VT’S NEW RECORD BREAKER | WHAT’S NEXT FOR OUR FORESTS? | A CASE FOR FUNDING TRAILS
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care for a decade. And it’s only getting better. We’ve brought you exceptional care for a decade. Southwestern And it’s only Vermont Medical getting Center is now better.
While we’ve been partners for years, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center and Dartmouth Health are coming even closer together to provide better care. As a member hospital, we bring you improved access, upgraded technology and expanded specialty care including cancer treatments, orthopedics and
a member of
heart and vascular care.
Dartmouth Health.
Orthopedics and lead physician at So now, the great care you’ve always received from SVMC will be the 2023 FISU Winter World
Peter Morgan #5 of United States moves the puck against Slovakia during a men’s hockey game at the 2023 FISU World University Games on January 13, 2023 in Potsdam, New York. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/FISU Games)
Southwestern
Ivette Guttmann, MD of SVMC
While we’ve been partners for years, Southwestern Vermont University Games
even All right closeeven to home. Medical Center andbetter. Dartmouth Healthhere, are coming closer
Vermont is Medical This what exceptional looks like. together to provide better care. As a member hospital, we bring
Center is now
you improved access, upgraded technology and expanded
specialty care including cancer treatments, orthopedics and
When more than 2,500 elite athletes from around the world came together to heart and vascular care. a member compete and of push their bodies further than ever at the 2023 FISU Winter World Learn more at svhealthcare.org So now, the greatMedical care you’veCenter’s always received from SVMC will be MD University Games, Southwestern Vermont Ivette Guttmann, Dartmouth Health. even better. All right here, close to home. was right alongside them. Hand-selected for her skills and experience as a sports medicine physician, Guttmann treated and supported athletes, keeping them ready and able to pursue their quest to be exceptional. Learn more at svhealthcare.org
Learn more at svhealthcare.org
SVMC Orthopedics 802-442-6314 Bennington, VT Williamstown , MA svhealthcare.org/ortho
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ON THE COVER: Kori Clement skinning in the Northeast Kingdom. Photo by Mark Clement.
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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.
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A great gift? Support organizations such as Unlikely RIders, which helps members of Vermont’s BIPOC community get into and enjoy mountain sports. Photo courtesy Unlikely Riders
5 The Start
10 Feature
27 Reader Athlete
We may take our trails and Forests for granted, protecting them takes work.
Our guide to gifts and giving that helps our local economy, communities and environment.
Noah Dines is out to break Aaron Rice’s record for the most vertical skied in a year without taking a lift.
The Gift of Outdoor Recreation
The Guide to Good Gifts
7 Speak Up
14 Feature
Nick Bennette of the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council on how to sustain our trail networks.
How a hunter’s first deer helped change the way he approached
Is Access to Vermont’s Trails At Risk?
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9 Nutrition
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Simple ways you can burn more calories, even without exercise.
5 Ways to Jumpstart Your Metabolism
The Quest or a Record
Hunting for Wilderness
30 Calendar
the wild.
34 Endgame
22 Feature
The Tour of 100 Berms This fall new sections of the Velomont were completed. Here’s
Race & Event Guide
New Year’s Eve at the Bottom of the World A minimum-wage job shoveling snow in Antarctica comes with a raging party.
how bikepackers rode it.
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4 VTSPORTS.COM | NOV./DEC. 2023
THE START
THE GIFT OF OUTDOOR RECREATION IT’S NOT JUST A GIFT, BUT A LEGACY.
Overnighting at the Bolton backcountry cabin on the Catamount Trail, one of Vermont’s gems. Photo by Ansel Dickey
T
he days are getting shorter and colder. It’s getting easier to find an excuse not to go out for trail run. But after the first cold breaths of air fill my lungs, the sound of road noise fades and the frozen, rocky ground becomes familiar under my feet, I am reminded of what a gift it is to have a trail system just out the back door. When I lived and worked in New York City, I’d weave through crowds and traffic for blocks to get to a bridle path in Central Park. Here in Vermont, it is hard to find any place where there is not a trailhead within a two-mile drive. But as Nick Bennette, the co-chair of the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council, writes in “Speak Up,” it’s easy to take our trails for granted. In fact, 70% of our trails are on private land and it’s by the grace of landowners – and the hard work of trail volunteers at groups that range from the Green Mountain Club to CTA to VMBA — that those trails are maintained. Vermont has a long legacy of public access to private land. Much of that comes from a shared heritage and mutual respect between hunters and landowners who choose not to post their land. But as generational farms and working forests get subdivided and developed and new owners move in, the posted signs begin to appear more frequently. Our forests, like our trail systems, are at risk of being fragmented. The threats to wildlife habitat are many when that happens. But so are the threats to our experience of wildness. Even for hunters such as Jesse McEntee, the experience changes when you move into roadless areas and find places such as he did in the Breadloaf Wilderness where you can chase a deer for miles with no
sign of civilization. As he writes in “Hunting for Wilderness,” in this issue: “The noise of the modern world disappeared: unfinished chores, unanswered texts all faded into the background.” Given the lace-like network of trails on private and public land, it is remarkable to see the work that Angus McCusker, R.J. Thompson and the other early proponents of the Velomont Trail and Vermont Huts have accomplished. What might have seemed like a pipe dream when the mountain bike trail from Massachusetts to Canada through the Greens was first conceived less than a decade ago, is now becoming a reality. This past fall Greg Maino and some friends rode newly finished singletrack sections of the Velomont, overnighting at the Chittenden Brook Hut, a trip he describes in “The Tour of 100 Berms.” By next summer, it may be possible to ride a nearly 40mile loop on single and doubletrack, staying at two huts. Vermont’s trails and forests are a gift, but one we should not take for granted. These trails need to be maintained, private land protected and we need to find ways to offer greater access to those who may not have been able to enjoy our landscape before. In this issue, “The Guide to Good Gifts” suggests a number of ways to share the gift of outdoor recreation. Supporting our trails and the organizations that create greater access for all, is a not just a gift, it’s a legacy. —Lisa Lynn, Editor
NOV./DEC. 2023 | VTSPORTS.COM 5
BIG NIGHTS, BRIGHT MEMORIES Night skiing and après ski coming this winter.
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6 VTSPORTS.COM | NOV./DEC. 2023
SPEAK UP
Y
ou don’t have to tell Vermonters who hike, mountain bike, backcountry ski, or camp that the pandemic massively accelerated the use of our trails and green spaces. And that the demand has remained at a fever pitch ever since. This nationwide explosion in trail popularity has been especially acute in Vermont, a five-hour drive from over 80 million people and a regional epicenter for outdoor recreation. Since then, the number of people recreating in the outdoors has simply exploded across the state. Good luck finding a parking space at what we once considered “secret” skin tracks and mountain biking spots or securing a camping reservation at places like the Green River Reservoir. Daily usage at the Blueberry Lake trail system in the Mad River Valley grew over 150% from 2016 to 2021. The Catamount Trail Associations annual trail user counts at places such as Brandon Gap and Nebraska Valley doubled between 2017 and 2020. Understanding that Vermont benefits wildly from our visitor economy, and that many rural communities are working to achieve sustainable economic development through better access to trails and recreation in their downtowns, it may sound like I am complaining about this increased demand. Trust me, I am not. As the Executive Director of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association and Co-Chair of the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council (VTGC) the consortium of dozens of Vermont’s trail stewardship groups – ranging from the Green Mountain Club to the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers — I have witnessed firsthand the benefits this increase in demand for outdoor recreation can bring. I see the growing diversity of trail users and believe everyone deserves the benefits of access to our beautiful outdoors. I have observed the physical and mental health gains in communities that prioritize access to trails and have watched municipalities revitalize their towns by connecting their future to outdoor recreation. Overall, the state of Vermont is clearly reaping the rewards from this boon in outdoor activity. In 2022, a report showed that nationally, outdoor recreation accounted for
IS ACCESS TO VERMONT TRAILS AT RISK?
MUCH OF VERMONT’S OUTDOOR RECREATION DEPENDS ON TRAILS THAT ARE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AND MAINTAINED BY NON-PROFIT GROUPS. IS THAT SUSTAINABLE? BY NICK BENNETTE
Nick Bennette (right), executive director of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association and co-chair of the Vermont Trails and Greenways Alliance speaking at a Slate Valley Trails trailhead in Poultney. $862 billion in consumer spending, with $1.53 billion of that coming from Vermont. That’s over 4% of our state’s GDP, third behind only Hawaii and Montana. So, what is the problem? The critical component of this economic driver is access to worldclass outdoor recreational assets. It’s a pretty simple equation: when you increase the number of users on trails, yet provide very little public funding for trail stewardship, you get deferred maintenance, increased impacts on trail assets and facilities, and the need for more and more volunteer hours to maintain trails. Nowhere is this truer than in Vermont, where more than 70% of public-access trails are on private land. Despite the role Vermont’s outdoor recreation infrastructure plays in our public health, visitor economy, and in attracting healthy new citizens to move to our state, the non-profit trail stewardship organizations that make up the VTGC continue to largely bear the burden of maintaining the Vermont Trail System, which comprises all the official publicaccess trails in Vermont. Our Council members represent landowners, volunteers, and trail stewardship organizations. Now, more than ever, the Council seeks the support from and active dialogue with Vermont’s policy makers to ensure we chart a supportable, sustainable path forward. Our non-profit organizations log 100,000+ hours of volunteer time annually to manage and maintain
over 7,750 miles of trails. The flooding we saw this past summer pushed that volunteer load even higher. With the majority of our stewardship work taking place on private land, the maintenance responsibilities fall squarely on the shoulders of VTGC member organizations. We feel both the weight of this increased demand and the tenuousness of maintaining public access, which continues to be largely dependent on the benevolence of private landowners. We are familiar with recent examples where public access on private land has been rescinded. The result is often fragmented trail corridors. We need your help. The $1.53 billion that the outdoor recreation economy generates for Vermont is at risk and should not be taken for granted. We must invest in the upkeep of the recreation assets that underpin that economic engine to maintain the benefits for Vermonters. We must also invest in sustainable stewardship to help minimize the negative impacts that can come with public access. And we should capitalize on how trail use can foster a deeper appreciation of our natural resources and help limit development in valuable natural areas. As stewards of the 70% of public access trails that are on private land and in concert with public land managers, the VTGC is on the front line of balancing equitable access with responsible use of our amazing landscape. Our members’ best management practices (which
address trail design, construction, use, and maintenance) demonstrate our commitment to environmental stewardship. Through sustainable state investment in trail stewardship and infrastructure, Vermont communities can benefit from: enhanced resiliency to severe storms due to climate change, lower maintenance and repair costs, greater access for people of varying backgrounds and ability levels, and sustainable economic growth opportunities. By providing sustainable stewardship funding for maintaining, upgrading, and retrofitting trails in line with modern best management practices, we can avoid potential risks related to increased impact, overuse, and, critically, the growing impacts of climate change. We can right-size this investment. By supporting a modern, economic impact study of outdoor recreation in Vermont, we can evaluate the necessary investments in recreation infrastructure, including the value at risk, as well as the potential incremental value for new infrastructure development. We need a vision for mutual health, conservation, and economic outdoor recreation goals. By providing increased support for our state partners and innovative strategies like the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative “Move Forward Together Vermont,” initiative, we can work together to not only envision an inclusive future for outdoor recreation in Vermont, but how we collectively attain it. By developing a road map for incorporating public access recreational trails into the Use Value Appraisal program, more commonly referred to as Current Use, we can help secure much of the 70% of trails currently at risk for loss of access and recognize the public good private landowners who host public access trails provide. All Vermonters stand to benefit from sustainable investment in maintaining our outdoor recreation infrastructure. By optimizing our trail system, we can be more resilient in the face of climate change and continue to provide the health, social, economic, and conservation benefits for Vermont’s communities and future generations.
NOV./DEC. 2023 | VTSPORTS.COM 7
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Coming soon to 89 Main Street, Montpelier with great outdoor gifts for the holidays Stay tuned for our grand re-opening date! outdoor adventure gear, apparel, and events | 89 Main St. Montpelier, VT | onionriver.com
8 VTSPORTS.COM | NOV./DEC. 2023
NUTRITION
FIVE WAYS TO JUMPSTART YOUR METABOLISM
THERE ARE SOME SIMPLE THINGS YOU CAN DO BEYOND EXERCISING OR DIETING TO KEEP YOUR BODY BURNING CALORIES.
