Calendar

VERMONT’S TURNING OUT SOME GREAT NEW GEAR FOR WINTER. HERE ARE SOME NEW FAVORITES THAT ARE GETTING US OUTDOORS.

Best Backcountry Skiing in the Northeast Fischer Aerolite

Coyote Provisions Quilted Shirt Jacket

Floss-o-Fur neckwarmer

BEE WARM

A new product out of Middlebury, VT with a great story behind it is the Floss-o-Fur neckwarmer. Mike Kiernan, an emergency physician at Porter Hospital and his family have been working to increase Vermont’s pollinator population through a nonprofit, Bee the Change. One of the things Bee the Change does is to encourage planting species such as milkweed, whose leaves Monarch butterflies rely on to raise their young. Kiernan and his daughter Emily hit on the idea of using the feathery floss from wild-harvested Vermont milkweed pods as insulation, a replacement for goose down with similar insulating properties but less allergenic. As an Indiegogo project, Floss-o-Fur has already more than doubled its goal and is offering its vegan neckwarmers in six patterns, starting at $40. Every neckwarmer sold goes to fund 180 square feet of pollinator habitat.

CHECK OUT THIS NEW VT BRAND

Another product we love from a new Vermont brand, is Coyote

Provisions Quilted Shirt

Jacket ($89). It’s a warm quilted polyester/cotton (70%/30%) jacket that weigh in at 10 oz. The front snaps easily and the rear stretch panel gives it a tailored look. It can be worn as either a shirt or light jacket over something else. It’s our new go-to layer. Even better, Coyote makes clothes in small batches and source things locally and ethically wherever possible. And every purchase offsets 200 lbs of carbon.

START SKATING LIKE PRO

Skate skiing is a full-body workout that is hard to beat. Fischer has been using air cores (as opposed to foam cores) in its race skis and this year brought that technology down to its recreational Aerolite skate skis. The Fischer Aerolite 60 is the perfect entry into skate skiing and comes with step-in Turnamic bindings (for $269.85, skis and bindings) that are compatible with NNN, Turnamic or Prolink boot soles. Find them at Outdoor Gear Exchange in Burlington. Umiak Outfitters in Stowe or Onion River Sports in Montpelier. Great for: racing laps around the Trapp Family Lodge trails in Stowe or at Rikert Nordic Center in Middlebury —both have snowmaking.

UPGRADE YOUR BACKCOUNTRY BETA

In Best Backcountry Skiing in the Northeast, Waterbury Center’s David Goodman shared 50 of the best backcountry lines he discovered over years of tracing maps and talking with ski pioneers. In the book, he tells the fascinating stories behind them. In December, the second edition came out in paperback ($17.95.) It expands on the first and adds in more secret stashes, along with some of the recent developments in backcountry zones by groups such as the Rochester/Randolph Sport Trails Alliance and Granite Backcountry Alliance. If you own skins and live in Vermont you need this book, considered the Bible of backcountry skiing in the East.

VERMONT SPORTS

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

NOTE THAT COVID-19 MAY IMPACT EVENTS AND DATES SO PLEASE CHECK DIRECTLY WITH ORGANIZERS FOR UPDATES.

RUNNING/HIKING/ SNOWSHOEING

JANUARY

22 | Snowshoe Romp, Montpelier Join Onion River Outdoors' annual snowshoe romp from 6-8pm. Fun, festive and free! Demo snowshoes are available for the 1/2 mile lantern lit loop, along with hot chocolate, ice cream and a warm fire. Come by the old shelter in Hubbard Park and celebrate but please have a face covering, socially distance, and follow the state Covid-19 guidelines. onionriver.com

FEBRUARY

2 | Face Race, Suicide 6, Woodstock

Time to Face It...Our Sixth Annual Snowshoe "Face Race." Enjoy bragging rights that you snowshoed up Suicide Six's famous black diamond trail "The Face" and returned down "Easy Mile". Course distance is approximately 1.5 miles, with 600 vertical feet ascent up "The Face." suicide6.com

