-day tour offers three routes of varying distances for each day, with two group leaders for each ride. vtchallenge.com

23RD ANNUAL FORUM DINNER August 4th, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Sponsored by

The Coach Barn at Shelburne Farms

$75 general public $60 VFN members vermontfresh.net 802.434.2000 36 VTSPORTS.COM | JULY 2019

24-25 | The JULBO Eastern Grind: Bubba Trophy Series #6, Williston Catamount Outdoor Family Center hosts two days of mountain bike races in this EFTAcertified event. bubbatrophy.com 25 | The Vermont Overland, Reading Challenge yourself to a 44-mile dirt road bicycle race featuring 5,700 feet of climbing, seven sectors of Vermont pave and magnificent scenery. vermontoverland.co 25 | 3rd Clif Enduro Lite, Burke Created by the race pros at MAXXIS Eastern States Cup, this event offers riders an introduction to enduro racing in a stress-free environment. skiburke.com 23-24 | Farm to Fork Fondo: Pennsylvania Dutch, Ronks, Penn. Choose between the 82-mile Gran Fondo, the 45-mile Medio, the 33-mile Piccolo and a 9-mile ride through rolling hills. Enjoy stops with local food. farmtoforkfondo.com

SEPTEMBER 7 | 14th Annual Kelly Brush Ride, Middlebury Ride 20, 50 or 100 miles on paved roads through the Champlain Valley. Fundraising for this event helps people with spinal cord injuries afford adaptive athletic equipment. kellybrushfoundation.org 8 | Victory Hill Enduro, Victory Top East Coast riders take to the trails for a chance to compete in the Enduro World Series NorAm Continental Finals. easternstatescup.com/victoryhill/

16-18 | The VT3, Craftsbury Common The VT3 mountain bike race series offers fun courses and fast racing. thevt3.com

8 | Cabot Ride the Ridges, Cabot A mostly gravel ride through the hills of Cabot and Peacham. Supported with 10K, 30K, 60K and 100K loops. ridetheridges.net

17 | Pedal Power to the People VI, Tunbridge A 30+ mile gravel grinder that concludes at the 4th Annual NanoFest Beer Festival. wfvrppp.com

14 | The NO LIMITS Fall Foliage Ride for Bart Center, Manchester Ride 30 or 60 miles or tackle the nine-mile family recreational ride. Hand cyclists ride free. bartadaptive.org

17 | The Peak Woodsplitter 6-Hour Mountain Bike Race, Pittsfield See how many times you can complete a 10mile loop within a 6-hour time limit on the Green Mountain Trails. peakraces.com

14 | The Granite Gravelcade, Barre A 45-mile gravel ride for bragging rights from Barre. vermontbicycleshop.com

18 | The Race Back to School on Kingdom Trails, Lyndonville Open to walkers, bikers and runners, the race takes place on a loop at Kingdom Trails, with three degrees of difficulty and a relay option. A fundraiser for NEK schools. eventbrite.com/race-back-to-school-onkingdom-trails-tickets 17-18 | Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb, Gorham, N.H. With categories ranging from traditional road bike to unicycle,an epic race to the summit of New England’s tallest peak. mwarbh.or

15 | Woodstock Triple Crown Race, Suicide Six Enduro-style race on 3 mountain bike trail networks: the Aqueduct Trails, Mt Peg and Suicide Six Bike Park. suicide6.com 21 | 12th Annual Tour de Farms, Vergennes Ride 10 or 30 miles through scenic Addison County and visit four to eight farms with food and beverage samples at each. acornvt.org 21 | Peacham Fall Fondo, Peacham Enter the 40-mile ride or a 5K fun ride for kids. Hosted by Tour de France cyclist Ian Boswell. peachamfallfondo.com