T
BY JAMIE SHEAHAN M.S., R.D.
here are a multitude of reasons
to work out. Exercise has been proven to boost your heart health, decrease risk for chronic disease and better your mood. There’s no question exercise is good for us, but you’d probably be lying to yourself if you denied that one perk that came to mind is exercise is great at burning calories. There are few things more satisfying after pushing yourself on a run than seeing your watch light up with the hundreds of calories you just torched. This leaves many athletes looking to shed a few pounds wondering why, despite their best efforts to exercise regularly, their scale refuses to budge. That’s because our metabolism, the number of calories we expend each day, consists of more than just exercise. Metabolism is made up of three different components: Basic metabolic rate or BMR, the thermic effect of food also known as diet-induced thermogenesis and physical activity. Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the energy our body needs to maintain basic functions at rest. Breathing, circulating blood, nerve transmissions, the list goes on and on. Even when we are lazing around our bodies have to work pretty hard just to keep us alive. For the average person, about 70% of the calories we expend each day is attributed to our BMR. Much of our BMR is determined by factors out of our control like genetics, age, body size, hormones, and gender. Eating not only provides energy in the form of calories; it burns calories, too. The process of digestion causes diet-Induced thermogenesis and this account for approximately 10% of our metabolism. This assumes a diet that provides a normal balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Energy expended on digestion can increase slightly with a higher protein diet because protein requires more calories to digest. If you’ve done the math, the remaining 20% of our metabolism comes from physical activity. Physical activity consists of two categories that nutrition science calls “Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)” and “Exercise Activity Thermogenesis
sorb it. Compare that to just 5-10% for carbohydrates and 0-3% for fat, and protein comes out the clear winner. Before you go full carnivore, know that although carbohydrates and fats may not elicit the same TEF, they are still essential nutrients. Skimp on either and you may actually end up reducing your metabolism over time.
2. GET YOUR ZZZs
Want to lose weight? Eat protein, get enough calories and 8 hours of sleep. Photos Adobe Stock (EAT).” Think of everything you do in a day other than sleeping, eating, and exercising. Standing, doing dishes, cooking, even reaching for the remote to binge a TV show all fall within the category of NEAT. EAT, on the other hand, is energy expended during dedicated exercise. Unlike BMR and the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF), both types of physical activity are highly variable and under much more voluntary control. That 20% can easily be boosted to 30, 40, or even 50% with enough time and effort. For many athletes who already dedicate hours a week to exercise, it simply isn’t realistic to do more. So
where does that leave you if you are still aiming to up your calorie burn? The good news is there are ways to “boost” our metabolism beyond just logging more mileage. Consider these five ways to kick your metabolism into high gear.
1. BOOST YOUR PROTEIN Digestion and the thermic effect of food (TEF) may comprise a small percentage of our metabolism, but maximizing can still make a measurable difference. As mentioned previously, protein has a greater thermic effect than carbohydrates and fats. Studies show that approximately 30% of the calories in protein are expended to digest and ab-
Ever notice that after a few sleepless nights you find yourself consumed by constant food cravings? It’s not all in your head. Hormones that affect your basal metabolic rate are very susceptible to the stress that comes when you are short on sleep. Researchers aren’t entirely certain on the exact mechanisms, but it appears that sleep loss effects two hormones: leptin and ghrelin. Leptin’s major function is to signal to your body that you are full while ghrelin does just the opposite by sending hunger signals. Consistently failing to log 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night decreases levels of leptin and increases ghrelin leaving us with a growling stomach and little satiety from meals.
3. NEAT-EN UP
How much have you moved today? The hard truth for most of us is that out-
NOV./DEC. 2023 | VTSPORTS.COM 9
Sure, a long run will help boost your metabolism. But so will spending your day at a standing desk and lifting even light weights, regularly. Photos Adobe Stock side of planned exercise we don’t tend to move much. Blame sedentary jobs, long commutes that favor driving over walking, technology that has all but engineered movement out of our lives (seriously, we now have self-driving cars?), we live in a world where we simply don’t have to exert ourselves for the majority of the day. Being intentional about increasing your activity in day-to-day life can make a big difference in increasing NEAT and thus your total energy expenditure. The best thing about NEAT is that it’s relatively easy to increase and even small changes can seriously add up. Standing burns three times more calories than sitting. Bring on the standing desk! Taking the stairs instead of opting for the elevator burns 40 times more calories. Consider ways to engineer movement back into your day with small changes like walking over to a coworker’s desk instead of sending an email (their flooded inbox will thank you), using a standing desk for even a few hours out of the day, parking far away in the parking lot, walking or taking public transportation, and even fidgeting when seated. Implementing
10 VTSPORTS.COM | NOV./DEC. 2023
these behaviors can take NEAT from a small portion of your metabolism to 40 or even 50%.
4. LIFT WEIGHTS Skeletal muscle mass is one of the only variables affecting BMR that we have some control over. That’s because muscle is a somewhat metabolically active tissue. Even when we aren’t using it, the protein in muscle is constantly being broken down and rebuilt, a process that requires energy. Unfortunately, how big of a metabolic effect skeletal muscle mass has on BMR has been greatly exaggerated over the years. The reality is the metabolic rate of skeletal muscle tissue is approximately six calories per pound at rest. That means on average our skeletal muscle only accounts for about 20% of our BMR. However, that still greatly exceeds the metabolic effect of fat, which is essentially nil. The other metabolic benefit of strength training relates to the “after burn” effect. High-intensity strength training not only burns calories during that training, but your body continues to burn calories up to 72-hours after as part of the recovery process.
5. EAT ENOUGH CALORIES It may seem counter intuitive, but eating less can lead to weight gain. The proverbial “yo-yo effect” — experienced by many dieters who experience an initial drop in weight after starting a diet only to see the scale go back up weeks or months later — is due to a reduced metabolic rate. Numerous studies have observed this phenomenon, known as adaptive thermogenesis, when individuals engage in severe caloric restriction for an extended period of time. Blame evolution. We’ve inherited the genes of our hunter-gatherer ancestors who needed to be “metabolically flexible” to survive frequent and extended periods of food scarcity. Survival depended on expending fewer calories at rest to preserve muscle and body fat. This reduction in BMR was critical when food was hard to come by. Unfortunately, our bodies haven’t evolved enough to distinguish between voluntary caloric restriction and involuntary starvation. Studies on individuals who have adhered to extremely low-calorie diets show a significant reduction in BMR not only while they are dieting, but also
an enduring effect on BMR once they return to normal caloric intake. This poses a bit of a conundrum for those looking to lose weight and keep it off without having to resort to a diet of lettuce and little else. In case you can’t tell from the abundance of weight loss approaches, the solution isn’t exactly obvious. However, a more moderate caloric restriction combined with regular exercise seems to prevent or at least mitigate a negative effect on metabolism. When it comes to our metabolism, there is a limit to how much we can really “boost” our daily calorie burn; however, consuming adequate protein, logging enough sleep, incorporating movement throughout the day, strength training, and eating enough to keep your BMR firing on all cylinders can add up. Jamie Sheahan is the Director of Nutrition at The Edge in South Burlington. Jamie holds a Master of Science in Dietetics from the University of Vermont, where she serves as an adjunct professor of sports nutrition. Jamie has run over 40 marathons and ultra-marathons.
Come Closer to Explore Further. Discover over 45km of terrain for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing across two mountainous trail networks in the heart of Woodstock, Vermont. Explore historic carriage trails on Mt. Tom and cruise the varying terrain on Mt. Peg ranging from casual ski-tours to technical tracks.
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NOV./DEC. 2023 | VTSPORTS.COM 11
GOOD GIFTS A GUIDE TO
T
hat gift? It isn’t all about the person you are wrapping it for. What you choose to give others says a lot about you, about the time you put into selecting a product and your values.
This holiday season, we’ve prepared a primer to buying gifts (for yourself, too) that will help our local Vermont economy, support ethical business practices and reduce impacts on the planet. This list is a sampler, far from complete, but a starting point that we hope will help you feel even better about gifting and giving this season.
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1. SHOP LOCALLY It’s easy to get lured into coveting something you see on a social media post. Doesn’t that ripped athlete/ ambassador look swank in that down vest? Wouldn’t you too? It’s simple to sit on the couch on Black Friday, scroll through Amazon, and click-click-click, your holiday shopping is done.
Go ahead. But be prepared to spend the next month returning items that were better fitted to a Barbie doll. Or watching an item fall apart after three uses. And taking the boxes and plastic packaging they came in to the land fill. Reliability is one good reason to head to your local gear shop. Most of the outdoor retailers in the state – ski shops, bike shops, mountaineering shops and
Owners Marc Sherman and Mike Donohue just opened a new Outdoor Gear Exchange at The Essex Experience near Essex Junction. This past August, they also opened an outlet at Riders' Outpost in Waitsfield. Meanwhile, Kip and Jen Roberts (right) are reopening Onion River Outdoors in a new location at 89 Main Street in Montpelier following this past summer's devastating floods. Courtesy photos.
more – test the gear they sell. Their staff truly love the outdoors. They stock the items they’ve found to be tried and true. Most of Vermont's independent outdoor retailers will stand by a product they sell if you have any issues with it. A good local shop will also find the item that’s right for you because the folks there take the time to understand how you are going to use it. That shop guy or gal you see every month is not just out to sell you the most bougie bike or stiffest skis. They care if you are happy. They want you to come back. But there are other, even better reasons to shop locally this season. Perhaps the best? Vermont’s local independent retailers really need you. Now more than ever. Many of Vermont shops were devastated by floods this past summer – either directly through damage or indirectly through loss of business. “We had over three feet of water in our ground floor,” remembers Jen Roberts, a co-owner of Onion River Outdoors. For days, Roberts, her husband Kip, staff and volunteers, pulled damaged gear from their building on Montpelier’s Langdon Street. They lost more than $1 million in inventory. There was concern that this shop – one that has helped support the region's outdoor community for decades— wouldn’t come back. If so, what would happen to the events they put on such as the Muddy Onion gravel ride or the winter Snowshoe Romp? What would
Some retailers that ramped up inventory postCovid found they may have overestimated.
happen to the local trail events at North Branch or the races ORO has supported such as VSECU’s Point to Point which in turn raises money to support The Vermont Food Bank. In Barre, The Vermont Bicycle Shop saw more than $200,000 in lost revenue and flood damage. In Ludlow, The Dark Side had a literal river of mud sweep through the shop. Nearby, Tygart and The Boot Pro were spared but with roads into and out of town closed, and routes taking weeks to repair, their bottom lines were hit hard. “If you lose a weekend of shoppers in July, it’s not like you can make that back in late October,” noted
Alex Racicot of The Boot Pro. “We rely on visitors in the summer and skiers in the winter. This summer, people just stopped coming.” For Randy Ellis, whose family has owned First Stop Board Barn in Killington for two generations, the summer business that relies on paddleboarding disappeared after the flood. “The lakes weren’t safe for paddling last summer and the trails were often too wet for riding,” he said. Stowe's Umiak , a paddling hub, faced similar challenges. The good news is that many of these shops are rebuilding. Onion River Outdoors moved into a new space at 89 Main Street in Montpelier. The Vermont Bicycle Shop, thanks in part to a fundraising drive spearheaded by ultradistance bikepacker Miron Golfman, reopened. The Dark Side has been operating out of its Killington location. But even shops that were not impacted by floods have been facing challenges. The dearth of inventory during Covid, coupled by sweeping demand as more and more people got outside during the pandemic, led to another flood: as supply chains opened up, outdoor gear and apparel began to saturate the market. “In October, we were already seeing the online sales you might normally see in mid-winter,” notes Marc Sherman of The Outdoor Gear Exchange. The Burlingtonbased retailer has long been considered one of the leading independent retailers in the nation, winning awards such as the Inspiration Award from the trade organization, Outdoor Retailer.
This past fall, OGE downsized its 13,000 square-foot Church Street shop, moving its much-loved consignment section upstairs and closing off the basement space. But, as Sherman is quick to point out, “Nothing’s going away. We still have consignment and some of our inventory will be going to our new shops in Essex and in Waitsfield.” Just as OGE reconfigured its Church Street location, it moved inventory and some consignment to its new 6,000-sq.ft. location at The Essex Experience. This past summer it also opened a small retail and bike shop at the new Rider’s Outpost hotel and campground in Waitsfield. “The pandemic shifted how people work and with so many people working from home, Church Street in Burlington doesn’t see the foot traffic it used to. We decided to take our gear to where people are living and playing,” said Sherman. It’s a situation that is true around the state. The hubs of towns were once the hardware store, the post office and the grocery store. As outdoor recreation took hold, Vermont added the local bike, ski and mountaineering shops to that list. Around Vermont many of those shops are still there – anchoring communities, serving as gather places, dishing out local knowledge, hosting events and yes, fixing broken spokes and selling gear. (For a list of bike shops around the state see page 32.) As you shop this holiday season and beyond, remember one thing: Amazon Prime won’t tune your bike or your skis.
NOV./DEC. 2023 | VTSPORTS.COM 13
2. BUY VERMONT BRANDS Sure, you can give someone a bottle of maple syrup or cheese board but there are many more useful gifts from Vermont, especially if you’re thinking of an athlete. The Green Mountains are continually spawning innovative new brands and attracting new outdoor gear companies. Companies such as Burton Snowboards and Renoun have reimagined boards and skis. Darn Tough Vermont and Skida jumped into the crowded hat and sock market and thrived because their products are just that different and that good. In the last few years, new brands such as Hootie Hoo, a line of skiwear for children, Thuja custom hoodies and Bivo water bottles have emerged here. You can find some of these products at local retailers or you can buy direct. Your dollars not only stay in state but you’re helping local companies that give back to our trails.
