Vermont Sports Magazine, March/April 2020

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FRESH Dirt The Best New

gravel rides, Tours & Gear

2 PADDLING 0 2 0

GUIDE

Where to gear up, get wet and have fun in whitewater

randolph's

revival

Vermont’s New

Trail Hub

You shouldn’t have to spend a lot of time on the road getting advanced sports medicine treatment.

Unless it’s part of your rehab.

With UVM Health Network specialists seeing patients at multiple locations across Vermont and northern New York, the orthopedic care you need is close to home.

Trusted local care. A network of expertise.

Alice Hyde Medical Center Malone, NY (518) 425-9214 UVMHealth.org/AHMCOrtho

The University of Vermont Medical Center Burlington, VT (802) 372-2243 UVMHealth.org/UVMMCOrtho

SPORTS MEDICINE Central Vermont Medical Center Berlin, VT (802) 441-4315 UVMHealth.org/CVMCOrtho

Porter Medical Center Middlebury, VT (802) 767-2157 UVMHealth.org/PorterOrtho

Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital Plattsburgh, NY (518) 500-4729 UVMHealth.org/CVPHOrtho

VERMONT

SPORTS

NEW ENGLAND’S OUTDOOR MAGAZINE ON THE COVER: Dropping in at the 2019 New Haven Ledges Race.

Photo by Caleb Kenna

PUBLISHER

Angelo Lynn - publisher@vtsports.com

EDITOR/CO-PUBLISHER

Lisa Lynn - editor@vtsports.com

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Abagael Giles abagael@vtsports.com

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Shawn Braley

MEDICAL ADVISORY BOARD

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

CONTRIBUTORS

Brian Mohr, Phyl Newbeck, Leath Tonino

ADVERTISING

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

ADVERTISING SALES Greg Meulemans | (802) 366-0689 greg@vtsports.com Wilkie Bushby | (646) 831-5647 wilkie@vtskiandride.com Dave Honeywell | (802) 583-4653 dave_golfhouse@madriver.com

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

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VERMONT SPORTS IS A PROUD MEMBER OF

A YURT OF YOUR OWN. In February, Vermont Huts Association added the first yurt to its network of eight backcountry cabins across the state. Outfitted with a woodstove and propane cook-top, the cozy outpost sleeps six for $108 a night. It sits at the heart of the Camel’s Hump Nordic Ski Area’s 65km trail network—a 1.75-mile ski on groomed trails from the parking area and a 3-mile ski on the Catamount Trail to Vermont Huts' Triple Creek Cabin. Reservations at vermonthuts.org.

5 The Start

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28 Gear

The future of Vermont's trails is in our hands.

Can Randolph be revived as the new trail hub for Vermont?

Bikes, pedals and more for every level of rider.

Share the Love

Feature The Trail Hub

The Best New Gravel Gear

7 News

18

30

See which Vermonters shattered records and won big this season.

Your guide to the best gear, places and ways to get into whitewater paddling.

Why Tim Van Orden holds the mile record for his age.

22 Feature

Calendar Race & Event Guide

The Winners Circle

8

Coach Champion Culture

How do you build a strong team?

Peggy Shinn explores

Feature Dropping In!

Of Mullet Protocol, Garden Gnomes and Gravel Rides

10

Pro cyclists Ian Boswell and Ted King on the state of gravel rides in Vermont and elsewhere.

Why a little shut-eye might do more for your performance than

25 Feature

anything else.

Seven quirky new gravel rides around the state.

Health Why Sleep?

Featured Athlete The Compassionate Coach

33

42 Endgame

A Portable Place

Why we never truly leave the Green Mountains.

Fresh Dirt

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

MARCH/APRIL 2020 | VTSPORTS.COM 3

SOUTHWESTERN VERMONT MEDICAL CENTER

» 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.

Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Appointments

802-442-6314 SVMC Orthopedics

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

4 VTSPORTS.COM | MARCH/APRIL 2020

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332 Dewey Street | Bennington, VT 5957 Main Street | Manchester, VT 16 Danforth Street | Hoosick Falls, NY 375 Main Street | Williamstown , MA

THE START

Waterbury Waterbury

SPREAD THE LOVE

Around the state, new trail maps are being drawn. This season, get out and explore.

B

y the time you read this, two things may have happened to the poster child for Vermont’s mountain bike trail systems. The good news is that the Kingdom Trail Association may be a step closer to purchasing 240 acres atop Darling Hill, a property formerly owned

by Ariel Quiros and currently under receivership.

Yes, from Quiros—the guy who bought Jay Peak and Burke Mountain Resort, defrauded foreign investors in what amounted to an EB-5 Ponzi scheme and was forced to turn over many of his assets. The land currently has trails crossing it and KTA hopes to simply maintain and protect it. The organization issued a statement nixing any talk of building a welcome center on the property.

But before you spend too long reveling in this apparent dose of poetic justice, consider this: Kingdom Trails may also now be subject to an Act 250 review.

For reasons that are a little hard to understand, on January 23, David Packie, an avid mountain biker and trail builder who lives in Northfield, requested a review of Kingdom Trails by the Natural Resources Board to determine if Act 250, which covers development regulations, should apply. As reported by the local publication North Star Monthly, Packie’s email stated: “I see industrial level [mountain biking] as clearly impacting that community and many others in profound ways.”

An Act 250 review recently closed trails at nearby Victory Hill Sector, fueling an effort now underway by many trail groups to clarify at the state level how Act 250 and trail building intersect.

Unlike the Victory Hill Sector trails, Kingdom Trails has been part of the Vermont Trails System. It has also closely adhered to trail building and environmental regulations.

Earlier in the season, three landowners withdrew their properties from Kingdom Trails mountain bike network. Kingdom Trails has responded

Photo Zac Freeman

by setting up trail ambassadors and looking to better educate trail users on proper trail use and etiquette. Also, in conjunction with the New England Mountain Biking Association, it decided not to host NEMBAFest. In past years, the event that has drawn as many as 4,000 to East Burke and has had a big economic impact on the region.

This comes at a time when around the state—from Slate Valley to Rochester, Lamoille County to Bennington—other trail groups are building out trails, hosting gravel rides and creating festivals in hopes of attracting folks to some of most rural parts of Vermont, areas where businesses and population are declining.

Randolph, which we write about in this issue, is one of those towns.

Ironically, back in the 1990s it was the site of the Northeast’s first mountain bike festival, drawing 2,500 riders to the area to camp, ride and revel.

Could that happen here again? As Zac Freeman, co-founder of the Rochester/ Randolph Sports Trails Alliance, says “I'm cautious. I've dealt with landowner issues and now I'm focused on building this out for long-term sustainability.”

In the end, the success of these trail systems and their viability comes down to one thing: how we use them.

If we want nice things, we need to take care of them.

We need to join, support, and work with the organizations that maintain them, rather than attack and tear them down. We need to volunteer at trail days.

We need to respect trail regulations and the private landowners who graciously allow access.

And we need to avoid overcrowding.

There are now more than 28 chapters of the Vermont Mountain Biking Association building trails around the state. How many of those chapter trails have you ridden?

This coming season get out and explore. Respect the land. And spread the love.

—Lisa Lynn, Editor

@prohibitionpig @prohibitionpig

4886 Main St. Manchester Center,VT

MARCH/APRIL 2020 | VTSPORTS.COM 5

Outfiing Vermont since 1995.

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NEWS

THE WINNERS' CIRCLE

IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS, THESE VERMONTERS BROKE RECORDS, PODIUMED AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AND TURNED HEADS. HERE'S WHO WE'RE WATCHING.

THE RECORD BREAKER

Elle Purrier, racing in Albuquerque, N.M. in February, 2020. Photo by Cortney White

With the 2020 Summer Olympic Games slated to run July 24 through Aug. 9 in Tokyo, Japan, at least one Vermont runner has a strong shot at a spot on Team USA. In case you missed it, Montgomery-raised Elle Purrier just shattered the American women’s record for the indoor mile. On Feb. 8, she ran a 4:16:85 mile at the Millrose Games in New York—the second fastest time ever logged for an indoor mile.

Just a week later, the 11-time All-American and University of New Hampshire graduate took fourth place in the 3000m at the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., on Valentine’s Day, with a time of 8:56:56.

The United States Olympic Trials for track and field are determined entirely by performance on the track and The United States may send the top three athletes in a given discipline who meet the Olympic qualifying standard.

Purrier’s usual events are the 1500m and 5000m and she’s poised to qualify for a spot on the 2020 USA Olympic Team in both at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Track & Field June 19-28 in Eugene, Ore. In the 5000m, Purrier is currently the top-ranked American woman, with a PR of 14:58.17, set Oct. 5, 2019 at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar—proof that the 25-year-old has a knack for performing under pressure.

With an indoor PR of 4:00.20 in the 1500m and an outdoor PR of 4:02.34, Purrier is likely to beat the Olympic qualifying time of 4:06.00. Though she’s the sixth-ranked American woman in this category, her best times put her close to the frontrunners.

DUNKLEE DOMINATES In February, Barton-raised biathlete Susan Dunklee took a silver medal in the 7.5km sprint at the World Biathlon Championships in Italy as the 34th starter. In doing so, Dunklee became the only American to have won two World Championship medals in her career, having won silver in 2017.

Over the last two seasons, Dunklee’s best individual World Cup finish has been a seventh place, but on Feb. 14, she was one of four competitors out of 101 to shoot clean over 10 attempts, finishing with a time of 21:19.9 to end up 6.8 seconds behind gold medalist Marte Olsbu Røiseland of Norway. It was only the sixth time an American has podiumed at the biathlon world championships.

Last winter, Dunklee , 34, took first place in the sprint, pursuit and super sprint formats at the U.S. Biathlon National Championships in Jericho, Vt., claiming first place finishes in all three disciplines at the National Championships for the second year in a row.

Teage O'Connor running the Desert Solstice 100 barefoot in 2017.

BAREFOOT.. AND FAST! On Feb. 23, 36-year-old Teage O’Connor took third place in the 5000m at the USA Track & Field New England Indoor Championships in Boston, running the course in 14:56.37.

What made O’Connor’s (whom we profiled in the May, 2018 edition of Vermont Sports) run all the more impressive is that while many of the competitors were wearing the Nike Vaporfly, the controversial shoe worn by Eliud Kipchoge when he broke the two-hour marathon record last fall, Teage was not. In fact, he wasn’t wearing any shoes. True to form, the Burlington educator who set the world record for running 100 kilometers barefoot in 2017 on the University of Vermont track, ran barefoot.

VERMONT'S JUNIOR SKIERS REPRESENT On Jan. 21, Stratton Mountain School student and Peru resident Will Koch made history in Lausanne, Switzerland, becoming, along with teammate Kendall Kramer of Fairbanks, Alaska, the first Americans to earn individual medals in cross country skiing in the Winter Youth Olympic Games. Koch earned a bronze medal in the 10K Classic race with a time of 27:29.5. Will’s father, four-time Olympian Bill Koch, was there to cheer on his son (and record his splits) as Will competed on the very same course where Bill senior won his first World Cup title in 1982.

Another Vermonter, Ben Ritchie of Waitsfield, was one of 15 athletes named on Feb. 18 to U.S. Ski & Snowboard's team for the 2020 FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships. The competition will be held in Narvik, Norway, from March 5-14. At 20, Ritchie is currently a member of the U.S. Ski Team’s Alpine B squad—a move he made this season after a year on the Development team. At the 2019 Junior World Ski Championships, he scored a silver medal in the slalom and finished second in the mixed team parallel event.

You can find out how he did in 2020 at vtsports.com.

And Mad River Glen represented Vermont well at the 2020 International Freeskiing Association Junior Nationals at Grand Targhee, Wyo., in February. Luke Miele, who has been a contender at this event in the past, skied a big line, threw in multiple airs and scored first out of 38 competitors in the boys ages 12-14 category. Minna Kotke earned third out of five in the females under 12 category. Teams came from around the country, representing ski clubs from Aleyeska, Alaska to Crested Butte, Colo., to Alta, Utah.

MARCH/APRIL 2020 | VTSPORT S.COM 7

COACH

I

n my experience competing in individual sports (crosscountry running, rowing, alpine skiing, cycling, and tennis), the team dynamic has tended to detract from the experience. Insecurities fester and self-confidence often wanes. The best athletes win while the rest of us are just “pack fill.” It never occurred to me that a supportive team could help foster good results for everyone.

But as I was researching my 2016 book World Class: The Making of the U.S. Women’s Cross-Country Ski Team, I realized this is what had been happening on that team, as well as in several other Olympic sports that I cover for TeamUSA.org.

For the few years leading up to the 2018 Olympics, it wasn’t just Kikkan Randall making it to the World Cup and world championship podium anymore.

Her teammates—Jessie Diggins, Sadie Bjornsen, Ida Sargent, Sophie Caldwell, Rosie Brennan, and Holly Brooks—were making their own way on the World Cup, too. When I asked the women what was behind their improved results, they credited teamwork. They were pushing each other in training and racing while supporting each other, no matter where they finished in a race.

I began to consider the ingredients that go into making a positive team dynamic. As I watched and interviewed the U.S. Team’s cross-country skiers, along with their coach, Middlebury graduate Matt Whitcomb, patterns emerged. A good coach is important, but so too are the character traits that the women bring to the team.

I met with friend and fellow journalist Edie Thys Morgan, a two-time Olympic alpine skier who has for years wondered the same thing: How do you create a team environment where everyone thrives? She had had experience on the U.S. women’s alpine ski team in the 1980s—far from the team’s heyday— and knew how other countries, namely Norway, are doing it right.

From our experience, observations, and interviews, we came up with a list of ingredients that we believe are key to creating a positive team environment.

We call it a champion culture—an environment where everyone on the team can strive to reach their potential.

What follows are excerpts from a presentation that we have given to teams around New England.

A SAFE ENVIRONMENT On a good team, athletes feel ‘safe,’ both physically and psychologically. A good

8 VTSPORTS.COM | MARCH/APRIL 2020

HOW TO CREATE A CHAMPION CULTURE WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEAM? AND IN INDIVIDUAL SPORTS, WHAT’S THE POINT OF GOOD TEAMWORK? BY PEGGY SHINN

"Best teammates" make champions.

Here, Sadie Bjornsen, Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall at Craftsbury during the Super Tour Finals in 2018.

Photo by Reese Brown

TEAM LEADERS Good team leaders perpetuate this ‘safe’ environment and set the tone for the team. They are excellent communicators and work hard, striving to become the best they can be. Even if they are a better athlete than the others, they still train with them, at least part of the time, so that they are challenged and can see what it takes to be the best.

But team leaders do not necessarily have to be the best performers. In a champion culture, the team leader is humble and respectful of teammates, and they celebrate their teammates’ accomplishments, including “milestone” goals.

weaknesses in training, someone who helps organize the team and gets everyone to the starting line with their bibs, etc.).

While giving our “Champion Culture” presentation at a Vermont high school, we brainstormed team roles. We started with roles like winner, organizer, team mom, mediator, and even clown (every team needs a clown). And the list grew from there. Someone even suggested “cookie maker.”

The key is that every role deserves respect. The kids who make the best chocolate chip cookies may not be the fastest on the team. But they deserve respect for sharing their awesome baking skills.

A role that well-functioning teams do not need (but often have) is “negative ninny” and/or “whiner.” We have probably all experienced a situation where one person can bring the whole group down. Negative behaviors can be tough to address without hurt feelings.

Often, a one-on-one conversation with the coach or captain can go a long way.

A ROLE FOR EVERYONE One of the misconceptions is that “team leader” or “winner” is the only important role on a team. This is not true. Like on a soccer or football team, or in a corporate environment, everyone has a role based on their skill set. And every role is important. In individual sports, the winner needs a support system— someone who helps make the journey fun, someone who has a different skill set (for example, is a better sprinter or better at downhills) to challenge

BEST TEAMMATES Group dynamics are often tricky, especially when performance matters.

Personalities can clash, and athletes often have different routines on race day when tensions run high. Negative attitudes can also flare up.

But on good teams, I learned that there is an “I” in team—teammates who commit to bringing the best of themselves to practice, competitions, and team gatherings, even when they are nervous or have a bad day (or a bad

coach helps create this environment where each person on the team feels safe speaking up, making suggestions, giving and accepting feedback, and taking risks (to improve performance, not ones that reduce physical safety). Everyone on a ‘safe’ team feels like they belong, whether they finish at the front or near the back.

race). They celebrate their teammates’ victories and successes, even if they did not meet their own goals that day.

They see the good in their teammates and respect them as people and for the roles that they bring to the team. And they speak up, kindly and politely, when irritations or problems emerge. If they have a tough day, they leave the negative attitude at home, choosing to learn from the experience with the hope of doing better in the future.

Most importantly, good teammates get to know each other—their strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, family histories, and everything else.

They talk on long runs or skis, on the chairlift or on long drives to races, during team dinners or on trips to an amusement park. They get together and make team headbands. Or capes! Who wouldn’t laugh when a team steps off a bus wearing matching capes?

When athletes get to know their teammates as humans—not just as people who can run a fast 400 or who can squat 50 more pounds—then a team becomes a family.

As U.S. Cross Country Coach Whitcomb likes to say, “You don’t have to be best friends with everyone on the team. But you have to be best teammates.”

Peggy Shinn is the author of World Class: The Making of the U.S. Women’s Cross-Country Ski Team. For more information on the “Champion Culture” presentation, or if you would like to bring it to your team, contact Shinn at peggy.shinn@pegmcshinn.com.