22 | 10th Annual CircumBurke Mountain Challenge, East Burke Run or bike 26.2-miles or 18 miles on trails at Kingdom Trails. circumburke.org 22 | West Hill Grinder, Putney Choose between a 39-mile, 4-gap gravel grinder route, a 34-mile, 2-gap gravel grinder route and 19.6- and 24-mile loops on a mix of pavement and dirt roads. westhillshop.com 28 | Tardigrade 50, Bristol Tackle more than 55 miles of adventure riding in the late fall from Bristol on 4th class roads, trails and more. tardigrade50.com 28-29 | Farm to Fork Fondo: The Berkshires, Mass. Choose between the 79-mile Gran Fondo, the 48-mile Medio, the 31-mile Piccolo and a 10mile ride through rolling hills. Enjoy stops with local food. farmtoforkfondo.com 29 | Fly to Pie, Coventry Tackle a 26.2-mile or 13.5-mile ride on dirt roads to finish at Parker Pie in West Glover. kingdomgames.co

WATERSPORTS

10-18 | NEK Swim Week, Barton Swim 47 miles across eight Notheast Kingdom lakes in nine days, or register for individual swim events. BYO accompanying kayaker. kingdomgames.co 16-17 | USMS Sprint and Long Distance Open Water National Championships, Lake Willoughby The sprint race runs Aug. 16, with the 5-mile, long-distance swim on Aug. 17. kingdomgames.co

OBSTACLE COURSE RACING JULY 9 | The Peak Death Race, Pittsfield This race claims to be the most difficult race in the world. Expect thousands of burpees, endurance crawls under barbed wire and the unexpected. peakraces.com 26-27 | Stowe Kids Adventure Games, Stowe Hosted by the Trapp Family Lodge, this multi-discipline obstacle course and adventure race is designed specifically for kids ages 6-14. trappfamily.com

JULY

AUGUST

July 6-27 | 29th Annual Champlain Valley Canoe and Kayak Series The CVCKS is a weekly canoe and kayak race series where the area’s best paddlers meet for ten consecutive weeks at different locations for an informal race/workout. Cost is $5 per person per event or $40 for the entire series, with proceeds going toward an annual donation of a canoe or kayak to an area Girl Scout or Boy Scout troop. Learn race tactics, improve technique and discover new places to paddle. Call Ken for the week’s location at 802.730.2216.

9-11 | North American Obstacle Course Racing Championships, Stratton Expect a 3K short course championship on Friday, followed by a 15K standard course on Saturday and conclude Sunday with the team relay event. stratton.com

13-14 | Vermont Paddlers’ Club Class II Clinic, Deerfield, Mass. BYO equipment for this two-day whitewater paddling clinic. Expect to spend time in class II rapids building skills. vtpaddlers.net 16 | In Search of Memphre, Newport Swim the 25-mile length of Lake Memphremagog between Newport and Magog, Q.C. Rain dates: 7.17 and 7.18. kingdomgames.co 27 | 11th Annual Kingdom Swim, Newport Take on the 25K Border Buster, a 10 mile swim, a 10K swim, a 5K swim or a 1-mile swim in Memphremagog. kingdomgames.co

AUGUST 2-3 | Stand Up for the Lake, Burlington Paddle your SUP in the 6-mile Elite Race, the 3-mile Rec Race or the kids' fun race, all in Burlington Harbor. After party at the Spot on the Dock. standupforthelake.com

September 15, 2019

10 | 15th Annual Bitter Pill Adventure Race, Brandon A team adventure featuringe hiking, biking and paddling along with continual navigation challenges. gmara.org

AUGUST 11-13

KICK OFF YOUR outd adventure season oor in style

SEPTEMBER 14-15 | Spartan Race Vermont, Killington Expect steep slopes, off-trail descents, massive climbs and chilly swims on Joe’s Backyard, the birthplace of the Spartan Beast. killington.com

MULTI SPORT/TRIATHLON/ OTHER JULY 6 | Basin Harbor Sprint Triathlon, Vergennes Catch a fast race on a fast course that starts with a 500-yard swim from the resort’s beach and heads along the shore of Lake Champlain. Then, bike 12.2 miles and end on a 5K run. racevermont.com 7 | The Great Race, St. Albans This family-friendly triathlon features a 3-mile run, a 12-mile bike ride and a 3-mile paddle in Lake Champlain. facebook.com/ thegreatracevt

Rafting, zipping, kayaking adventures In Southern VT and Western Mass Friendly professional staff, convenient location on the Deerfield River

only half an hour from brattleboro!