A. THUJA CUSTOM BURROW HOODIE This is the perfect all-around mid-layer. Constructed with Polartec© Power Grid™ fleece, it is moisture-wicking, and warm, yet breathable and lightweight and made from 93% recycled Polyester. The Burrow Hoodie ($120) is custommade here in Williston, Vt. Mix and match colors for the body and choose from a variety of original patterns for the pocket. There are thousands of possible combinations, so yours can be completely unique. ThujaVT.com
B. QUEEN CITY FOOTWEAR HOUSE SHOES The ultimate house shoes are made in Vermont from full grain bison leather, with a merino wool footbed on the inside and suede leather sole. Available on the Queen City Footwear website for $150, or $200 if you add the optional rubber sole. queencityfootwear.com
C. VERMONT GLOVES The raddest leather ski gloves this side of the Himalaya are hand-stitched in Randolph, Vermont. Made of 100% goat leather and waxed canvas, these leather ski gloves are perfect for riding the lifts or backcountry skinning up secret glades. The versatile Vermont Glove ski gloves ($150) come with a removable merino wool liner to keep your digits extra toasty. You can run the leather glove shell while climbing, lay in the wool for the downhill, or even pack an extra pair of liners for the long haul to swap out the sweaties for the freshies. Vermontglove.com
D. SLOGGN SKI SLIPS Keeping road grime, grit, salt, and water off your skis has never been easier thanks to Sloggn Ski Slips. Designed by the Burlington-based Sloggn, these heavyduty, 4 ml. Pack-Tuff™ bags ($17.50 for a pack of four) fit any length of skis, so even long trips in messy conditions can be a breeze. Use them for seasonal storage or to securely hold your skis in a hitch or roof rack. Plus, they’re reusable
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and easily repairable with duct tape if they tear. Ready to hit the slopes? Slip on the Sloggn Ski Slips! Sloggn.com
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E. DARN TOUGH FUNCTION 5 One of Darn Tough's most tech-heavy snow socks, the new Function 5, ($33) was re-engineered at their Northfield headquarters to provide maximum comfort and warmth for skiers and riders. Made from midweight merino wool, these ultra-smooth socks make all the difference if you head back out after lunch. Terry cushioning in the shin and the ‘X’ on top of the foot provide warmth while added heel durability protects you run after run. darntoughvt.com
F. BAIST GLOVE SYSTEM From southern Vermont comes a revolutionary way to keep your hands warm and dry during any winter sport. This system allows you to customize your gloves for the specific needs of your activity, whether you’re skiing, snowboarding, or just spending time outdoors in the cold. The Baist Glove System includes a base layer glove and a variety of interchangeable outer layers that can be easily attached or removed depending on the weather conditions. The base layer glove is made with moisture-wicking materials to keep your hands dry and comfortable, and the outer layers are designed with waterproof and windproof materials to protect against the elements. The Baist Glove System ($99-$169) offers a range of benefits, including increased warmth, versatility, and convenience. With the ability to mix and match outer layers, you can easily adjust your gloves to suit the weather and your preferences. Baistgloves.com
G. HOOTIE HOO TIPTOP 3L JACKET Hootie Hoo is a woman-owned company based in Chittenden County that provides top-tier technical apparel for children. The company believes that many of life’s most valuable lessons and habits are
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cultivated through outdoor experiences. The passion lies in creating high-quality gear designed to empower children to “Outplay The Elements.” The Kids Tiptop Jacket ($190) features 100% recycled polyester 3-layer fabric with a 20,000 MM waterproof rating. It provides kids maximum versatility for exploring the outdoors year around. Hootiehoo.com
H. RENOUN ENDURANCE 88 The Endurance 88 is the all-mountain ski of choice, designed by a Vermonter for Vermonters. With a redesigned camber profile for 2024, the 88 is more versatile than ever while still having incredible grip and edge hold that has set it apart from the beginning. Engineered with Renoun’s proprietary VibeStop™ Technology, it's no wonder Renoun, based in Chittenden County, has continued to grow year after year renoun.com
I. PARADIS SPORT SEAMLESS BIKINI The Paradis Sport Seamless Bikini is designed to wick moisture, dry fast,
prevent chafing and riding up, and move with you with 4-way stretch. It's made with super-soft nylon yarn that is made in the USA and BPA-free, using high quality construction that is built to last. Seamless design means you don’t have to worry about chafing or annoying tags. With a stay-in-place promise, you’ll never know they’re there--so you can focus on edging, not wedgies. Proudly made in the USA. The bikinis are $28 each or 5-pack for $119. paradissport.com
J. BIVO TRIO WATER BOTTLE Bivo is a performance product company, and their first offerings are sophisticated metal water bottles designed for cyclists and Nordic skiers. Bivo is based in Richmond, VT and was founded by a former cross-country ski racer at the University of Vermont. The Bivo Trio is an insulated stainless-steel bottle that fits in universal bike cages, has a patented technology that allows for a high flow rate (pours faster than you can squeeze plastic) and pulls apart for easy cleaning.
Plus, it’s dishwasher safe. The perfect gift for the cyclist in your life. You can find the Bivo Trio ($49) in local shops as well as on the website, drinkbivo.com.
K. SKIDA CHATEAU HAT The Chateau Pom ($44) is crafted in a performance knit engineered to maintain warmth and adorned with a faux-fur pom pom on top. The Chateau Collection was conceived from a longing for elevated performance accessories suitable for chilly urban streets and mountain towns. Founded by Corinne Prevot, a Vermont ski racer from the Northeast Kingdom, Skida is based in Burlington and their hats are, as always, made in the USA. Stop by the Pine Street shop. Skida.com
L. GORDINI WINDWARD GLOVES Ready for your day on the slopes, the Windward gloves ($119.99) from Gordini of Essex Junction feature superior flexibility, warmth, and weather protection. The exterior of the Windward is made with a bluesign®-approved shell,
water-resistant CLUTCH® synthetic leather palm, fingers and trim, while the interior features a Gore-Tex insert, THINDOWN® plus Sorona® insulation fabric, moisture wicking lining and gauntlet cuff. Available in men's and women's sizes. Gordini.com
M. BURTON STEP ON® GROM SNOWBOARD BINDINGS Independence is a powerful learning tool. Designed in collaboration with Burton employees and their kids—many of whom work at the Burlington headquarters—the kids’ Burton Step On® Grom Snowboard Bindings ($349) make it a cinch for even the smallest riders to achieve snowboarding independence. Built specifically for kids, there are release levers at the toe and heel for added ease of use. Like the name says, it’s a step on and ride scenario. Burton.com
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A great gift? Help someone else enjoy the sports you do by supporting organizations such as Vermont Adaptive which helps people of all abilities enjoy outdoor recreation. Photo courtesy Vermont Adaptive
3. SUPPORT BRANDS THAT DO GOOD You might notice a lot of logos and jargon on the hangtags of the gear you are shopping for. Some of those logos are ways of showing that a company has undergone a third-party verification of their products or business practices. Here are a few that have an impact. B Corps: Burton, Cabot Creamery, East Coast Avalanche Education, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Turtle Fur and Ursa Major. What these and more than 40 other Vermont businesses all have in common it that they are certified B Corporations. Founded in Vermont in 2006, the B Lab movement now certifies businesses worldwide based on stringent metrics of how they meet “verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.” B Corporations commit to using business as a force of good by continuously looking to reduce their impacts on the environment
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and improve the lives of their workers and their communities. Bcorporation.net 1% For the Planet: In 2002 Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and his friend Craig Mathews started 1% for the Planet as a way to get companies to commit 1% of their profits to vetted environmental partners. Twenty years later, the organization has spawned more than $530 million in donations. Now headquartered in Burlington, 1% for the Planet counts 5,400 members in 110 countries, and nearly 50 in Vermont, ranging from Bee's Wrap to WND&WVS. Environmental partners here in Vermont include many of the trail organizations so the profit a 1% member makes on your purchase could directly benefit a local trail network. Onepercentfortheplanet. org Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility. VBSR’s more than 700 Vermont business members pledge to work to solve environmental, social and economic problems. Of those, 40 are also B Corporations. Businesses such as Bee’s Wrap, Darn Tough, Old Spokes Home and Outdoor Gear Exchange and Vermont Sports are members. For others, see VBSR.org.
4. REDUCE. REUSE. RECYLE. There comes a time in every athlete’s life when the closet door becomes too hard to close and the garage starts to look like a landfill. Whether you call it curating your quiver or just throwing out old junk, it’s time to get rid of the old to make way for the new gear you covet. More and more, that old gear is finding new homes and new uses. In many cases you can now trade in old gear for new from the same brand. Here’s how:
REUSE In 2013, Patagonia launched its Worn Wear program, a chance to trade in and/ or buy used Patagonia gear on its website. Since then, many national outdoor brands such as Stio and others have followed suit. Start-ups such as Trove and Arrive Recommerce (Arrive) have helped, serving as back-end retailers that enable brands ranging from Arc’tryx to Ortovox, Nemo to Yeti, to buy back and then resell used gear. Arrive Recommerce, for instance, recently announced an expansion of its partnership with Burton for the winter
2023-2024 season. In 2022 Burton introduced its “Pass Along” buy-used program allowing riders to trade-in or purchase gently loved Burton gear — both hardgoods and outerwear — instore and online. At a local level, Birdie Blue out of Stowe recycles used skiwear and other clothing into fanny packs, slings and bags. You can send in your used gear and get 15% off new products from their shop.
SWAP & CONSIGN Ski and bike swaps like the Okemo Mountain School's Ski & Snowboard Swap (Nov. 17-19) are a chance to recycle that older pair of skis or a bike. Consignment is another great way to clean out the closet and get something new in exchange. Outdoor Gear Exchange built its business over the past 25 years on the (gently worn) coattails of its consignment business. Since 2013, OGE has given customers the option of contributing a portion of their consignment earnings to the Charitable Grant Fund, which then allocates grants of up to $2000 to local non-profits looking to improve land conservation and outdoor recreation. Other shops such as First Stop Board and Barn in Killington offer consignment. The way it works: they sell your gear,
you get store credit toward buying new gear. It’s worth checking in with your local shop. Even if they don’t have an established program they might consider selling your gear if it’s in good condition.
Notch and the Middlebury Snowbowl. Gym memberships are also good ways to jumpstart New Year’s resolutions. Race Entries: One way to add a little motivation to a workout is to snag an entry at some of Vermont’s most popular events before they sell out. The Covered Bridges Half Marathon (June 2, 2024) in Woodstock is perennially sold out and registration opens on Dec. 4. The Vermont City Marathon (May 26, 2024) registration opened on Nov. 1 and also fills up fast. The 10th running of Rasputitsa Dirt, the epic gravel ride that’s held April 20, 2024 (this year at Jay Peak) also opened on Nov. 1 and usually sells out. For swimmers (and Wim Hof devotees), the 10th anniversary of the Lake Memphremagog Winter Swim is ths February 22-26 in Newport and also usually fills up fast.
RENT OR LEASE No question: there’s nothing like having new gear. One way to get it every year is to work with rental programs, especially when it comes to gear you may not use frequently or which is rapidly evolving, such as backcountry touring gear. Renting ski and snowboard gear for kids is nothing new. But more and more adults are choosing to rent or lease alpine gear for a few days or a season. Ski gear, in particular backcountry gear, has seen a surge in the rental market. Bolton Valley Resort has made a name for itself with a backcountry center at its base that offers rentals for both ski and splitboard gear, as well as lessons and guided tours. In Stowe, Umiak has rentals for everything from tele and alpine touring gear to snowshoes, skates and sleds and Stowe's Mountain Ops also has AT gear for rent. Stowe-based company KitLender also rents out entire skiwear outfits, from jackets and bibs to mitts and goggles so if you have friends or relatives who are new to snowsports, they don’t have to invest in a full kit. Burton Snowboards took this idea national when it launched its rental program in October, 2022. The programs lets you sign up to have rental gear (apparel, snowboards, boots and bindings) delivered to you anywhere in the U.S. – be it at your home in Vermont or hotel Airbnb in Jackson, Wyo. Returns are free.
RECYCLE It’s hard to find an outdoor product today that doesn’t claim to include some recycled material. But sorting through the fast-changing technology and sometimes confusing lingo can be a chore for consumers. Brands such as Ortovox are reconsidering the once-common practice of recycling plastic bottles into polyester fabrics. “This means bottles that have been made into clothing cannot be turned back into PET bottles. Intervening in the drinks industry’s recycling lifecycle creates an imbalance – and the development of the clothing industry’s own strategies is also neglected,” the company notes. Intsead, it is focused on textile-to-textile recycling. So how do you know what to buy? On apparel and products from Ortovox, Jack Wolfskin, Burton, Mammut, Prana and many other outdoor brands you can see a bluesign label. The bluesign® SYSTEM
is one of the strictest certifications in the textile industry and verifies the environmentally-friendly production of all 1materials and end products The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) is a global, non-profit alliance of over 280 organizations in the apparel, footwear, and textile industry. Initially formed to create standardized sustainability metrics, such as its Higg Index which can help in creating a life cycle analysis of a product and measures its total impact on the environment. Members include big brands such as Salomon, Norrona, Marmot and Pearl Izumi. This type of circular thinking in product development means that increasingly, brands are not only looking at using recycled materials in their new gear but also considering how the products they ship out to customers might be recycled. For instance, NEMO, the maker of camping gear and equipment, developed a line that meets its Endless Promise program – meaning the product was designed from the start to be 100%
recyclable. Say you buy a NEMO Forte sleeping bag, you can return it for the resale value or, if it is not in good enough condition to be sold, a $20 gift card. The bag is then 100% recycled.