HEALTH

W

WHY SLEEP?

MORE AND MORE ATHLETES—FROM SKI RACER MIKAELA SHIFFRIN TO MOUNTAIN BIKE PHENOM LEA DAVISON—ARE MAKING SLEEP A PRIORITY IN THEIR TRAINING CYCLES. HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD TOO. BY LEE STANTON, P.T. The first is a sleep test. While on vacation (ideally at home, to minimize issues with different beds, time zones etc), go to bed at your normal time. Fall asleep without an alarm. Sleep until you wake feeling fully rested. It generally takes about four days to recover from sleep deprivation. On the fifth day, see how much sleep you get and this should be your goal.

If you aren’t able to use the sleep test noted above, another rule some runners will use is eight hours +miles/week in min. So, if you are running 30 miles per week, then your time spent sleeping would be eight hours and 30 minutes a night.

ith all the daily demands we encounter, finding time to exercise is challenging.

Many people stay up late or get up early to exercise. If you’re entering your last block of training for the Vermont City Marathon, or getting ready for gravel racing season, maybe you fit this profile.

Here’s why sleep and rest may be just as important as your training regimen.

When you go to sleep, your body is actually still pretty active. Sleep is when our body repairs the damage we have done throughout the day. This repair is what allows us to appreciate the gains we make from our workouts. Without adequate sleep, even the best workouts are ineffective. Ironically, overtraining results in increased sleep disturbance and increases the frequency of illness.

TRAINING AND REST

HOW YOUR BODY USES SLEEP

Sleep can be broken into four stages.

Each of the first three phases (NonREM sleep) takes 5-15 min. The fourth phase, (REM) starts at about 10 min in duration and increases to up to 60 minutes over the course of the night.

Sleep then cycles through these four phases throughout the night. Of most importance to us is phase 3. During this phase, the body releases Human Growth Hormone (HGH).

HGH helps with bone and muscle repair and reduces the immunosuppression commonly seen with endurance athletes. Athletes who are sleep-deprived see reduced HGH levels and increased cortisol levels.

Cortisol is a hormone that helps us manage stress. It increases blood glucose to allow the body to respond to a stressful response and suppresses the reproductive and digestive systems.

Elevated cortisol levels are associated with increased abdominal fat gain, immunosuppression and cognitive decline.

Sleep is important in determining the balance between ghrelin and leptin, the hormones which tell us when we are hungry and full. Lack of sleep can result in poor glycogen (carbohydrate) storage and may make carbo-loading ineffective. Inadequate stores of carbohydrate can make long runs harder and result in you “hitting the wall” earlier on race day. Chronically sleep-deprived athletes present with impaired glucose metabolism and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a precursor to diabetes.

Hydration balance is restored via

10 VTSPORTS.COM | MARCH/APRIL 2020

Are you hitting snooze? It may be a sign you're missing out on the most important part of your recovery.

water resorption and regulation while sleeping. During the night, our kidneys work to balance water, sodium, and electrolytes. Exercise stresses our hydration status and these values can take a little extra time to achieve balance.

This effect is magnified in the summer when dehydration can be increased with increased sweat rates. Chronic dehydration causes muscle pain and reduced performance. Dehydration can occur in one bout of exercise, or progress slowly over several days.

BETTER SLEEP, BETTER RACING?

Many studies have shown the benefits of increased sleep on performance.

Some coaches like to point out that the benefits of a workout are only realized during the recovery. If the body never recovers, your fitness never improves.

Logging a little extra sleep time in the weeks leading up to your marathon can pay off both in reduced injury risk and improved performance leading up to your race.

VO2 max is generally considered a measure of fitness as it is a measure of your body’s ability to exchange oxygen.

While VO2 max does not change with one sleepless night, it is has been shown to drop after two. Peak HR also decreases after several days of insufficient sleep.

Research indicates that the average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

Since the 1960s, the average time spent sleeping per night has dropped from 8.5 hours per night to 7.5 hours per night.

Getting less than six hours of sleep per night can be damaging to your genes. A study showed seven nights of sleep deprivation resulted in a number of genetic transcription changes with consequences ranging from obesity to heart problems. Individuals who get less than six hours of sleep have 50 percent less immunity protection than those getting eight hours of sleep per night.

Another study showed that getting less than six hours of sleep increased the risk of stroke, increased appetite, increased risk of diabetes, increased memory loss, increased cancer risk, increased osteoporosis, decreased sex drive, increased depression and increased risk of dying at a younger age.

DETERMINING THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF SLEEP FOR YOU Determining if you are getting enough sleep is easy. If you wake up feeling tired and groggy, you are not getting enough sleep. If you hit the snooze button repeatedly on your alarm, you are not getting enough sleep.

Appropriate levels of sleep should result in you waking up feeling refreshed, rested, and ready for the day.

There are two ways you can determine how much sleep you need.

In the weeks leading up to the race, it is common for anxiety to cause sleep disturbances for many athletes. Studies have shown that athletes who are sleep-deprived are capable of running extended distances, but they also rank the cognitive demand of the event as being higher. They also demonstrate increased moodiness, anxiety, and irritability.

In the final weeks of training and into the pre-race taper, some athletes channel their anxieties into busywork or even trying to squeeze last workouts in. The takeaway message of this article is that sometimes you can get more out of rest and sleep than from logging a few extra miles.

After an event, athletes can be tired, but sometimes the efforts of the day result in discomfort and restlessness at night. On average, marathon runners sleep an extra hour per night for four days after a marathon and two hours per night for a week after completing an ironman. I find a steady intake of fluids after a big event can help keep some of the achiness at bay and help provide a more restful night of sleep after a big effort.

Best of luck on race day, and I’ll see you on the roads.

Lee Stanton, PT, is a physical therapist at the UVM Medical Center’s Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Center.

He specializes in running mechanics and running-related injuries as well as multi-trauma injuries and total joint replacement. He is a father of two children and personally familiar with the effect of fatigue on running performance.

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THERE’S NO TELLING HOW FAR YOU CAN GO WHEN YOU HAVE A GREAT TEAM BEHIND YOU. SPORTS INJURY MANAGEMENT, REHABILITATION AND TRAINING ARE A TOTAL TEAM EFFORT AT VOC. WE TREAT, TRAIN AND ENHANCE YOUR ENTIRE BODY AS QUICKLY AND SAFELY AS POSSIBLE.

3 ALBERT CREE DRIVE, RUTLAND, VT • 802.775.2937 • 800.625.2937 • vermontorthoclinic.org A DEPARTMENT OF RUTLAND REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

Thank you, Landowners Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance members include: AllieCaps Alpinist Backcountry Bicycle Express Bill Supple LLC Bolton Valley Resort Burke Mountain Resort Burton Snowboards Catamount Trail Association Cross Country Skier Craftsbury Outdoor Center Darn Tough Vermont GM Consulting Green Mountain Club Healthy Living Market & Café Hula Lyndon Institute Killington/Pico Kingdom Trail Association MADRIO Mana Threads Mountain Flyer: The Mountain Bike Journal Mountain Road Outfitters Onion River Outdoors Orvis Outdoor Gear Exchange Pale Morning Media Patagonia Burlington Place Creative Company

12 VTSPORTS.COM | MARCH/APRIL 2020

Members of the Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance appreciate the thousands of Vermont landowners who allow us to hike, bike, fish, hunt, birdwatch, paddle, ski, snowmobile and recreate in other ways on their lands.

We know that 80 percent of Vermont’s trails and forests are on private lands and that without the generosity of private landowners and a longstanding Vermont tradition of open access, our outdoor recreation landscape would not be what it is today.

By sharing your land, you contribute to the health and wellness, quality of life and business prosperity of people in your community and those who visit.

Thank you.

VermontOutdoorBusinessAlliance.org

Pinnacle Outdoor Group Power Play Sports Press Forward PR Rochester/Randolph Area Sports Trail Alliance Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters SDR Clothing Company Skida Headwear and Accessories Skirack Stoner//Andrews Stowe Mountain Bike Academy Ten Acre Creative Timber & Stone Turtle Fur Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports Velocity Sales & Marketing Vermont Community Loan Fund Vermont Glove Vermont Huts Association Vermont Ski+Ride Magazine Vermont Sports Magazine Vermont Trailwear Village Sport Shop Waterbury Sports WND&WVS The Woodstock Inn & Resort/Suicide Six Ski Area

HOW A NEW GENERATION OF SKIERS AND MOUNTAIN BIKERS, (WORKING WITH THE TOWN’S LANDOWNERS AND BUSINESSES), IS REINVENTING RANDOLPH AS AN OUTDOOR SPORTS RECREATION HUB. It started with building backyard lines on Braintree Mountain. Now Zac Freeman (shown here) is mapping trails of all types around Randolph.

BY LISA LYNN

Photo by Cyril Brunner, left, Lisa Lynn, right.

MARCH/APRIL 2020 | VTSPORTS.COM 13

I

t’s 11 a.m. on a Thursday in February and a group of nearly 20 teenage boys is roaming the streets of downtown Randolph, Vermont.

They move en masse toward an old building that has a 3D sculpture of a skier on one side. They swing open the door of The Trail Hub. Inside, to one side of the rehabbed 1850s post-andbeam building is a bike stand where Robin Crandall and Robbie Leeson are at work, getting ready to open their new bike shop, The Gear House, on March 1.

On the other side of the building, Zac Freeman, a co-founder of the Rochester/Randolph Area Sports Trails Alliance (RASTA) is making stamped copper name plates for the area's trail networks and putting the finishing touches on a 3D relief map of the Randolph/Braintree area—a broad expanse of enticingly green mountains with roads and trails criss-crossing it.

Freeman, 42, bounds through the room with a boyish energy pointing out the work he’s either done himself or worked with others to do. The son of two jewelers from Braintree, Freeman himself is a jeweler, woodworker and trail builder.

But as RASTA’s Trails and Recreation Economic Director (TRED), he is now ocusing on community development, and enhancing outdoor recreation resources.

On the wall is another relief map— this one of the entire state of Vermont.

The Catamount Trail and Long Trail bisect it. Other parts of the map have yet to be filled in. On the other walls are framed topo maps showing sections of local trails that RASTA built and maintains. The now-legendary ski glades of Brandon Gap are there, and the new backcountry haven, Chittenden Brook Hut. That map will show the Braintree ski glades and bike trails.

Soon there will be more maps, including a new one that will chart some of the Randolph area’s best gravel/adventure rides, including 18to 50-mile segments that make up Freeman's own event, the Braintree 357, a fall gravel enduro race that offers up to 8,000 feet of climbing.

“Maps are what make the difference in where people choose to go. Everyone wants to find trails they can use legally these days,” says Paul Rea, when I talk with him later by phone. “And a bike shop, that’s where you go to get dialed into an area,” he adds.

GROUND ZERO

Rea, 51, is the former bike shop owner turned real estate broker and developer who owns this building. It was over a coffee at the downtown market with Zac Freeman that the two hatched the plan to rehab the dilapidated building at the entrance to town into a bike shop/trail hub. Rea footed the bill and

14 VTSPORTS.COM | MARCH/APRIL 2020

up Twin Peaks and had chili dinner we brought, then ran down on snowshoes —it was like running on a cloud.”

BUILDING ON A LEGACY

Cutline here

Photo courtesy

RASTA co-founder and Randolph resident Zac Freeman putting together the final touches on The Trail Hub, which opened this March in Randolph. Photo by Lisa Lynn

provided a three-year lease; Freeman provided the vision, the grant-writing and the manpower.

The Trail Hub is the embodiment of all that people like Rea and Freeman, Angus McCusker (the other founding partner in RASTA), and many trail building volunteers have accomplished in the small villages of Central Vermont and the Green Mountain National Forest the last few years: a club house/meeting place/ resource center/bike shop, in a word, a trail hub.

“This is going to be Ground Zero for all our trail efforts,” says Zac Freeman as the teenage boys huddle around the 3D map. He traces various roads and routes. “Here’s where we snowshoed up for dinner last night,” he says pointing to a route up Braintree Hill.

The boys trace other areas of the map, noting places where they might have mountain biked or hiked.

Out in the shop, a few are chatting up Crandall and Leeson, the 20-something managers, both avid mountain bike racers, ready to open the first bike shop Randolph has seen in decades.

The teenagers—all students at the Brunswick School, a private boys day school in tony Greenwich, Connecticut—have had a small hand in creating this space as well.

In 2017, Jesse “Sam” Sammis, a Brunswick alumn, sold his Three

Stallion Inn and the surrounding 650 acres with more than 35 kilometers of trails to the Brunswick School for $2.14 million.

Since then, the school has made visits to the Randolph farm part of the curriculum. Groups of 20 students take the train directly to Randolph from Greenwich. When they arrive, they put away their cellphones and computers for a week. Their Vermont “curriculum” includes doing pro-bono work around the town.

“You should see all the weeds and debris these guys pulled off this building,” says Freeman. “The original site was worse than a mess.” In exchange, Freeman has contributed to the adventure portions of their visits, taking them snowshoeing or mountain biking and leading trail work days.

Brunswick seniors Eric Meindl and Maron Salame are in Randolph for the second time. As Meindl says, “The community has really welcomed us.

We helped hang sheetrock at the new community center yesterday getting it ready for its opening in the next couple of months. It’s great to be part of growing Randolph.”

Salame adds, “The natural landscape here is something that we don’t have in Connecticut. When we come up here we really learn about leadership in the activities we do, like mountain biking or ice climbing. Last night,' he adds, "we did a snowshoe hike

Some of the other land that Sam Sammis owned—land closer to Exit 4 off Interstate 89 that he had hoped to develop into a hotel—was purchased by a conservation group and now serves as a home to Ayers Brook Goat Dairy, operated by Miles Hooper and his partner. Miles Hooper, his brother Sam and other brother Jay (the Democratic representative of Orange County) are sons of Allison and Don Hooper.

Allison, with business partner Bob Reese, founded Vermont Creamery and is now helping her sons carrying on local traditions.

The milk from Miles’ goats is used

by Vermont Creamery and Fat Toad Caramel, the meat by Vermont Salume, in Barre, and the leather goes to making Vermont Gloves, a century-year-old Randolph company Sam purchased in 2017. “We call this area Goat Town— we’re trying to use every part of the goat.”

An avid skier and mountain biker, Sam Hooper has also been part of the Randolph outdoor recreation revolution, helping to put on events such as the Braintree 357 gravel ride and to build trails. A good metaphor for what is happening to the town is what he is doing with the gloves that were traditionally used by linemen.

“We’re designing a backcountry ski glove, by working with Darn Tough Socks, our Northfield neighbor, to make a woolen inner and using the goatskin gloves as the outer.” There’s also a gravel glove in the works.

“There’s a lot going on in this town now,” says Hooper. “We have Vermont Tech, we have a hospital, we have a golf course and we have a hotel planned for the land right next to Vermont Tech, near Interstate 89. That’s a big one because in the past few years there’s really been no place for folks to stay.”

There is also a new tubing hill and, possibly soon, a rope tow. In the 1950s, Harold Farr put up a rope tow on his farm near Elm Street so local kids could ski and toboggan for free. After many bustling winters, the rope tow and area shut down in 1966 when another ski area, Pinnacle, opened nearby.

Recently, local businessman Perry Armstrong and his wife Lynn purchased the 12-acre property, reinstated a tubing hill and are considering adding a rope tow. Last fall, a corn maze was cut on the property and on Feb. 15, 2020, Winterfest happened.

Half the town turned out to either volunteer or participate in Winterfest's tubing, snow sculptures, igloo playground and box sled races.

Clockwise from top: Tubing at Farr's Hil, Allison and Sam Hooper testing their Vermont Gloves, downtown Randolph; Gear House shop managers Robbie Leeson and Robin Crandall, a skier sculpture at the Trail Hub/Gear House. Photos by Ben DeFlorio, courtesy Vermont Glove, Lisa Lynn, Ben DeFlorio, Lisa Lynn

MARCH/APRIL 2020 | VTSPORTS.COM 15

THE ONCE (AND FUTURE?) FESTIVAL In many ways, the recent revival of Randolph as an outdoor center feels like history repeating itself.

In 1996 Randolph resident Sam Sammis welcomed a group of mountain bikers to his land and trails at Three Stallion Inn and the Green Mountain Stock Farm. Perry Armstrong, owner of Rain or Shine Tent and Events, supplied tents and Paul Rea, at the time the owner of Randolph’s local bike shop, Slab City Cycles, helped orchestrate what would be the first large mountain bike festival in the East: Pedro’s Mountain Bike Festival.

“I was working for Pedro’s at the time,” recalls Reese Brown, one of the festival’s first organizers, referring to the company that makes bike tools, lubes and accessories. “We wanted to do an event, something big. Paul Rea was great and Perry Armstrong, with his tent company, seemed to be able to make anything happen—heck, we even had a hot shower truck. " Rea, who had lived out west, knew of the Crested Butte Mountain Bike Festival. “The idea was to have a festival like that here but without the competitive vibe—it was just going to be some great riding on this cool network of trails, good food and good music.”

For several years, it was all that

Freeman shows Brunswick school students some of the local trails Photo by Ben DeFlorio

–drawing as many as 2,500 to the town each summer with everyone camping. Rea’s bike shop boomed, trails blossomed and it seemed as if Randolph might have gone the way of Kingdom Trails.

But things fizzled. The event outgrew Sammis' property so Rea moved it to land he owned. Then, as he said, “I needed to find a real job,” and he sold the shop. Brown left Pedro’s (he has since moved to Woodstock, Vt.) and the

festival died. Rea passed on some of the wisdom he gained from the event to his old college friend, Jeff Hale (they had gone to Lyndon State College together) who, in 2000, became the executive director of Kingdom Trails.