800-532-7483 ZOAROUTDOOR.COM VISIT US AT ZOAROUTDOOR.COM 800.532.7483 JULY 2019 | VTSPORTS.COM 37

THERE IS NO BETTER WAY TO SEE VERMONT'S BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE THAN FROM A C CANOE OR KAYAK. PADDLING TRIPS AVAILABLE ON THE WINOOSKI AND LAMOILLE RIVER CUSTOM OVER NIGHT BOAT DROPS AVAILABLE BY REQUEST

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13 | Vermont’s Toughest Triathlon, East Burke Swim 2.4 miles in Lake Willoughby, bike 112 miles and run a marathon with 5,000 feet of climbing to Burke Mountain. skiburke.com 14 | Vermont Sun Triathlon and Branbury Classic Triathlon, Salisbury Swim 600 yards in Lake Dunmore, bike 14 miles and run 3.1 miles in the Vermont Sun Triathlon or try the Branbury Classic: a 1.5mile paddle followed by a 14-mile bike ride and 3.1-mile run. Part of the Vermont Sun triathlon series. vermontsuntriathlonseries.com 28 | Colchester Triathlon, Colchester Swim 500 meters or kayak 1.5 miles, bike 12 miles and run 3 miles. Start and finish at Bayside Beach. colchestertri.com

AUGUST 2-4 | 3rd Annual Vermont Be True Yoga Festival, Fairlee Milldale Farm Center for Wellness hosts this weekend of diverse yoga classes, meditation, music, kirtan, wellness workshops and mindfulness hikes. vtbyogafest.com 3 | 10th Annual App Gap Rollerski Challenge, Fayston Ski a pursuit format, starting with skate and transitioning to classic mid-course at the parking lot of Mad River Glen. In the past, the event has drawn U.S. Ski Team members. nensa.net 11 | Lake Dunmore Triathlon and Vermont Sun Triathlon, Salisbury Swim 600 yards, bike 14 miles and run 3.1 miles in the Vermont Sun Triathlon, or try the Lake Dunmore Triathlon, a 0.9-mile swim, a 28-mile bike leg and a 6.2-mile run. This is the triathlon’s 34th season. Part of the Vermont Sun triathlon series. vermontsuntriathlonseries.com

24 | Magic Mountain Disc Golf Biathlon Charity Tournament, Londonderry Presented by Fiddlehead Brewing Company, this event challenges golfers to try a round of ball golf followed by disc golf. magicmtn.com

ONGOING SERIES JULY July 1 - Aug. 26 | Shoefly Trail Exploring Series, East Burke, Vt. and Littleton, N.H. A weekly trail running and hiking series featuring a one-mile walk and 5K & 10K trail runs. Alternates between Kingdom Trails in East Burke and PRKR Mountain & Regional Trails in Littleton, N.H. shoeflytrailexplore.org July 6-Oct. 13 | Mountaintop Yoga, Stratton On Saturdays and Sundays this summer, enjoy 90 minutes of yoga at the summit yoga deck on Stratton Mountain. Class includes round-trip on the gondola. stratton.com July 9 - Oct.| Divas of Dirt Group MTB Rides, Killington Free Friday night group rides for female mountain bikers. 4-6 p.m. in July & Aug., 3-5 p.m. in Sept. & Oct. Repeats Aug. 9 & 23, Sept. 6 & 20, Oct. 4. killington.com July - Aug. 15 | 9th Annual Hard’ack Trail Running Series, St. Albans Weekly 3K & 5K races, and a 1K kids' fun run. Every Thursday night, with the kids’ run starting at 6 p.m. and the 5K and 3K starting at 6:30 p.m. stalbansvt.myrec.com July 20 | North Face Doggie and Me Hikes, Stratton Enjoy a private guided hike with your dog on Stratton Mountain. Repeats Aug. 18, Sept. 1 and Oct. 12. stratton.com