5. GIVE EXPERIENCES If you want to give something that’s going to last longer than a down jacket, make someone happy for years to come and have little to no environmental impact consider giving an experience. A few quick ideas. Lessons and Passes: This season, give someone a rock or ice-climbing lesson through Petra Cliffs or one of the state’s many guide services. Sign them up for a backcountry clinic and rental gear at Bolton Valley Resort or a skate ski lesson at the Rikert Nordic Center. While Indy Passes may have gone off sale, you can still get inexpensive season passes or lift ticket deals at Vermont’s independent ski areas such as Cochran’s, Smuggler’s
Trips & Travel: Like an entry to a sold-out race, a reservation at, say, a coveted campground or backcountry hut is something that’s worth more than the dollar value. While prime campsites at Green River Reservoir or huts such as the Chittenden Brook Hut may already have been taken, browsing the Vermont State Parks (vtstateparks.com) or Vermont Huts (vermonthuts.org) websites can turn up some available dates or help you discover a new spot. Another option: give a gift certificate for a massage or a spa day at The Woodstock Inn or one of Vermont’s other luxury brands. Often, there are discounts for locals who book in the shoulder months.
6. SUPPORT GOOD CAUSES Last, this is the time of year to consider donating to the organizations that help others enjoy the outdoors. In place of buying a box of chocolates, consider donating to the Vermont Food Bank. Put the money you could have spent on a new pair of hiking boots toward a donation to Vermont-based organizations that are helping athletes who face physical challenges such as Vermont Adaptive, the Kelly Brush Foundation, the Special Olympics, Love Your Brain or the High Fives Foundation. While you may enjoy the outdoors, there are many people for whom, skiing, biking or even hiking are not accessible. Organizations such as The Chill Foundation help kids and a young adults learn board sports and Unlikely Riders is dedicated to encouraging BIPOC participation in mountain sports and the snowsports culture and industry.
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For Vermonters, bagging a first buck is a right of passage—one that can take years. Photo by JM Cummings/Adobe
Hunting Wilderness
FAR FROM ROADS AND BEYOND TRAILS, THIS HUNTER DISCOVERED A NEW WAY OF CHASING HIS PREY THROUGH A VERMONT WILDERNESS. BY JESSE MCENTEE
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The tracks showed it was a buck, moving uphill fast. But with snow falling and filling in the tracks, the hunter had to move faster. Photo by Jesse McEntee
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or about a half dozen years I had been going to a friend’s deer camp that was located adjacent to what I now appreciate is some of the best big woods hunting in Vermont. The camp is old-school; no plumbing, wood heat, holes in the floor and walls filled with tinfoil. The rim joists are insulated with bunched up newspapers dated circa 1975. In the camp hangs a piece of 12-inch x 12-inch scrap plywood scrawled with a list of all the deer harvested over the years. The dates go back to the 1960s and end in the mid-1980s. Since then, people have hunted from there, but no one had any luck. The place had acquired a reputation for being unproductive. My experience confirmed that sentiment, but the vastness of the surrounding woods was irresistible: it was possible to roam for days and never worry about seeing a “posted” sign or a new subdivision replacing a mature hardwood stand. Early on, my hunting approach was naïve; the interest was there, but I had no guidance other than the jumble of information and advertisements found on social media and in hunting magazines.
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Go into the woods, bump a couple of deer, and come home empty handed. Gradually, though, my desire to successfully harvest a deer intensified. Rather than sitting and waiting in a blind, I gravitated toward a style of hunting that allowed me to keep moving. I sought out a couple of people who grew up hunting and learned from them. The opening day of the Vermont muzzle loader season is always on a Saturday in December. One December Saturday in 2016, with odds and ends wrapped up on the home front, I threw my hunting clothes into a cardboard box with some leaves and fresh cut spruce boughs for scent control. My Buckstalker muzzleloader, a couple armloads of firewood, and a cooler filled with groceries filled the trunk of my Subaru Outback. That night at camp, big wet snowflakes were sticking to the ground and the next morning there was a thin layer of snow. The temperatures were relatively mild, right around freezing. I won’t say exactly where it is — no good deer hunter would – but the camp borders the northern section of the Green Mountain National
Forest, not far from the Breadloaf Wilderness area. Breadloaf is one of eight Congressionally-designated Wilderness Areas in the Green Mountain National Forest, established by the Wilderness Act of 1964. The country’s 803 Wilderness Areas are intended to keep certain tracts of federal public land wild, allowing only human-powered activities and prohibiting the use of motorized equipment as well as mechanical transport (e.g. ATVs, bicycles, etc.). Typically, I’d stay close to camp while hunting, creeping along, hoping to sneak up on (or cross paths with) a deer. That morning the snow on Route 100 had melted but the dirt roads had a fresh coat on them. It was still dark out and it wasn’t yet shooting hours by the time I started looking for a track crossing the road. After about 90 minutes of driving, I was antsy and I thought to myself, “this is silly. All I’m doing is driving— I’m not even in the woods. I just need to get out there.” Parking at a trailhead, I walked into a hemlock stand. At the very least I’d get a nice hike into the Wilderness Area.
THE CHASE In discussing whitetail tracking with other hunters, I always wondered how the hell we were supposed to ever catch up with a deer if we’re constantly creeping along, moving slowly, never making a peep. It just seemed too damn slow. Sure, you might encounter another deer by chance, but catching up with the one you’re tracking seemed impossible when going that slowly. There was another way. A more aggressive approach existed; once you get on a track of what you are confident is that of a buck, you get after it quickly, ignoring the noise you might make. A stick cracks under foot, a branch scrapes the ripstop nylon of your backpack - ignore it. Just go. You may bump the deer, but eventually he’s going to make a mistake and if you’re focused, you’ll be there for it. This is the style of whitetail hunting I adopted that morning. Influenced by Larry Benoit’s deer hunting books, I was a minimalist. I wore a plaid green wool shirt, wool pants, and sturdy leather boots. I carried all of my ammo, food, and compass and map in my pockets or belt. After about 20 minutes I spotted
an old track, halfway filled in with snow, headed south. Following this track was surely better than driving around all morning in my Subaru. I followed the track uphill for about an hour longer, until it crossed another set of large, fresh deer prints. This new track was the type of print that makes a hunter’s heart skip a beat. I knew it was a track to follow: large hoof, wide stance, solitary. The spruce trees were becoming white, their branches heavy with snow. The walking was quiet. The pursuit was on. Move quick, don’t worry about the noise. My eyes scanned ahead looking for the horizontal line of a deer’s back, a nose, set of eyes, a tail flicker, a leg. A flash 20 yards ahead caught my eye. The deer had been bedded. The bed itself was large and the buck’s body heat had melted most of the snow down to leaves. Tarsal gland stains were evident in the remaining snow, but the traces of it were getting covered quickly by the falling flakes. The buck had bounded from its bed and continued to run for a couple hundred yards, eventually returning to a walk, heading uphill steadily. I had been after the deer for a couple of hours when fatigue started pursuing me. I chose not to bring water on my hunts back then —too heavy and I thought it would slow me down. My peanut butter and jelly sandwich was long gone. Two hours-worth of melted snow on my wool shirt made the wind seem stronger and colder than it actually was.
PREDATOR AND PREY A psychological barrier began to emerge: doubt. How long should I follow this track? What time should I leave it to get back the car? How will I get the deer out if I shoot it? Do I feel like hiking back to my rig in the dark? This uncertainty needed to be extinguished. It was helpful to remember one of the best pieces of advice Larry Benoit gives in his book How to Bag the Biggest Buck of Your Life. It’s a bit of Zen philosophy where he talks about not letting these voices take over when you’re in pursuit of a buck; you have to clear your mind of all of that noise, that worry, and focus on that one thing: catching up with the buck and killing him. If you’re worried about your job, your spouse, money, the newest iPhone, if your car’s going to start, etc. while in pursuit, then the buck has won. This philosophy has even more relevance today where the distractions of Larry Benoit’s time still exist, but now we have the supercomputers
After bagging his first buck, the author's relationship with wilderness, and his approach to hunting, changed. Photo by Jesse McEntee
in our pockets where a hunter can check the map, the weather, and emails. Luckily the cell service was nonexistent in the Wilderness area the buck and I had just entered. Clear mind, no distractions. No kids to pick up off the bus, no early bedtime for work the next day. Chase this buck for the next eight hours, up and down over ridges, through streams, up to the top of the mountain.
WILDERNESS. FREEDOM. After a while, the deer started acting funny. The tracks showed it would run, then walk. Jump to the side. Walk back on its own track. It knew something was after it. Predator after prey. I trudged after that deer well into the Wilderness area going higher and higher, wind in my face. Eventually I looked up a steep incline and there he was. About 25 yards away, he was
standing in front of me with his head down behind a fallen tree. I switched the safety off and waited for him to lift his head so I could confirm he had antlers. And then I pulled the trigger. Sprinting up through the smoke to where the deer had been, there were dark red spots on the snow. Good, there’s blood. Contact. He was laying down, looking at me from five feet away. As we locked eyes for about a second, he got up and stumbled down the mountain crashing through hobblebush. Adrenaline pumping, I ran down after the injured buck and found him sitting up looking at me. I reloaded and finished him off with another shot into the vitals. He was a classic Vermont ridgerunner. I stared at him, with my hand on his body, feeling the heat from his brown fur. It was thick, angled front to back, stiff yet soft.
Our body heat was still melting the snow that landed on our backs. I was truly alone, at peace and in the moment. Nothing else mattered. It was primal and raw. My mind went to a new place, a wilder place. Hyper-focused on this buck and the immediate surroundings. The noise of the modern world disappeared: unfinished chores, unanswered texts all faded into the background. There was plenty to figure out, but none of it mattered. It was me on the mountain, in the woods, with the buck, high from the kill. The smell of the muzzleloader shot lingered. His hair sticking to my sweaty cold hands. The only sound was the wind. It was bliss. After gutting the deer, I tied one end of a piece of paracord to his antlers and the other to a stout stick and began to drag him out. When tired, I’d rest by sitting on his shoulders. When my hands got too numb to grip the drag stick, I’d warm them on his ribcage. Eventually, a couple of my buddies and I connected, and I had some help with the last bit of the drag. They asked, “where are you?” I replied, “I don’t know, uphill from that road.” I was still high; I knew I’d get back eventually. I followed the old wisdom of Northeast hunters: go downhill to a stream then follow that to a road or town. What seemed impossible finally happened after eight years of getting skunked. I was thrilled, but it wasn’t the feeling I expected. Perhaps I expected to be hunting with a friend when I shot my first deer and we’d be congratulating each other, high-fiving like they do in hunting gear advertisements. Or maybe I’d be shouting “yeah,” pumping my fist in the air. Instead, the experience of being there deep in the Wilderness started a new chapter for me. Since that buck, I seek out hunting and fishing experiences that involve this struggle and the elements of true wilderness and solitude. Back at camp, I hung up the deer and we added my name to the scrap plywood hanging on the wall. I don’t think I took my eyes off that deer for more than a half hour for the next 24 hours. Throughout the night I would get up and look out the window and turn on the spotlight to make sure he was still there. Jesse McEntee is a writer, researcher and social scientist who lives in Northern Vermont with his wife, two teenagers and two dogs. He publishes a newsletter, Next Adventure, which you can subscribe to on his website, jessemcentee.com
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Brennan Guerriere on the trail Swan Dive. Photo by Greg Maino
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ermont is renowned for its exquisite gravel and dirt roads, and well-established bikepacking routes, such as the Ridges, Rivers, and Rails Overnighter, the Green Mountain Gravel Growler, the VTXL, the Roundabout Brattleboro route, and the Upper Valley Trail Mix route. You
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can find route details for all of these on Bikepacking.com. But one thing you’ll notice when you examine these routes closely is that they don’t include much singletrack. The Upper Valley Trail Mix has the most, at 30%, and while that’s enough to make a hardtail mountain bike the preferred
tool for the job, it also means you’ll likely spend 70% of your time riding surfaces where you’ll probably wish you had your gravel bike. So, where am I going with this? Well, I have a couple of friends, Rob Stumler and Brennan Guerriere whom I met through biking and bikepacking.
Ever since we first started hanging out, we’ve made it a habit to get out a couple of times each season for some bike pushing and camping. Sometimes we take the easy route and chart a course that takes advantage of dirt roads, sprinkling in the occasional stretch of class 4 road to ensure an adventurous experience.