27 | Sugarhouse Snowshoe 5K/10K Shelburne

A unique race for competitive athletes as well as more relaxed race walkers. This year with a 10K division. Starting at Shelburne Sugarworks racevermont.com

RACE & EVENT GUIDE

MARCH

14 | Pi Day 3.14 Miler, Burlington

You’re welcome to fun run your own distance for a virtual race or join the race on the 3.14-mile course. runvermont.com

12-13| Snow Devil Ultra Snowshoe

Race, Pittsfield Race anywhere from a 5K to a 100-mile marathon at this ultra event on the Green Mountain Trails. Note: may be postponed again, pending Covid regulation. peak races,com

13| 4th Annual Leprechaun Dash 5K/10K, Shelburne

Race to the pot of gold! Each of our first place overall finishers (all 4 of them), plus one lucky post-race raffle winner will each receive free entries for the 2021 RaceVermont series. racevermont.com

APRIL

10| 14thAnnual Half Marathon

Unplugged, Burlington A single day of racing with start waves of 200 entrants at 30-minute intervals commencing at 8:00AM. The start and finish will be at Waterfront Park and the course will be outand-back along the Burlington Bike Path with a two-mile loop in Colchester midway through the race. runvermont.com

6-15 | Peak Bloodroot, Pittsfied

Race through the rugged foothills of the Green Mountains in the500-miler on Wednesday, a 100-miler on Friday, followed by the 50-miler, 30-miler, 10-miler and kids’ hike on Saturday. peakraces.com

24 | l Paul Mailman 10-Miler and 5K, Montpelier

A race primarily on dirt roads, this race ahs been the Road Runners Club of America 2019 Vermont 10-Mile State Championship and part of the Central Vermont Runners race series. cvrunners.org

MAY

1 | Northeast Kingdom Marathon,

Island Pond A free USATF certified selfsupported half/full marathon designed to support Island Pond – a small former railroad town nestled deep within the Northeast Kingdom. brightonrecreationvt.com

1 | Sap Run, St. Johnsbury Join a 5k run and/or pancake breakfast at the Welcome Center. The Street Festival will be held on Saturday from 10a-3p on Railroad Street.All part of the World Maple Festival. worldmaplefestival.org

8 | Shelburne 5K/10K/Half-Marathon,

Shelburne Brand new for 2021, this is going to be a beautiful half marathon course. Leaving Shelburne Field House, you'll run south past the Shelburne Museum, Meach Cove, vineyards, and orchard, and through some gorgeous countryside before heading back north. Almost entirely on quiet back country roads. Racevermont.com

8 | Adamant Half Marathon and Relay, Adamant

This scenic figure eight course runs past the hills and ponds of Calais and East Montpelier. Part of the Central Vermont Runners race series. cvrunners.org

13 | Road to the Pogue, Woodstock

Race 6.1 miles along the carriage trails of Mount Tom at the Marsh-BillingsRockefeller National Historic Park, paced by Icelandic ponies. roadtothepogue.com

18 | Barre Town Spring Run 5K, Barre

Central Vermont Runners host this race from the Barre Town Recreation facility. cvrunners.org

16 | Vermont Sun Half Marathon, 10K & 5K, Lake Dunmore

Starts and finishes at Branbury State Park on Lake Dunmore, a spectacularly beautiful and pristine place to run. Our courses are mostly shaded. Amenities include digital photos, post race food and music, aid stations every 1.5 miles, custom awards to top 5 overall, top 3 in every 5 year age group, tech shirts, Massage, finishers medals and more. vermontsuntriathlonseries.com

22 | Kingdom Games Dandelion Run, Derby

Choose between a half marathon, a 10K, a four-mile, a two mile, or a one-mile run or walk through the dandelion fields and the hilly but beautiful Northeast Kingdom. kingdomgames.co

JUNE

6 | Covered Bridges Half Marathon, Woodstock

Rrun 13.1 miles through scenic covered bridges around Woodstock, starting at Suicide Six Ski Area. Registration for 2020 deferred runners opens March 29 and for new runners opens April 19. cbhm.com

CENTRAL VERMONT’S PREMIERE SKI SHOP. RUN BY SKIERS, FOR SKIERS. ON THE CORNER OF THE OKEMO ACCESS ROAD. now under one roof

YOUR AT/BACKCOUNTRY EXPERTS

Bootfitting Specialists | Ski Race Service Center 2021 Skis & Boots | Demos, Rentals and Apparel 802-228-2776 | OKEMO Access Rd. | Ludlow, VT | TheBootPro.net 32 VTSPORTS.COM | JAN./FEB. 2021

www.westhillshop.com www.caldwellsport.com 49 Brickyard Lane, Putney VT 802.387.5718

12 | 42nd Annual Capital City Stampede, Montpelier

Central Vermont Runners hosts this 10K road race out and back, half on paved roads and half on dirt. cvrunners.org

29 | 20th Annual Basin Harbor 5K & 10K A 5K and 10K at beautiful Basin Harbor – a spectacular seasonal resort on the shores of Lake Champlain. Racevermont.com

racevermont.com BIKING

FEBRUARY

20 | Winterbike 2021, East Burke

Demo fatbikes, participate in group rides at all levels of experience, attend clinics and more at this epic wintertime celebration of all things fatbiking on the trails of Kingdom Trails. kingdomtrails.org

APRIL

17 | Muddy Onion, Montpelier

Onion River Outdoors puts on the season opener with rides of 36.9 or 21.3 miles and divisions for everythign from fat bikes to singlespeeds. Come for the mud, stay for the BBQ post-ride. onionriver.com

24 | Rasputitsa, East Burke

Rasputitsa is back and it's more than a gravel cycling race. It’s a homegrown self-supported challenge of the mind, body, and soul that instills people with a connected sense of place and purpose. Ride 40k or 100k (there's already a waitlist) on the muddy, icy, gnarly back roads of the NEK Race it or ride it. rasputitsagravel.com

JUNE

11-13 | Bike the Kingdom, Derby

Ffour days of riding: The three-day Tour de Kingdom including The Moose, a 103 mile “timed event” on wide open roads in June and our one-day Fly to Pie, a 26.2 mile “timed event” on mostly dirt roads through “The Gut” of the Kingdomkingdomgames.co

19 | VT Monster, Ludlow This is a challenging course primarily on quiet gravel roads, with plenty of climbing, flowing descents and epic vistas Monster is best attacked with a cyclocross bike, though road, mountain or fat bikes are also capable of handling the courses: 77 and 50 miles of epic and very challenging off-road riding. The 50-miler includes about 5,000 feet of climbing and the 77-miler features over 9,000 feet of climbing. vtmonster.com

27 | Central Vermont Cycling Tour, Montpelier An original gravel grinder, this ride takes you either 15, 30 or 60 miles of scenic country roads. Look forward to great food, convenient rest stops, well marked courses, maple creemees, and hula hoops. All to raise funds to build the Cross Vermont Trail. crossvermont.org.

JULY

16-19 | Farm to Fork Champlain Islands Adventure,

South Hero Ride a guided tour past stunning lake and mountain views, villages, quiet meandering roads, fresh and fantastic local foods—this is Vermont, the heart of the small farm movement. farmtoforkfitness.com

17 | Raid Lamoille, Craftsbury A challenging 25 or 55 mile route that includes a significant amount of packedgravel riding and some major climbing segments. Some would call it a dirt road randonee, others a gravel grinder, we just call it a Raid. This is not a race. 1 | Rooted Vermont, Richmond Join Ted and Laura King for a weekend long celebration of gravel roads, community and all things VT, with necessary Covid precautions in place. Race the long course (82 miles) and 8,000 feet of climbing or go your own pace and do the 48mile short course. And an epic afterparty featuring local foods and brews follows. rootedvermont.com

7 | Tour de Slate, Middletown Springs Ride a regular or metric century, 36 or 25 miles -- or ride the D&H Rail Trail. This is a great way to explore the emerging trails and quiet roads of Slate Valley. tourdeslate.org

7 | Vermont Gran Fondo, Bristol Ride Vermont's infamous four gaps in the Gran Fondo with 130 miles and 11,ooo feet of climbing or opt for an 85 or 40-miler. All will take you over heart-stopping hill climbs with breathtaking views. vermontgranfondo.com

29 | Vermont Overland Grand Prix, Ascutney The Overland is a 50-mile dirt road bicycle race featuring 6,000 feet of climbing, seven sectors of “Vermont pavé” (unmaintained ancient public roads), two well-fortified sag stops, a magnificently scenic route and an awesome party afterwards. It’s the ultimate overland adventure ride. Open dirt roads, amazing scenery and an epic course. vermontoverland.com

SKIING

JANUARY

21 | Influential Women in Snowboarding, Stowe

Zoom in for the Vermont Ski + Snowboard Museum's Red Bench discussion, hosted by Peter Graves. vtssm.com

24 | Women's Ski Day, Woodstock

Woodstock Nordic Center hosts a day of clinics and demos for women. Capped at 50 participants so register ahead. nensa.net

FEBRUARY

27 | Camel’s Hump Challenge, Huntington

A rigorous wilderness 13-mile ski tour and race where backcountry Nordic skiers traverse around the perimeter of 4,083-foot Camel’s Hump to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementia. act.alz.org

MARCH

2 | Kandahar Mountain Race, Mad River Glen

The Kandahar is a race from the top of the mountain to the bottom, over variable terrain incorporating both freeski and alpine racing technique. This event is open to all. madriverglen.com

2 | The Art of the Graphic, Stowe

Zoom in for the Vermont Ski + Snowboard Museum's Red Bench discussion with the people who design ski and snowboard graphics. vtssm.com

WATER & MULTISPORTS

FEBRUARY

6-March 27 | Penguin Plunge, Burlington

Choose a date between February 6 and March 27 to complete their remote plunge. We’re asking all plungers to send us a video of their personal plunge event, to be included in the live stream of the Penguin Plunge celebration on March 27th! penguinplunge.org/burlington/

26 | Vermont Sun Triathlon, Lake Dunmore, Salisbury

Try your hand at the USA Triathlon Vermont State Championships. Swim 1600 yards, bike 28 miles, and tun 6.2 miles. The classic, pristine course starts and finishes at Branbury State Park. Participants swim, bike and run around beautiful Lake Dunmore. Triathlon repeats July 18 and Aug. 15. vermontsuntriathlonseries.com

JULY

26 | Branbury Classic, Lake Dunmore, Salisbury

Paddle 1.5 miles, bike 14 miles, and run 3.1 miles. Our classic, pristime course starts and finishes at Branbury State Park. Participants paddle, bike and run around beautiful Lake Dunmore. vermontsuntriathlonseries.com

TALKS & WORKSHOPS

JANUARY

19 | GearX Talk Nordic, Virtual

Join at 7:30pm on Instagram Live to chat all things nordic skiing: the full spectrum of setups, from classic to skate to XCD and everything in between. Most importantly, we will be answering your questions, so get them ready! @outdoorgearexchange

26 | GearX Talk Backcountry, Virtual

Learn about the full spectrum of setups, from lightas-a-feather skimo to AT and splitboard setups that charge through all types of snow. At 7:30 @ outdoorgearexchange

30, Feb. 27 | Winter Tracking, Bradford

This Roots School class will be predominantly experience based, offering guided ‘dirt time’ in which students (over 16) push their skills in real tracking situations. Expect to cover a lot of snow in any weather conditions and to spend the day in the forests and fields tracking. rootsvt.com