Ethan Allen Biathlon Club 2019 Summer Race Series

DATES July 11, 18, 25, August 8,15, 22

SLICES • CREATIVE ENTRÉES • GLUTEN-FREE MENU • HEALTHY KIDS MENU CRAFT BEERS • GAME ROOM • DELIVERY

TIMES 5:00 pm - Registration 5:30 to 6:00 pm - Zeroing 6:15 pm - Race Start WHERE Ethan Allen Biathlon Club Ethan Allen Rd., Jericho, VT

NEW: See our website for mandatory

Safety Clinic information

ORDER ONLINE

1899 M O U NRTOAAI ND STOWE VT 05672 • 802.253.4411

PIECASSO.COM 38 VTSPORTS.COM | JULY 2019

Info: www.eabiathlon.org

IKE SHOPS

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ALPINE SHOP

1184 Williston ALPINE Rd., South SHOP Burlington, VT 802-862-2714 | alpineshopvt.com V

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.

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.

22 Montpelier

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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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99 Bonnet St., Manchester Ctr, VT 802-362-2734 | battenkillbicycles.com

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AROUND THE REGION

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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.

CHUCK’S BIKES

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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.

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.

JULY 2019 | VTSPORTS.COM 39

IKE SHOPS

CONTINUED

advertising section

14 FIRST STOP

3-Color Option: BOARD BARN

11 EARL’S CYCLERY &

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.

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.

40 VTSPORTS.COM | JULY 2019

15 FROG HOLLOW

Website 1-Color Options:

Print Fonts: TRADE GOTHIC BOLD Crimson Text Crimson Text Italic

74 Main St., Middlebury, VT 802-388-6666 | froghollow bikes.com

Web Fonts: ROBOTO MEDIUM ROBOTO BOLD Georgia Georgia Italics

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.

21 OMER & BOB’S

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.

18 MALLETTS BAY BICYCLE & SKI

Killington’s authorized Cannondale and 2-Color Options: 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.

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.

17 HIGH PEAKS CYCLERY

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

Malletts Bay es��

Bicycle & Ski

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!

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!

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.

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.

ADS

30 WEST HILL

BIKE SHOP

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

JULY 14TH

Come swim or paddle, bike, and run at Branbury State Park on beautiful Lake Dunmore VERMONT SUN SPRINT TRIATHLON

LAKE DUNMORE OLYMPIC TRIATHLON

BRANBURY CLASSIC TRIATHLON

6/22, 7/14, 8/11

6/22 & 8/11

7/14

vermontsun.com • 388-6888 JULY 2019 | VTSPORTS.COM 41

ENDGAME

THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

CLIMBING NOWHERE CAN PUT YOU EXACTLY WHERE YOU NEED TO BE. BY LEATH TONINO

The Jackson Mountains rising above Nevada's Black Rock Desert.

here is no road, hasn’t been a road since Gerlach, Nevada. That crust of a town where we turned from pavement to playa to hairline-fractured hardpan, and the truck transcended its truckness to become one with the earth. Dust swings left and right in the rearview mirror, a brown tail whipping into oblivion the memories of Reno’s traffic and Fernley’s crowded Walmart parking lot. The dust erases and welcomes. The dust coats tongues. Ancient Lake Lahontan’s parched floor is at once beneath our tires and in the air. The four of us—childhood friends from Vermont, high school brothers scattered to various corners of the country, so-called grown men—don’t give a fat flying hoot about next month’s Burning Man festivities which take place here. We’ve made the pilgrimage to the Black Rock Desert not for 60,000 humans, not for lasers and whumping bass and skyscraper flames, but for the desert’s own severe weirdness. Its isolation. Its fierce summer heat. Specifically, we’re interested in the trailless maze, the jumbled volcanic mess, that is King Lear Peak’s west slope. Sweat out the sins of a welllived life, says somebody, raising a toast to tomorrow’s climb. Click, click, click goes the chorus of beer cans. Amen, amen, amen. Last time the gang got together was Arizona, the Grand Canyon, that hungry hugeness so famous for eating eons and hours and everything between,