TOUR OF A HUNDRED BERMS IN OCTOBER, JUST AS NEW SECTIONS OF THE VELOMONT TRAIL WERE COMPLETED, A SINGLETRACK BIKEPACKING HUT TRIP OFFERED A TASTE OF WHAT’S COME. ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY GREG MAINO
However, there are other times, actually most times, where, for some inexplicable reason, we are driven to concoct something a bit more daring and unique. Maybe it’s because there are so many readily available gravel routes in these parts, but when we start crafting a new tour, our goal is typically to avoid
roads altogether and build a route that uses as much singletrack as possible. In our endeavors to plan a singletrackheavy, bikepacking route, we’ve been semi-successful. Despite the surge in mountain bike-specific trail construction over the past decade, options for assembling singletrack-heavy routes long
enough to justify hauling camping gear remain scarce. Enter the newly completed sections of the Velomont Trail. The Velomont Trail, a collaborative effort to create a mountain bike-specific route stretching the length of Vermont from the Massachusetts border to
Canada is slowly happening. The goal is to connect existing mountain bike trail systems and provide a riding experience that is at least 70% singletrack. To date, the Velomont Trail covers roughly 30 miles in central Vermont. This past fall, new segments in the Rochester/Pittsfield area came online. Pending U.S. Forest
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Service approval, another 32-mile segment would connect Chittenden Brook Hut to Mendon, with a spur to Kilington’s Sherburne Trails When the Velomont Trail is complete, it’s going to be amazing. Not just because you’ll be able to spend days or weeks riding across Vermont on your mountain bike, but because of the many bite-size, overnight adventures it will also make possible. This past October, we got a sampling. In early October, the Vermont Huts Association, Velomont Trail Collective, Vermont Adaptive, and the Vermont Mountain Bike Association officially opened two new trails, Perspiration and Chitty Bang Bang (an adaptive MTBfriendly trail). These trails are part of the Velomont and their completion created a singletrack connection between Brandon Mountain Road and the Chittenden Brook Hut opening up some new possibilities. At the end of October, things started coming together. My friend Justin was visiting from out of town. Our original plan didn’t include a bikepacking trip, but I had tracked down a bike he could use while he was here. Rob had recently received a long-awaited custom framebag for his fancy new hardtail and suggested an overnight plan that started in Rochester, had us staying overnight at the Chittenden Brook Hut, and followed a course that was 75 to 80% singletrack. Mapping it on GPS, it would be 18 miles with nearly 4,000 feet of climbing to get to Chittenden Brook Hut from Rochester. If we had more time, we could have continued on toward Stockbridge and Pittsfield on the new trails but that was all we would have time for on this trip. So, with the forecast looking warm and dry, we made plans to meet up on a
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A VELOMONT LOOP TAKES SHAPE. The author rode roughly half of the 40-mile Contest trail loop that, when complete, will go from Rochester to Pittsfield and back with possibilities for overnight stays at two huts along the way. The author's group started in Rochester and rode west on Tunnel Ridge to Swan Dive to Bingo Road to Route 73. Riding Route 73 west, they connected to the new Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to reach Chittenden Brook Hut. In 2024 plans call for a trail to bypass Little Pico Mountain and connect Swan Dive to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. From Chittenden Brook Hut, you could continue south on Perspiration to Upper Michigan Road and Pittsfield and then return north by way of the Contest Loop and Spikehorn, staying at Spikehorn Hut. Map by Trailforks.
Thursday afternoon at Green Mountain Bikes in Rochester to see what he could see. As mentioned above, my friend Justin was visiting from afar. While I had managed to find a bike for him to use during his stay, we had not
planned on camping. The Chittenden Brook Hut, managed by the Vermont Huts Association (vermonthuts.org), provides a pretty luxurious experience and includes a kitchen with pots, pans, utensils, propane heat, mattresses, and an outhouse for a very reasonable price.
By staying at the hut, we were able to leave our tents, sleeping pads, and stoves at home. The hut made this trip possible as it minimized the amount of equipment we had to carry, making it easier to outfit Justin’s borrowed bike. Once Thursday rolled around, we loaded the car and headed to Rochester. After meeting up and getting our bikes sorted, we started riding. Out of Rochester, you’re only on roads for a hot minute before the trail begins, and this first part is a bit of a doozy, climbing westward approximately 1800 feet in the first 4 miles. However, this stretch was as beautiful as it was relentless, thanks to the occasional views as you climbed up and over the ridge. Trails on this section included the Chantrea Field Trail, VCR Connector, and Tunnel Ridge. Tunnel Ridge was built by Tom Lepesqueur of L&D Trailworks and, at the moment, is probably the longest flow trail in all of Vermont at 5.4 miles long. After topping out on Tunnel Ridge we were rewarded with a 2.2-mile descent. At the bottom we connected with the Swans Mill Trail. Swans Mill is mostly doubletrack, but we encountered a number of not-yet-mapped singletrack bypasses that were complete or nearly complete. These sections were welcome surprises and got us off the often soggy, soft, and lumpy snowmobile path onto hard-packed trails that provided a much more enjoyable riding experience. After another roughly 1,000 feet of climbing, we started a 1,600-foot descent that was occasionally interrupted with some short climbs and beautiful views. The last two miles of the descent were on the trail Swan Dive. This is a dedicated mountain bike trail that drops continuously for about 900 feet, looping and swooping its way down to
THE DETAILS Route Map: ridewithgps.com/ routes/44823438 Length: 18 miles, one way Elevation: 3,674 ft of climbing Bike Shop: Green Mountain Bikes Recommended Eats: Sandy’s Bakery, Rochester Café Stay: Chittenden Brook Hut or in Rochester, at the new The Stable Inn (opened by the owners of Green Mountain Bikes). Velomont Trail: velomonttrail.org Vermont Huts Association: vermonthuts.org Opposite: Brennan Guerriere does emergency pedal repair just prior to the start of Chitty Bang Bang. Justin Wold and Rob Stumler packing up their bikes after spending the night in the Chittenden Brook Hut. Photos by Greg Maino This page, top: Justin Wold, Greg Maino, and Rob Stumler take a break near the top of the Tunnel Ridge Trail. Bottom: Rob Stumler, Greg Maino, and Justin Wold enjoying some fast gravel on Bingo Brook Road. Photos by Brennan Guerriere.
Bingo Brook Road on some exquisitely built berms and turns. By the end, my calves and quads were ready for a break. Fortunately, once at Bingo Brook Road, we had about 3 miles of dirt and paved roads to negotiate, giving my legs the rest they needed. After some easy cruising we turned onto National Forest Road 45, which is also the road for the Chittenden Brook Hut and Campground. Just a little ways up FR45, we connected with Chitty Bang Bang, but this is where our adventure runs into a bit of a hiccup. Just before the beginning of Chitty
Bang Bang, Brennan’s pedal decided to initiate an unplanned rapid selfdisassembly. We had gotten a late start, so by this time, it was well past sunset and getting quite dark. After a little pedal surgery, we were able to get Brennan back up and running. The pedal was no longer attached to the spindle, but with careful pedaling, Brennan was back on the trail. We had just 3 miles of mostly uphill trail to go, and everyone was ready to relax and have some food. After a cozy night in the hut, we decided to enjoy a lazy morning and
take the much shorter and more direct road route back to town due to Brennan’s broken pedal. As much as we all would have loved to ride the trails on the return trip, it was great to have a convenient bailout option available. This was an impromptu trip that turned out to be a huge amount of fun. We were lucky that the Chittenden Brook Hut was available, but if it hadn’t been, we still could have camped at the Chittenden Brook Campground. If it wasn’t obvious, we’re pretty excited about the Velomont Trail, and word on the street is that the Velomont
Trail Collective and Vermont Huts Association have plans to open 20+ miles of new trail and start construction on new backcountry huts and/or hostels in Waterbury, Randolph, and Hardwick in 2024. The Vermont Huts Association and Velomont Trail Collective are not only building trails and huts, they are also building a reputation for making things happen and getting things done. Thank you to everyone involved in these efforts. What you’ve created so far is amazing, and my friends and I can’t wait to see what’s next!
NOV./DEC. 2023 | VTSPORTS.COM 25
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26 VTSPORTS.COM | NOV./DEC. 2023
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at the Camden Snow Bowl in Maine. These days, I do most of my skiing in the Stowe area. The early morning uphill scene at Stowe Mountain Resort is very vibrant.
FEATURED ATHLETE
OUT TO SET A NEW RECORD
Where will you do most of your skiing next year? I’ll probably spend around a month in Vermont to start the year off. I love skiing here, but we don’t always have consistent snow. You can always find some snow but to have some modicum of efficiency, I’ll need something with 2,000 feet of vertical. Where I go after Vermont is up in the air, but it will probably be either Utah or the Alps due to the amount of terrain and easy access. Then, late spring through midsummer I’ll probably be in the Pacific Northwest, using Mt. Hood as a base. After that, I’m thinking of Argentina or somewhere else in South America and then back to the western U.S. for midfall to early winter, before finishing the year in Vermont. I’m somewhat familiar with the Pacific Northwest. Two summers ago, I was there for a month and skied Mt. Adams, Mt. Baker, Mt. Hood, and Mt. Rainier. Last summer was a shorter visit and I skied Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier.
Name: Noah Dines Age: 29 Family: Mother, Karen; Father, Rob; Sister, Arianna; three living grandparents Lives in: Stowe Primary Sports: Backcountry skiing, climbing, trail running, cycling. Occupation: Teacher
N
oah Dines already has his New Year’s resolution planned. On January 1, he begins his quest to ski three million vertical feet in one year using just his legs to get both up and down the mountain. The current record for human-powered uphill skiing was set in 2016 by another Vermont skier, Aaron Rice, who skied 2,506,499 feet. Dines wasn’t an elite athlete growing up and sees his quest as a way to show that a self-described “just a dude” can achieve hard goals. You can follow Dines’ progress on Strava or subscribe to his Substack blog (ahdinesski.substack.com/). He is also taking donations at gofundme.com/f/ the-quest-for-3-million . Why do you want to do this? It’s primarily a love of skiing and a love of pushing myself and doing hard things. I want to know what it feels like to try really hard at one thing and be fully invested. I want to break the record but the day that I ski the 2,506,500th foot isn’t going to be any more significant than any of the other days. The first and last days will be the significant ones. I love skiing so I’m looking forward to doing it as much as I can. How are you training? I’m doing a lot of trail running in the mountains. I’m also doing a good amount of cycling, mostly gravel and mountain. I’m practicing resting and eating and all those other key components. Tell us about your recent epic trip to the Grand Canyon. I was in Flagstaff to help a friend run a school orientation program when I realized how close I was to the Grand Canyon. I had never been there, but I didn’t want to just sit and look at the
Noah DInes, on a training run with Mt. Rainier in the background. Photo by Dennis Kramer.
rim, so I decided to bike to the Grand Canyon from Flagstaff and then run from rim to rim to rim before biking back. It was totally the wrong season – the end of summer – and it was 106 degrees at the bottom of the canyon, but it was absolutely incredible. It is 75 miles from Flagstaff to the Canyon and the day after I arrived, I started my run at 2:45 am. There was a super moon, and it was just incredible to be there, running with my head lamp and nobody around and then seeing the canyon come alive with flora and fauna.
It was the hardest run I’ve ever done, and the heat was a major challenge. I was really blown away by the Grand Canyon and to have such an intimate relationship with it was really special. When did you start skiing? I grew up in Massachusetts and started skiing in elementary school at Neshoba Valley, but I didn’t start backcountry skiing until 2017. I was living in Maine and a friend and the woman I was dating at the time thought I should try it. I started on heavy telemark gear
Explain your double session philosophy. I like the idea of skiing in the morning, taking a break – maybe a nap - and then skiing again later in the day. Taking a double session works really well because it gives your body an opportunity to heal itself. It allows you to calm down and get off your feet. I don’t always sleep during the break but just lying down is restorative. Taking a break allows you to eat, warm up, take care of gear issues, and dry off. Mentally, it’s a lot less intimidating to do 4,000 feet in the morning and another 4,000 in the afternoon rather than think about doing a 9,000 or 10,000-foot day. What’s the most you’ve ever skied in a day? Last spring, I skied over 29,000 feet in one day. I wanted to Everest in both skiing and cycling. The goal of “Everesting” is to do 29,032 vertical feet in one day. I did the Everest skiing on Spruce Peak in horrible spring ice conditions. It was a really long day with more than 16 laps, but it was pretty fulfilling and exciting. The cycling “Everest” was on the Jeffersonville side of Smugglers’ Notch. I did a total of 162 miles that day going up and down the Notch road eleven times.
NOV./DEC. 2023 | VTSPORTS.COM 27
Noah Dines descending Mt. Mansfield, shot by Aaron Rice, a Vermont resident who currently holds the record that Dines hopes to break: skiing the most human-powered vertical feet in one year. Photo by Aaron Rice
One of the hardest things about skinning is breaking trail in heavy snow. Will you have help? You are allowed to have people breaking trail for you and I have friends in Vermont who will be helping with that. One of my aims and hopes for this project is that I’ll get to meet some really cool people who’ll come out to break trail for me on other parts of the trip. I have some contacts through social media and my sponsors, but I hope that I’ll hook up with cool people doing cool stuff and find friends. One of my Vermont friends, Dennis Kramer, is hoping to join me in the Pacific Northwest for a month or so. Do you plan to ski every day or take some days off? I can’t really imagine in an ideal world wanting to take a full rest day, but of course, in an ideal world, the weather is always good. I might ski a 2,000 or 4,000-foot day which isn’t a full rest day but would give me more time to rest. Another option might be to ski on, say, Tuesday morning and then take a break until Wednesday afternoon. The key is to really rest during the break time by eating properly and sleeping.