Would Randolph ever hold the festival again? “We’d love to,” says Rea. “We’re in talks but the challenge is finding places for people to stay.”

Freeman, who was in high school at the time the Pedro's festival started, is

more cautious. “Everything I’m trying to do and RASTA is trying to do is to not change the character of the town.

We’d get a lot of pushback if we got too big. I’ve already had to deal with landowner issues, and am very focused on building this slowly for long-term sustainability.”

For now, Freeman is focused on building new trails around Randolph and on the Vermont Tech property. In March, 2019, Randolph and RASTA received one of the first Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative grants, $65,000 to go toward the Trail Hub, as well as building trails.

“We want to get a seasonal food truck in back of the building, a bar and maybe a shower and have bands here in the summer,” he says. “And then for winter, we’d love to get a trailer full of backcountry ski gear and take it around to local schools and help other kids learn how to backcountry ski.”

His eyes light up as he talks, living the dream that brought him back to Randolph where he was born and raised.

He now lives in a house he built himself at the top of Braintree Hill, with his wife Shannon and son Ashar, 4—who is now riding many of the local trails.

“This truly is my backyard and playground,” Freeman says.

And he’s willing to share.

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Dropping In

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE AN EXPERT TO DIVE INTO PADDLING WHITEWATER ON VERMONT’S ROARING RIVERS THIS SPRING. HERE’S HOW TO GET STARTED.

BY ABAGAEL GILES

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A kayaker navigates the 15-foot drop at Bristol Falls, also known as "The Toaster" in the annual New Haven Ledges Race, to be held April 11, 2020.

Photo by Caleb Kenna

A

s snow fell over the village of Middlebury on a Thursday morning in mid-February, Cortland Fischer, 22, sat poised in his kayak in a small eddy on the Otter Creek, tucked against the cobblestone arch of Middlebury’s downtown bridge.

He back stroked his paddle and eyed the lip, sighting his line over the 18-foot waterfall.

Here, where water funnels through downtown, the Otter Creek feels like less of a slow river than a roaring behemoth.

At a time of year when even the mighty New Haven is trapped in ice, the Otter Creek erupts at Middlebury Falls with tenacity, spitting foam and mist into the sub-freezing air and pounding at the discarded marble blocks at its feet— sharp reminders of the industry that once lit up the adjacent Middlebury Marbleworks.

It’s not a place where boaters love to swim. But that didn’t dissuade Fischer, or the other University of Vermont Kayak Club members, from spending a morning launching over the falls.

Seeing his window, Fischer, a UVM junior from Middlebury, pushed forward.

“As you charge up to the lip, the whole world focuses into that one moment,” he said after. One wrong move, one caught paddle or a little misplaced weight can cause the boat to nosedive into the rapid below. “It’s all for chasing that split second of freefall when it all lines up and it’s just you and the water.”

And then, airborne in his bright blue boat, Fischer landed the drop, deftly paddling down the river and out of the froth to the snowy bank below.

February, when temperatures often dip well below freezing, may seem like the last time of the year you’d want to be rushing down a river, but in Vermont, it’s the start of a whitewater season that can last just a few short months.

From April 11, when the famous New Haven Ledges Race sends paddlers roaring down the New Haven from Lincoln to Bristol—drawing some of the top whitewater kayakers in the East— to the mellower party-like fun of the Onion River Ramble (a 10.5-mile race and group paddle down the Winooski, from Bolton to Richmond) on June 7, it’s a time of year when you start to see more boats on roofracks than skis.

On May 2 and 3, paddlers will also flock to Jamaica State Park, where a biannual dam release makes for some of the best whitewater of the season on the infamous West River. Similar releases are scheduled on the Deerfield River in western Massachusetts throughout May and June and on Fife Brook in North Adams, Mass., from April through October. These releases are occasions when boaters come together to paddle, camp and celebrate, and thanks to stretches of river with rapids as gentle as

Above, Cortland Fischer, president of the University of Vermont Kayak Club, finds his line over Middlebury Falls on the Otter Creek in early February. He and other boaters regularly lap the falls before class during the winter. Photo by Abagael Giles Kayakers hike their boats back up to the starting line at the New Haven Ledges Race.

Photo by Caleb Kenna

Class I and II, even novices can partake in the fun.

While technical stretches of river like the Otter Creek’s Middlebury falls or Bristol’s Ledges on the New Haven provide big water that challenges top experts, there are also plenty of novice or intermediate stretches of whitewater to be found around our region.

Whether you’re interested in dropping waterfalls, improving your paddling technique or learning the skills to tackle a week-long canoe trip on the Missisquoi, it can be hard to know where to start. From getting the gear to learning the paddle strokes and how to read a river, here are five ways to dive in to paddling whitewater like a pro.

TAKE A CLINIC

If you really want to learn to paddle whitewater, consider taking an introductory clinic with a local retailer, guiding outfit or the Vermont Paddlers’ Club. Look for a course taught by an

American Canoe Association-certified River Kayaking or River Canoeing instructor. These instructors can outfit you with gear, help you get comfortable in a whitewater boat and teach you the ins and outs of efficient paddling.

Formed in 1880, the American Canoe Association is the governing body that oversees instruction, racing and Olympic paddlesports in the U.S. For a list of outfitters, see Whitewater Resources, on the next page.

GET YOUR ROLL DOWN

Imagine you’re paddling through a rapid, water spraying all around you and suddenly you get knocked sideways by a wave. Thanks to the neoprene spray skirt that sits snug against your waist, you turn upside down but stay in your boat. With one quick snap of your hips and a sweeping bracing motion by your paddle, you pop back upright almost like a bobbing rubber duck, and paddle on down the river and out of the fray.

This is a C2C roll, and it’s one of the gateway skills that separates a novice paddler from an intermediate paddler.

“You can safely paddle into Class III whitewater with a good wet exit,” says Paul Carlile, who leads the Vermont Paddlers’ Club annual novice whitewater clinic, referring to the practice of pulling the skirt off of the kayak’s cockpit so the paddler ejects out of the boat when they capsize. “But if you want to push yourself into bigger water or more technical runs, you need to hone your roll.”

Carlile, who has been an American Canoe Association certified river kayaking and canoeing instructor for the last ten years, led eight practice sessions for whitewater paddlers at the indoor pool at Mt. Abraham Union High School in Bristol in Jan. and Feb. You can find the 61-year-old attempting more advanced roll maneuvers like the Back-Deck Rodeo Roll through the winter at twice-weekly pool clinics, which switch to NVU-Johnson's pool come March and run through April 11.

“Practicing rolls in a pool helps us stay fresh so that when the snow melts, we’re ready to hit the rivers.”

BE PREPARED

The first rule of whitewater paddling is to never do it alone. The second is to always be prepared to get yourself (and your partner) out of a sticky situation.

“As a kayaker, you can’t always roll, and sometimes if you’re pushing yourself to progress appropriately on a river, there will be situations where

MARCH/APRIL 2020 | VTSPORTS.COM 19

RIVERS TO RUN If you want to get a taste of whitewater these stretches of water provide easy access and rapids suitable for less experienced paddlers at the right water level. Before each trip, check for current stream flows at waterdata. usgs.gov, as they can drastically change the difficulty and danger associated with a given route.

LOWER LAMOILLE RIVER FROM FAIRFAX FALLS TO ARROWHEAD LAKE Distance: 6 miles Hardest Rapid: Class II+/Class III At high water, this trip becomes more challenging, but from 800 to 2,000 cfs, it is an easy-moderate whitewater trip that's runnable through the summer and flows through a valley dotted by farms. Put in at the Green Mountain Power access below Fairfax Falls. The final Five Chutes Rapid is Class III in high water and is a popular play spot for kayakers. Take out at the parking area at river right just before the rapid to skip it. Otherwise, take out on the right just before the railroad bridge. lamoilleriverpaddlerstrail.org THE MIDDLE MAD RIVER Distance: 2 miles Hardest Rapid: Class II Put in at the gravel yard in the village of Moretown and follow the meandering Mad River through gentle but fun rapids as it runs along Route 100B. Be careful at the low head dam about 2.2 miles into the run. Caution dictates portaging around this feature. Take out at Moretown's Kenneth Ward Park (Ward Swimming Hole) before the Mad River goes over the Moretown Dam, and enjoy a pleasant swim. americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/3435/ THE WEST RIVER FROM SALMON HOLE TO THE ROUTE 100 BRIDGE Distance: 3.5 miles Hardest Rapid: Class II During the twice annual scheduled releases of the Ball Mountain Dam, this stretch of the West River is a great zone for novice and intermediate whitewater boaters. Put in by the Jamaica State Park day use lot. The highlight is a Class II+ rapid called “Ducky Dump” that is short but tricky, with a recovery pool at the bottom. Take out where Route 100 South splits from Route 30. americanwhitewater.org/content/River/ detail/id/2056/ THE LOWER WHITE RIVER FROM SHARON TO WEST HARTFORD Distance: 7.8 miles Hardest Rapid: II (III) At warm summertime flows of between 300 and 1,500 cfs, the Lower White River becomes a novice paddler's playground. Put in at the White River Partnership's Broad Brook Access site on Broad Brook Road. Paddle through a series of ledge drops, including one rapid that navigates an old dam (this can be avoided with a portage) and Quartermile rapid, a checkered maze of small ledges. Take out at the West Hartford Bridge. whiteriverpartnership.org WINOOSKI RIVER FROM MIDDLESEX TO WATERBURY Distance: 5 miles Hardest Rapid: I (II) This stretch of scenic river is an easy midsummer whitewater run when water is low elsewhere. The first rapid, Hugo—named for the fun wave that forms at high flows—is about 200 yards downstream of the canoe access, below the Middlesex dam, with a big eddy below it. Watch for Junkyard Rapids (Class II) after passing under the Route 2 bridge. This is a great place to practice scouting a rapid, or to catch a wave in a playboat. Then it’s smooth, scenic paddling to the Waterbury Recreation field.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/3231/

20 VTSPORTS.COM | MARCH/APRIL 2020

you need to exit the boat quickly and safely,” says Chris Weed, president of the Vermont Paddlers’ Club. “This can be a big mental hurdle for some people.”

At Vermont Paddlers’ Club clinics, participants are required to practice by swimming a Class II rapid called Hugo on the Winooski River, with instructors waiting on shore by eddies at the base, ready to throw them a rope. “Swimming whitewater, you want to lie on your back facing downstream, keep your feet at the surface, and look for an opportunity to swim at the right time to get into an eddy,” says Weed. The key is to make sure your feet do not get caught in debris below the water surface.

To learn more about safety around and in whitewater, including how to layer and pack soft gear for a river trip, sign up for a safety clinic with the Vermont Paddlers Club (vtpaddlers.net) or Umiak Outdoor Outfitters’ Kayak Rescue Techniques clinic ($59, umiak.com) or an American Canoe Association Swiftwater Rescue course ($285, americancanoe.org) through Zoar Outdoor. For experienced boaters, a three-day Swiftwater Rescue Training course (SRT-I) from the Swiftwater Safety Institute will certify you to the same standard of training as professional river guides, using the training protocol employed by the U.S. Military Special Forces ($510, swiftwatersafetyinstitute. com).

Vermont Paddlers' Club instructor Paul Carlile demonstrates a roll during a winter practice session for members at the Mt. Abraham Union High School pool. Photo by Abagael Giles

GEAR UP

To paddle whitewater in Vermont, you need a short, maneuverable, plastic, sit-in whitewater kayak that can turn on a dime in a river rapid.

Generally, this means investing in one of three varieties of plastic kayaks: a creek boat, a whitewater boat or a recreational/touring boat.

Steve Brownlee, founder of Umiak Outdoor Outfitters in Stowe and Richmond, recommends that novice paddlers consider purchasing a more affordable recreational river boat of about 10 feet in length for their first kayak, such as the Dagger Blackwater 10.5 (a typical whitewater boat is less than nine). “You can roll and run a Class II or even Class III rapid in one of these slightly longer boats, and the extra length offered by the retractable skeg will let you track better in flatwater,” he says.

Buying a boat can be a big investment, with an entry-level whitewater boat starting at about $1,000 new. Whitewater kayaks are designed to be maneuvered with a performance fit. “Much like your alpine ski boot, this is something you’ll want to demo first at a local shop,” says Brownlee. “If you don’t have the right fit in the cockpit, you won’t have very good control when paddling and you won’t have a good time out there.”

New paddlers will also need to invest in a paddle, Type III foam life jacket certified by the U.S. Coast Guard and suitable for whitewater paddling, a neoprene spray skirt to hold them in their kayak and a helmet.

Brownlee recommends the WRSI Current ($99) as an affordable but highly reputable helmet for beginners. For a life jacket, consider Astral’s USCG III Abba or Norge ($139.95). Try a longer, straight-

A kayaker punches through on the New Haven River. Photo by Caleb Kenna

shafted retractable paddle with a small or medium-sized blade, such as the Werner Paddles Desperado CF 1 Piece Straight Shaft ($175).

If you decide you like the sport, you may eventually want to invest in your own dry suit or wetsuit so you can paddle Vermont’s snowmelt-fed rivers at peak flow in April and May. “Consider taking a lesson and renting gear you are interested in buying,” says Brownlee.

“Or head to one of the many shops that offer used whitewater gear that’s been inspected by experts.”

FIND YOUR CREW

“One of the things that is so cool about paddling is that here you are in this whitewater that looks like pure chaos.

As an experienced paddler, you can see the line. You see different things, you break it into bite-sized pieces, and you find the path through the apparent chaos,” says instructor Paul Carlile.

Part of how you do that is by paddling with people who are better than you are.

Most paddlers never paddle whitewater alone, for their safety.

“There are a lot of paddlers in the area who have their group. This is especially true with the really elite, advanced paddlers,” says Carlile. “The intensity of the sport and the nature of the activity means that people form these pretty incredible bonds with their paddling posses. Joining a group like the Vermont Paddlers’ Club, where people are participating because they want to be mentors is a great way to meet people with like abilities and interests.”

Kayakers hang out, waiting to rescue potential swimmers in the pool at the base of Bristol Falls on the New Haven River. Photo by Caleb Kenna

TAKE YOUR FIRST RIVER TRIP According to Chris Weed, Vermont isn’t known for its big whitewater rivers, but for the myriad streams and creeks that tumble out of the mountains, offering technical and exciting paddling for a variety of paddler ability levels. “A lot of these creeks move through beautiful woodland. When you paddle them, even at high water, you get a completely different perspective on the landscape,

WHITEWATER RESOURCES Whether you’re looking to rent a boat and try some gentle Class I or II rapids, want to learn to roll, read a river, or improve your paddle form, the following are good places to start. Most of these shops and organizations can help you with everything from selecting gear to organizing a guided trip.

BERT'S BOATS, JEFFERSONVILLE If you want to try your hand at gentle paddling, improve your paddling technique or just get a taste of running calmer sections of the Lamoille, Winooski or other rivers, Berts Boats offers guided tours throughout the summer, with canoe and kayak rentals and one-way transportation so you don’t have to worry about a pick-up.

You may not get a taste of true whitewater but these trips are a great introduction to river paddling. Owner Ken Roberts is a former champion whitewater canoe paddler and also runs the Champlain Valley Canoe and Kayak series. He’s an ACA instructor who can also teach you to roll, read a river and negotiate whitewater. bertsboats.com CLEARWATER SPORTS, WAITSFIELD Here, you can demo or rent paddles, canoes, kayaks, spray skirts and life jackets. Clearwater Sports also offers beginner and intermediate whitewater clinics. Learn basic boat-handling and how to read a river with their novice clinic ($225-$245) or take a roll

particularly up in the mountains,” says Weed, who’s been paddling Vermont’s creeks since the 1980s.

“There’s a longstanding Vermont connection between skiing and whitewater paddling. Navigating a tight and techy river is a bit like tree skiing.

You look where you want to go, you move with your hips and you shift your weight subtly, testing the edge of your boat to push you forward, over the edge.”

clinic on Blueberry Lake ($75). The shop sells used and demo gear at discounted rates. clearwatersports.com GREAT GLEN TRAILS BEGINNER WHITEWATER KAYAK PROGRAM, GORHAM, N.H. Great Glen Trails offers beginner instruction starting at $125 per person. You’ll learn to execute a wet exit, self-rescue, paddle your boat in every direction, read river hydrology, practice eddy turns, peel outs, braces and more in this full-day clinic paddling the famed Androscoggin River through the White Mountains. greatglentrails.com MOUNTAIN MAN OUTDOOR SUPPLY COMPANY, OLD FORGE AND SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. With more than 1,000 canoes and kayaks in stock, Mountain Man is the perfect place to rent or demo a boat you might want to buy. Head to Paddlefest in Saratoga, April 25 & 26, and Old Forge, May 15-17, to try more than a thousand boats, paddles and other whitewater gear on the water. mountainmanoutdoors.com UMIAK OUTDOORS, RICHMOND & STOWE Umiak offers a wide array of kayaks and canoes and a host of clinics and guided paddling trips. Here you can buy your first boat new from an ACA-certified instructor or check out their selection of used gear.

The Richmond location also specializes in whitewater boat repairs.

Umiak offers roll clinics ($89 per session and up) at the Waterbury Reservoir. The shops can also put together a custom instruction

The seasonal nature of the flows means that, come March or April, boaters will pull over by the side of the road to share beta and compare stream flows.