42 VTSPORTS.COM | JULY 2019

including the name you carry to its rim, drop like a pebble, kiss goodbye. Maybe that kiss is why, without fail, we choose the arid West’s skeleton landscapes for these reunion trips? To abandon ourselves? To serve ourselves raw to the raw terrain? Maybe that’s the urge behind the drinking, too? We wonder and wander and laugh the truck back onto a rugged twotrack that leads to sagebrush, sagebrush, sagebrush, and eventually a Bureau of Land Management sign, its map peppered with bullet holes. Pissing for just shy of eternity, I read the toponyms of nowhere’s middle: Old Razorback Mountain, Mormon Dan Butte, Lassen-Clapper Murder Site, Sawtooth Knob. Then it’s more speed, more cranium-scouring scenery, the Jackson Mountains rising wall-like to our right, King Lear’s craggy crown piercing the blue sky at 8,923 feet. A jackrabbit darts, stops, darts. Excuse me, sir, madam, might we camp here? Out come the coolers for seats and out goes our attention, eight eyes scanning desolation. We make like the dust and settle, kick off the sandals and relax. Mustangs pass far to the north of camp, their heads lowered. One with a white mane ghosts away from the herd. Horses? Spirits of the desiccated void? Emissaries from the place past all places? Living on what? Living how? It’s a slow, dreamy kind of surprise, the brain’s movements hardly noticeable against such vastness. We hand bin-

oculars back and forth, back and forth. No green, mossy, Vermontborn soul could ever feel at home in this wasteland, says somebody. Click, click, click goes the chorus. As planned, and without the slightest effort, the afternoon becomes a pile of cans, which in turn becomes a red sinking sun, which in turn becomes a halfdozen nighthawks winging low and fast and sharp after insects. The insects become feathers, become blood, and keep flying in their new form. It all happens right in front of us, totally unobscured. The purple dusk becomes a moonsliver, the moon-sliver a slurred run of jokes, the jokes a stumble toward bed. Laying on our backs, sleeping bags rolled out, consciousness easing into its rest, a massive whispering darkness fills the ears: Middle of nowhere, middle of nowhere, middle of… But that phrase—it’s wrong, isn’t it? After our long day of travel and awe, after celebrating the myths of dead emptiness and places past all places, finally we’re starting to sort of understand. The jackrabbits, the mustangs, the nighthawks—the history held in names like Mormon Dan, in bullet holes, in the sediments of ancient Lake Lahontan—these all proclaim the same truth. That nowhere is the middle of nowhere. That everywhere is the middle of somewhere. That nature has no edges. That the center is relentlessly here, now, just as it is back in the Green Mountains of our youth, south at the

Grand Canyon, in Gerlach, in Fernley’s Walmart parking lot, in Reno, wherever. Tomorrow, yes, tomorrow we’ll wake before dawn, drag ass up the broken ridges and chossy gullies in soft pink light, scrape our fingers against the undeniable reality of this land. By noon, if things go well and nobody pukes from exhaustion, we’ll stand atop the summit of King Lear, hearts ticking in our chapped lips and drumming in our temples, jaws slack. Or we won’t. Perhaps we’ll just hunker, curl up under the truck and nap in its meager shade. Having come this far, it hardly matters. Countless stars are spinning overhead, pursuing one another in dizzying circles. Either the drink has finally caught us or this patch of desert, this pinprick, this speck of a speck, this actually is the center of the universe, the axis upon which the cosmos rotates. Amen, says somebody, probably a jackrabbit. Amen. Leath Tonino is the author of two essay collections, both published by Trinity University Press: The Animal One Thousand Miles Long (2018) and The West Will Swallow You (forthcoming October 2019). This essay which originally appeared in Orion, is excerpted from the latter collection.

awesome food. over 100 beers. 1,000 records. lots of fish stories.

serving dinner every night and lunch friday - monday.

802 760 6066 docponds.com @docponds

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