28 VTSPORTS.COM | NOV./DEC. 2023
Will you be camping? I’m hoping to secure some kind of bedroom so in my down time, I can be focused on recovery, sleeping, and eating, as well as having a place to work on my gear. There will probably be some days where I sleep in the back of a truck, but I want to do this right and that includes prioritizing sleep. Have you lined up any sponsors for your ski year? Fischer is my main ski sponsor, but I’m also sponsored by Plink, a Vermont company that makes hydration tablets, Mountainflow eco-wax which makes plant-based, petroleum-free ski wax, MountainOps outdoor gear, and Mountain Road Outfitters. What equipment will you use? I’m using alpine touring gear. I’ll be on a pretty lightweight set of Fischer skis, and I’ll be wearing a 950-gram boot with a really small binding. One of the ways I’m diverging from the previous record holder [Aaron Rice] is I’m focused on lightweight gear. I’m very conscious of weight and I think that will help set me up for success because it will help me move quickly. When I do laps on Mt. Mansfield, I keep extras skis and skins in the car but there may be days next year when I carry an extra
set of skins in my pack. I’ll be using a GPS watch, and everything will be uploaded to Strava. What do you love about living here in Vermont? I know there are people who say we don’t always have good snow in Vermont, but if you have a short memory and ski every day, it’s a great winter every winter. If you have low standards, there’s a lot of fun skiing to be had. We get a lot of snow and if you can capitalize when the going’s good, then the going’s really good. You have to work for the snow, and the reward is always fun. I spend a lot of time in the backcountry of Smugglers’ Notch and there are always new gullies to explore, and you can find 1,200-foot lines of great skiing with rock walls on either side. There are also options for mellower terrain in Sterling Valley which gets a lot of snow. You’ve described Vermont backcountry skiing as comedic. What did you mean by that? For all the good, sometimes you get into situations that are funny like if you miss an exit on a backcountry run and you’re just schwacking your way through brambles, halfway in a stream. And then we have cruelly comedic weather like a rainstorm after two feet of snow.
What got you into coaching and teaching at Mt. Mansfield Ski Academy? I like languages so I taught French and Spanish there. I also coached, starting in 2019-20. I didn’t grow up ski racing so being in that world has been a wonderful learning experience. I worked with 8, 9, and 10-year-old kids who were becoming fantastic skiers. It made me a better skier and teacher and helped me become more a part of the community. What do you have to say to someone who wants to set goals like your 3,000,000-foot plan? I’m coming at this as someone who wasn’t an elite athlete in high school. I didn’t play any sport in college. I’m just trying to figure out how to make it as an athlete and how to push my limits. Sports aren’t just for people who race bikes at the top level but for anyone who wants to try to do the hard things in sports and beyond. If you dedicate yourself and claw and clamber and sacrifice and pour your body and soul into something, you can achieve things that two years before you thought were just for other people. —Phyl Newbeck
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RUNNING/HIKING NOVEMBER 4 |RUTFest, Richmond The third annual Richmond Ultra Trail Festival is a weekend devoted to running and hiking local trails with our community. This 36-hour "race" includes two different 3-4 mile trail loops at Catamount Outdoor Family Center, with gorgeous views of Camel's Hump and Mt. Mansfield. These two loops are run on repeat, whenever you want. https://ultrasignup.com/register. aspx?did=106726 4 | UCS Superhero 5K, Bennington In its 6th year, the Superhero 5K and Kids' Dash 5K-course tours the local streets and small businesses of Bennington. Come dressed as your favorite superhero from the comics, and show appreciation for the heroes in your life. raceentry.com/ucssuperhero-5k/race-information 4, 11, 18 |Fallen Leaves 5K Series, Montpelier Come to the Montpelier High School track at 8 am on Nov. 4, 11 and 18 to race this classic 5K series. cvrunners.org/ cvr-races/fallen-leaves-5k-series/ 4 | Race Around Bird, Huntington This is a trail race with some steep uphill climbs. Some segments are more like single-track mountain trails. This is a HARD course. The course is approximately 3.6 miles. .The course is well-marked and you will return past the Museum to complete both loops. There are no supplies and no first aid stations on the course. birdsofvermont.org/event/race-aroundbirds-2023/ 5 | Fall Trail Running Series, St.Albans Each week will be a different 5K course. All courses will take place on the wide cross country trails. stalbansnordic. org/upcoming-events/hardack-fall-trailrunning-series/
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RACE & EVENT GUIDE
5 | The Middlebury Maple Run, Middlebury. A great fall cap to your race season! The half marathon course promises scenic rolling hills into the farmlands around Middlebury and Weybridge with spectacular views of the Green Mountains and Middlebury College. Course is a mix of paved and gravel roads with a short stretch on a gravel trail. Run the full 13.1 miles, or split it in a 2-person relay. Bring the kids for a 3-mile fun run around Middlebury! middleburymaplerun.com
DECEMBER
5 | Vermont 10 Miler, Stowe Run a stunning, scenic, and challenging course along Stowe's backcountry roads and the Stowe Recreation Path. This event is the final stop of the 3-race New England 10 Miler Series. newengland10milerseries.com
CYCLING
23 | Gobble Gobble Wobble 5K, Stratton Get your tailfeathers moving early to kick off Thanksgiving on the right foot. This family-friendly 5K begins in the Stratton village courtyard, loops around the resort, and concludes back in the Village. Sign up as a family, with your running buddy, or hang out in the Village and show support for your favorite runner Thanksgiving morning, rain or shine stratton.com/things-to-do/events/annualgobble-gobble-wobble-5k 23 | Gobble Wobble 5K, Barre The start and finish line will be at the pavilion at the end of the recreation area at Barre Town School. Same-day registration and packet pick-up will be in the school parking lot A map of the race course will be available at the packet pick-up and at runsignup.com/ Race/VT/Barre/BCCGobbleWobble 23 |Zack's Place Thanksgiving Turkey Trot, Woodstock This 5k walk and run is through historic Woodstock, on Thanksgiving morning at 10 AM. All proceeds support Zack's Place, a non-profit that provides free programs to adults with Special needs from all over the Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire. This festive event has entertainment, refreshments, and prizes. zacksplacevt.org/ events/turkey-trot/ 23 | 46th Annual GMAA Turkey Trot 5K Food Drive, Burlington A 5K loop on the UVM women’s cross-country course in Burlington. Great footing (not counting snow or ice) on cinder/paved path and grass – some single track. No pets, headphones, strollers or bicycles allowed on the course. Walkers welcome. gmaa.run/schedule/ turkey-trot/
10 | 7th Annual Ugly Sweater Fun Run, South Burlington A non-timed 5k fun run based at the S Burlington Middle School in S. Burlington. Participants are encouraged to wear their ugliest holiday sweater. There will be a photo booth for remembrances along with warming food. Proceeds benefit Champlain Housing Trust, SB Academic Boosters and SB Rotary Charities. southburlingtonrotary.org
JANUARY 28 | Rikert Fat Bike/Adaptive Bike Roundup, Ripton Guided group fatrides for all abilities based out of Rikert Nordic Center. One set of rides in the morning, one in the afternoon, followed by bonfires and fun. addisoncountybikeclub.org
APRIL 20 | 10th Rasputitsa Dirt, Jay Peak Celebrating 10 years of gravel racing through the Northeast Kingdom, Rasputitsa moves to Jay Peak this year but all the fun continues for the gravel ride and race over 53 miles. rasputitsadirt.com
SNOWSPORTS & OTHER NOVEMBER 2 | 10th Annual Vermont Backcountry Forum, Rochester Celebrating 10 years of backcountry skiing with the Ridgeline Outdoor Collective and 40 years of the Catamount Trail Association. Talks, prizes and more. catamounttrail.org 17-18 | Warren Miller’s “All Time” Film, Middlebury & Burlington Warren Miller Entertainment’s 74th film, ALL TIME, comes to the Town Hall Theater in Middlebury, Nov. 17. followed by a show at the Flynn in Burlington, Nov.18. The film features new footage with Donny Pelletier as well as historic footage of Glen Plake, Scot Schmidt, and the Egan Brothers along with more recent shots of Michelle Parker, Marcus Caston, Seth Wescott, Madison Ostergren, Mckenna Peterson, Lexi duPont, Simon Hillis, Kaylin Richardson, Wendy Fisher and many more. warrenmiller.com
17 -19 | Okemo Mountain School Ski and Snowboard Swap, Ludlow Everything you need to get out on the hill this season…. skis, snowboards, boots, bindings, helmets, goggles, outerwear, and more. Proceeds go to benefit the Okemo Mountain School. The OMS Ski Swap will once again take place in the Round. Okemomountainschool.orge at the Jackson
Gore Inn. Okemomountainschool.org 23 | Gobble Gobble Wobble 5K, Stratton Trot through the Stratton village and kick off Thanksgiving on the right foot. This familyfriendly 5K begins in the Stratton village courtyard, loops around the resort, and concludes back in the village. Sign up as a family, with your running buddy, or hang out and cheer. Stratton.com 24-25 | HERoic Stifel Killington World Cup, Killington Watch the best female racers in the world compete on Superstar in a giant slalom on Saturday and slalom on Sunday. Plus, a tent village, free concerts by national artists, fireworks, parties and a VIP tent. Music acts include 220 Kid, DJ Mix Master, Young the Giant and Matsiyahu Mike. killington.com 25 | Snowlight in Vermont, Stratton Snowlight in Vermont reception and village tree lighting. Sponsor a lighted tree ($625-$725) and dedicate a plaque in the Stratton Village or in Manchester during the winter 23-24 season. “Snowlight in Vermont” supports critical programs that address hunger, health, basic necessities and education for Vermont children in need. Our schools witness up to 80% of children living at or below the poverty level. Stratton.com
DECEMBER 2 | ADK Tour de Ski, Mt van Hoevenberg, Lake Placid, NY An exciting new race series in the spectacular Adirondack Mountains! Six venues, multiple distances, December through March. Race all of them or pick and choose (discount on the racing fees when you register for all 6). Race hard and then spend the weekend. paulsmithsvic.org/adk-tour-de-ski/ 2-3 | Audi FIS Alpine Women’s World Cup, Mont Tremblant, QC Following the Killington Cup, the world’s top women tech ski racers head to Mont Tremblant, QC for two days of giant slalom races on the women’s Audi World Cup. Tremblant.ca
9 | Brew & Ski Weekend, Smuggler’s Notch Resort BrewFest showcases a mix of local craft and regional brews as well as classic favorites! Don’t miss samples from Vermont’s own Zero Gravity, Long Trail, Harpoon, 14th Star, Shed, Otter Creek, Fiddlehead, Von Trapp, Switchback, and Burlington Beer Company. More breweries are being added. A DJ spins the tunes, too. smuggs.com 16-17| Roy Varney Memorial, Eastern Cup Super Tour, Waterville Valley, ME. Satiurday is a classic sprint, Sunday is the freestyle with interval starts for 7.5, Open, 5K and U16. Nensa.net
JANUARY 6 | ADK Tour de Ski, Harrietstown, Take part in this new cross-country ski race series in the spectacular Adirondack Mountains! The second stop on the Tour de Ski is at Dewey Mountain. paulsmithsvic. org/adk-tour-de-ski 6 | NE Rando Skimo Race, Berkshire East Mass start time is 9:30 (no advance announcement, so prepare yourself at start location ahead of time), w/ 1:30 schwag, food, and beer (non-alcoholic!). nerandorace. blogspot.com
14 | ADK Tour de Ski, Tupper Lake , NY The third stop on this new cross-country ski race series is at the James Frenette Sr. Recreational Trails. paulsmithsvic.org/adktour-de-ski/ 16 | Danville Game Supper, Danville The oldest game supper in Vermont (held since 1920) is always on the Thursday before Thanksgiving (which is also the first Thursday after the start of deer rifle season)..vermontrentalhouse.com/ danville-game-supper.html 17-21 | Winter Rendezvous, Stowe Celebrating 40 years, join hundreds of LGBTQ winter enthusiasts for 5 days of world-class skiing and boarding at Stowe Mountain Resort. This fun-filled event offers a host of outdoor activities, parties, and entertainment winterrendezvous.com 18-24 | 50th Stowe Winter Carnival, Stowe The town of Stowe shines with over 20 major activities for both young and old, from zany sports events, the Ice Carving Competitions, ski movies, and the infamous snowgolf and snowvolleyball tournaments. gostowe.com 21 | Lake Placid Super Tour, Eastern Cup, Lake Placid, NY. The second stop on the Eastern Cup tour is at Mt van Hoevenberg. Satiurday is a classic sprint, Sunday is the freestyle with interval starts for 7.5, Open, 5K and U16. Nensa.net
26-28 | Smuggs Ice Bash, Smuggler’s Notch Vermont's annual ice climbing festival features talks, demos, clinics and more. Put on by Petra Cliffs with on-site demos and vendors at Smuggler's Notch's ice falls. smuggsicebash.com 26-28 | Frostbite Face Off Pond Hockey, Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee ALL skill levels are welcome. Yeti (A/B Division) and Sasquatch Divisions (C/ C+) Division and D Division teams) will be placed based on overall team experience. Co-ed teams should enter the open division, and please be aware of your overall team level when choosing your level of play. The Women's Division are separated by skill level, similar to the Open divisions lakemoreyresort.com
FEBRUARY 2-3 | Rodrigues Eastern Cup, Craftsbury The Eastern Cup and Harvard Carnival come to Craftsbury. Saturday – Freestyle Individual Start: 7.5k. Sunday – Freestyle Pursuit: 10km Open, 5km U16. nensa.net 3 | NE Rando Skimo Race, Bromley Mass start time is 10:30 (no advance announcement, so prepare yourself at start location ahead of time), w/ 1:30 schwag, food, and beer (non-alcoholic!). nerandorace. blogspot.com
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10| ADK Tour de Ski, Lake Placid, NY! The fourth stop on the ADK Tour de Ski is at Scott's Cobble Nordic Center in Lake Placid. paulsmithsvic.org/adk-tour-de-ski/ 17-18 | Harris Hill Ski Jump, Brattleboro The world’s top male and female ski jumpers compete on a 90-meter jump, and soar more than 300 feet at speeds of nearly 60 mph. The event has a festive atmosphere for the whole family with food, music, and a beer tent. harrishillskijump.com 25| ADK Tour de Ski, Lake Placid, NY The fourth stop on a new crosscountry ski race series is at the Adirondack Mountain Club's Cascade Welcome Center. paulsmithsvic.org/adk-tour-de-ski/ 22-26 | Lake Memphremagog Winter Swim Festival, Newport Join swimmers of all abilities from around the world who travel to Newport to plunge into a pool cut into the ice and compete for fun and prizes d. kingdomgames.co
MARCH 10 | The Bobcat Loppet, ADK Tour de Ski, Paul Smith's VIC, NY The last stop on the ADK Tour de Ski is the Bobcat Loppet at Paul Smith's VIC. paulsmithsvic.org/adktour-de-ski/
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SHARE YOUR VACATION RENTAL PROPERTY
This picture-perfect classic Vermont 2-bedroom, 1-bath cabin sits in a quiet valley not far from the slopes and backs up to miles of trails that are great for hiking or backcountry skiing. Just 15 minutes to the Trapp Family Lodge, town and Stowe Mountain Resort.