And in the Green Mountains, you can find whitewater adventure and thrills on a novice’s scale (see Rivers to Run). Be sure to check the American Whitewater Association’s website for river flow and other information about rapids along these routes. americanwhitewater.org

package in whitewater paddling with an ACA-certified instructor.

If you have some paddling experience and want to hone your riverrunning skills, consider signing up for the regularly-scheduled Upper Gorge guided day trip on the Winooski River, where you’ll paddle up to Class II rapids with instructor feedback. umiak.com VERMONT PADDLERS’ CLUB, WATERBURY The club offers classes where you can learn basic and intermediate paddling skills and how to roll a kayak. During the winter, the club hosts self-guided roll practice sessions in the indoor pools at Mt. Abraham Union High School in Bristol ($20, Jan.-Feb.) and Northern Vermont University in Johnson ($20, March 1-April 11), then on Waterbury Reservoir in the summer. Take the VPC Novice Clinic ($90, June 6-7) on the Winooski River, then sign up for their Class II Whitewater Clinic on the Deerfield ($50, July 11-12). vtpaddlers.net ZOAR OUTDOOR NOVICE KAYAK OR CANOE CLINIC, CHARLEMONT, MASS. Just across the Vermont border, Zoar offers novice kayak and canoe clinics on May 27-31; July 1-5; and Aug. 19-23 (starting at $149).

Here, you’ll learn to paddle a whitewater kayak and execute a wet exit along with other river skills on the dam-controlled Deerfield River. All gear is included. In addition to whitewater trips around the country, Zoar offers ACA instructor certification courses and instruction in paddling up to Class III whitewater for kayakers and canoeists. kayaklesson.com

MARCH/APRIL 2020 | VTSPORTS.COM 21

THE STATE OF GRAVEL

Of Mullet Protocol,

Garden Gnomes and

Gravel Rides

G

Ian Boswell, center, wearing the Alpecin jersey from his former pro road racing team, at home in Peacham during his Fall Fondo weekend. Photo by Ansel Dickey

CAN VERMONT’S GRAVEL RIDING SCENE KEEP ITS GRASSROOTS, DOWN-HOME, FOR-THE-MASSES APPEAL? PRO RIDERS IAN BOSWELL AND TED KING DISCUSS.

ravel riding has been going on as long as there have been dirt roads in Vermont. And with more than 8,000 miles of unpaved roads (versus 6,000 paved), there’s a reason why the Green Mountain state has become a gravel Mecca of sorts.

From the Deerfield Dirt Road Randonée (D2R2), which started casually sending scrappy pelotons through the backroads and hills of northwestern Massachusetts and southern Vermont in the 1990s to Rasputitsa, the Northeast Kingdom’s April sufferfest (and with a limit of 1,500 riders, now the state’s largest bike event), gravel riding events are blossoming around the state.

Not only are these events growing (many, including Rasputitsa and the

22 VTSPORTS.COM | MARCH/APRIL 2020

Ted King, two-time winner of the mother of all gravel rides, the 200-mile Dirty Kanza .

Overland Grand Prix sell out by March), they are also attracting world-class competitors. Mountain bike legends Tinker Juarez and Ned Overend have

Photo by Ansel Dickey

raced in the Overland Grand Prix, a ride-it-if-you-can route through the backwoods “pavé” of central Vermont.

Rasputitsa has drawn such pros

A garden gnome hides near Peacham. Photo, A. Dickey

as Vermont’s Olympic mountain bike racer Lea Davison and former UCI pro rider Alison Tetrick, who hails from California.

Laura King, a competitive cyclist and triathlete, out on a training ride, here and below. Photo by Ansel Dickey

TED: I grew up in small town New Hampshire, chasing my brother around and riding a mile or two to school or to the local convenience store to get candy.

Riding a bike was just a way of life.

It wasn’t until college that I got back into cycling again through my brother, who was a successful collegiate racer.

I went to Middlebury College and there are tremendous unpaved roads around there. I can picture one particular gravel road that I would ride from 2001 through 2005. At the time I was riding 21c to 23c tires and had a 23-tooth cassette and it just wasn’t conducive to gravel. We sort of joke that, yeah, we’ve been riding gravel forever and now we’re just all of a sudden calling it gravel. But to answer the question, I started mountain biking in college, then road riding, so it’s really only recently that I’ve jumped headlong into gravel.

IAN: Yeah, well I remember my first gravel ride. I was with cyclists Ryan Trebon and Barry Wicks in Bend, Ore., and they took me on these trails. I was on Team Sky at the time and riding my Pinarello with tires at 120 psi and thought ‘this totally sucks.’ I was getting rattled all over the place. Bikes have come a long way. But tell me, what were those early days of gravel riding like?

What was the vibe at the races?

Ted King (left) and his wife Laura (above) moved to Vermont and embraced all things local

But that's not to say they are just for pros: Rasputitsa's biggest prize remains the “Lanterne Rouge,” which goes to the last rider to finish.

And a number of cyclists who have come for the races, have stayed for the gravel. “We’ve had people move here and buy homes after racing Rasputitsa,” notes Heidi Meyers, who with Tony Moccia founded the event in 2013.

In the past couple of years, two former pro racers and Tour de France veterans moved to Vermont and launched their own gravel events.

(A third former pro, Tyler Wren, has started the Farm to Fork Fondo road rides and fitness events).

In 2017, Ian Boswell, who raced for Team Sky and Katusha-Alpecin (among others) in the Tour de France, decamped from Nice, France, where he was living, to the tiny town of Peacham, Vt., with his now-wife Gretchen. A year later, he started the Peacham Fall Fondo, a 50-mile gravel ride that yes, attracted a number of former pros, but also galvanized the small town, with

Photo by Ansel Dickey

community members serving up homemade apple pies outside the Peacham Library. For 2020, Boswell has moved from road racing to join the Wahoo Fitness gravel team and he’s slated the Peacham Fall Fondo for Sept. 26.

Another Tour de France race veteran, pro Ted King and his wife Laura (neé Spencer) moved to Richmond, Vt., in the summer of 2018.

Ted, as Boswell puts it, is the “king of gravel,” having twice won the grueling, 200-mile Dirty Kanza race in Kansas as well as gravel rides from California to Iceland. Laura King is also an accomplished cyclist who has racked up podium finishes as a triathlete, road rider and mountain biker. In 2019, the couple launched Rooted Vermont, a 45- to 85-mile ride through central Vermont. They expect their first child in March and the ride, now sold out, is slated for Aug., 2, out of Cochran’s Ski Area in Richmond.

In February, Ian Boswell invited King, his buddy and former competitor on the European pro tour, as his first

guest on his podcast “Breakfast with Boz,” sponsored by Wahoo Fitness.

Here are some highlights from their conversation. For the full podcast see, wahoofitness.com.

IAN: Ted, you do so much more in gravel beyond just race. You are part of these different groups that are looking at the future of gravel and what that looks like. Let’s go back to the beginning, though, when you ended your road career. Did you intend to race gravel? Did you think you would go this direction?

TED: To answer the question: no. I retired from bike racing in 2015 and started partnering with some brands to just put more people on bikes and make people happier riding with better equipment. And that just happened to coincide with the continued booming state of gravel.

IAN: Growing up in New England, did you ride gravel?

TED: It’s something of a hackneyed term but the “community” that was at my first Dirty Kanza was something that has absolutely struck and stayed with me. And that is a big reason that I was super excited to go back the subsequent year and every year since then. Yes, I’m competitive and I like to do well but if you have a flat in the middle of a 200mile gravel race, you can still go out and have an awesome day and embrace the community you are going to be with in the middle and end of the race.

IAN: From my perspective, being very new to this, I would normally be gearing up for my first race of the season, you know, this weekend. And I’ve kind of come with this mentality like ‘oh this gravel thing is awesome like you don’t have to ride as much, and you have a lot more free time.’ But because of social media I’ve been tracking other people, and I’ve noticed that this [sport] has become very serious.

TED: It’s crazy, to be honest, and I think you know it’s growing like wildfire, but “the gravel season”—as much as I balk and sort of laugh at that expression— has become a thing and it is hypercompetitive. That sort of gnaws at me and it makes me a little bit anxious, to see it go that direction. Certainly

MARCH/APRIL 2020 | VTSPORTS.COM 23

of introducing the cycling community to our community here in Vermont.

IAN: And the "Mullet Protocol?"

TED: The concept of Mullet Protocol, “business up front, party in the back,” is a priority and we put it all over our event T-shirts. It says “this event is for the masses.”

What was cool at Rooted was there was literally a natural migration to the finish line last year when our last rider finished. The party that happened with the very last rider was as awesome as when the first rider crossed.

At Rooted Vermont, with a " mullet protocol," it's business in the front, party in the back. Both feel like the place to be.

Photo by Meg McMahon

2016 gravel was not what it is now.

But I see glimmers of hope and not all events are hyper-competitive.

There are approximately 700 gravel events over the course of the year here in America and not all of them have a big paycheck at the finish line or a belt buckle that people are vying for.

TED: That’s one of the most creative things that I’ve ever heard! It’s hard to get people to slow down because it’s human nature to want to compete. So, whether your event is two people or 2000, one person is going to win the race. But then you really want to celebrate and embrace everybody else who is part of the day, whatever the event is.

IAN: The UCI just mentioned that they’re wanting to start a gravel Worlds. What’s your take on that? Is it frightening to you or is it exciting that more people are getting into it?

TED: It’s certainly a bit of both. I think ultimately if more people are on bikes, the world is a better place from a health standpoint, from a human physiology standpoint, from a stress standpoint, from a traffic standpoint. We could solve a lot of the world’s ailments if everybody rode a bike and the world would be a more patient place.

We live in an enormous country where roads are big and cars are fast.

We don’t live in a downtown society, much like a small-town European culture does, where anybody can ride two miles and go to the market. So, this, this groundswell of support that is happening culturally in America, everywhere the gravel is, is bringing people to cycling who would otherwise never ride a bike. They would never jump into cycling and be a Cat 5 racer, and they’re never going to get into recreational cycling, but all of a sudden gravel is appealing because you are going off roads, and it is less dangerous and you’re getting away from cars. If that is going to ingratiate people to the bike, I think that is an excellent thing.

IAN: I was asked the question the

24 VTSPORTS.COM | MARCH/APRIL 2020

IAN: Yeah, that’s what we want to do too. At the Peacham Fall Fondo we actually hid all these little gnomes with shovels or rakes around the course. It was an attempt to slow people down, because if you’re going fast, you’re not going to see them. There was a prize then for people who found the gnome with the rake, so it was a unique way of trying to slow people down. We’ll call that the 'Gnome Protocol.'

IAN: Are these big gravel events like road racing, with people racing hard from the beginning, or is it more like a “hey let’s cruise?”

Ted King high-fived every rider who crossed the finish line of Rooted Vermont.

other day if gravel riding would save U.S. cycling. And my response was yes because it’s not a high level of entry to the sport and it’s not intimidating like, you know, road racing. In a lot of ways I think it could save American cycling.

TED: Time will tell. There’s a fear that the growth in hyper-competitivity is going to steer gravel racing in the direction that road racing has gone and mountain biking. Mountain biking boomed and then came heavily crashing down. There are a lot of people who are saying we don’t want that to happen, we don’t want to see gravel fall apart. Why did road racing die? Why did mountain bike racing fail? And how can we take those explicit examples and say we are not going to do this in gravel? And how do we eliminate the negative things and strive to make the positive all the better? I don’t have the answer to those things, but I think it takes a little bit of

Photo by Meg McMahon

conscious thought and forward thinking to try out the right things about this sport and make it all the better. It’s a lot of trial and error.

IAN: Well, you and your wife Laura organized Rooted Vermont, which is Aug. 2. What are you guys looking to do or change or implement at Rooted in order to make your vision of what gravel should be happen?

TED: We recently moved to Vermont and immediately the people who lived here independent of the bike community were amazing. They, like, came to our house to help us move in.

It was phenomenal. The community here in Vermont is what we really didn’t have in other places that we’ve been—not to say it doesn’t exist. The cycling community is something that has been fabulous and instrumental throughout our lives, so it was a matter

TED: What I really love about gravel, and I have a greater appreciation for now having done so many events, is when you find yourself in the lead group or whatever group and you start to be civil and talk to the riders around you. I did The Muddy Onion last March and the weather was garbage.

We got diverted off course. There were four of us. One person had to go to the bathroom—me. My friend Ansel Dickey’s saddle was slipping so he wanted to fix that, and we had two other people in tow. So, as a group we said, ‘Okay guys, let’s stop. I’m going to take a pee and we’re gonna fix the saddle, let’s figure out where the heck we’re going, and we’ll go from there,’ instead of the element of negative road racing where you're trying to dupe the other person and figure out a way to win the race. Certainly, as we are all inherently competitive, that is something that’s going to happen, but at the end of the day, the goal is to have fun. The goal is to get a little workout in. The goal is to finish and still be in good spirits.

THE STATE OF GRAVEL

FRESH

DIRT IN THE PAST 3 YEARS, A HOST OF QUIRKY NEW GRAVEL

RIDES HAVE POPPED UP

ACROSS THE STATE. HERE, 7 NEW ONES WE LOVE.

BY ABAGAEL GILES

G

ravel racing has always had a reputation for being a bit unconventional. Where road riding is sleek and serious, the gravel world, even at its most competitive, has a grassroots feel.

At Vermont’s most popular races— rides like Rasputitsa, The Overland and The Ranger—gravel newbies can toe the line with professional cyclists such as Alison Tetrik and Anthony Clark and Olympians like Lea Davison.

At two Vermont races which debuted last year, the Peacham Fall Fondo and Rooted Vermont, you might find yourself pounding pedals shoulder to shoulder with former Tour de France competitors Ian Boswell and Ted King.

But true to the Vermont gravel spirit, for most cyclists, these are rides, not races. “Whether you’re out there aiming to win a race or just in it for the huge accomplishment of finishing one of these courses, gravel riding is about testing yourself against the terrain and the natural world,” says James Johnson of Analog Cycles in East Poultney.

It’s perfectly legitimate for riders to sit back, enjoy the scenery, take in the afterparty and think of gravel rides as a way to explore parts of Vermont’s landscape many never come across.

The rewards are plentiful: At many rides, you’ll find farm-fresh food, treats like apple cider and maple creemees, local beer and all the beta you could ever want about how to plan your next backroads adventure.

At these events, you might compete for a home-baked apple pie or a hatchet made by a master woodworker rather than a cash purse. Plus, with more miles of dirt roads than paved ones, Vermont is the perfect place to use your bike as an adventure tool. Here are some new gravel races we love that have sprung up in the last two years.

ANALOG RIDES, POULTNEY (MARCH 21, JUNE 13 & OCT. 10) Ever since he was a graduate student riding around rural Pennsylvania in the early aughts, James Johnson has been obsessed with taking bikes to unconventional places. That’s part of why he and his business partner Candice Passehl opened Analog Cycles in 2017 in the East Poultney Vermont sugarhouse he inherited from his grandmother.

Analog may be the only off-thegrid bike shop in the country, and it’s located in Slate Valley, on some of the gnarliest gravel networks in the state, in a rural region that’s becoming known as “The Southwest Kingdom.” In 2018, the duo started hosting gravel events with an eye toward attracting those riders priced out of some of Vermont’s bigger races. For example, entry to the new Fifth Season Gravel Ride (March 21) is just $20 and entry to the 4x4 (June 13), now in its second year, is just $25.

“We have a really little, tight-knit riding scene here in Poultney that is just incredibly welcoming. When outsiders come here, it’s like, ‘Hey, come ride with

Top: James Johnson and Candice Passehl build custom all-terrain bikes out of Analog Cycles, their off-thegrid bike shop in East Poultney. Above, the Hibernator in East Burke. Photo courtesy Analog Cycles, Chris Gagnon

us! Let’s show these guys the real roads, the ones that you can’t find on any maps anymore,” says Johnson, who lives in a yurt on the eight-acre Analog property.

New for this year, you can join the crew at Analog Cycles for a day of riding around the rugged hills of Slate Valley on muddy, snowy dirt roads to visit local sugarhouses for maple-inspired snacks like hot fried dough drizzled with fresh maple syrup and butter as part of Poultney’s annual Maplefest in the Fifth Season Gravel Ride and Race on March 21. Get ready to ride through slush and mud on rough Class 4 roads, with a hot toddy break scheduled mid-way through the 45-mile course.

On June 13, bring your ride to tackle the 4x4, an epic 40-mile slog over East Poultney’s scenic and “wonderfully terrible” Class 4 roads. Bring your Crocs and be prepared for mid-ride

dips in secret mountain swimming holes, post and mid-ride beers and a whole lot of cows, barns and mountain scenery. As for the routes? Expect gravel “the size of GMO grapefruits” with plenty of epic washouts.

For the “hardest one-day all-terrain race and ride in the country,” try the Gorey Hollows Ramble & Race on Oct. 10. In 2019, just six people finished the self-guided 80-mile race, with the winner finishing in 12 hours. There are also 30- and 40-mile routes on beautiful, wild Class 4 roads through fall foliage.

You may have to hike your bike up steep stretches of roads in the Taconic Mountains, “some of which were last resurfaced during Calvin Coolidge’s first term as president,” notes Johnson.

If you choose the race route, expect to do some orienteering. You’ll pass through ancient gores, ride up and over

MARCH/APRIL 2020 | VTSPORTS.COM 25

THE STATE OF GRAVEL mountain saddles, through dark hollows and past secret waterfalls—all far away from any semblance of cell service. A GPS or similar device is required for participation in this ride, and there will be no sag wagon. But there will be plenty of beers hidden in old decaying school buses and some sweet singletrack.

The winner’s reward? A homemade apple pie and fresh donuts from the East Poultney General Store. All Analog Cycles rides are followed by camping, beverages and revelry around the bonfire at their store. Each of the campsites are labeled with flower names, and sit tucked in an old sugarbush near the shop.

In recent years, James and Candice have also launched three new Vermont brands for gravel riding: Tanglefoot Cycles, Discord Components and Fifth Season Canvas, and they have a new all-terrain bike designed specifically for Vermont’s notoriously rugged gravel terrain in pre-production: the Tanglefoot Moonshiner. “I think in the internet age, we’ve lost some of our regionality,” says Johnson. “I hope we can bring back the idea of a New England-made bike that is informed by where we live, so we can say, if this bike can survive Vermont, it can survive anywhere.” analogcycles.com Distance: 35 to 80 miles Elevation Gain: As much as 12,000 feet Bike of Choice: Gravel bike with at least 38mm tires, studded if it’s snowy After-party: Riders are invited to BYOB and camp (in a tent) onsite at Analog Cycles’ off-the-grid bike shop with a bonfire and revelry late into the night. Entry Fee: $20-$35 VERMONT ADAPTIVE CHARITY RIDE GRAVEL GRIND (JUNE 20) If you want to test yourself and take in the views, try this short gravel grinder.

It starts and finishes at one of the most famous breweries in the state The course winds its way off of Route 4 and up a mix of gravel and Class 4 roads through Bridgewater Corners and Chateaugay. The highlight of the ride is a stunning and unique view of Killington Mountain from the top of the course. “I mean this in the best way possible when I say that there is literally no reason you would ever drive one of these roads other than solitude and scenery,” says race director Jeff Alexander. “There will be moments when you’re like, ‘Where am I? This is the middle of nowhere!’”

This will mark the tenth year running of the Vermont Adaptive Charity Ride, a hugely popular and rugged road cycling event that takes

26 VTSPORTS.COM | MARCH/APRIL 2020

Part of the fun of routes like this one? You'd never find them on your own.

riders up and over the central Green Mountains on stunning, steep, paved roads. In total, the ride draws more than 700 riders to Killington each summer, with seven courses to choose from, ranging from 5K to 100 miles in length.

“We who ride this area wanted to offer people the opportunity to get out on those back roads that only the farmers and the guys running maple tap lines are using,” says Alexander. “They offer access to some of the most beautiful parts of our state.”

The ride is designed to entertain the most rugged and skilled riders without alienating someone who wants to try gravel for the first time. “It’d be a great first exploration of the gravel scene,” says Alexander. charityride. vermontadaptive.org Distance: 17 miles Elevation Gain: 1,800 feet Bike of Choice: Gravel bike or hardtail mountain bike Afterparty: Live music from bluegrass band Saints & Liars and Grateful Dead tribute band The Wheel at Long Trail Brewery.

Riders gets a farm-to-table buffet and a

Photo by Ansel Dickey

cold Long Trail brew. Entry Fee: $70 + $125 fundraising minimum ROOTED VERMONT, RICHMOND (AUG. 2) Every participant who crosses the finish line—from the pros at the front of the pack, such as Carla Williams, Jessica Cerra and Kai Wiggins who competed last year to the mere mortals who were happy to finish—can expect a highfive from former professional cyclist, gravel legend and two-time Dirty Kanza winner Ted King. “We’re particularly proud of our stacked women’s field,” says Co-Race Director Laura King, also a professional cyclist. “Seven of the top 10 finishers last year were professional or ex professional [riders].”

This year, former World Tour Pro Ian Boswell and Dirty Kanza Champion Colin Strickland will also be racing.

At the first running of this selfguided ride, husband and wife duo Ted and Laura stood at the finish line for six hours as cyclists rolled into Cochran’s Ski Area after finishing both the long (82 miles) and short courses (48 miles).

The night before the Peacham Fall Fondo, Gretchen and Ian Boswell host riders for a homestyle meal in their historic Peacham barn. Photo by Ansel Dickey

At the front of the pack were racers like Regina Legge, Carla Williams, Lane Maher and the Upper Valley’s own Mike Barton. But in back, there were plenty of folks who were just along for the ride.

“We like to say we have a ‘Mullet Protocol,’ by which we mean ‘Business in the front, party in the back,’” says Laura. For those seeking to race, it was a race. But for everybody else?

It was just a big, professionally run group ride with friends.

The routes took 550 riders over some of the most scenic gravel riding in central Vermont, with the long course going up and over Lincoln Gap, which features one of the steepest miles of paved road in the East, followed by a screaming dirt downhill.

In the true spirit of gravel racing, there was no prize purse for the winner.

Instead, last year, winners in each category were awarded an axe made by hand in Vermont by freeskier Ian Compton, and etched with the Rooted Vermont logo. There was a special category called the “Mullet Protocol Podium,” where each competitor was asked to vote for a rider or volunteer who most embodied the neighborly spirit of gravel riding by making someone else’s race day better. Sebastian Logue of Portsmouth, N.H., won for his choice of race attire in the 82-mile event: a pair of jorts and a cutoff button-down shirt. On several major hills, he’d race ahead, then pedal back to cheer on others as they made the climb. His prize? A gravel bike from Cannondale.

“We want to keep that grassroots, neighborly spirit at the core of our ride,” says Co-Race Director Laura King, who has also earned podium finishes in elite gravel races, among them Rebecca’s Private Idaho. “We had everyone from competitive racers in spandex to college kids riding in unbuttoned floral shirts with big goofy glasses and actual mullets last year,” said Laura.

The after-party at Cochran’s base area aims to show off the best of summertime in Vermont, with maple creemees and a farm-to-table feast prepared by chef Justin Walker of Walkers Maine Restaurant in Portland, featuring dishes like octopus ecabeche, wood fired local beets and slow-roasted pork shoulder followed by fluffy, Untapped Maple Tres Leches cake. rootedvermont.com Distance: 48 or 82 miles Elevation Gain: 4,000 feet or 8,000 feet Bike of Choice: Gravel bike After-party: Epic open-air feast with live music and beers on draft from Lawson’s Finest Liquids

JULY 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 7

THE STATE OF GRAVEL

Clockwise from the top left, a rider dips onto an adventurous Class 4 road on the Peacham Fall Fondo. Overland founder Peter Vollers and his dog get a hello from a rider at Peacham. Gretchen and Ian Boswell host riders for their pre-ride celebration at their Peacham hill farm. Pros and ex-pros Regina Legge (center), Carla Williams (left) and Jessica Cerra (right) are part of the stacked women's lineup that makes Rooted Vermont a must-do ride for serious gravel racers. At the Hibernator, racers earn a cold pint of local beer and a bear. Photos by Meg McMahon (Rooted Vermont), Ansel Dickey (Peacham) and Chris Gagnon

and Shaftsbury Cider at the base of Cochran’s Ski Area. Entry Fee: $120 THE POINT TO POINT GRAVEL GRINDER, MONTPELIER (AUG. 1) For 19 years, the Point-to-Point Ride to benefit the Vermont Foodbank traced the backroads of the Connecticut River Valley, often ending at Mount Ascutney, where copious amounts of Harpoon brews were available.

For 2020, the ride is starting from the State House lawn in Montpelier and in addition to road routes that range from 25 to 110 miles, the organizers have added a very cool new gravel course.The gravel ride follows well-maintained dirt roads with the occasional segment on a paved county road through the high hills of Calais, East Montpelier and Maple Corners and even passes under a barn on Tebbetts Road, near Woodbury.

Winding past hill farms and small lakes with views of both the White Mountains and the Green Mountains, it’s a stunning place to ride, with a few historic villages that are only accessible by dirt road.

At the finish, you’ll join the hundreds of other riders on the State House lawn

for a party with food trucks, live music, a bouncy house and lots of local beverages and, of course, beer from Harpoon. The race benefits the Vermont Foodbank and teams are encouraged to fundraise. thepointtopoint.org Distance: 40 miles Elevation Gain: 4,300 feet Bike of Choice: Gravel bike After-party: Live music on the State House Lawn, with a bouncy house and kids’ activities and a village of food trucks offering tasty local fare and pints of Harpoon beer. Entry Fee: $65 before June 1, with a $150 fundraising minimum.

PEACHAM FALL FONDO, PEACHAM (SEPT. 26) Created by pro cyclist Ian Boswell and his wife Gretchen in 2018, this ride is not a race. Instead, it’s a 40-mile meandering ride through the rolling backroads of the Northeast Kingdom, with scenic rest stops and about 80 percent of the route falling on dirt roads.

Riders can enjoy all the usual support at aid stations, along with homemade apple pie with cheddar cheese made by members of the Peacham community.

As Boswell, a former Tour de France

rider for Team Katusha-Alpecin who now races gravel for Wahoo Fitness says to riders about the event, “Although I love apple pie, I can’t eat it all.” His ask of participants? Take in the scenery, chat with your fellow riders and the friendly locals you meet along the way and never say no to a slice of pie. This year, the course will feature one Class 4 section but “nothing too gnarly.”

For the second year in row, the organizers are offering a 25-mile Friday Roam Ride with Wahoo from the Boswell farm, followed by a home-cooked family-style meal in the historic barn with local brews and a bonfire-side conversation with the athlete and community sponsors. peachamfallfondo.com Distance: 50km, 80km or 35km & a 5k fun ride for families Elevation Gain: 5,000 feet. Bike of Choice: Gravel bike but road bikes with 28c or larger tires are ok. After-party: A farm-totable feast with local beer and a silent auction at the center of Peacham’s picturesque village. Entry Fee: $70.

THE HIBERNATOR, BURKE (OCT. 17) If you’re looking for a race that takes you even deeper into the the Northeast Kingdom than Rasputitsa, consider The Hibernator. Snow, rain and sleet are never out of the question in October and this race takes riders off road and onto rugged terrain wherever possible. From grassy treks through farm fields (yes, you will need to yield to the occasional cow) to spectacular views from vistas on Class 4 roads, this ride offers a bit of every type of gravel terrain.

But the aid stations make it worth it.

Stop at Honest to Goodness Farm for apple cider, pressed before your eyes with a wooden hand-crank press and spiked with woodfired maple syrup.

All profits from the event support local trail stewardship at Northwoods Stewardship Center.

Distance: 100 km or 50 km Elevation Gain: 9,000 feet or 5,000 feet Bike of Choice: Gravel, cyclocross or hard tail mountain bike After-party: Beer, homemade pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and pizza from Tomassoni’s Wood-Fired Pizzas food truck. Entry Fee: $65.

MARCH/APRIL 2020 | VTSPORTS.COM 27

THE STATE OF GRAVEL

YOUR GUIDE TO THE BEST NEW GRAVEL GEAR

WHETHER YOU’RE ON A BUDGET OR LOOKING TO HONE YOUR RACING QUIVER, HERE’S HOW TO PERSONALIZE YOUR SETUP TO FIND THE RIGHT GEAR FOR YOUR OFF-ROADING AMBITIONS. BY ABAGAEL GILES

Kona Rove ST

Smith Venture

Cane Creek eeSilk Suspension Seatpost

Specialized Rime Elite Crank Brothers Double Shot 1

F

or a long time, gravel riders and bike manufacturers were taking the technology and innovations they loved from mountain biking and road biking and mixing and matching them to create setups that worked on rough gravel trails and for cruising on long days. This year, manufacturers are making gravel the first priority.

More and more bike manufacturers are making frames and forks with dual wheel size compatibility—the ability to hold either a 700c wheel for less resistance and better rollover capability (think hero gravel or dirt road riding), or a 650b wheel for better grip on slick surfaces and higher volume, knobbier tires. With the first full-suspension gravel bike on the market and a few companies making gravel riding specific cleats, there are

28 VTSPORTS.COM | MARCH/APRIL 2020

more choices than ever for riders to choose from. Better yet, there are still more options for riders looking for that versatile bike that can do it all, from commuting to cobblestone.

Here are a few setups that came highly recommended from local gear gurus at gravel shops like Onion River Outdoors in Montpelier, West Hill Shop in Putney and Burlington’s Skirack.

FOR THE GRAVEL CURIOUS:

You’re a mountain biker, a road cyclist or new to the sport and looking for a bike that will let you cruise from smooth gravel roads to pavement all day long, with the grit to tackle a short pavé section. This is your quiver of one—a setup that will keep you comfortable for a long day on the road and let you explore Vermont’s dirt.

Kona Rove ST ($1,599): This combination gravel and touring bike comes with a lifetime warranty on its steel frame. With a fork wide enough to accommodate 700x37cm tires and disc brakes, it’s plenty hardy enough for off-roading but comfortable enough for a bike tour on the road or a bikepacking trip. Consider swapping out the Shimano Claris eight-speed drive train for a setup with smaller gears for Vermont’s radically steep terrain.

Specialized Rime Elite ($125): These clipless cleat compatible shoes come with a Vibram rubber outsole for pushing your bike, and a breathable upper with a stiff but comfortable sole.

Crank Brothers Double Shot 1 ($59.99): On one side, this 330g pedal uses the classic Eggbeater design—a popular clipless cleat setup for ultralight gravel racers. On the other is a flat pedal surface, so you can move fluidly between riding clipped in and keeping your feet free.

Cool Gadget: Cane Creek eeSilk Suspension Seatpost ($263.24): If you’re looking to adapt your current hard tail mountain bike or road bike for some light gravel riding, consider this tool. You can easily swap it out for your regular road or mountain bike seat post between rides, says Skirack's Jimmy Leslie.

Smith Venture ($80): This midlevel mountain bike helmet offers beefy protection against the sort of multidirectional impact you might encounter from a fall as you learn to navigate a Class 4 road. Try removing the visor, and you’ll find the vents keep you cool on a climb.

Shimano SH-56 SPD Multi-Directional Release Cleats

POC Tectal Mountain Biking Helmet

Troy Lee Designs A2 Helmet

Fizik Terra X5

Niner Magic Carpet Ride 9 RDO

Cannondale Topstone Carbon 105

Shimano RX8 Gravel Shoes

FOR THE SOMETIMES RACER AND RECREATIONAL RIDER: You

love to use your gravel bike to explore Vermont’s myriad dirt roads and have never met a section of pavé you didn’t love. You’re a sometimes racer and an avid recreational rider who values durability. Here’s a setup that will let you take on anything without breaking the bank or adding too much weight.

Cannondale Topstone Carbon 105 ($2,700): New for 2019 and 2020, this bike takes the best features from Cannondale’s ultralight road racing bikes and dual suspension mountain bikes and combines them in the super-light, shockless Kingpin Suspension system.

Basically, a thru-axle pivot in the seat tube allows the entire back of the frame to flex up to 30mm—absorbing bumps and road vibration from potholes and rocks but

staying stiff when you’re standing to pedal up a hill or buckling down for a climb. It’s one of the bikes Ted King recommends for his race, Rooted Vermont, and it weighs just 20 pounds, 14.4 oz.

Shimano SH-56 SPD MultiDirectional Release Cleats ($19.99): If you’re taking your gravel bike on some gnarly mountain roads, you should expect to have to walk it every once in a while.

This mountain bike cleat lets you torque your foot in any direction to release it from the pedal, making it easier to transition to walk mode at the last minute, says Leslie.

Fizik Terra X5 ($149): At 288g, this shoe is light and has a stiff composite carbon fiber outsole with heavy venting and a Boa adjustment system to keep it snug. It’s Fizik’s first “off-road” shoe.

FOR THE OFF-ROAD WARRIOR:

You live for punishing climbs and have never met a section of pavé you couldn’t stomach. You live for snow, mud and ice and love to race gravel and your bike is worth more than your car. Here’s what you should be eyeing in 2020.

Niner Magic Carpet Ride 9 RDO ($8,200): In 2020, Niner’s MCR, the first drop-bar full-suspension bike hit the market. If you’re really riding rugged terrain and plunging through puddles or over stretches of cobbled boulders, there comes a point where the energy you exert to manipulate the bike surpasses the energy required to pedal it forward, says Onion River Outdoors Service Manager Jason Schippert. That’s the perfect scenario for this bike, which features a Constantly Varying Arc suspension system with 50mm of flex, a dropper post

and super responsive handling. It also comes with a SRAM XC 12-speed cassette for optimal uphill power and a 50mm tire.

Shimano RX8 Gravel Shoes ($250): New in 2019, this is the first gravel-specific shoe to hit the market. It’s stiff, light and compatible with Shimano’s SPD pedal system, and we recommend the XTR PD-M9100 ($179.99). At 374g, these clipless pedals are light, sturdy and shed mud and snow so you don’t get your cleats gummed up in the woods.

Troy Lee Designs A2 Helmet with MIPS ($189): Outfitted with both MIPS and Troy Lee Designs' patentpending dual density EPP and EPS impact liner, designed to protect against both high and low-speed impacts to the head, this helmet is light but strong enough for riding singletrack.

MARCH/APRIL 2020 | VTSPORTS.COM 29

FEATURED ATHLETE

mile radius that includes Manchester, Wilmington, and Adams, Mass.

THE COMPASSIONATE COACH Name: Tim Van Orden Age: 51 Lives in: Bennington Profession: Coach, speaker, author of Running Raw and Compassionate Primary sport: Running, trail running and snowshoeing

T

im Van Orden’s priorities have changed. The four-time U.S. Master Runner of the Year wrote a book, "Running Raw" and used to proselytize a raw vegan diet as a way for his coaching clients to meet their goals. Now, through his business Compassionate Coaching, his focus is for those clients to change their lives one day or one moment at a time.

Van Orden grew up in Vermont, but it was his time in Los Angeles that gave him an appreciation for the trail running for which he is now known. And in August, 2019 at age 50, Van Orden set the American road record in the mile for his age group, running the distance in 4:46.

In addition to setting a road mile record for your age, in 2019 you won the U.S. Masters Mile Championship, the Half Marathon Trail Championship and the silver medal in the U.S. Snowshoe Championships. What are you most proud of?

There are a couple of ways that I evaluate a race. There is the value you put on a race leading up to it, what happens when you get your result and then how you tell the story about it afterwards. Competing in New England is very different: Here people want to know who else competed, and if strong racers didn’t show up it’s considered a soft win. The important races are the ones where everyone showed up and you still won.

A race that stands out to me was the U.S. Trail Championship 10K in North Carolina in 2010. I had already won the 15K but there wasn’t that much competition and in the 10K, I won against people I’d never beaten, so to win that race meant the most to me.

Another race I’m proud of is one that isn’t any kind of championship and doesn’t even have an awards ceremony.

It’s the Escarpment Race in the Catskills and it covers 18 miles with at least three full mountains. It’s nearly impossible to finish the race without getting hurt because there are roots, rocks and

30 VTSPORTS.COM | MARCH/APRIL 2020

Tim Van Orden is shifting his coaching philosophy and setting new running records. Photos courtesy Tim Van Orden

steep drop-offs. I had avoided it while I concentrated on titles but when I turned 50, I decided to try it because it’s like a Vermont trail. It humbled me in ways I didn’t expect. In 2018, I broke the masters’ course record and finished seventh. In 2019, I shaved off another minute and finished sixth.

I’m also proud of my 2019 road mile record because it was one of those races where competing is 50-percent physical and 50-percent about sheer force of will.

Were you always athletic?

I ran in high school and a little bit at Middlebury College but I could never commit to the training. I have some natural talent but I never got to the level I had hoped I would. A few friends that I competed with were selected for Olympic teams because they worked hard and put in the time, but around age 19 or 20, I decided to leave athletics behind me and do something else.

How did you transition into becoming an actor?

My junior year at Middlebury was when I stopped being an athlete and I also decided to change my major. I was painfully shy so I took acting and dance classes. My senior year, my professor said I was fun to watch from the first row but everyone sitting further back was missing the performance so I should look into film instead of theatre.

It took me seven more years to get the nerve to move and in the interim I was the ski coach at Mt. Anthony Union High School in Bennington. I got to L.A. in 1998 but I never really had a breakthrough because shyness doesn’t get you very far. I did a lot of voice-over work and some commercials but there wasn’t a whole lot of time on camera.

How did you like Los Angeles?

I thought I would hate L.A., but I knew I had to try it. It turned out that I was blown away by the nature that is adjacent to the city. The parks and the mountains and canyons are right there, so I’d bike or run to the trails and that’s how my athletic career reinvented itself.

How did you get back into running?

I started running again at age 38 just out of curiosity to see what I could do on a raw vegan diet and to see if I had any talent left in the tank. I learned that what had stopped me from putting in the effort in my teens was depression, but I hadn’t known it then. When I came back to Vermont in 2007, I saw the state differently because when I was younger, I didn't spend a lot of the time in the mountains. When I trained in high school, I ran on the road, but L.A. opened me up to running on trails.

Now that I am back, I realize Vermont is such an extraordinary place to be a trail runner or snowshoe racer and I’ve fallen in love with it. It’s a very different place for me now.

Where do you train now?

There are so many amazing trails within 10 miles of Bennington but since I often run several times a day, I have a 30-

Congratulations, too, on being part of the 2019 U.S. Snowshoe National Masters Team. When did you start snowshoe racing?

When I came home from California in 2007 I thought about getting back in to Nordic ski racing, but it is a very different sport from when I raced in the 1980s and it would have cost at least $3,000 to get outfitted. I still love Nordic skiing, but I couldn’t justify the expense if I was just trying it out. Dave Dunham, a running mentor, suggested snowshoe racing. It sounded like drudgery, but he lent me a pair of shoes and I did my first race in 2008. It was the Brave the Blizzard 5K in Albany. It was the hardest thing I’d ever done and I loved every minute. I’ve been hooked ever since.

There’s something about it—the quiet, the camaraderie—it’s unique in running sports in that something like a peloton develops. People can draft off one another and they take turns breaking trail. There is an ethos of helping one another which makes it a very Vermont kind of sport.

The snow conditions change constantly and you can get snow in the middle of the race or a foot the morning of the race after the course has been set and suddenly you’re in untracked snow.

You have to take turns breaking trail and you get a peloton forming behind the people taking the lead so you might get a sprint to the finish with 40 people.

Sometimes conditions are so difficult that everybody stops. It’s something that for me feels like Vermont. That’s why it’s become such big part of what I do.

You’ve also been named U.S. Masters Runner of the Year four times, for trail running and for mountain running.

One of the things I love about being older is that you can put these goals on the horizon. I never imagined I’d get those honors because I didn’t know they existed. When I was on my soapbox about "Running Raw" [Van Orden’s audiobook on his raw vegan diet] a lot of people gave me flack and I wanted to show that the diet worked so I needed real data. I remember my first trail running championship in 2010.

I cried while crossing the finish line because I felt vindicated but afterwards nothing had changed. I felt hungry and tired and had to return my rental car.

I’ve won 17 U.S. titles, mostly masters, but some overall and none of them have changed my life. I set the American road record for my age group in the mile last August in Flint, Mich. and that didn’t change my life.

What led you to found Compassionate Coaching?

Compassionate Coaching evolved from Running Raw which is a project I started in 2005 when I was living in Los Angeles. We live in a really interesting time and one can find oneself in the midst of an unanticipated career that makes no sense looking forward but does in hindsight. I started Running Raw as a mission to show that you could find significant advantages by being on a raw vegan diet and it morphed into the idea that anyone can achieve a high level of fitness if they desire to. The project involved dietary and training advice and included an audio book and videos. Running Raw was ideological and dogmatic and in hindsight, it was a bit naïve. I got off my soapbox when I started meeting people where they were and seeing what they wanted. I wanted to show that you can improve significantly without a nose to the grindstone, nopain/no-gain mentality.

Can you explain how that works?

As I was becoming a vegan I was introduced to Buddhism. Their idea of compassion is quite a bit different from the way many Americans may define the term. It is more grounded and honest and about working within the winters of your life, by which I mean the more difficult

[ MANSFIELD

times. This has been an evolution for me that started with veganism and then expressing myself as an athlete and finally realizing I could take these principals and apply them to my own goals as an athlete. As I developed a reputation, people began to reach out for coaching and I realized this philosophy could be valuable for others.

A lot of people who reach out to a coach have a particular goal like losing weight or finishing a race. That’s all well and good but what is more valuable is creating a sustainable lifestyle. That’s how Compassionate Coaching evolved. It’s a non-intuitive process of life improvement.

How can that approach help?

People think their accomplishments will change their lives once and for all, but once you lose that weight or finish that marathon, you’ve met your goal but you haven’t really changed your life.

The only thing that changes your life is learning to live each day and each moment differently. People should find a way to make each day or moment count.

We get so tight and strict and we feel that we have to do things. That’s what’s changed my life—the process that lets me get those results. It’s who you have to become on a daily basis that matters and that’s easier to do than people think.

—Phyl Newbeck

O R T H O PA E D I C S

TIM’S GO-TO VEGAN MEALS The morning of a race I eat very simply. I generally have a smoothie or oatmeal and not a lot because when you are nervous you don’t digest well. Regarding protein, there is a lot of disinformation out there. The truth is that there is protein in almost everything you eat and as long as you consume enough calories, you get enough protein.

GREEN SMOOTHIE Banana Half cup frozen blueberries 5 big leaves of kale (torn off major stems) 6 big medjool dates OR 3 tablespoons maple syrup 1 tablespoon chia seeds 2 cups of water

SALAD 1 head red leaf lettuce (chopped small in both directions) 1 head romaine lettuce (chopped small in both directions) 1 medium carrot (grated) 5 radishes (grated) 1/2 beet (grated) 1/2 cup garbanzo beans 1/2 cup brown rice pasta (Mix all ingredients together thoroughly) DRESSING 2 tablespoons Olive oil 1 teaspoon Coconut aminos 2 tablespoons Apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons Nutritional yeast 1 Tablespoon Maple syrup (Mix or shake thoroughly, then toss with salad)

]

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VERMONT

SPORTS

RACE & EVENT GUIDE

LISTING YOUR EVENT IN THIS CALENDAR IS

FREE AND EASY. VISIT VTSPORTS.COM/SUBMIT-

AN-EVENT OR E-MAIL EDITOR@VTSPORTS.COM. ALL AREA CODES ARE 802. ALL LOCATIONS ARE IN VERMONT, UNLESS OTHERWISE

NOTED. FEATURED EVENTS, IN YELLOW, PAY A NOMINAL FEE.

NORDIC/SKIMO/ BACKCOUNTRY SKIING & RIDING MARCH 1 | Guided Splitboard Tour with the Catamount Trail Association, Bolton Join an intermediate tour up into the Bolton backcountry.

The tour will consist of a casual skin up to Bryant Cabin and onto the Catamount Trail to earn laps in the Cottonbrook Basin. catamounttrail.org 1 | Trapps Race to the Cabin, Stowe Race a mostly uphill point-to-point classic course that is part of the Zak/Club Cup Series put on by NENSA. The race ends at a woodstove-heated cabin in the woods. This year’s event includes a “Wooden Ski” division for those who want to kick it up the hill old school. nensa.net/event/ trapps-race-to-the-cabin/ 7 | RASTA Brandon Gap Backcountry Area Ski & Splitboard Tour, Rochester RASTA hosts a group tour limited to 40 skiers and riders, where volunteer will lead groups based on skier ability level to explore the more than 15,000 vertical feet of skiing across the area’s four backcountry ski zones. rastavt.org

7 | 46th Annual Mount Washington Cup, Bretton Woods, N.H. Tackle a 10K freestyle race as part of the ZAK Cup Series.

Located on the grounds of the historic Mount Washington Hotel and in the White Mountain National Forest, this is a course not to be missed. brettonwoods.com

13-15 | 4th Annual Mt. Washington Backcountry Ski Festival, Gorham, N.H. A gathering in the White Mountains for backcountry skiers and riders looking to gain new skills, go for group tours, take clinics, find new partners and enjoy apres evening events. skimtwashington.com

7 | 25th Annual Legendary Rangeley Lakes Loppet, Rangeley, Maine Race a 21K in the Burt Kettle Classic, with 21K and 42K races and a 21K untimed tour on wide, rolling, straight sections of classic New England Nordic trail at the foot of Saddleback Mountain. Enjoy an apres-ski feast with food by local restaurants. nensa.net/event/25th-annuallegendary-rangeley-lakes-loppet/

14 | The Sun, Peru Head to Bromley Mountain for this USSMA-sanctioned skimo race, the sixth in the NE Rando Race Series. Expect a three-circuit competitive race and a shorter recreational option. nerandorance.blogspot.com

8 | Antique Nordic Ski Race, Woodstock Break out your wooden skis (must pre-date 1990), bamboo poles and pine tar for a 5K tour on the picturesque trails and carriage roads in Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park to the Woodstock Nordic Center’s Mt. Tom cabin.

Compete for best vintage gear and outfit, then head to a pancake brunch. woodstockinn.com/do/things-to-d0/ woodstock-nordic-center Dec. 10-March 10 | Craftsbury Outdoor Center Tuesday Night Race Series, Craftsbury Common This friendly but competitive Nordic race series runs every Tuesday evening from Dec. 11 to March 19. Race distances range from 5K to 10K and start at 4 p.m. craftsbury.com 9 | Winter Wild Uphill Race at Waterville Valley, Waterville, N.H. Run, snowshoe or skin 2.5 miles and gain 1,100 vertical feet as you summit Waterville Valley Ski Area on ski trails and descend again. teamampactive.com

14 | Pico Skimo, Pico Mountain Join the Endurance Society for their annual skimo race on Pico Mountain. Choose between a single climb at 2,000 feet of vertical gain and three different climbs totaling 6,000 feet of vertical gain. Alpine touring, telemark and splitboard divisions recognized. endurancesociety.org 14 | The Lake Placid Loppet, Mt. Van Hoevenberg Challenge yourself in a 25K or 50K race on the challenging Nordic ski trails at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, home to the 1980 Olympic games and a stunning Nordic ski facility in the heart of the Adirondacks. mtvanhoevenberg.com 15 | Skimo Challenge Mon Sainte-Anne, Quebec Choose from a variety of course lengths and categories in this celebrated skimo race hosted by Skimo East on the steeps at Mont Sainte-Anne in Quebec. skimoeast.com 16 | Winter Wild Uphill Race at Crotched Mountain, Bennington, N.H. Run, ski or snowshoe 2.5 miles up Crotched Mountain Ski Area on ski trails, to gain 850 feet. teamampactive.org

HALF

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21 | Bread Loaf Citizens’ Nordic Race, Ripton Rikert Nordic Center hosts this storied 5K race for the traditional prize: a Loaf of Bread. There will be a lollipop race for youngsters three to six. Costumes (or spandex) are highly recommended and this year there will be a fat tire fun ride.

Catch the post-race barbecue and fun. rikertnordic.com 21 | Something Bigger, Sunday River, Maine Head to Sunday River for this USSMAsanctioned skimo race, the seventh in the NE Rando Race Series. Expect a two-circuit competitive course with a recreational option that skips the bootpack portion of the race. nerandorance.blogspot.com 21 | Craftsbury Spring Fling, Craftsbury Common Race a 30K, a 15K or a 3-4K start for BKL racers (8th grade and younger). All races are freestyle with a mass start at Craftsbury Outdoor Center. nensa.net 22 | New England Nordic Club Relay Championships, Craftsbury Common Craftsbury Outdoor Center hosts a citizens race series, with a 30K freestyle mass start, 15K freestyle mass start and 3 to 4 kilometer freestyle mass start for BKL aged competitors (8th grade and younger). nensa.net

Sign up at MiddleburyMapleRun.com

ALPINE SKIING/RIDING JACKJUMPING MARCH 1 | Jack Jump World Championships, Mount Snow Dual slalom race for the best time. Speed, great racing and great crashes await those brave enough to race down the slopes on homemade sleds. mountsnow.com 7 | 2nd Annual Redneck Racing Slalom Showdown, Richmond Head to Cochran’s Ski Area to race in a single pole dual slalom format in a full day of fun competition, where anyone from six to 67-year-olds can test themselves against some of the best skiers in the country. redneck-racing.com

DON’T MISS

VERMONT’S SWEETEST

HALF MARATHON, RELAY & 3-MILE FUN RUN

Maple syrup for all finishers

Sunday, May 3, 2020

USATF-certified course on trail, paved and dirt roads

34 VTSPORTS.COM | MARCH/APRIL 2020

7-8 | Adirondack Backcountry Ski Festival, Keene Valley, N.Y. A weekend-long celebration of all things ADK backcountry skiing, with demos, instructional clinics, backcountry tours, talks by guest athletes and plenty of good food and drink. Hosted by The Mountaineer. mountaineer.com/ski-fest

13 | The Vermont Open, Stratton Celebrate all things snowboarding with this competition designed by snowboarders for snowboarders, featuring a rail jam, retro pipe all snow and two-day banked slalom on the slopes of Stratton Mountain Resort. stratton. com/things-to-do/events/the-vermont-ope 13 | Rope-a-thon, Richmond Support affordable skiing at Cochran’s Ski Area by skiing as many runs as you can on the rope tow, with the goal of skiing 2 million vertical feet as a team by the end of the day. That’s 4,000 total runs. Enjoy food

by Hatchet and beer by Frost beer works. cochranskiarea.com 15 | 7th Bolton Valley Celebration & Apres Ski, Bolton Join the Vermont Land Trust and Friends of Bolton Valley Nordic & Backcountry for an afternoon of exploring the conserved lands at Bolton Valley by ski and snowshoe tours.

Followed by a catered apres-ski party. vlt.org/event/bolton-valley-ski-snowshoe 17 | St. Patrick’s Day Lift Ticket Deal, Mount Snow Mount Snow will be selling $17 lift tickets for this day only online exclusively, and hosting live music on Main Street during the day. mountsnow.com/tickets-passes 21 | 8th Annual 24 Hours of Stratton, Stratton A one-of-a-kind opportunity to ski or ride around the clock on Stratton’s temporarily lit trails over the course of a weekend. A ski and ride party with live music, fireworks and a parade. stratton.com/things-to-do/events/24hours-of-stratton 28 | Spring Fling & Pond Skim, Stratton Head to Stratton for some of the most fun spring skiing events of the season, including the annual pond skim and party. stratton. com/things-to-do/events/pond-skim 28 | Marchdi Gras & Villagefest, Stratton Pond skim from 12-2 p.m. and then head to the Green Door Pub Marchdi Gras Deck Bar Party, followed by an afternoon of live music all over the Village. stratton.com/things-todo/events/marchdi-gras

RUNNING/HIKING/ SNOWSHOEING MARCH 1 | Nor’easter Merck Forest Ultra, Rupert The second annual Merck Forest Snowshoe Ultra: Run or walk a 25K or 50K snowshoe course at Merck Forest. netrailruns.com

6 | The Taylor Series: Building a FourSeason Hut Network in the Green Mountains, Richmond Vermont Huts Association Executive Director R.J. Thompson discusses the organization’s plans to create a backcountry hut network for year-round public access. greenmountainclub.org 7 | Winter Trails Day, Waterbury Center Green Mountain Club leaders offer guided group hikes around the Green Mountains, winter skills workshops, snowshoe demos, kids’ activities and more, plus a campfire and s’mores, followed by an after-party. greenmountainclub.org 14 | Lucky Leprechaun 5K, St. Johnsbury A mostly flat out-and-back 5K that starts and ends at the St. Johnsbury Welcome Center. campscui.active.com 14 | 7th Annual Shiver Me Shamrocks 5k Run/Walk, Rutland Kick off St. Patrick’s by running or walking to benefit Come Alive Outside. facebook. com/shivermeshamrocks 14 | 3rd Leprechaun Dash 5K/10K, Shelburne Race to the pot of gold at the finish line in your best green running clothes in this early season road race. racevermont.com 21 | Bluff Mountain Snowshoe, East Charleston Northwoods Stewardship Center hosts a guided three-mile round-trip snowshoe trek to the summit of Bluff Mountain, with views of Island Pond. northwoodscenter.org 22 | 41st Kaynor’s Sap Run, Westford Run a 10k out and back on muddy, hilly country roads through rural Westford, starting from the elementary school. Hosted

by Green Mountain Athletic Association. gmaa.run/schedule/kaynors-sap-run/

APRIL 11 | Half Marathon Unplugged, Burlington Run along the Burlington Bike Path in a very flat but very scenic half marathon race. runvermont.org 11 | Spring Fling 5K/10K, Shelburne Walk or run a 5k or run a 10K around scenic Shelburne and back to a pancake breakfast with fresh, local maple syrup. racevermont. com/event/spring-fling-5k-10k/ 18 | 42nd Rollin' Irish Half Marathon, Essex Center Explore the scenic, rolling, mostly dirt backroads of Essex in this half marathon running race. gmaa.run

25 | 46th Paul Mailman 10-Miler and 5K, Montpelier Run a race that starts and ends on the Montpelier High School track and features a flat to rolling out-and-back course. cvrunners.org 25 | 5th Pittsford Trail Run, Pittsford Run or walk a 5K on the Pittsford trails at the local recreation area to benefit the Pittsford Recreation Department. pittsfordvermont.com 25 | 13th Springfield Dam Walk & Fun Run, Springfield Support the local food shelf and other charities when you compete in the half-mile fun run or the four mile race. springfielddamrun.com 26 | Sleepy Hollow Mountain Race, Huntington Run a challenging 10K mountain/trail race on a combination of wide, mowed cross country ski trails and singletrack. Part of the USATF New England Mountain Running Series. There will be a burrito bar at the finish. sleepyhollowmtnrace.com 26 | 42nd Sap Run, St. Albans Join the Vermont Maple Festival with an 8.5-mile road race from Swanton Library to St. Albans. Part of the Franklin County Triple Crown events. stalbansrec.com

A trail and dirt road half marathon fundraiser from Craftsbury to Jasper Hill.

June 6 | craftsburybeerrun.com/VTS 1st pour and picnic included with entry.

© John Lazenby

26 | Dream Big 5K: Run, Walk, Roll, Essex A community 5K, 1K and fun run for folks of all ages and abilities. Runners, walkers, wheelchairs, power mobility and hand cycle athletes are welcome. runsignup.com/ Race/VT/Essex/DreamBig5kWalkRunRoll 28 | Mutt Strutt, Waterbury Central Vermont Runners hosts a threemile race for dogs and their owners for the 24th year in a row at Little River State Park. cvrunners.org April 30-May 9 | Peak Races Bloodroot Ultra, Pittsfield Run 500, 200, 100, 50 or 10 miles on the Green Mountain Trails, or run a 50K or a 200-mile relay race on the same network. Each event has its own start date.

This ultramarathon will run you ragged. peakraces.com

MAY 3 | Middlebury Maple Run, Middlebury Run a USTAF-certified half marathon and two-person relay and a three-mile fun run on beautiful, scenic routes with views of the Green Mountains and Adirondacks on a mix of trail, dirt and paved roads. Catch live music on-course, a post-race pancake breakfast and maple syrup nips for all finishers. middleburymaplerun.com

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MARCH/APRIL 2020 | VTSPORTS.COM 35

3 | Run/Walk for Jim 5K and Kids’ Races, St. Albans Run a 5K on a scenic loop through picturesque St. Albans and race to win an apple pie. Walkers are also welcome. runforjimbashaw.com

17 | Vermont Sun Half Marathon, 5K & 10K, Salisbury Run a stunning road race of along the shores of Lake Dunmore from Branbury State Park, just south of Middlebury. vermontsuntriathlonseries.com.

9 | Adamant Half Marathon & Relay, Adamant Run a scenic figure-eight course on 90 percent dirt roads and hills through Calais and East Montpelier. Run the full half marathon or share the fun with a partner in the relay. cvrunners.org

20 | Maple Leaf Marathon, Springfield Run eight laps of a 3.3-mile course for a full marathon or four laps for a half marathon. newenglandchallenge.com/maple-leafmarathon

9 | 11th Spring into Health 5K, Townshend This year’s Mother’s Day weekend race, is hosted by Grace Cottage Hospital on a relatively flat course. gracecottage.org 10 | Persist 5K, Burlington Walk or run a beautiful 5K along the shore of Lake Champlain to support the Vermont Women’s Fund. persist5k.com 16 | The Dandelion Run, Derby Run a half marathon, a 6.2-mile race, a four-mile race, a two-mile race or a onemile walk or run on a hilly, thigh-burning course that winds past farms and through forest on dirt roads and through uncut fields filled with dandelions. Hosted by Kingdom Games. kingdomgames.co

22 nd Annual Paddlefest and Outdoor Expo!

Saratoga Springs • April 25 & 26 Old Forge • May 15, 16 & 17 America’s Largest On-Water Canoe, Kayak, SUP, Outdoor Gear, Clothing & Footwear Sale!

16 | Pump it Up 5-Miler, Jericho Run a rolling out-and-back five-mile race on Old Pump Road. gmaa.run 16 | Barre Town Spring Run, Barre Central Vermont Runners hosts a friendly race to benefit the Barre Town Recreation Department. cvrunners.org 16 | The Road to the Pogue, Woodstock Run a 6.1-mile race in Marsh-BillingsRockefeller National Historic Park on rolling, green carriage roads with stunning views. roadtothepogue.com 16 | Champlain Bridge 5K, Crown Point, N.Y. Run from the Crown Point State Historic Site with the La Chute Running Club in this 5K cross country race on the trails and dirt roads at Crown Point. lachute.us 16 | 7th Craft Brew Races, Stowe Run a scenic 5k to a craft beer festival featuring beer from more than 40 Vermont breweries, food and live music. craftbrewraces.com

MountainmanOutdoors.com OLD FORGE (315) 369-6672 • SARATOGA SPRINGS (518) 584-0600

36 VTSPORTS.COM | MARCH/APRIL 2020

17 | Race Around the Lake, Barnard Walk or run a 5K or run a 10K around Silver Lake. The course is on wooded trails, back roads and scenic footpaths with views of the Silver Lake. barnarts.org

23 | Timberlane Dental Group Mini Marathon, Burlington Head to the Waterfront Park for RunVermont’s 19th annual marathon and relays for runners ages 4-14. The event includes a half-mile and one-mile fun run.

The kick-off is a two-mile race. runvermont.org/mini-marathon 24 | Vermont City Marathon & Relay, Burlington More than 7,500 runners and 20,000 spectators come for the marathon and relay—the second largest marathon in New England. Run around the scenic Queen City in a full, half or relay. runvermont.org

JUNE 2 | Run/Walk for Mental Health 5K: 50 States/50 Days, Burlington Walk or run a non-competitive event from Red Rocks Park to raise awareness and understanding for mental illness. fivefiftyfifty.com/race-series/ 4 | 24th Kids’ Track Meet, Barre Central Vermont Runners hosts a kids’ track meet free to all Central Vermont kids ages preschool through 6th grade at Spaulding High School. cvrunners.org 6 | Craftsbury Beer Run Craftsbury Common Craftsbury Outdoor Center presents this point to point trail and dirt road half marathon from the Craftsbury Outdoor Center to Jasper Hill Farm. The hilly course runs through working fields and forests to an after-party with some great Vermont food. craftsburybeerrun.com 6 | 43rd Capital City Stampede, Montpelier Central Vermont Runners hosts a 10K road race from downtown Montpelier on a course that is flat, fast and out-and-back. cvrunners.org 6 | Causeway 5K, 10K & 15K Race, Colchester Run from Airport Park and follow a gravel trail out onto the historic Colchester Causeway before turning around to run back on a r flat course. colchestervt.gov

7 | 29th Covered Bridges Half Marathon, Pomfret Support local charities as you run a beautiful half marathon that utilizes several covered bridges as it winds from Suicide Six Ski Area to Quechee. Don’t miss the prerace pasta supper on Saturday. cbhm.com 7 | 10K Milk Run, Enosburg Falls Part of the Franklin County Triple Crown, this is a 6.2-mile loop race along the Missisquoi River with moderate hills, offering scenic views in the heart of Vermont dairy country. vermontdairyfestival.com 20 | 19th Basin Harbor 5K & 10K, Vergennes Run a spectacular summer 5K or 10K race along the grounds of the Basin Harbor Club against the backdrop of the Adirondack mountains and Lake Champlain. racevermont.com 20 | West River Trail Run, Londonderry & Jamaica Run or walk 11 miles from the Londonderry Depot to Jamaica State Park on the West River Trail. There are also a relay option and a 5K. thecollaborative.us 20 | NH-VT Covered Bridges Half Marathon, Colebrook, N.H. Choose a half-marathon, a 16.2-mile race or a 5K, all on the same scenic course in Vermont and New Hampshire. Food and live music at the finish. nhvthalfmarathon.com 21 | 10th Equinox Trail Race, Charlotte Try out some new terrain in a fun, yet challenging trail run through fields, singletrack and old sugar wood roads followed by a post-race barbecue. gmaa.run 27 | Catamount Ultra, Stowe Run a 25K or 50K trail race on wide, hard-packed dirt trails that roll through highland pastures and hardwood forest at Trapp Family Lodge Outdoor Center. The 50K course is two laps on the 25K course. catamountultra.com

JULY 6-11 | Spartan Death Race, Pittsfield This adventure race bills itself as the most difficult race in the world. In 2018, racers faced 3,000 burpees, an overnight trek over Bloodroot Gap, a 30,000-foot rope pull and set a Guinness World Record for a 12-hour crawl under barbed wire. peakraces.com 25 | Champlain Island Fun Run, South Hero A farm-fresh adventure for the fit foodie, this 5K/10K /1 mile run by Farm to Fork Fitness starts at Snow Farm Vineyard and ends there with wine tasting and delicious food trucks. farmtoforkfitness.com

BIKING/FATBIKING MARCH 8 | Ski, Snowshoe or Fat Bike to the Clouds, Gorham, N.H. Great Glen Trails hosts a 10K ski, shoe or fatbike up the Mt. Washington Auto Road. greatglentrails.com 12-13 | Eira Fatbiking Experience with Analog, Poultney Ride the 25 miles from Analog headquarters to Hunting Camp. Ditch gear there to explore the surrounding trails, spend the night at camp and bike back out on Sunday for beers back in town. analogcycles.com 14 | 1st Grafton Fatbike Bash, Grafton Head to Grafton Trails and Outdoor Center and “Ride a Fatty for St. Paddy.” Check out youth activities, skill clinics in fatbiking, a fatbike rodeo and awesome bike demos. facebook.com/events/417696018896174/ 21 | Analog’s Fifth Season Ramble, Poultney Ride 50 or 25 miles as a group along dirt roads through the Slate Valley with stops at local sugar houses for some fresh Vermont maple syrup. analogcycles.com 22 | Vermont Overland Maple Adventure Ride, Brownsville Head to the trails at Mt. Ascutney for what Vermont Overland promises will be the “hardest 25 miles you’ve ever done,” in this epic gravel season opener. After-party at Brownsville Butcher & Pantry. bikereg.com/vomar

APRIL 17-18 | Rasputitsa Spring Classic, Burke Catch live music and revelry on Friday night. Then, charge on Saturday morning for 40 miles of racing and 4,500 feet of climbing on Class IV roads, with plenty of snowy sections and a great after-party. rasputitsagravel.com 25 | Muddy Onion Spring Classic, Montpelier Onion River Outdoors hosts this mud season gravel grinder on the amazing dirt roads of Central Vermont with a 36.9-mile route and a 21.3-mile route, and categories for singlespeeds, fatbikes, kids and an open category. Stick around for the party at Onion River Outdoors with beer and food. onionriver.com 25 | Fellowship of the Wheel Season Blast-Off Party at Switchback Brewing, Burlington Celebrate the start of the 2020 mountain biking season with updates on trail projects, followed by live music. fotwheel.org

MARCH/APRIL 2020 | VTSPORTS.COM 37

MAY

W H E R E VE R M O N T E ATS P I Z Z A

2 | 13th Annual Waterbury Gravel Grinder, Waterbury Join the Waterbury Trails Alliance for a rugged gravel grinder, featuring a 40-mile or a 25-mile course on a mixture of dirt roads and other trails. waterburytrails.com 3 | 3rd Annual Cranko de Mayo, Waitsfield Join Mad River Riders, Lawson’s and Sugarbush for a gravel grinder featuring a 32-mile course with 3,900 feet of vertical gain, two-ish covered bridges, Class IV roads, a few trails and plenty of classic Vermont scenery. Look out for chocolatecovered bacon at the aid station. vmba.org 4-5 | Annual Skirack Bike Swap, Burlington Find great deals on bicycles and bicycle components, trailers, wheels, roof racks and more. Gear will be accepted for take-in from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon., April 29 to 7 p.m.

Fri., May 3. Swap hours: Sat. from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. skirack.com/bike-swap

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16 | 4th Annual Richard’s Ride, Cochran’s Ski Area The Richard Tom Foundation hosts a day of just about every type of riding, with mountain bike trail rides, road rides from 15 to 70 miles in length and more. New for 2020, there will also be a gravel ride. richardtomfoundation.com 16 | Crank the Kanc Hillclimb, Conway, N.H. This annual trial hillclimb is up the Kancamangus Highway and through the White Mountains. The race is 21.3 miles long with about 2,340 feet of elevation gain. mwvbicyclingclub.org 19 | 4th Annual Guilford Gravel Grinder (G3), Guilford 545 Velo hosts the fourth iteration of this 40mile course featuring 4,800 feet of elevation gain, with 93 percent of the riding falling on dirt roads. Bring a bike with tires that are 28-35mm or wider in width. bikereg.com/ guilford-gravel-grinder-the-g3 24 | Coyote Hill Classic NECS XC Series Race, West Fairlee Coyote Hill Mountain Bike Camp hosts a cross country mountain bike race series on its trail system. bikereg.com/coyote-hillclassic-mtb-race-root-66-series0

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38 VTSPORTS.COM | MARCH/APRIL 2020

JUNE 7 | Tour de Heifer, Dummerston Choose between a 15-, 30- or 60-mile road ride on dirt roads with minimal pavement.

All routes will begin and end at Bunker Farm. strollingoftheheifers.com/tour

12 | Analog Cycles 4x4 Ride, East Poultney Ride 40 miles on Class 4 roads, regular dirt roads and a whole lot of stuff in-between.

This is a serious adventure ride at a casual pace followed by camping and a bonfire at the off-the-grid Analog Cycles shop. analogcycles.com 12-14 | Tour de Kingdom, Newport Kingdom Games hosts three days of fully supported cycling on scenic backroads of the Northeast Kingdom and Eastern Townships of Quebec. Ride Around the Lake (Memphemagog) on Friday in an 80mile ride. Try “The Moose” on Sat., a 103mile untimed event. On Sun., ride 45, 54 or 73 miles past scenic lakes. kingdomgames.co/june-tour 14 | The Ranger, Tunbridge Ride 38, 18 or two-to-five miles in this epic gravel riding celebration. The 38-mile gravel enduro race is a loop of dreamy hardpacked dirt roads sprinkled with minimally maintained Class IV riding. Postride “Party in the Pasture” with craft beer, local food and live tunes. therangervt.com 20 | 100/200, A Vermont Double Century, North Troy First ridden in 1984, the 100/200 spans Vermont, north to south, following scenic Route 100. The first 100 miles roll by fairly quickly, but save your reserves, as the big climbs kick in during the second half of the ride, culminating in the 12-mile Mt. Snow climb. 100-200.org 20 | VTMonster Gravel Grinder, Ludlow Ride 77, 50 or 22 miles of stunning and rugged gravel starting from Okemo Mountain Resort. The 50-miler course includes about 5,000 feet of climbing and the 77-miler features over 9,000 feet of climbing. vtmonster.com 20 | Vermont Adaptive Charity Ride, Killington Ride 100-, 60- or 40-mile loops on paved roads through the Green Mountains, or take on the 20-mile or family loops for a fun outing. New for this year is a 17-mile gravel ride with 1,800 feet of climbing. All rides end at a barbecue with live music at Long Trail Brewing Company charityride.vermontadaptive.org 27 | RAS Gravel Adventure, Peru Ride 40 miles on 88 percent gravel and Class IV roads with 4,000 feet of climbing, four pave sections, departing from Wild Wings Nordic Center. support4shane.com 27 | Vermont Gran Fondo, Bristol Test yourself on this ridiculously challenging mountainous road race with o a 108-mile ride, a 65-mile ride, a 77-mile ride and a 39-mile ride. vermontgranfondo.org

28 | Central Vermont Cycling Tour Gravel Grinder, Montpelier Choose a 13.6-mile ride on gentle terrain, a 33.75-mile more challenging ride, or a 59-mile gravel grinder with 6,000 feet of elevation gain. crossvermont.org

JULY 10 | The Dirty Project, Norwich Choose between a 51-mile ride with 5,900 feet of elevation gain and a 101-mile ride with 11,000 feet of elevation gain.

As many as 80 of those miles are on unpaved dirt roads. thedirtyproject.org 11 | The Prouty, Hanover, N.H. Ride 20, 35, 50, 77 or 100 miles on roads in the Upper Valley or tackle a 70K or 100K gravel ride. dhmc.convio.net/ 18 -19| Farm to Fork Fondo, South Hero Stunning lake and mountain views, quaint villages, quiet meandering roads, fresh and fantastic local foods—this is the Farm to Fork Fondo. Ride 9, 27, 55 or 75 miles with aid stations at farms of the Champlain Islands and a meet-thefarmers gourmet dinner. farmtoforkfitness.com 18 | Raid Lamoille, Craftsbury Ride 50-plus miles mostly on hardpacked gravel with some major climbs along the way through stunning farm country. There is also a 25-mile ride. Both are followed by a great party. raidlamoille.com

AUGUST 1 | The Point to Point, Powered by VSECU, Montpelier Get on your bike or pull on your running shoes and register for a century, half-century or 25-mile road ride, a 40-mile gravel grinder or a half-marathon run from the statehouse lawn to fight hunger in Vermont. thepointtopoint.org 1 | Tour de Slate, Middletown Springs Ride 100 miles, a metric century, 36 miles, 23 miles or take an eight-mile roll on the rail trail in this community fundraiser to support Teen Challenge Vermont. tourdeslate.org 2 | Rooted Vermont, Richmond Ride 48 or 82 miles of stunning gravel roads, Class IV paths with rugged climbing, including Lincoln Gap. All rides depart from Cochran’s Ski Area and end there, at an epic feast of an after-party with live music, local food and beer. rootedvermont.com

MULTISPORT & WATERSPORT/OTHER MARCH Feb. 28-March 1 | Memphremagog Winter Swimming Festival, Newport Choose your distance and stroke for this cold weather and cold water swimming festival in a lap lane carved out of Northeast Kingdom ice. Distances range from 25m to 200m. kingdomgames.co

APRIL 4 | Berkshire Highlands Pentathlon, Charlemont, Mass.

Compete solo or as a team to complete five events in a day: a 4.2-mile road/trail run, a 16-mile cycling leg, a two-mile kayak, a two-mile obstacle run, a mile hike to the top of the mountain and a downhill ski to the finish. berkshirehighlandsevents.com 11-12 | 12th Otter Creek Classic Fly Fishing Tournament, Middlebury Green Mountain Adventures hosts this annual catch and release, fly fishing only event. The tournament includes fishing, a banquet with fellow anglers and film screenings. mmvt.com 11 | New Haven Ledges Race, Bristol Advanced whitewater paddlers take on the 1.3 miles of boulder gardens, waterfalls and Class IV and V rapids in this classic race and celebration of Vermont whitewater. facebook.com/NewHavenRace

15-17 | Annual Adirondack Paddlefest, Old Forge Find your next dream vessel at this outdoor expo, where you can demo and shop from over 1,000 canoes, kayaks, SUPs and more. Gear and company experts will be on-hand to help with sizing and fit. mountainmanoutdoors.com

JUNE 6-7 | Vermont Paddlers’ Club Novice Clinic, Waterbury Head to Waterbury Reservoir with your boat for a two-day clinic where you will learn basic paddling skills and how to roll a kayak, then head out on the Winooski River to run rapids and learn to read a river. vtpaddlers.net 7 | Onion River Race & Ramble, Bolton A 10.5 mile paddle from Bolton to Richmond on the Winooski River that attracts serious racers and recreational paddlers alike. New to paddling? Take a recreational paddling class hosted that day. After, head to Richmond Town park for lunch and live music. winooskiriver.org

23-26 | Riverfest, Hanover, N.H. The Ledyard Canoe Club hosts a weekend of whitewater boating, with the Mascoma River Slalom race, the Wells River Ramble, a wild and Scenic Film Festival screening and an epic Riverfest party. ledyardcanoeclub.org

21 | Winni Slalom, Northfield, N.H. Live music, whitewater clinics, beer, free morning yoga, food and camping right in town and two days of whitewater races. Don’t miss the Winni Slalom on Saturday, a race through suspended slalom gates and Class II rapids on the Winnipesaukee River. nessrace.com

25-26 | Annual Saratoga Paddlefest and Outdoor Expo, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Demo, test or shop for your next vessel from over 1,000 canoes, kayaks and SUPs, all on sale in America’s largest on-water canoe, kayak and SUP demo and sale. mountainmanoutdoors.com

26-27 | Deerfield Festival Weekend, Charlemont, Mass.

American Whitewater and Zoar Outdoor host a whitewater and demofest showcasing paddlesports. Raise funds, enjoy live music, drink beer and get out on the river. americanwhitewater.org

25 | Upper Ashuelot Canoe & Kayak Race, Keene, N.H. Race a 13-mile flatwater pro course with portage and upstream sections or an amateur course that is five miles long with no portage on the Ashuelot River. neckra.org

27 | Mohawk Trail Charlemont Downriver Canoe and Kayak Race, Charlemont, Mass.

Run a stretch of Class I & II rapids to paddle nearly 12 miles starting at the Zoar Picnic Area and continuing to Route 2 near Crab Apple. neckra.org

26 | Blackwater Slalom, Webster, N.H. Race through suspended gates through Class II and higher rapids on the Blackwater River in N.H. This race is part of the New England Slalom Series. nessrace.com

28 | Brattle Paddle Canoe, Kayak & SUP Race, Brattleboro Enjoy a nine or 3.5-mile flatwater race on the Connecticut and West Rivers to benefit the West River Trail. neckra.org

27 | Nor’Beaster Bud Light Killington Triathlon, Killington Alpine ski, bike and run in this triathlon. Start by skiing the infamous Superstar trail, followed by a 2.5-mile run down Snowshed and a 4.5 mile bike on the golf course at Killington Mountain Resort. killington.com

MAY 3 | Otter Brook Canoe & Kayak Race, Roxbury, N.H. A 5-mile Class III race from the dam on Otter Brook to the Route 12 bridge, just south of Keene. neckra.org 9 | Peavine Whitewater Race, Stockbridge Join the Rochester-Randolph Area Sports Trails Alliance for a new 0-mile whitewater paddling race open to kayakers, canoes and SUPs on the White River for intermediate to experienced paddlers. rastav.org/races 10 | Fiddlehead Slalom, Montpelier For those comfortable with Class II+ rapids, this is a fun whitewater slalom race for canoes and kayaks on the Winooski. nessrace.com/fiddlehead-slalom

MARCH/APRIL 2020 | VTSPORTS.COM 39

27 | Vermont Sun and Lake Dunmore Triathlon— USAT Vermont State Championship Race, Lake Dunmore Swim 600 yards, bike 14 miles and run 3.1 miles in the Vermont Sun Triathlon or try the aqua/bike option, with a 600-yard swim and 14-mile bike ride. Take on a 0.9-mile swim, 28-mile bike ride and 6.2-mile run in the Lake Dunmore Triathlon, the USAT Vermont State Championship Race, which also offers an optional aqua/ bike leg. Both races are on or around Lake Dunmore in Salisbury, starting from Branbury State Park. vermontsuntriathlonseries.com

JULY 11 | The Prouty, Hanover, N.H. Paddle the Connecticut River 2.5 miles to the SAG at Kendal Riverfront Park and then back 2.5 miles to the Ledyard Canoe Club, part of the Prouty. dhmc.convio.net/ 11-12 | Vermont Paddlers’ Club Class II Clinic, Deerfield River, Mass.

A two-day clinic for any paddler who can master a wet exit, good balance, basic paddle strokes, etc. BYO equipment for instruction on the Deerfield River. vtpaddlers.net 19 | Vermont Sun Triathlon and Branbury Classic, Lake Dunmore Take on a 1.5-mile paddle, a 14-mile bike ride and a 3.1-mile run or try the aqua/bike option, with a 1.5-mile paddle and 14-mile bike ride, both on Lake Dunmore in Salisbury. The second event in the Vermont Sun Triathlon series runs the same day, with a 600-yard swim, a 14-mile bike and a 3.1mile swim. vermontsuntriathlonseries.com

26 | 36th Colchester Triathlon, Colchester Join one of the longest-running triathlons in Chittenden County. Swim 500 meters or kayak 1.5 miles, bike 12 miles and run 3 miles. Start at Bayside Beach. colchestertri.com

AUGUST 16 | Vermont Sun and Lake Dunmore Triathlons, Lake Dunmore Swim 600 yards, bike 14 miles, run 3.1 miles in the Vermont Sun Triathlon or try the aqua/bike option, with a 600-yard swim and 14-mile bike ride. Take on a 0.9-mile swim, 28-mile bike ride and 6.2-mile run in the Lake Dunmore Triathlon, which also has an optional aqua/bike leg. Both races are on or around Lake Dunmore in Salisbury, starting from Branbury State Park. vermontsuntriathlonseries.com

DAM RELEASES MAY West River Dam Release, Jamaica, Vt. May 2-3 | Sept. 19-20 Celebrate one of two seasonal dam releases at the Ball Mountain Dam at Jamaica State Park. Shuttle service is provided for those who run the Class II-Class IV stretches of the West River. vtstateparks.com Deerfield River | #5 Station Dam, Monroe, Mass.

A mile south of the Vermont-Mass border, the Deerfield flows between 900 cfs and 2,000 cfs. Releases are scheduled for May 23-24; June 14, 20-21, 26-28; July 3-5, 10-11, 19, 25-26; Aug. 1-2, 8, 16, 21-22, 28-30; Sept. 5-6, 12-13, Oct. 3-4, 11. zoaroutdoor.com

Fife Brook | North Adams, Mass.

The Deerfield’s Fife Book section ranges from 700 cfs to 2000 cfs, at which point it becomes class III-IV. Scheduled releases are: April 4, 8-12, 15-19, 22-26; May 9-10, 16-17, 20-24, 27-31; June 13-14, 17-21, 24-28; July 1-5, 8-12,15-19, 25-26, 30-31; Aug. 1-2, 6-9, 13-16, 20-23, 27-30; Sept. 2-6, 9-13, 16-18; Oct. 1-4, 7-11, 14-18. Releases take place from 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. zoaroutdoor.com

SPORTS FILMS & FESTIVALS MARCH

2-3 | Paddling Film Festival, Burlington Outdoor Gear Exchange and the Northern Forest Canoe Trail host an evening of inspiring films about paddling adventures, feats and conservation made in the last year. northernforestcanoetrail.org 5 | Women’s Adventure Film Tour, Burlington Catch an all-star lineup of short films featuring athletes, and more including long-distance hiker Jennifer PharrDavis. Hosted by Outdoor Gear Exchange. gearx.com

APRIL 21 | SMS Summit Series: Wild & Scenic Film Festival, Stratton An evening of films highlighting earth’s beauty and the environmental challenges facing ecosystems and communities across the globe. gosms.org/summit-series

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ENDGAME

A PORTABLE PLACE

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE GREEN MOUNTAINS, OR ANY PIECE OF WILD, THAT STAYS WITH YOU?

BY LEATH TONINO

C

all me an enviro-nerd, but I’m obsessed with trying to see the human relationship with place— with places—from unique angles. Among other things (mountaineering, ancient Chinese poetry, pizza), this effort is what excites me, what turns me on.

So it was big news recently when, at the library, in a book, I stumbled upon a “version” of the Green Mountains that, while not new or original, is nonetheless fresh and useful. Specifically, what I stumbled on was the notion of portable places, i.e. specific terrains that travel with us: in our memories, our hearts— who knows how it all works.

For my part, I merely know that it does work, that once a bond has been established, a soulful connection forged, you can thereafter journey to the ends of the earth (I once worked in Antarctica, at the South Pole) yet still feel some certain special stretch of ground—the Greens in my case, especially the spine linking Mansfield to Mt. Abe—humming nearby.

Better yet, you can feel that certain special stretch of ground closer than nearby. You can feel it humming literally inside of you.

A compelling example (this is what I stumbled on at the library, what brought the notion of portable places into focus for me) is on display in Grizzly Years, a memoir authored by Doug Peacock, arguably our continent’s premier bear conservationist/interpreter/advocate/ enthusiast. Friend of Ed Abbey, model for the character Hayduke in Abbey’s classic novel of ecosabotage The Monkey Wrench Gang, Peacock (who is himself a round, lumbering, ursine fellow) was a Green Beret medic in Vietnam, a witness to unspeakable horrors.

42 VTSPORTS.COM | MARCH/APRIL 2020

Why discuss Lewis Creek and the Champlain Basin when this creek, right at your toes, jumps in the sun?

Throughout his tour of muddy, bloody, ugly, nightmarish duty, he carried in his pocket a small creased topographic map of the Yellowstone backcountry— its valleys and streams and meadows and peaks and forests and canyons, its wildness and goodness, its familiarity, its mystery.

This two-dimensional representation, this micro-image of his favorite landscape, kept Peacock sane. It was a talisman, a shield, a safety blanket. It was a trusted brother during the dark, sweaty, terrifying jungle nights. And here’s my hunch: even had it molded to pieces, had it rotted away, the map still would have been with him, been in him, because its contour lines were inked… hmm... onto his memory, his heart?

Again, who knows.

Reading of Peacock and his cherished map, his portable place, I was reminded of a childhood pal of mine, a guy I’ve known since tykehood. Brad resides in Denver these days, and while he definitely enjoys the career that brought him west, his distaste for urban existence (read: his yearning for a quiet, rural life on a dirt road in the Greens) is hardly hidden, hardly hideable. We came of age together in the Vermont backcountry: some of our first legit backpacking

experiences unfolded side by side on the Long Trail, many of our early forays into ice climbing were made on a shared rope in Duxbury and Bolton, large quantities of whisky were consumed in the glow of bonfires at various lean-tos, etc. Moose encounters, grueling marches, gutting fish in the rain, a canoe bending around a rock… the place got in us, deep.

This rich shared history—a history of our friendship not only with each other, but also with Vermont, a kind of tripartite friendship—returned to me as I read Grizzly Years, and it was accompanied by another anecdote.

A few summers ago, for old times’ sake, for the less-than-sober joy of it, Brad and I rendezvoused in the Rockies: set a camp, sat beside a jumpy creek, drank a lot of beer, reminisced for hours nonstop. In some of the stories that got told that weekend, we were both main characters (Camel’s Hump bivy, Lincoln Gap debauchery), while in a handful Brad was solo or I was solo or we were adventuring with different partners.

Every story, though, was invariably about the tangled hills, the schist ledges, the ferns, the clouds, the hailstorms, the cold snaps, the moods of our natal habitat, or original home.

Sitting there beside the stream, some 2,000 miles from Burnt Rock Mountain and the Winooski River—from the source of our friendship, the elemental foundation of it—the Greens sprang alive in my mind, or maybe in the space between our two minds. Somebody else might not note anything interesting going on here (two buds tipping beers, spinning yarns about past times, past landscapes, past camps), but for me, given my obsession with the various ways that humans relate to places, I find

it fascinating.

You could knock us for being nostalgic, for shutting out the present moment and retreating into the past, even for denying Colorado the attention it deserves: Why discuss Lewis Creek and the Champlain Basin when this creek, right at your toes, jumps in the sun?

Well, sure. Of course. But you could also detect in this behavior, this conjuring of Vermont’s toponyms and textures, the force of place, the manner by which it forces itself into us (our memories? our hearts?), and the persistence with which it follows us wherever we go, no matter how far. You could note how place is portable, and how that portability is a kind of magic, and how magic is a gift.

Where was Peacock at the moment when the bullets raced overhead in Vietnam and his hand rose to graze the pocket harboring his Yellowstone map?

And where, exactly, were Brad and I, cracking another round, raising a toast, laughing aloud?

Were we in Colorado, in Vermont, in both at once? Were we in that inner place, that memory-terrain, that heartlandscape? Call me an enviro-nerd, but my theory is that Vermont was sitting there with us, hanging out, three old pals, as ever.

Yes, the portable place, the magic.

If it were possible to leap backward to that weekend, that camp, I’d reach into the cooler’s icy slush, pause, and ask the Greens what they preferred—IPA or oatmeal stout?

Leath Tonino is a freelance writer from the Champlain Valley and the author of two essay collections about the outdoors, most recently The West Will Swallow You.

REGISTER ONLINE TODAY www.thepointtopoint.org

Hunger is a real problem in Vermont, where one in four people struggle to find adequate food.

The good news is that you can help.

Get on your bike or pull on your running shoes and register for this year’s Point to Point, powered by VSECU—a riding and running event that raises funds and awareness for the Vermont Foodbank’s mission to end hunger in Vermont.

The Point to Point includes century, metric-century, and 25-mile road rides; a 40-mile gravel grinder; and a half-marathon trail run. Participants, volunteers, and community members are welcome to join the P2P Festival, which includes food, live music, a Family Fun Zone, and plenty of Harpoon Beer!

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