On gorgeous Lake Dunmore, this freshly-renovated 2-bedroom, 2-bath cottage sleeps 6, is central to great skiing at Brandon Gap, Killington, Pico, Middlebury Snow Bowl and Rikert Nordic Center. Yearround, skate, XC ski or swim right out your front door.
This cozy retreat is just one mile from main base areas and within walking distance to over a dozen restaurants and bars. It has a wood-burning fireplace, washer/dryer, porch, t.v., and wifi. This 2-bedroom, 1-bath, sleeps 4 people and will take dogs.
Here’s your chance to get your vacation rental property in front of the millions of affluent skiers and riders who visit Vermont each winter. Rates start at just $100 a month. Contact; ads@vtsports.com
airbnb.com/h/ stowe-vt-cabin-with-hot-tub
airbnb.com/h/ lake-dunmore-cottage
vrbo.com/650909 or email rent. killington@gmail.com
NOV./DEC. 2023 | VTSPORTS.COM 31
IKE SHOPS
AROUND THE REGION advertising section
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BATTENKILL BICYCLES
99 Bonnet St., Manchester Ctr, VT 802-362-2734 | battenkillbicycles.com Manchester's bicycle shop since 1972, Battenkill Bicycles is a Trek and Specialized dealer offering advice and sales to meet all your cycling needs. The service department offers tune-ups and repairs for all brands. Come rent a bike or get information about local group rides. Battenkill Bicycles is the number one e-bike seller in southern Vermont and an authorized e-bike service center.
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BERKSHIRE OUTFITTERS
RR 8, 169 Grove St., Adams, MA 413-743-5900 | berkout@bcn.net A full-service bike shop at the base of the Mt. Greylock State Reservation. We also border a beautiful 12-mile paved rail trail. We carry Jamis, Rocky Mountain and G.T. We offer sales, repairs and hybrid rentals for the rail trail.
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BOOTLEGGER BIKES
60 Main St. Jeffersonville, VT 802-6448370 & at 82 Main St., St. Albans. 802.782.8747 bootleggerbikes.com A full-service shop near Smugglers' Notch and a new shop in St. Albans. We offer new, used and custom bikes as well as custom-built wheels for mountain, road, gravel, fat bikes, bikepacking and touring. Rentals offered at our Cambridge Junction shop on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. Bikes are a passion here.
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THE BOOT PRO
44 Pond St. Ludlow, VT 802-228-2776 thebootpro.net A full-service bike and ski shop staffed for sales & service of mountain bikes, gravel bikes, e-bikes, kids' bikes. Mountain bike & e-bike rentals and guided rides, too. Bike clothing and accessories. On the corner of the Okemo Access Rd.
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BRADLEY’S PRO SHOP SKI & SPORT
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2012 Depot St. Manchester Center, VT 05255 802-367-3118 | bradleysproshop.com
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CHUCK’S BIKES
45 Bridge St. Morrisville, VT 802-888-7642 | chucksbikes802.com Putting smiles on peoples faces for over 40 years thru low cost and top tier professional service on all bikes. New bikes by Transition, Marin, Devinci, KHS, Jamis, iZip & Norco. Oh my the inventory! Mon.-Wed, & Fri 10-5, Sat & Thurs 10-2. Be well by being smart.
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EARL’S CYCLERY & FITNESS
2069 Williston Rd., So. Burlington, VT 802-864-9197 | earlsbikes.com Earl’s Cyclery has been serving Vermont’s cycling and fitness needs for more than 65 years. With over 12,000 square feet, Earl’s has the largest selection of bikes from Trek, Norco, Giant, Electra, Bianchi, and more. The service center at Earl’s has professionally trained technicians who are certified to work on all makes and models of bicycles. Whether you need a flat tire fix, or a suspension rebuild, the service staff is ready to help. Estimates are free! Stop on by or give us a call!
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Bradley’s Pro Shop Ski & Bike is the premier bike shop in Southern Vermont! We are located in Manchester Center. Always known as your go-to ski shop we are now your go-to bike shop. We have one of the best bike mechanics in Vermont on staff, Dan Rhodes. Many of you know of his reputation as a master bike mechanic. Dan runs all aspects of our bicycle operations. We carry the full lineup of Cannondale and GT bikes—mountain bikes, gravel, e-bikes, BMX and hybrids. We are a full-service operation with sales, service, accessories and rentals including e-bikes. We offer a great bike tune-up price so be sure to bring your ride in. THINK DIRT!
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8 EAST BURKE SPORTS
439 Route 114 East Burke VT 802-626-3215 eastburkesports.com
The original home to Kingdom Trails. Located in the heart of town, we pride ourselves in expert knowledge and friendly customer service. A full-service shop awaits you and your repair needs. We have 100 rental bikes with an enormous selection of clothing, parts, and accessories. Hours: 9 - 6 daily.
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EQUIPE SPORT
8749 VT RT 30, Rawsonville, VT 21 S Access Rd, West Dover, VT 802-297-2846 | equipesport.com Sales, Service and Rentals of mountain and gravel bikes. Carrying brands from GT, Rocky Mountain, Santa Cruz and Jamis. Stop in to either of our locations near Stratton and Mount Snow. Open 7 days.
10 FROG HOLLOW BIKES 74 Main St., Middlebury, VT 802-388-6666 | froghollowbikes.com
Take advantage of the most advanced and courteous service in our region, with quick turn-around in our service shop downstairs. Upstairs, we offer the best in new and used road, mountain, lifestyle, and children’s bikes and new gear. We carry brands that offer superior products that balance innovation and performance with reliability and value.: Mon. - Sat. 9:30 - 5:30.
11 THE GEAR HOUSE 16 Pleasant St., Randolph 802-565-8139 gearhouseVT.com A family-friendly shop located in the center of Vermont, we offer Rocky Mountain, Salsa, Bianchi, KHS, a rotating inventory of used outdoor gear, and full service repair shop. Randolph has newly revived mtb trails that combine classic oldschool singletrack with machine built zones. Start the 12/12a loop from the shop for 38 miles of well maintained pavement, or map countless gravel rides from town. The shop is also home to ROC's trail hub featuring topographical and printed maps. Stop by and plan your next adventure!
GREEN MOUNTAIN BIKES MOUNTAIN GREEN
12 BIKES
105 N. Main Rochester VT 800-767-7882 | greenmountainbikes. com Located in the heart of the Green Mountains, we are surrounded by terrain that calls to mountain and road bikers alike. Whether you ride twisting trails or back-to-back gaps, we service, sell, and rent all styles of bicycles, featuring Kona, Jamis, Juliana, Raleigh, Santa Cruz, Transition, and Hinderyckx bikes hand crafted by our own Rochester boy Zak Hinderyckx. So STOP READING and RIDE YOUR BIKE! Hours: 7 days a week, 10 – 6.
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HANOVER ADVENTURE TOURS HANOVER ADVENTURE TOURS
713 US 5 N., Norwich, VT | 802-359-2921 hanoveradventuretours.com
Electric and acoustic bike retailer selling and renting Magnum, Yamaha, Izip and Cannondale bikes. With an expertise in electric bicycles, we live and breathe outdoor exploration through our offering of e-bike rentals, sales, and tours including doorstep delivery and a full-service shop (all bikes welcome). Over 100 electric bicycle rentals, demos, and tours available for individuals and large groups, short and long-term.
14 HIGH PEAKS CYCLERY 18 2733 Main St., Lake Placid, NY 518-523-3764 | highpeakscyclery.com The Adirondacks' source for cycling and outdoor gear and adventures since 1983.RIDE THE ADIRONDACK RAIL TRAIL. Lake Placid to Tupper Lake and Beyond. Paddle. Bike. Hike. Fish. E-Bikes. Guides. Shuttles. Tours Adventure.
15 HITCHHIKER
394 Mountain Road Ste. 6, Stowe, VT | 802-585-3344 hitchhikerbikes.com
We are Stowe's local bike shop. Located adjacent to the Cady Hill trails in the Baggy Knees shopping center. We are your source for all things MTB and gravel. We have you covered with everything from sales and service, to clothing, parts, and accessories! In store you'll find bikes from Rocky Mountain, Cervelo, Otso Forbidden, Chromag, and more!"
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LAMOILLE VALLEY BIKE TOURS
19 Creamery St., Johnson, VT | 802-730-0161 | lamoillevalleybiketours.com
Located trailside on the 93-mile Lamoille Valley Rail Trail! Lamoille Valley Bike Tours has been getting riders out on the rail trail with local knowledge and friendly service since 2016. We offer E-bike and Bike tours, rentals and sales and a new Rail Trail Bike Shuttle service. We carry E-bikes, bikes and gravel bikes from Diamondback, Batch Bicycles, Cannondale, Izip and Surface 604 with a wide selection of used E-bikes available for sale. We offer private consultations and a try-before-youbuy customer experience. We service Bosch and Shimano E-bike systems. Come visit us at our fully stocked Trailside Bike Center at mile 55 on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail
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MOUNTAINOPS
4081 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT 802-253-4531 mountainopsvt. com
We offer bikes along with fast, friendly service. Dealers of Niner, Scott, Devinci and Jamis, we carry a large assortment of mountain and gravel bikes including a 60bike demo fleet. Our techs have years of experience and our local trail knowledge is second to none. Our converted 1893 barnturned-bike-shop houses a huge selection of bike and lifestyle clothing and parts and accessories. Looking for a more mellow ride? Rent one of our cruisers for a trip down the Stowe Rec Path right from our parking lot!
OLD SPOKES HOME
331 North Winooski Ave., Burlington, VT 802-863-4475 | oldspokeshome.com Vermont’s best selection of professionally refurbished used bikes and new bikes for touring, bike packing, commuting, fat biking, and simply getting around town. A non-profit, Old Spokes Home uses 100% of its revenue to run programs creating access to bikes in the community.
19 OMER & BOB’S
20 Hanover St. Lebanon, NH 603-448-3522 | omerandbobs.com
The Upper Valley's bike shop since 1964. Offering mountain bikes, gravel and road bikes, hybrid bikes, e-bikes, and kids bikes from Norco, Specialized, Trek, and Electra. Featuring a full service department, bike fitting, mountain and e-bike demos, and a kids trade-in, trade-up program. Hours: Mon.-Friday, 9am5:30pm, Sat., 9am-5pm
RIVER 20 ONION OUTDOORS
20 Langdon St. Montpelier, VT 802-225-6736 | onionriver.com
ORO is Central Vermont's premier bike, car rack and outdoor gear shop. Friendly and knowledgeable sales and service. We carry Specialized, Niner, Rocky Mountain, Salsa, Surly and Yuba, and a large variety of clothing and accessories including Giro, Smith, Club Ride, Patagonia, Terry and more. Visit our website to learn about our clinics, events and bike rental program!
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OUTDOOR GEAR EXCHANGE
37 Church St., Burlington, VT 888-547-4327 |gearx.com Voted Best Bike Shop 2021 by MTBVT, OGE is an award-winning, premier bike shop with knowledgeable, friendly, and honest staff. We offer a wide range of gravel grinders from Marin, BMC, and Niner. Our selection of mountain bikes from Marin, BMC, Niner, Pivot, Rocky Mountain, Transition, SCOR, and Yeti will blow you away. Plus, we offer super affordable kids' bikes, commuters from Batch Bicycles, and fat bikes. We also have consignment bikes as well as a demo fleet. Our efficient service department is capable of everything from tuning your vintage road bike to servicing your new mountain bike and offers full Fox shock service. Browse our gear shop to get fully outfitted for bike packing, touring, or fat biking to the slopes for a multi-sport day—indeed any conceivable adventure—while you're here. Come see us downtown on Church St!
22 POWERPLAY SPORTS 35 Portland St. Morrisville, VT 802-888-6557 powerplaysports.com North Central Vermont's Trek and Giant Dealer nestled in the heart of bike country. Selling new and used bikes for every budget and every type of rider from beginner to expert. We service all manner of bike and sell tons of accessories and apparel. Bike rentals for the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail just 200 yards down the road.
23 RANCH CAMP 311 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT 802-253-2753 | ranchcampvt.com Ranch Camp is Stowe’s mountain bike base lodge and your hub for bikes, gear, and culture! Ranch Camp offers a full-service mountain bike shop, tap room, and fresh-casual eatery, featuring sales and demo bike from Specialized, Ibis, Yeti, Evil, Revel, and Fatback. Looking for top of the line mountain bikes and components? Got ‘em. How about local brews from new England’s finest purveyors of craft libations? You bet. And if you need a thoughtfully crafted grab-and-go meal for your ride, or a place to sit down and refuel afterwards, Ranch Camp has you covered. Best of all, Ranch Camp is situation trailside with its very own public access entrance into Stowe’s iconic Cady Hill trail network.
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SKIRACK
85 Main St. Burlington 802-658-3313 | skirack.com Locally owned and operated since 1969, Skirack provides the best selection of outdoor gear for running, downhill & cross country skiing and snowboarding. We specialize in all things bike and e-bike: service, rentals, car racks, expert fitting and knowledge. Head to Skirack.com for updated hours and more information.
25 STARK MOUNTAIN 9 RTE 17, unit b Waitsfield, VT 802-496-4800 Find us on Facebook
Located at the lowest spot in the Mad River Valley so you can coast in when you break your bike on a ride! 21 years of advice,directions and fixing anything that pedals. Thinking about a Yeti? Come ride one of ours,we have been selling Yeti since 2006! Hours: Tues-Fri 9-6*, Sat 9-4, and Sunday 10-2. *Closes at 5 on Thursdays for the Shop Ride.
26 TYGART
57 Pond St. STE 1, Ludlow, VT (802) 228-5440 Info@tygartmountainsports.com, Tygartmountainsports.com We are a full service bicycle sales and service center offering a variety of bikes from Cannondale, Scott, and Kona. We also offer a full line of tools, clothing, and accessories. We have 4 Park Tool School Certified technicians with a combined 52 years of industry experience offering a full range of services including in-house suspension work and full build-outs.
SPORT 27 VILLAGE SHOP Trailside, 2099 Darling Hill Rd. East Burke, VT 802-626-8444| villagesportshop.com
Established in 1978, we are a family-owned, passion-driven sporting goods store serving customers for four seasons of adventure. Strongly focused on bike and ski, we have highly skilled knowledgeable technicians and sales staff to assist in all needs of purchase, rental and service. With a location trailside on the world-renowned Kingdom Trails, we’re here to make your adventures happen!
28 WATERBURY SPORTS 46 South Main Street, Waterbury, VT
802-882-8595 | waterburysportsvt.com A full service bike shop selling Trek and Giant bikes in one of Vermont's most convenient locations. Nestled in downtown Waterbury a short distance from the Perry Hill MTB trails, WBS services all bikes and can handle any repair you might have. We also have a fleet of demo bikes and an excellent selection of parts and accessories. Open 7 days a week!
29 WEST HILL SHOP 49 Brickyard Lane, Putney, VT 802-387-5718 westhillshop.com
Right off I-91 Northbound! Proud to be a tier-1 Specialized shop, and one of the longeststanding independent shops in the region, with bikes also from Banshee, Cannonade, Devinci, Evil, Transition, and Salsa. Our curated garment selection from Patagonia, POC, and Specialized is based on what we have chosen for our own use in all of Vermont’s glorious conditions. The WHS service department is widely recognized as one of the best in the region. Call about walkin service availability on Fridays and Saturdays. Ask us about custom wheels, suspension service, and set-up.
ENDGAME
NEW YEAR'S EVE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD
A MINIMUM-WAGE SNOW SHOVELING JOB AT THE MOST INHOSPITABLE PLACE ON EARTH COMES WITH A RAGING PARTY. BY LEATH TONINO
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ew Year’s Eve is always a bright and shining celebration, whether we’re talking neon in New York’s Times Square or a lap on cross-country skis beneath Antarctica’s midnight sun. Actually, at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station — a collection of dormitories, laboratories, Quonset hut garages, and massive telescopes hunched against drifting snow — the holiday is so relentlessly glittery you’d have to watch a ball drop through a pair of tinted goggles. That is, if there were a ball. As I found out many years back, there is not. There is instead a two-mile-thick ice cap upon which even extremophile bacteria can’t survive and katabatic winds rushing over sastrugi wastelands. There are dozens of revving snowmobiles and more mugs of hot chocolate than a child’s thirsty fantasy could absorb. There are 200-plus scientists and laborers from all across the globe, each in desperate need of a break from the never-ending workload that defines life in Antarctica. And, on that note, there’s one other thing: a crazy party. In the parlance of my high school days at Champlain Valley Union: “a friggin’ rager.” I secured my passage to the Great White South — the bottom of the world — as any self-respecting Vermonter would: I took a job shoveling snow there for the 2008-2009 season. Talk about never-ending. It was a four-month stint with the U.S. Antarctic Program, and only 10 of us were hired for this minimum-wage honor. And there were more than a thousand applicants. My uncle, a pragmatic Yankee with an achy lumbar spine, laughed when he heard of my post-college career choice, saying, “That’s what plows are for, aren’t they?” To which I responded, “Nah, it’s what philosophy degrees are for, duh.” The endeavor was Sisyphean and then some: 60-hour weeks, physical exhaustion, a numbness of the toes that threatened to rise into my very brain cells. Nevertheless, I did find the occasional moment — mostly over meals of peas and sirloins in the galley — to pursue the intellectual topics that had drawn me toward the South Pole. My interest in Antarctica was environmental, sociological, anthropological. What’s it like for
34 VTSPORTS.COM | NOV./DEC. 2023
Author and Vermonter Leath Tonino went to Antarctica to shovel snow for a season. Courtesy photo humans to set up shop in the deadest place on Earth? How do the fierce elemental conditions permeate the community’s social life? What stories do the members of this strange experiment share? Antarctica is one huge exclamation mark, one huge superlative, anomalous in so many ways. According to the 53 signatory nations of the Antarctic Treaty, established in 1959, the continent is reserved for the peaceful conduct of scientific research — no standing armies, no resource extraction, no ownership. In light of this wonderfully Utopian, small-worldafter-all nongovernment, I found myself repeatedly asking tablemates the same question: “Would you please pass the coffee, and, by the way, now that we’re living together, I’m curious to know what holidays your culture and mine both observe?” All agreed on the answer, whether offered by a Japanese dark-matter astrophysicist, a Swedish glaciologistcum-surrealist poet, or a Kiwi forklift operator with a staggeringly long and frosty beard: The world celebrates the countdown and the ticking clock with a big, fat drunken kiss. Gregorian calendar or not, the whole world celebrates New Year’s Eve. Sounds nice, right? But it gets tricky. Let’s recall that the geographic South Pole is that spot on the globe where all lines of longitude converge — that pinprick in the frigid vastness that transcends the system of time zones superimposed on the physical reality of our planet. Further complicating the search for an exact instant we might agree to label “12 p.m. midnight, Dec. 31” is the pesky
reality of high austral summer: 24-hour sunlight. Without paying close attention to your watch, which you would have last set in New Zealand, you might find the so-called New Year slipping by unnoticed, just another blinding white hour in the middle of a night that looks like day. Polies are a resourceful and determined bunch, though, and mere metaphysical space-time confusion didn’t stand in the way of our muchanticipated party. I drank a beer with Gus, the dogsledding Alaskan carpenter, and a dram of Irish whiskey with Terry, the depraved but kindhearted electrician’s foreman. Then it was another beer with an Indian engineer whose name I didn’t catch, then back to Terry, then to Jonas, then to Tomo and Laura and a woman I nicknamed Ice Panda Princess. After this, I made the decision to nip the binge in the bud and head out for a solo ski. Negative 30 degrees. Miles and miles and miles of clean emptiness stretching in every direction. What better place to reflect on a year passed and a new one just beginning? Well, it turned out that I didn’t make it quite as far as I intended. Geared up and ready for solitude, for the ultimate blank slate and fresh start — “This year I resolve to up my compassion, boost my generosity, and generally kick more ass!” — I skied over to the windowless tent salvaged from the Korean War that serves as the local dive bar and smoking lounge. Hoping to pat a few friends on the back, maybe knock down a quick shot of whatever was handy, I entered the hovel’s cloudy, cancerous dimness. By 4 a.m., I was dancing shirtless in my Nordic boots.
When I finally extracted myself from the wreckage of that Antarctic bash, there was the sun, huge and constant as ever. With its unflinching Cyclopean glare, it seemed to accuse me of debauchery. I went for a half-hour ski, pushing hard into the sparkling nothingness, breathing heavily against my balaclava, trying to sweat out my sins. Sure, I fell over more than once, and, yeah, the track I laid was hardly straight. But somehow my personal messiness failed to mar the purity and perfection and beauty of the scene. For a few vivid minutes, I felt myself a part of the polar clarity, a nameless snowflake, sibling to the infinite, child of the ice. Was it the booze at work? I’d like to think it was the place itself — Terra Antarctica, a far more primal and powerful substance to imbibe. This year I’ll usher in the New Year from the Northern Hemisphere, from good ol’ Vermont, and there’s no place I’d rather be. But that’s not to say a part of me won’t linger — won’t always linger — in the frozen memories of a once-ina-lifetime bacchanal at the bottom of the world. So if you don’t see me on a Burlington pub crawl, party hat slightly askew, you’ll know why. I’ll be skiing laps in the snowy fields of Addison County, a rising moon filling in for my dropping mirror ball and midnight sun. The idea isn’t to re-create a past experience. It is to remember. To get out there in the wind, the same wind that rushes over the Pole and the entire world, the same wind that blows through all our years — past, present, future. To tip back a mini-bottle of something stiff. To salute the season and the cold. To recall that fleeting glimpse of limitless potential, of bright, shining openness, and keep on going forward, always forward into another lap. And in case you were wondering: No, a hangover in Antarctica is not any different from one in Burlington or Rutland or Montpelier. This, too, is universal. We’re in it together, friends. Contributing editor Leath Tonino was raised in Ferrisburgh, a place he contiues to call home in between his travels. Tonino is the author of two books of essays. A version of this piece also ran in SevenDays in 2015.
ANNOUNCING THE
ADK TOUR6 DE SKI
A new, exciting XC race series:
Photo by Nancie Battaglia
venues, multiple distances.
Race hard and spend a weekend in the spectacular Adirondacks. Race all six or pick and choose. (Discount when you register for all six.)
Dec. 2: Mt Van Hoevenberg Jan. 6: Saranac Lake, Dewey Mountain Jan. 14: Tupper Lake, Frenette Trails Feb. 10: Lake Placid, Scotts Cobble Feb. 25: Lake Placid, Cascade Mar. 10: Paul Smiths, VIC
Sign up: www.paulsmithsvic.org/adk-tour-de-ski
Ski. Snowboard. Hike. Bike. Camp. Climb. Clothing. Footwear. Kids.
RMONT’S BE VE
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OUTDOOR O ST
NEW, USED AND DISCOUNTED GEAR AT THE BEST PRICE.
AWARD-WINNING, FAST SERVICE
UNMATCHED SELECTION FROM YOUR FAVORITE BRANDS
KNOWLEDGEABLE, EXPERT STAFF
BURLINGTON: 37 C hurch S t , B urlingt on, VT | E S SE X : 21 E ss ex Way, S uit e 113, E ss ex J unc tion, V T ge arx .c om | 888.547.4327 | @out doorg e arexchang e
BARGAIN BASEMENT DEALS & CONSIGNMENT SCAN FOR FAQS ABOUT OUR NEW ESSEX STORE: