Vermont Sports 2023-8 August Issue

VERMONT SPORTS

ADVENTURE

RACING

Gets Serious

FLOOD REPORT

What's Next for our Mountain Towns & Trails?

VERMONT MEDICAL CENTER ORTHOPEDICS

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VERMONT SPORTS

ON THE COVER:

Adventure racing in a Northeast Kingdom corn maze during the 2021 GMARA event, The Hard Fall.

PUBLISHER

Angelo Lynn - publisher@vtsports.com

EDITOR/CO-PUBLISHER

Lisa Lynn - editor@vtsports.com

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Shawn Braley

MEDICAL ADVISORY BOARD

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

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

David Goodman, Brian Mohr, Phyl Newbeck, Leath Tonino

CIRCULATION

Sadie Messenger | (802) 388-4944 frontdesk@addisonindependent.com

ADVERTISING

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

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VERMONT SPORTS IS A PROUD MEMBER OF

5 The Start

A Culture of Perseverence

One of the reasons our communities are “Vermont Strong” may be that we train as athletes.

7 Health

How to Stave Off Joint Pain

Common wisdom says if you put in the miles, you’re likely to get osteoarthritis (OA) in your knees and hips. New science disagrees.

11 Featured Athlete

The Mountain Runner

Richmond’s Eric LiPuma has burst onto the world mountain running scene in a big way.

13 Flood Report

Under Water

Vermont’s outdoor businesses and events were impacted. Here’s how they are bouncing back.

15 Flood Report

Assessing Our Trails

July’s floods wreaked havoc with some trails. Here’s what was hit and what was spared.

21 Feature I Signed Up for What?

This September the Adventure Racing Nationals come to Green Mountains. These Vermonters are prepared for the adventure.

26 Feature

The Meaning of Mountains

Long before we called them Camel’s Hump or Mansfield, the Abenaki gave names and meanings to our mountains.

30 Calendar Race & Event Guide

34 Endgame

We Need More of This

Seriously folks, why has the outdoor industry not invented these things? By Leath Tonino

The deadline for the Sept./Oct issue of Vermont Sports is August 16. Contact lisa.lynn@vtsports.com today to reserve your space.

Photo by JS O’Connor

Montpelier and many other towns may have been hit hard by flooding, but this month they are coming back strong. The VSECU Point to Point (2022’s top finishers shown here) is planning to hold its fundraising ride for the Vermont Foodbank on Sept. 23 with its customary finishing celebration on the Statehouse lawn. Photo by StoryWorkz

THE START

A CULTURE OF PERSEVERANCE IN SPORTS, WE CHALLENGE OURSELVES IN NATURE. NOW, NATURE IS CHALLENGING US.

critical destinations unto themselves.

In Ludlow, the Darkside Snowboards was flooded but several other shops such as The Boot Pro, Tygart Mountain Sports and Northern Ski Works escaped major damage. Yet, as The Boot Pro’s Alex Racicot noted, “We’re open but no one is coming. We need folks to know that we are here, open and to try our new bike tours.”

In Johnson, Lamoille Valley Bike Tours also escaped physical damage but with the closure of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail their business has had to shift to other tours.

Strength. Perseverance. Resilience. Perhaps it is because the Roberts and so many other Vermont small business owners are athletes that Vermont has been able to stay Vermont Strong.

Vermont Strong. Strength. Resilience. Perseverance. These are words that we thought we had heard enough of after the devastating floods of Tropical Storm Irene hit Vermont in 2011.

Last month, we heard those words again. Not as a hurricane or tropical storm or even a Nor’easter blew through. Instead, intense and steady rainfall fell, dumping as much as 9 inches in some towns along the spine of the Green Mountains on July 11. Since then, more rain has fallen. Rivers and lakes are still swollen and many Vermonters are dealing with the aftermath of flooding that destroyed homes and businesses.

The floods had an impact on trails and outdoor recreation, too, as we write about in our Flood Reports in this issue. But perhaps the most critical impacts were to the businesses and buildings in our mountain towns.

“Shops like Onion River Outdoors are not just gear shops, they are hubs for our outdoor communities,” noted Simeon Chapin of VSCEU, which has worked with Onion River Outdoors to put on events such as the Point to Point bike and running event. Since 2001 that event has raised more than $2 million for the Vermont Food Bank.

Outdoor recreation fuels the Vermont economy for many towns. Outdoor gear shops supply not only bikes and helmets but the beta on where to go and what to do. They are

“We will reopen, sometime, somewhere,” Onion River’s Jen Roberts said confidently after describing the destruction to their Montpelier shop.

We have a history here in Vermont of pushing through and defying bad weather – be it snow or rain. We also have a history of endurance. That’s what outdoor sports teach us and why events such as adventure races or ultra runs, can be life changing.

As Tim Curtin, one of the founders of the Green Mountain Adventure Racing Association put it in our story “I Signed Up for What?;” “After you do something like a 72-hour adventure race, when something else in life that’s difficult comes up, you think ‘I’ve done harder things,’” he says.

While outdoor and adventure sports are play – relatively safe challenges we thrust upon ourselves – they are training for the bigger, messier things that life can throw our way.

Without them, without a 301-mile trail to hike like the Long Trail or the 93-mile Lamoille Valley Rail Trail to bike, or the state-long Catamount Trail to ski, would Vermont still be as Vermont Strong?

As Vermonters, many of us feed our souls by tackling chosen challenges in nature. In times like this, it’s that strength that gets us through the unforeseen and formidable challenges nature sometimes throws our way.

—Lisa Lynn, Editor

Kip and Jen Roberts outside their mud-filled shop, Onion River Outdoors, in Montpelier in July. Courtesy photo.

It is said that there are only two certainties in life; death and taxes.

For runners, conventional wisdom dictates a third should be added to the list— a knee or hip replacement.

Long-term running, thanks to the repetitive pounding nature of the sport, has long been assumed to result in arthritic knees and hips. It makes sense. Just as a car succumbs to the wear and tear of countless miles on the road, theoretically our joints are only able to handle so much until parts need to be replaced.

It seems it’s not a matter of if, but of when, runners will need a knee or hip replacement. This presents quite the conundrum: how can something so good for our health be so bad as well?

However, despite warnings to stop running to preserve your joints from

HOW TO STAVE OFF JOINT PAIN

COMMON

BY JAMIE SHEAHAN, M.S., M.D

IF YOU FOLLOW THIS ADVICE.

well-meaning non-runner friends, family, and perhaps and even doctors, don’t hang up your running shoes just yet. With the right nutrition, logging miles on the road or trail doesn’t have to result in cranky knees or a bum hip.

First and foremost, it’s essential to clear up the myth that running wears out joints. That “wear and tear” typically refers to osteoarthritis (OA).

OA is a common degenerative joint disease that affects cartilage, which is the protective tissue covering the ends of bones. Cartilage is a pretty big deal for runners in particular because it provides cushioning and allows for smooth movement of the joints. However, as stress is continuously placed on a joint, cartilage can gradually break down, eventually causing bones to rub together. While cartilage doesn’t

have any pain receptors, bone does. That means any movement of that joint results in pain, stiffness, and swelling. Continued friction of bone on bone can form osteophytes, commonly known as bone spurs, which can further increase pain and stiffness. Not exactly ideal for runners.

Given the etiology of OA and the fact that running exerts forces four times an individual’s body weight, it’s understandable that running is viewed as a major risk factor. In theory that makes sense, but scientific evidence suggests otherwise.

A study conducted on almost 4,000 participants in the Chicago Marathon explored the relationship between running and arthritis. The study aimed to investigate whether long-distance running increases the

risk of developing arthritis in the knees and hips. The results showed no correlation between the cumulative years someone had been running, the number of marathons completed, the weekly running mileage, or the running pace and the increased risk for arthritis in knees or hips.

Further refuting the theory that running contributes to the development of OA was a metaanalysis that examined the immediate and delayed effects of running on knee cartilage. MRIs conducted within 20 minutes and up to 48 hours after a bout of running revealed no decrease in the thickness or volume of cartilage in the knee. In fact, other studies suggest running may actually have a protective effective against OA. While that’s promising, it’s far from ‘case

WISDOM HAS IT THAT DEDICATED RUNNERS WILL EVENTUALLY GET OSTEOARTHRITIS IN THEIR KNEES OR HIPS. THAT’S NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE

A common myth: putting in the miles over the years can wear on your joints. New research finds that's not necessarily true. Photo Adobe Stock

closed’ on the link between running and OA. Even though the pathogenesis of OA isn’t completely understood, recent research indicates that systemic inflammation can not only worsen OA, but contribute to the development.

Most athletes are all too familiar with acute inflammation. The result of illness or injury, acute inflammation is easy to spot thanks to the telltale signs of redness, swelling, and fever. Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, typically goes undetected with far more devastating effects than a swollen and painful twisted ankle that can be ameliorated with ice and rest.

As with acute inflammation, chronic inflammation is the product of an immune response, only in this case the trigger is different and the immune response is continuous. In chronic inflammation the very things designed to protect our bodies begin to damage normal tissue like organs and joints. One of the biggest triggers for this extended immune response; a pro-inflammatory diet.

Scan the aisles of your local grocery store or peruse a restaurant menu and chances are the majority of the foods you see are pro-inflammatory.

Unfortunately, pro-inflammatory foods comprise the majority of the standard American diet. Processed foods, refined carbohydrates, sugary beverages, red meat, processed meats, and omega-6 fats from vegetable oils are associated with increased inflammation in the body. These foods can trigger the release of proinflammatory cytokines and promote oxidative stress, contributing to chronic inflammation

Sure, most of us recognize that a bag of chips is far from a “health” food, but many seemingly wholesome foods still contain high amounts of sugar and omega-6 fats that can leave our bodies in a perpetually inflamed state.

It would be naïve to suggest that even the most devoted health nut can avoid pro-inflammatory foods entirely. This is especially true for athletes who at times use simple carbohydrates and added sugar to fuel and recover from workouts. Timing those foods around exercise as well as practicing moderation is key to mitigating their inflammatory effects.

There are still numerous factors that contribute to inflammation that are almost completely out of our control. Exposure to environmental pollutants and toxins, stress, as well as certain health conditions all play a role in promoting inflammation.

But diet is one thing we can control.

5 FOODS TO SAVE YOUR JOINTS

Fortunately, our diet doesn’t have to be a contributing factor in the development of osteoarthritis (OA.) In fact, it can have quite the opposite effect. Here are the top five foods to incorporate as part of an anti-inflammatory diet. By

Jamie Sheahan, M.S., R.D.

vibrant red, blue and purple pigments in plants, anthocyanins block the activity of enzymes involved in the production of inflammatory molecules.. Incorporating a variety of berries into the diet can provide a range of beneficial compounds and support overall health. The good news is frozen is just as beneficial as fresh, which means you don’t have to miss out on the benefits of berries when they’re not in season.

Recommendation: To harness the potential anti-inflammatory benefits of berries, consume about 1-2 cups (150300 grams) of mixed berries per day.

TURMERIC

FATTY FISH

One of the key nutrients that plays a vital role in joint health are omega-3 fatty acids. Specifically, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both of which are found in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines, have been widely studied for their anti-inflammatory properties. Although researchers are still trying to understand exactly how EPA and DHA combat inflammation, it is theorized that much of it comes down to their ability to compete with pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats and the production of pro-inflammatory chemicals. It remains unclear if fish oil supplements are equally as effective in battling inflammation as the EPA and DHA you get from fish.

Recommendation: consume a serving of fatty fish two to four times per week.

DARK LEAFY GREENS

Broccoli, spinach, kale, Swiss chard and Brussel’s sprouts are all powerhouses when it comes to fighting inflammation since they are rich in phytochemicals along with vitamins A, C, and K. The darker the color the richer greens are in their anti-inflammatory properties. A study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine found that individuals who consumed a diet high in these dark leafy greens had significantly lower levels of CRP, a marker of systemic inflammation. Cruciferious greens like broccoli and Brus-

sel’s sprouts get top billing because they contain sulforaphane as well. Sulforaphane has been shown to slow cartilage damage in osteoarthritis (OA) and even prevent it altogether. There is no specific recommendation for how many servings of dark leafy greens to consume per day, but Popeye likely had the right idea that more is better.

Recommendation: Eat spinach (and other dark leafy greens) like Popeye and you will be strong to the finish.

TART CHERRIES

Tart cherries may not taste great (they are aptly named), but the pay off is worth some lip puckering. Tart cherries are a specific variety of cherries called Montmorency cherries and are rich in anthocyanins, a potent antioxidant. A study found that individuals who consumed tart cherry juice had significantly reduced levels of CRP. As a bonus tart cherry juice also induces the production of melatonin so a glass before bedtime can help you drift off to sleep.

Recommendation: To get the potential anti-inflammatory benefits, consume about 1-1.5 cups of tart cherries or 1 cup of tart cherry juice daily.

BERRIES

Berries may be small, but they pack a serious anti-inflammatory punch. Different berries contain different types and amounts of bioactive compounds, with the most abundant and potent being anthocyanins. Responsible for the

Turmeric, a relative of ginger, has been used in ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. Turmeric contains an anti-inflammatory compound called curcumin, which works by inhibiting various inflammatory pathways in the body and by reducing the production of inflammatory molecules. A study found that individuals with knee OA who took a turmeric supplement achieved the same amount of pain reduction as those receiving a non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) with significantly fewer side effects. However, curcumin's bioavailability is low, and consuming turmeric with black pepper, which contains piperine, in foods or in supplemental form, can significantly enhance its absorption and effectiveness.

Recommendation: The amount of turmeric needed to achieve the best effect is not definitively established, but try to consume 1-2 teaspoons per day or a supplement containing 500-2000 mg. Beyond these specific foods, maintaining a well-balanced diet that provides an array of nutrient-dense whole foods can combat inflammation and reduce risk of developing joint problems like OA. In this sense diet goes well beyond fueling our bodies for our next run, but helps preserve our joints for a lifetime of running and physical activity.

As the Director of Nutrition at The Edge in Burlington, Jamie Sheahan, M.S., R.D. works closely with athletes to develop customized fueling plans. Sheahan is also an avid runner who has completed more than three dozen marathons.

While a Mediterranean diet helps with many health conditions. These 5 foods have super powers. Photo Adobe Stock

Top

Our physicians:

John Macy, MD; Joseph McLaughlin, MD; Kevin McNamara, DPM and Bryan Monier, MD

Last year’s Gravel Grinder event. Save the date for this year’s Copley ‘Moxie’ Gravel Grinder, October 14th. Register at bikereg.com.

THE MOUNTAIN RUNNER

Name: Eric LiPuma

Age: 29

Lives in: Richmond, VT

Partner: Joanna Fortier

Profession: Graphic designer

In 2019, Eric LiPuma moved to Vermont and won the Catamount Ultra at the Trapp Family Lodge .He went on to win the Vermont 50 and the Trapp Mountain Marathon. Since then, LiPuma has burst onto the world mountain running scene. In November, 2022, he was part of the U.S. team that won the inaugural World Mountain Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand. In that 80-kilometer race, he finished seventh out of 60 (men and women) and helped the U.S. men’s team win the overall team trophy. This past June, LiPuma was on the start line of the Worlds again, this time in Stubai, Austria with 122 men and 69 women. Again, LiPuma finished seventh, helping the U.S. Team to a silver. LiPuma lives and trains in Richmond with his partner, Joanna Fortier, who is also a top ultra runner.

Tell us about the Worlds?

I had a lot higher expectations for myself, just because I had done well in the previous year’s event. I was the only returning member on the 85K but the team we put together was another just super strong team. I think we all had in the back of our mind that we wanted to win the team event again. And we thought that we did when we crossed the finish line because we finished fifth, sixth and seventh and the way you win is it goes by cumulative time. But apparently France had one team member who ended up winning the whole thing by like 15 minutes, which is a big margin. They ended up beating us by five minutes over a cumulative time of over 30 hours. Five minutes is very, very close.

Did you run as a team?

That wasn’t really our plan going in. My strategy was to kind of latch on to my teammate Drew Holmen who came in fifth, because I really respect him as a runner. He’s extremely good at pacing himself and just knowing exactly how fast you need to be running to still be able

to finish strong. We ran most of race together, which was pretty cool, and we ended up catching up to our other teammate, Zach Miller, within the last three miles of the race. Drew and Zach finished within probably five seconds of each other, and I came in within a minute. It was just a coincidence that we all ended up finishing at the same time, but we all worked off each other which was really cool. That definitely helped me run faster. I couldn’t have done it without Drew.

What was the course like?

I think it was one of, if not the hardest courses, ever put together. It’s a somewhat technical section of the Alps. There’s a lot of rocks but there’s also some smooth, amazing running. While it was not quite as technical

as something like the Long Trail, I think we climbed something like 20,000 feet over 53 miles. I kept telling myself; I just have to keep running because this is the coolest course and I want to see the whole thing. The landscape around Innsbruck is unbelievable: you come out of this valley and the mountains go up thousands of feet. You can easily ascend 6,000 feet in one climb.

Any other Vermonters on the U.S. Mountain Running Team?

Kasie Enman of Huntington made the team again but she ended up getting Covid so couldn’t race Worlds. Alexandra Lawson, who is a Nordic skier with the Green Racing Project in Craftsbury did go as did Dan Curts, of Norwich. It’s great to see what Dan and Ben True are doing here with the Northwoods Athletics

project and their efforts to attract more top runners to Vermont and provide a coaching forum. Vermont really is one of the best-kept secrets when it comes to a place to train.

Were you a competitive runner in high school and college?

In high school in New Jersey, I was never really good at any sport, but my parents made me do track and field. Later, in college at Marywood, I ran Division III and we finished third in our conference but I was never anything special.

How did you get into ultrarunning?

After college, I moved to Colorado for a job. I was trying to move to Denver and had never even heard of Boulder, which is where the job was located. Boulder is kind of one of those amazing areas for trail running with a lot of Olympians and a lot of professional trail runners. As a way to make friends I joined a couple local trail running groups and then quickly found out that they did a lot of 100-mile races or 50-mile races. I guess I was just kind of influenced by the people I was hanging out with.

What was your first big race?

I think my first really proud moment was my first 100-mile race. It was the Bighorn 100 in Wyoming in 2013. I had never run further than 30 miles prior to that and two of my high school buddies came out to help me. None of us knew much about trail running, much less running 100 miles so it was just kind of a thing to try to finish. On the course, I ran with three other racers and we pretty much tied for first through fourth. [Eds. note: A month later LiPuma took second again at the Pikes Peak 50-mile ultra.]

What brought you to Vermont?

The reason I moved here was because I grew up in New Jersey and my parents always had a little cabin in the Adirondacks. They go there a lot and I wanted to try living closer to my family again. I felt like Vermont was kind of the best compromise between me still having trails to run on and living in a mountainous area, but also still being close enough to see my parents.

How do you train for something like the Worlds here in Vermont?

Vermont definitely has the hardest terrain in the United States, if not hardest in the world, for trail running. There are so many rocks, so many roots, everything is always wet, and the trails are steep. There are no switchbacks on the Long Trail and that just makes for

Eric LiPuma, racing at the World Championships in Austria in June. Photo courtesy Eric LiPuma.

very difficult running no matter how far you’re going. And sometimes you can’t really run in some spots. I’ve definitely been frustrated with that, but it does get you in really, really good shape. It makes every race that you go into that much easier because you’ve been training on some really crazy stuff.

What’s your weekly mileage and do you have a favorite training run?

I try to do about 100 miles a week. Camel’s Hump is my backyard and I like to do the Four Humps – which means I run up and down to the summit four times. I park at the Long Trail parking area, run up to the summit along Bamforth Ridge, go down the Monroe trail and then back up to the summit, then down and back up on Burrow’s Trail and then finally back down Bamforth Ridge to the car. That’s about 25 miles and it took me about 5 hours, 40 minutes my last week of training for the World Championships.

You are a coach and you just started working with a coach. How has your training changed? About a month ago I started going to the gym two or three times a week and working on some imbalances. I’m lucky

in that I haven’t been injured to the oint where I have to take time off —yet—but I’m working on different muscle groups and making sure I’m eating enough. Stress fractures are very common in ultra runners and a big contributing factor is what you are eating and how much.

What does a training day look like for you in terms of food and fueling?

I’m a vegetarian and usually it’s just large amounts of food. Typically, I will eat like a bagel or something or standard hydration mix before my first run. Then I’ll have oatmeal for breakfast. Lunch is usually something like scrambled eggs or peanut butter and jelly then I’ll typically go for a second run or go to the gym. Dinner is usually some kind of giant rice bowl with tofu. Every Friday night is pizza night and I usually have nachos once a week. I snack on chocolate or crackers or cookies and I usually have a bowl of cereal before bed. Weekends I have ice cream, so nothing too regimented.

What about when you are racing?

I use a product called Precision Fuel & Hydration, a very high-carbohydrate-

based gel. I’ll take in like 360 calories per hour, which ends up being 90 grams of carbohydrates. And I’ll do that every hour, no matter how long the race is.

When did you realize that you were a world-class level runner? Probably not until I raced in Thailand last year and got seventh. I’d qualified for the Worlds by finishing second at the 2022 Broken Arrow 50K in Tahoe, which was a pretty competitive field. David Sinclair, a former Vermonter whom I have huge respect for won it. But in Thailand there were a lot of really talented international runners. Then our team ended up winning the whole thing and I finished seventh. That was kind of my first taste of “Holy crap. Like this is this is really pretty cool and maybe I should take it a little bit more seriously.”

You just signed a contract with Adidas. What would you like to see next in a trail shoe? That’s like a dream come true and I’m pretty excited to try all their shoes to see which ones work best for me in which races. One thing I am looking for now in a trail shoe is something called super foam. It’s what a number of companies have started using for

road racing shoes, in hopes of someone setting a sub-two-hour marathon. It’s just a softer foam and combined with a carbon plate it allows you to run a lot longer at faster paces. When you’re doing something like the World Championships in Austria, it’s nice to have a high-quality foam to land on because downhill running really beats up your legs.

You recently left your job as a graphic designer at Stowe Cider. What’s next?

I’m running the CCC in Switzerland on September 1. That’s the 100-kilometer race around Mont Blanc and part of the UTMB World Series. I could probably just run full time if I’m running well enough. But I like a little structure and I like working at something even part time, outside of my running so I am looking for a job that has a bit of flexibility.

Any advice for aspiring ultra trail runners?

It’s the same advice that I get and that I also give others: Run easy on your easy day. Go easier than you think you have to because if you’re running fast too often, you are not going to get any better. — Lisa Lynn

HOW THE FLOODS IMPACTED VERMONT’S OUTDOOR BUSINESSES AND EVENTS.

BY LISA LYNN | PHOTOS BY JOHN LAZENBY

Jen R oberts knows about rivers. Before she and her husband Kip worked at Onion River Outdoors in Montpelier, she had worked for the Northern Forest Canoe Trail and was an avid paddler.

So, when the couple saw the forecasts for impending rains in early July, they prepared. “We started out by moving our basement inventory– seasonal gear such as ski boots -- up onto shelves that were at least waist-high,” she recalls. But soon they realized that would not be high enough. “I think most of our staff had just gone home when we had to call them back so we could move everything up to the first floor,” she says.

The next day, the streets of Montpelier had water flowing over the windshields of submerged parked cars. “We couldn’t even get to the shop,” Roberts said. When they did get there, they found over three feet of mud and water had flowed through their first-floor space on Langdon Street. “The water hadn’t been that high during Irene, and probably not since the flood in 1927,” she noted.

Friends, customers, and neighbors were already there that next day shoveling mud out and moving the wet gear and clothing out onto the street. At one point, an e-bike that had been moved outside caught fire. “It was not one of the ones we sell but a cheaper version someone had brought in for service,” Jen noted.

More than 50 volunteers showed up. “We needed to find places to store, in particular, our winter inventory of rental skis and other things,” Roberts noted. The Roberts have owned the shop, which was coming up on its 50th anniversary, since 2018 and rented the space on Langdon Street. “We lost more than a million

dollars of inventory,” Roberts said. “We’ll definitely re-open, but probably not in the same place,” she said. By late July, a GoFundMe page had raised nearly $70,000 of the $100,000 goal they had set.

In Barre, the Vermont Bicycle Shop saw about $200,000 in damage.

In Ludlow, the rising river poured over two feet of water into the Darkside Snowboard shop off Route 103, a place that had recently invested more than $15,000 in refits. The shop salvaged what it could in terms of boards and gear and even fixtures. An online “Fludlow” sale at bargain prices helped move about 300 online orders in two days. Just a few doors down, Tygart Mountain Sports barely escaped and was back selling kayaks and other gear.

Across the street, The Boot Pro was also spared. “I have no idea how we survived without any impacts,” said Alex Racicot who owns the shop with her husband Shon. “Basically, after a culvert got blocked, a section of the mountain behind us washed right down the Okemo

Floodwaters from the Winooski rose as high as the statehouse lawn in Montpelier on July 11. On Sept. 23, VSECU'S Point to Point ride to benefit the Vermont Food Bank hopes to stage its start and finish from this same spot.

At Onion River Outdoors, employee Jason Schippert faces the flood aftermath, with water still receding.

Access Road and across Route 103.” The mud slide missed their shop by feet but took out many of the buildings across the road.

The Boot Pro, a ski shop in winter, had just invested in a fleet of bikes and rental bikes. “We’ve been planning on offering guided gravel and mountain bike rides,” said Racicot. “Now that visitors aren’t coming, the business has nearly completely dried up. And if you lose a summer weekend here, you don’t make up that business,” she noted. “If I could say one thing to folks, it would be to still come.”

Yva and Jim Rose, who opened Lamoille Valley Bike Tours in 2016, were fortunate in that their Johnson shop and inventory was not damaged. But the duo who based their business around tours, a shuttle service and bike traffic on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail saw many cancellations.

Future reservations have also dried up as a result of the trail closure, Rose noted. “We have come to terms with our shuttle business not being operable this year,” Rose wrote. “While our business is sustaining an extreme financial loss, we are working on highlighting our backroad tours and doing anything we can to diversify. The market for backroad bike tours vs. rail trail tours is much smaller and the loss we will continue to accrue. We’re hoping the trail can open soon with some detours around the washouts.”

In the meantime, they are offering a

Backroad E-bike and Brew Tour where guests enjoy a scenic backroad ride and are then shuttled to the three breweries on the original rail trail route.

For Umiak Outfitters in Stowe, the flooding meant that river tours which make up a large part of their summer business, had to be cancelled. The shop, owned and operated by Steve Brownlee and his daughter Emma, had to close their Waterbury Reservoir rentals for several weeks (they reopened on July 24) and moved their tubing shuttle trips to the Mad River.

In Newport, Lake Memphremagog rose nearly 30 inches, swamping the docks that Kingdom Games uses for its weekly Clubhouse Swim series, which

were cancelled. “We’ve also had to cancel In Search of Memphre,” said organizer Phil White of the annual swim across the border lake. “There’s farm runoff, debris and turbidity. We used to be able to see 3 feet into the water, now it’s only about 1.5 feet.”

However, White is hopeful that many of the 8 swims on 8 different Northeast Kingdom lakes that he has scheduled as part of NEK Swim Week (Aug. 5-13) can still take place. “We’re hearing that lakes such as Willoughby, Echo, Seymour and Caspian that don’t have big rivers flowing into them will be fine,” he said.

Farther south, on Lake Dunmore, later storms and heavy rains forced a cancellation of the July 18 Vermont Sun

Triathlon. However, organizer Steve Hare is planning for his August 13 races to go on.

Getting events back to normal was first and foremost on the mind of Simeon Chapin who helps his organization, VSECU, put on the Point to Point, the annual bike and running event in Montpelier. This year, the organizers had already made the decision to move the series of bike rides and runs to September 23, from its previous mid-summer schedule.

“We had four feet of water in our storage area with all of our gear,” Chapin notes. “Fortunately, we were able to salvage most everything.” Chapin and others have driven the routes the rides and runs will take and all but perhaps the 10-mile run will be fine, Chapin said. They are once again hoping to stage the event on the lawn of the statehouse, with Onion River Outdoors still committed to help with sag vehicles and bike mechanics.

“That shop has played such a key role in this community and one thing we want to show the world is that it’s still worth it to come to Montpelier. We have this terrific community, and we are cleaning everything up really quickly. We can’t stop doing fun things here,” Chapin said.

On top of that, the Point to Point raises funds for the Vermont Food Bank. “This year, more than ever, I think that’s a really important cause,” he said.

After the waters receded, towns such as Montpelier (below), Ludlow, Hardwick, Barre and Waterbury still had to deal with cleaning up the mud.

Volunteers help clean up the mess and wash off gear outside of Onion River Outdoors in Montpelier.

After the Flood: Assessing Our Trails

BY COREY BURDICK

In m id-July, two months of rain fell across the state within 48 hours.

According to the National Weather Service, by the end of the day on July 11, Plymouth had seen 9.05 inches of rain and Mount Holly received 8.66 inches. Other remarkable totals included 9.20 inches in North Calais, 8.06 inches in Randolph and 7.02 inches in Morrisville in Lamoille County. Many other areas received anywhere from 3 to 6 inches in a very short time span, exacerbating the already-saturated soils.

While many parts of the state were spared, in particular the regions west of the Greens, the floods impacted communities from Londonderry to Newport. Rivers swelled, lakes overflowed, trails washed out. In many towns, shops and restaurants were inundated, campgrounds swamped and, in some cases, buildings washed away.

And the impacts continued as more rains fell in the weeks that followed. On July 23, Lake Champlain hit a new record high for the month of July, with waters at

the King Street Ferry Dock in Burlington measuring a high of 98.75 ft. —three feet over July’s normal. Flooding, debris and fast-moving water caused state officials to warn against swimming in many lakes and river. On July 14, a 25-year-old woman fell into Huntington Gorge and drowned.

Communities, rescue teams from

around the country, volunteers and organizations quickly sprang into action in the days that followed. Communities rallied around one another to begin the slow process of repair and recovery.

And just as assessments were beginning in towns proper, so too was the process of evaluating damage to Vermont’s outdoor recreation and, in

particular, to trail networks.

Organizations such as the Green Mountain Club, the Catamount Trail Association, the Vermont Mountain Bike Association (VMBA), as well as the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), and the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, among others have been busy evaluating damage. Initial reports indicated that the major damage was sustained in areas hardest hit by the flooding such as Ludlow, Montpelier, and Hardwick although impacts were seen statewide.

VERMONT’S RAIL TRAILS

The good news? Three of the state’s rail trails — the Delaware & Hudson Rail Trail in southwestern Vermont, the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail and the Beebe Spur Rail Trail, which hugs Lake Memphremagog saw minor impacts and are now back open, as is the Island Line and Colchester Causeway.

However, the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail remained entirely closed as of press

WHILE JULY FLOODS DEVASTATED ROADS AND BUSINESSES, VERMONT’S TRAILS AND LANDSCAPE ARE BOUNCING BACK.

Aerial drone shots show the damage the raging Lamoille River caused in the Hardwick area. Two Lamoille Valley Rail Trail bridges (below and bottom) were destroyed, interrupting the newly-completed 93-mile trail. Photos courtesy VTrans.

time in late July. The newly completed rail trail was preparing for a grand opening celebration on July 15, replete with Governor Scott biking the 93-mile length of the trail from Swanton to St. Johnsbury and making brief stops along the way. Senator Sanders had also planned a visit.

Following the storm, the Agency of Transportation sent out a drone to assess the damage. Crews then headed out to evaluate and estimate the needed repairs.

In addition to destroyed bridges and culverts, the team found several locations along the trail “where embankment failures and significant washouts could pose more danger than is apparent,” said Amy Tatko, Director of Communications and Public Outreach Policy, Planning for the Vermont Agency of Transportation.

In Hardwick, which was hit particularly hard, the Inn on the River was washed into the Lamoille. It had been one of the few lodging spots directly on that section of rail trail.

Morristown Corners resident Bill Mason has cycled sections of the trail for nine years. A member of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail Committee, he was heartbroken to see the damage. “A prolonged wet spring kept folks off the trail at first but interest from all over the country was increasing every day. The flooding erased so much of the hard work by the state and the construction crews,” said Mason. Mason helps moderate the Facebook page, Fans of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, where people posted photos and updates. “It’s frustrating to keep telling people eager to get back on the trail that they need to be patient,” Mason said.

However, several stretches of trail fared better than others and are anticipated to be safely opened soon. While Tatko said she was not sure

how long this would take, she is asking people not to guess about trail segment reopenings and instead check VTrans’ Rail Trails website for updates.

Johnson-based Lamoille Valley Bike Tours, which had been busy preparing for a robust tourist season, had also been planning to run shuttles along the LVRT. Shortly following the floods, owners Yva and Jim Rose wrote on Facebook, “While our business and inventory was spared it’s been gut wrenching to see the photographs and hear the reports of destruction to the trail in what was its celebrated inaugural season as a completed 93 miles and what was a big year of growth for us.”

In addition, sections of the Cross Vermont Trail were impacted including sections in the Groton State Forest from Rickers Mill to Route 232 (near Kettle Pond). Washouts closed a section

Know Before you Go

Given the recent flooding event, the message from recreation organizations statewide is clear: Vermont is open for business and many communities rely on income from outdoor recreation and tourism. But the old adage, “know before you go” is more important to heed than ever.

While trail crews will continue to assess trail networks, there are sections that may not have signage indicating a closure as the continual rain and saturated soils have made access challenging in certain areas. Please use caution and act responsibly on the trails. Turn around if you encounter a washed-out trail or bridge, significant blowdowns, landslides or other hazards. Protect yourself and natural resources and do not try to find a new path around the obstacle. Also recreating within one’s abilities is always important, but especially during the recovery phase as emergency personnel are already taxed. Avoid needing a rescue.

Finally, before heading out to explore trails, check out the resources below for vital information and note the dates they were last updated.

from Route 232 through to the town of Marshfield trailhead parking at Bemis Farm Rd.

While the trail’s new Winooski Bridge held, another section from the Route 2 trailhead at Hidden Dam west over the new trail bridge and out the railbed to Gallison Hill Rd. was closed for road repairs.

Also impacted was the green path along Winooski River behind Waterbury State Office Complex and through Hope Cemetery to Winooski St. in Waterbury. The state is asking folks to stay clear of the worst sections for the time being.

Cross Vermont Trail Association Executive Director Greg Western stressed that now is not the time to be planning a longer trip on the Cross Vermont. Overall, conditions are variable from location to location, and changing over time.

“The good news is that there were

Some resources to check:

no complete failures or erasures of any trail sections. We have been working on our trails to make them sustainable in anticipation of storms and floods, and all that work seems to have essentially succeeded,” Western noted. “That said, there is still a lot of clean up to do and some locations may be specifically closed as repairs are carried out.”

The Cross Vermont Trails Association’s storm log runs east to west and looks at the trail route section by section.

MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS

A clearer picture will emerge as assessments continue statewide, but as of late July, the following mountain bike trails were impacted.

The downhill trails and all summer activities at Okemo Mountain Resort were suspended until July 27, and

> Road conditions and closures at Vermont 511 or newengland511.com.

> Weather forecasts at National Weather Service Burlington and NWS Albany.

> Trails: For trail conditions on hiking and multi-use trails, trailfinder.info

> Mountain bike trails: visit VMBA.org, chapter websites and TrailFinder.

> Green Mountain Club lists trail conditions and has Long Trail system alerts

> Vermont State Parks’ lists current park and site closures as well as any water quality issues at vtstateparks.com

> Vermont's Dept. of Fish and Wildlife lists access area closures

Getting out in nature is also critical to mental health.. Our outdoor spaces can provide that much needed release from the stress of these times, but as VMBA's Nick Bennette put it, “Responsible recreation is key right now, there are spots where the real ask is to be respectful of closures. Everyone is so keen to help, and wants to get out there in the woods. But what we really need to ask

Near Woodstock and Route 12, the Appalachian Trail's Gulf Stream bridge was knocked off its footing but has since been rebuilt. Most sections of the Appalachian and Long Trail are open now. Photo by Byron Bixler

possibly longer, but Killington, and most other ski areas had their downhill bike parks up and running soon after the floods.

The Southern Vermont Trail Association (SoVTA) encountered several blown-out culverts in the Stratton Town Forest, requiring complete excavation and installation of new up-sized culverts.

The Jamaica Area Mountain Bike Alliance (JAMBA)’s recently completed trail, Hard Corps, was 90% underwater.

Riders in Plainfield and Marshfield (RIPM) had blowdowns throughout their network and bridges that were eroded and, in some cases, completely relocated by the storm.

The North Branch trails managed by the Montpelier Area Mountain Bike Association (MAMBA) have extensive debris, eroded trail beds, and damaged berms and drainages to repair.

However, in the weeks following the event, Nick Bennette, Executive Director of the Vermont Mountain Biking Association was optimistic that he would not see catastrophic damage across VMBA’s 29 chapters and 3,000 miles of trails. He noted this is a function of how chapters have been upgrading old trails as well as designing new ones to not have long runs that follow the fall line.

“The good news is that infrastructure improvements that had been made to many trail networks recently held up well,” he said.

Still, trails will need to dry out. “Trails are extraordinarily sensitive right now and if people are not respecting them, they will take longer to open. Outside the main corridor of damage, a lot could be opened sooner,” Bennette emphasized.

As of July 21, VMBA reported that the vast majority of their networks were ready to open though the prolonged rains had delayed their ability to do so in some areas.

“One of the biggest concerns right now,” Bennette said, “is the outdoor businesses that have been destroyed. This is a real concern in communities where these businesses serve as an anchor point.”

VMBA has a 2023 Flood Response page where people can find information on how to help with recovery at the state, local, and trail levels. The VMBA also has a Major Storm Recovery Fund that was established in 2019 for VMBA members to apply to fund trail repairs as a result of unforeseen events.

GMC HIKING TRAILS

The Green Mountain Club crews conducted a rapid trail assessment to determine road and trailhead access in popular areas and a baseline bridge inspection in the weeks following the flood. A full account of conditions and damage to the Long Trail System will take some time.

As of July 14, crews’ initial findings were quite positive: no major infrastructure was compromised and while there is on-trail damage, nothing that indicated a major threat to hiker safety or trail continuity. The latest on trail closures is updated on the Green Mountain Club website.

Executive Director Mike DeBonis recommends that people who are planning on hiking any portion of the GMC’s 500mile trail network should come, but temper their expectations and know that they may

have a different experience than what they initially planned.

GMC Communications Manager

Chloe Miller highlighted too that “many trailside communities experienced significant destruction and will be in recovery mode for a long time. Providing services to and welcoming thru hikers will not be top of mind. It may be more challenging, but not impossible, to hitchhike, arrange rides, and find stores and hostels.

“Plan your resupply and off-trail days accordingly. Consider providing extra financial support to the communities impacted by this flooding. We’d also suggest hikers reach out directly to communities and businesses where they plan to resupply to get more up-to-date conditions as they get closer to their planned hikes.”

STATE PARKS & TRAILS

Claire Polfus, Recreation Program Manager for the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation said, “In terms of recreation infrastructure on state lands, we haven’t yet assessed 100% of the trails and parking areas, but right now we are seeing the most damage in places like rail trails near rivers as well as access roads.”

On July 20, Polfus provided a list of trails on state land that sustained significant damage and will be closed for the longer term while noting that there may be more added as more information is received.

Those trails included the Bald Mountain Trail in Townshend State Park, the West River Trail in Jamaica State Park (this is also the public access for Hamilton Falls), the Wells River Rail Bed through Groton State Forest, the Trail system in Camp Plymouth State Park.

Camp Plymouth is slated to stay closed through September 1, but all other state parks were open as of the last week in July, albeit some with restrictions. Those include: The road up Mt. Philo in Mt. Philo State Park in Charlotte and the town road that accesses Buttermilk Falls in Central Vermont are closed.

In addition, all remote shelters at Coolidge State Forest East were closed because they were inaccessible. Many state rorest roads are closed. Since the state is still in the assessment stage, funding requests remain unknown.

CATAMOUNT TRAIL

The Catamount Trail is only open in the winter, but Catamount Trail Association Executive Director Matt Williams reported that major infrastructure was spared. In the Plymouth area smaller bridges have washed downstream a little bit down but can be pulled back into place by hand, which is relatively inexpensive.

“We are fortunate in that most of the trail corridor is a winter-only trail and the tread itself is mostly vegetated which helps a lot in these situations,” he said.

“Most of the CTA’s trail work of late has been focused on water management as it has become critical in the winter too with stream crossings not being consistently frozen. Keeping water off the trail has year-round benefits by reducing impacts that even intense bursts of rain can cause,” Williams added.

Director of Communication Greg Maino said, “We are confidently optimistic that the Catamount Trail will be open and ready for skiers this winter.”

Some bridges on the Catamount Trail were impacted, but the CTA expects the trail to be ready for winter.

Photo courtesy CTA

Corey Burdick is a freelance writer based in Burlington. This is her first Vermont Sports feature.

WeAreVermont Strong

July’s floods hit some Vermont communities, businesses and trails hard, while many others were spared. Support VOBA’s members that are working to reopen and those that are open now. Please recreate responsibly and shop local.

VOBA MEMBERS INCLUDE: 4 Points Vermont | Alpine Luddites | Apex Trailworks | Bicycle Express | Bill Supple | Birdie Blue | Bivo | Black Diamond | Bolton Valley Resort |Burke Mountain Resort | Burlington International Airport | Burton Snowboards | Cabot Creamery Cooperative | Catamount Trail Association | Confluence Behavioral Health | Connecticut River Conservancy | Craftsbury Outdoor Center | Darn Tough Vermont® | Discovery Bicycle Tours | Doug Stewart | Edgeworks Display | Equipe Sport | Formidable Media | Fourbital Factory | Fuse Marketing | GM Consulting | Gordini | Green Mountain Club | Height of Land Publications | Hitchhiker Bike Shop | Hootie Hoo | HULA | Kaden Apparel | Kelly Brush Foundation | Killington/ Pico Resorts | Kingdom Games | Kingdom Trail Association | Kit Lender | Lake Morey Resort | Lamoille Valley Bike Tours | Local Motion | Lyndon Institute | Maidstone Public Relations | M.E.T. Consulting | Method Outdoor Collective | Mad River Valley Chamber | Marmot | Moonrocks Marketing | Mountain Road Outfitters | Northern Forest Canoe Trail | Onion River Outdoors | Outdoor Gear Exchange | Overeasy Apparel | Pale Morning Media | Patagonia Burlington | Petra Cliffs Climbing and Mountaineering Center | Pinnacle Outdoor Group | Place Creative Company | PowderJet Snowboards | Power Play Sports | Press Forward PR | Red Clover Bikes | REI Co-Op | Renoun Skis | Ridgeline Outdoor Collective | Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters | Ski Moms Fun | Ski The East | Skida Headwear & Accessories | Skirack | Snowsports Industries America | Sloggn | Spruce Mortgage | Ski Vermont | Sterling College | Stoner//Andrews | Stowe Mountain Bike Academy | Sundog Creations | Ten Acre Creative | Terry Bicycles | The Mountain Goat | The Orvis Company | The Trust for Public Land | Three Peaks Media | Thuja | Timber and Stone | TJ Whalen | Train NEK | Trapp Family Lodge | Treeline Terrains | Tubbs Snowshoes | Turtle Fur | US Sherpa | Velocity Sales and Marketing | Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports | Vermont Bike & Brew | Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility | Vermont Community Loan Fund | Vermont Glove | Vermont Huts Association | Vermont Mountain Bike Association | Vermont Outdoor Guides Association | Vermont Parks Forever | Vermont Recreation & Parks Association | Vermont Ski + Ride Magazine | Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum | Vermont Sports Magazine | Vermont Strategy Group | Waterbury Sports | Wendy Knight | White Room Skis | WND&WVS | Woodstock Inn and Resort | Your Yuckies!

VermontOutdoorBusinessAlliance.org

I SIGNED UP FOR WHAT?

LONG BEFORE THERE WERE SPARTAN RACES, ADVENTURE RACING WAS SENDING COMPETITORS OUT TO HIKE, BIKE, PADDLE AND NAVIGATE IN THE WILDS. THIS SEPTEMBER, THE ADVENTURE RACING NATIONALS COME TO THE GREEN MOUNTAINS FOR THE FIRST TIME. VERMONTERS ARE READY.

BY LISA LYNN

It w as about six hours into the 24hour race when Kit Vreeland, Cliff White and Evan Moreshead found themselves in the middle of a corn maze in the Northeast Kingdom surrounded by unicorns.

The day had started 7 a.m., when Vreeland and her two Strong Machine teammates and the 37 other teams gathered in St. Johnsbury to pore over maps. Then came a bus ride to the north end of Lake Willoughby where canoes waited. At 9:00 a.m., Strong Machine, UltraBambi, Trophy Dads, and other teams of two to four pushed their boats into the waters.

It was late October and the lake had already been whipped into a froth of whitecaps as they started the five-mile upwind paddle south. Before long, some capsized. Others were bailing as fast as they were paddling. It took Strong Machine an hour and a half to cross the lake.

At the south end, the trekking began – some taking teams to high overlooks with magnificent views down the fjordlike Willoughby. By bushwhacking or following trails or logging roads, teams found their way to flagged spots where they would punch their scorecards, each location worth 25 to 100 points. On this trekking portion of the race, they could earn up to 1100 points if they navigated correctly.

Or they could choose a faster route, skip some points, and hope to make them up later on. The race would be won

on a combination of speed and points. Penalties would be applied for doing things like going down an uphill-only bike trail. Bonuses would go to teams helping another, such as bailing a capsized boat.

At the next transition area, bikes awaited, and a mystery discipline was revealed. That discipline was not just one corn maze, but three at Kingdom Corn Maze, one of which had to be negotiated on a bike. Each one had hidden checkpoints.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever laughed so hard in a race before,” Vreeland wrote in her race report as she was describing looking for the checkpoints in the mazes. “Somehow Cliff managed to watch me do the same dead-end circle multiple times, while partner-in-crime Evan just followed me around and around. Evan left the maze a few corn husks heavier, and Cliff got to ponder the meaning of the word “dibbler.” The maze was filled with young children in unicorn costumes, and we were complemented on our ‘racer’ outfits.” It was almost Halloween.

Then came more biking on the singletrack network at Kingdom Trails, watching a sunset at Heaven’s Bench on Kingdom Trails’ Darling Hill, and more trekking in Victory State Forest. It was 3:00 a.m. when Strong Machine began a paddle down the Passumpic River with multiple portages. (“Paddling in the dark is the only thing that makes me uncomfortable,” Vreeland said later.) There was another short trek, another short bike and then, finally with a new day

Recycle North teammmembers Dave Coutu, Tim Curtin and Jim Christiansen , loaded with maps, bike helmets and backpacks, racing The Bitter Pill in 2022 in the Waterbury area. Curtin is a founding board member of GMARA and Christiansen a co-designer of the course that will be used for the Nationals at Smuggler's Notch this September. Photo courtesty GMARA.

dawning, the finish line where breakfast awaited.

That’s how team Strong Machine won the 2021 Hard Pill, one of the more creative adventure races put on the by the Green Mountain Adventure Racing Association, finishing in 17 hours 43 minutes.

At the finish, there was no prize money. The most coveted awards were cookies baked by Chris's wife, Laurie. Those go to the team with the best name. (Contenders could have been Sweaty Sock Gnomes and Fire Breathing Rubber Ducky Fun Machine but InSomeKneeAches won.)

But for Vreeland, who has done more than 45 adventure races, the reward of spending 17 hours with no sleep and little food traversing the Northeast Kingdom was simple; “the pull of adventure outweighed what others may consider common sense… I think that describes the experience of every adventure racer, right? I love our AR community: solidarity in the healing power of adventure includes the “healing powers” of sleep deprivation, hunger, physical and emotional exhaustion,” she wrote.

NATIONALS COME TO VERMONT

This September 15, Vreeland (this time racing with her wife, Ashley Eaton and another woman) and five other Vermontbased teams of three will be back at it

as the U.S. Adventure Racing Nationals come to Vermont for the first time since the event was launched in 2000. A total of 66 teams from around the country will compete on a course based out of Smugglers' Notch Resort, a course that race organizer Chris Yager has kept a closely guarded secret and that will have a 30-hour time limit.

Vreeland is ranked 53rd among more than 2400 nationally ranked adventure racers. Tom Martin of South Burlington is ranked 29th. “The rankings are somewhat arbitrary, though,” Vreeland

says. “And since we compete as teams, it’s hard to rank an individual. What I love about adventure racing is it is truly a team sport: you are only as good as your weakest link.” USARA also ranks teams (which can include up to 8 members who may compete in different events).

Strong Machine, which includes racers from around New England, is ranked 10th in the nation. In October, Vreeland will rejoin her Strong Machine teammates for the 9-day World Championships in South Africa, competing against such teams as ones put together by the Swedish Armed

Forces.

But first, there is Nationals. With so many teams hailing from all over the Green Mountains, one might think that Vermonters would have a significant home-court advantage, something Yager is well aware of. “We intentionally minimize the home team advantage by setting the course in places that most people will never have been – that’s part of the joy of adventure racing, you go places and see things in the wild you might not normally come across,” says Yager. He also let slip that the Nationals

Racers during 2021 The Hard Fall discover a checkpoint in a NEK corn maze. Above, Kit Vreeland at the race's start. Photo top by JS OConnor

will feature a one-kilometer swim and that teams have life jackets and will need to figure out how to carry their backpacks and other gear during the swim.

CREATING ADVENTURES

Yager founded Green Mountain Adventure Racing Association, now one of the oldest adventure racing associations in the country, nearly 20 years ago. To put that in perspective, the first official Spartan Race was held at the Catamount Outdoor Center in 2010.

“I’d been watching the Eco Challenge, the race Mark Burnett started before he became famous for Survivor,” Yager recalls. At the time, Yager was a software engineer at IBM. “We got a group of nine of us together and we just started training and taking turns cooking ‘adventure dinners’ after our training sessions.” Their first race was in Canada. Yager’s team won the co-ed division.

When the second race they had planned to do was cancelled, Yager decided he would create one of his own, here in Vermont. “I thought, ‘how hard can it be?’” he says, laughing now at his own naivete.

While the navigation is a challenge for competitors, for the race organizer there are the additional logistics of figuring out where to drop kayaks or canoes (usually provided by the race organizers), where to stage transition areas, how to transport the competitors bikes, and most essentially—how to safely send teams out into wild places that often have no trails or other signs of civilization and no aid stations. USARA, adventure racing’s governing body, has a strict set

of safety and logistical requirements and sanctions and insures races.

Races typically have time limits of 3, 8 or 24 hours and are designed so that teams finish within the time limits. There are also multi-day ‘expeditions’. But there’s no set distance or timing to adventure racing other than what the organizer throws into it. The upcoming

Nationals at Smugglers' Notch, for instance, is designed as a 30-hour race.

In addition to The Bitter Pill and The Hard Fall, GMARA has put on winter events such as The Frigid Infliction. Locations for GMARA races range from places such as Craftsbury Outdoor Center and the Catamount Community Forest to Bolton Valley Resort.

“It’s not about speed or your physical strength combatting manmade obstacles, like a Spartan Race. The whole point is you are moving through and navigating your way across a natural landscape” says Yager. “It’s why you often see older teams – some with folks in their sixties – doing really well in adventure racing. Often, people who are more experienced, who know how to navigate and work well as a team will do better than a group of strong 20-something.”

While each race is different, there are a few factors that all races share.

“The first is navigation. You have a map and a compass, and you set out to find the checkpoints. The second is there are multiple disciplines –usually trekking, mountain biking and paddling. The third is it’s a team sport: you are only as fast as your slowest team member. Say, a teammate’s bike breaks down, you might need to tow them. Last, you have to carry most of your gear; backpacks, food, a life jacket…”

For most races 24 hours or under, teams rarely sleep. “It’s like pulling an all-nighter,” Yager notes. And while teams could conceivably cheat by using a smart phone to navigate as Yager notes, “No one who does adventure racing cheats. There’s just no point.”

Still, racers are allowed to bring a sealed phone which could record their routes on Strava. A Strava fly-by of the 2022 Bitter Pill based out of Blush Hill Country Club in Waterbury showed, for an example, how teams departed from the most obvious routes to pick up points or move more quickly.

The Strava map shows various routes Tim Curtin and other racers took to get to checkpoints during the 2022 The Bitter Pill, based out the Blush Hill Country Club in Waterbury.

Maps? Bikes? Life jackets? Mountain bikes? All essential tools in adventure racing. Photo courtesy GMARA

A HUNT FOR... TREASURE?

While there are top athletes such as Abby Perkiss, a two-time AR national champion and Alyssa Godesky (the pro triathlete and ultrarunner who has held the Long Trail FKT – fastest known time) who compete in GMARA events, there are plenty of others for whom just simply completing the course is the goal.

“What drew me in was the idea that it’s like a treasure hunt. You have all these flags in the woods, and you have to find them. I also realized that a huge part of this sport is mental. Navigation skills are as important as your fitness level,” Brian Stavely told Vermont Sports in a 2015 interview. Stavely, a fantasy fiction author from Marlboro, recalled that during his first race his team lost their canoe and all their maps on the Winooski River just before a dam.

It was an hour into a 12-hour race. When Stavely turned to the event organizer to ask what to do, “Welcome to adventure racing!” was all he got back. Stavely and his team ran the rest of the canoe portion and later found their craft and maps. Since then, Stavely has gone on to win Frigid Infliction, one of GMARA’s winter races, and to compete in multiple races around the country.

“The one thing I tell people about adventure racing is pick your people,” says Yager. “If one person on your team is out to win it and another just wants to have fun, no one is going to be happy.”

"Most of us are really just racing against ourselves," says Tim Curtin, a founding member of GMARA. Curtin got pulled into it, in his own words "because I knew how to mountain bike and I didn't say 'no.'" That was nearly 20 years ago.

Part of the allure for him, he says, is "it helped me face my fear. I was somewhat afraid of water and one of the first events I did was a race in Canada where you had to jump off a cliff into a rapids." Curtin, supported by teammates, did so. "After that, swimming across a lake was nothing," he says with a laugh.

Curtin soon was doing longer races. "I remember a 72-hour race where there was just nothing left in me, physically or emotionally and I just lay down on the ground and started sobbing," he recalls. "But after you do something like that, the next time something difficult comes up in life you think 'ok, I've done harder things.'"

Curtin has had a hand in organizing many GMARA's races. "Our goal is to push you just past your breaking point and then switch disciplines," he says. For

instance, an intense mountain bike ride might end at a place where you pick up a kayak.

"One of the beauties of adventure racing is most people are really just competing against themselves. You often don't know where the other teams are, or how you are doing."

He also notes that not all of the races are designed to be grueling. "I mainly do sprint races now -- 3 hour or 8 hour races and those are just fun," he notes.

And there tends to be a good deal of camaraderie among the teams. "We're one of the few sports where you actually get bonus points for helping other teams," Curtin notes."Plus its fun when you get to a big race and realize the guys you just crossed paths with are the No. 3 ranked team in the world. How many sports are there where that actually happens?"

During The Bitter Pill in 2022, teams could pick up extra checkpoints at various spots along the Waterbury Reservoir. Navigation and experience often trump physical fitness at AR events. Photo courtesy GMARA

Boats line up on Lake Willoughby at the start of the 2021 The Hard Fall. The first leg had racers paddling the length of the lake. Photo by JS O'Connor

SUNDAY NOV 5, 2023

MIDDLEBURY, VT

What makes it so sweet?

• Beautiful, scenic routes with views of the Green Mountains and Adirondacks.

• A mix of trail (10%), paved (45%), and dirt roads (45%) for the half marathon; all paved for 3-mile fun run.

• USATF-certified course that is well supported, with rolling hills and foliage views.

WELL ORGANIZED, GREAT SWAG, INSPIRING MUSIC ON COURSE, POST-RACE BREAKFAST TOP FINISHERS RECEIVE VERMONT MAPLE SYRUP!

The Meaning of Mountains

THE PEAKS OF THE GREEN MOUNTAINS HAVE GONE BY MANY NAMES. MANY HAD SPECIAL MEANING TO THE NATIVE ABENAKI .

BY RICH HOLSCHUH

As Europeans settled on the continent and early pioneers explored, they often gave places new names commemorating the Founding Fathers and other important Americans… [Indigenous people] have viewed such commemorative names as inappropriate: humans are too small, too fleeting and insignificant to have places named for them. The land is eternal; it owns us, we do not own it.” —Doug Herman, Denali and America’s Long History of Using (or Not Using) Indian Names

The names are changing. Recently, the oldest ski area in America – opened in 1934 in Woodstock, and once known as Suicide Six – was renamed Saskadena Six Ski Resort, to honor the native Western Abenaki, borrowing their word saskadena for “standing mountain.”

As the resort’s leaders researched a new name, they sought the counsel of Chief Don Stevens of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk-Abenaki Nation. Stevens said in a statement: “This ‘standing mountain’ has been used by thousands of Abenaki ancestors for over 11,000 years and hopefully many more in the future. This is more than renaming this place, this is recognizing the original stewardship of this land and providing cultural education to those who visit this standing mountain.”

The times since the settling of Vermont, and the birth of the first ski area, are short compared with the tenure of the native Algonquianspeaking people and their intimate acquaintances with the lands and waters here.

These people – primarily the Abenaki — were forced aside when European settlers, (the majority of whom were British), flooded in after the last empire-building French and Indian War, so called. The newcomers colonized the landscape in a startlingly rapid wave during the 17th century and first half of the 18th.

During the preceding wars. the Abenaki had aligned with New France to the north. So when the British won, they fancied the territory that eventually became Vermont a clean slate, ready for new Anglican names of their choosing and according to their practices.

The settlers applied their values with a broad, deliberate brush in a sociopolitical process known as displacement and assertion. These new Vermonters, as they came to call themselves, followed the geographic

naming conventions of their forebears. They chose Old or New English localities, notable individuals, and wealthy patrons to supply labels for landmarks in this unfamiliar territory. The new names were abstractions that had little or nothing to do with the features themselves but became referents simply by association.

While exploring the Green Mountains, on ski or by foot, few of us ponder the ideological motives for these relatively recent monikers, but the ancient skyline of the land we now call Vermont (from the French for vert monts, ‘green mountains’) has been known intimately for millennia.

We native people still recall some original names, but we have forgotten many others. A guiding principle among Abanenaki is that the stories themselves, being alive, remember. While we may not recall the original names, we can reconnect to the knowledge of our mountain relatives when we nurture the proper relationships. The original names derive from those relationships and from the features themselves, a direct connection between the People and the Land—for they are the same.

In that light, let’s take a look at some of these mountain names and their layered stories, walking sowanaki li pebonki—from south to north.

Just south of the border looms the tallest peak in Massachusetts, once referred to as Grand Hoosuc or Saddleback, and since the early 1800s as Greylock. Although the origin of the current name is debated, majority opinion asserts that it is in remembrance of Wawanolewat, an honored war captain of the Abenaki who was also known as Gray Lock. He oversaw a running war with the colonists in western New England for decades, never surrendering, and living to a great age.

Gray Lock operated from his base at the village of Mazipskoik at Missisquoi Bay, at the northern end of what we

The Abenaki knew of Camel's Hump as Tawapodiiwajo, meaning "place-to-sit-in mountain" or "saddle moutain," or "mountain seat." It was also called Moziozagan, which meant " moose's shoulder" or" hump."

now call Lake Champlain, although he originally hailed from Woronoco (near Westfield, Mass.). Wawanolewat (which means “he habitually fools the others”) was born with a shock of grey hair, and this trait also suggests the clouds that often wreath the top of the mountain. Naming a mountain after an individual is a Western convention, but in a surprising cultural twist of memorializing a foe, Greylock has persisted.

At Vermont’s southernmost alpine ski area, Mount Snow, we can note the surprising nuances that even Euro-American renaming practices can assume. The ancient elevation there, also lacking a recalled original referent, was first garnished by new arrivals with the Biblically-inspired name Mount Pisgah (a not uncommon choice in those days, from a Hebrew word for “summit). It was renamed by ski area founder Walter Schoenknecht, not for its intended winter pursuits, but to honor the Reuben Snow family of West Dover, from whom he purchased the property in 1953.

Moving on to better-documented territory, the highest peak in southern Vermont is Stratton Mountain, whose inaccessibility inspired James P. Taylor to conceive of the Long Trail in 1910. It is unknown from where Gov. Wentworth borrowed the name when he chartered the town of Stratton. But the mountain was known early on as Manicknung, said to translate from the Mahican language as the “place where the mountain heaps up” and, alternatively, “home of the bear.”

The latter (“home of the bear”) is pure marketing spin, part of the not uncommon practice of romanticizing (and inventing) native heritage. It is not difficult to consult a dictionary or a native speaker to avoid such absurdities. It is also worth noting the strong homophony of Manicknung with New Hampshire’s Monadnock to the east—which means “the mountain that stands alone” or “the separate mountain,” in Abenaki. It could easily be another way of saying “where the mountain heaps up.”

Not far away rises Ludlow Mountain, better known to many as the site of Okemo Ski Resort. The name “Okemo,” a name attributed to native sources, was used by the Okemo Outing Club and the Okemo State Forest (founded in 1935) even before the ski area was first established in 1937. “Okemo” is said to be Chippewa (Ojibwe) for “all come home.”

However, the accuracy of that claim, translation, and even the

BOLTON

source, is not established. The nearest Abenaki cognate “akemô”, in fact, means “louse.” This points to problems inherent in freely transposing language out of context—a sociohistorical trope freely practiced in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This romanticizing movement, recognized as misplaced in the face of historic experiences of Native cultural suppression, persists to some degree today.

The next height with claims to an indigenous name is Pico, next to Killington. Conventional wisdom states that it may be derived from the Abenaki word for pass or opening, since it faces Sherburne Pass just to the north. While there is some similarity to the Abenaki roots for “open” and “cross,” this seems like a

stretch. However, there is a specific Abenaki term for a mountain pass and it is pasadena, which shows up in California, freely appropriated for its euphonious sound. Go figure. In a bizarre twist of geo-linguistic justice, it is more likely the name Pico is a direct application of the Spanish term for “peak.”

Skipping Mounts Abraham and Ellen (with their original toponyms unrecorded), we ascend Camel’s Hump, whose striking profile has made a strong impression on observers for millennia. Samuel de Champlain’s “Le Lion Couchant” (the resting lion) became Ira Allen’s “Camel’s Rump,” which evolved into the more mellifluous Camel’s Hump, still a rather exotic appellation.

The Abenaki knew this place as Tawapodiiwajo, meaning “placeto-sit-in mountain,” or “saddle mountain,” or “mountain seat.” This makes perfect sense on a titanic scale when it is understood that Gluskabe, the heroic giant of Abenaki lore, used the mountain as his personal seat in some traditional stories. Another Abenaki cognate for the peak, akin to the later Camel’s Hump moniker, is “Moziozagan” for “moose’s shoulder,” or “moose’s hump.”

Continuing north, the Green Mountain’s loftiest peak, Mount Mansfield, rises to 4,393 feet. Though some claim it memorializes a previous home in Connecticut, the nowdissolved namesake town appears simply to have been another tribute by an early New Hampshire Gov. Wentworth (who served from 1741 to 1776) to a buddy back home in England, Lord Mansfield.

The Abenaki referred to Mount Mansfield as Mozdebiwajo, or Moosehead Mountain, the result of the mighty Gluskabe’s mythic pursuit of an equally great beast, now turned to stone.

Finally, at the border with Quebec rises Jay Peak, granted to and named for John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the United States for his help making Vermont the 14th state. Jay Peak is in the Missisquoi River watershed, which flows west to Lake Champlain and embraces that same village— Mazipskoik—where Wawanolewat, Chief Gray Lock, sheltered during his long and storied career. On a clear day one can see the lake from the mountaintop. One old Québecois source has stated that they knew it as Gwenaden—Long Mountain, a fitting and unending epilogue for an ancient mountain range and the deeply storied indigenous traditions that accompany it.

Rich Holschuh is a resident of Wantastegok (Brattleboro). He serves as Chair for the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs and is a public liaison and Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Elnu Abenaki, members of the contemporary northeastern Native community. Holschuh is founder and co-director of the Atowi Project. His work draws upon history, linguistics, geography, and culture to share beneficial ways of seeing and being in relationship with place. Original research for this article also appeared in the Green Mountain Club’s Long Trail News and in VT

Ski + Ride.

KILLINGTON

PICO LUDLOW

MT. ELLLEN & LINCOLN PEAK (SUGARBUSH)

GENERAL STARK (MAD RIVER GLEN)

MOZDEBIWAJO (STOWE)

MADONNA (SMUGGLER’S NOTCH) BURKE

WORTH MTN. (MIDDLEBURY SNOW BOWL)

BROMLEY

MANICKNUNG (STRATTON)

MT. PISGAH (MT. SNOW)

SASKADENA 6

GWENADEN (JAY PEAK)

RACE & EVENT GUIDE VERMONT SPORTS

LISTING YOUR EVENT IN THIS CALENDAR IS FREE AND EASY. VISIT VTSPORTS.COM/SUBMIT-AN-EVENT OR E-MAIL EDITOR@VTSPORTS. COM. ALL AREA CODES ARE 802. ALL LOCATIONS ARE IN VERMONT, UNLESS NOTED. FEATURED EVENTS, IN YELLOW, PAY A NOMINAL FEE.

RUNNING/HIKING

AUGUST

5 | Fairfax Egg Run, Fairfax

Join for a 5K run or walk or a 10K run. We also offer a Kids Fun Run for those 12 years old and under. The beautiful course includes gentle rolling hills and offers views of the Lamoille River. After the race enjoy a made-to-order omelet and other post-race refreshments. runsignup.com/Race/VT/

Fairfax/FairfaxEggRun2023

12 | Cate Farm Tomato Trot, Plainfield

A 5K trail run/walk through farm fields and on woods roads, around Cate Farm. The first kilometer snakes along the Winooski River and is relatively flat; the rest is over small rolling hills. Each finisher will receive a pound of Cate Farm tomatoes and anyone 65 or older who beats Farmer Richard’s time gets 2 pounds of tomatoes! (FYI, Richard is not that fast:). catefarm.com

12 | Slate Valley Scramble, Poultney

Run this 8K or half-marathon trail race starting from Slate Valley Trails' Fairgrounds. Awards for top finishers and an event raffle! slatevalleytrails.org

12 | Red Rocks 5K, Burlington

Run a 5k on the trails of Red Rocks Park. Trails are dirt and gravel, with moderate hills through woods. Start and finish are at the lower parking lot near the beach. This Benefits the GMAA Scholarship. gmaa.org

12 | 100 on 100 Relay, Stowe

Round up your closest friends and prepare to take on 100 miles of scenic Vermont terrain. A challenging relay where friends complete 100 miles together along Vermont’s historic Route 100. Push beyond your limits, lean on your teammates, and complete something extraordinary. Plus, we’ll be having an epic after-party at the finish line with delicious food and beer (21+). 100on100relay.com/

12 | Battle Day 5K, Bennington

One of the special events commemorating the Battle of Bennington which took place on August 16, 1777. The 5K route is a mostly flat (by Vermont standards) out & back starting and ending at the Bennington Battle Monument. There will also be a 1/2 mile Kid’s Fun Run around the Monument. benningtonbattlemonument.com/events.

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26 | Hurricane Hill 5K/10K, Hartford

Located in the Hartford Town Forest and the Hartford Conservation Area, both courses start on a relatively flat logging road but you soon encounter two short but steep climbs that'll have you questioning your sanity for doing this! No worries, because the rest of the course will be a breeze in comparison! The 5K is mostly downhill from this point. The 10k is more of a rolling course and includes 585 feet of elevation change with a downhill slope for most of the final 1.4 miles. There is a perfect mix of logging roads, wide packed trails, and single tracks. Registration is at the Upper Valley Aquatic Center. wnhtrs.com/

27 | Race to the Top of VT, Stowe Hikers, bikers, and runners climb Mt. Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak to benefit the Catamount Trail Association. The course ascends the historic Mansfield Toll Road. It is 4.3 miles in length, and has 2564 feet of up. rttovt.com

27 | Zoe's Race, Burlington

Choose from a 1K fun run (registration is free), a 5K run/walk, or a 10K run. The routes for the 5K and 10K take participants along the scenic Lake Champlain bike path. The 1K starts at 8:30 am, and the 5K and 10K start at 9:00 am. howardcenter.org/zoesrace-2023/

SEPTEMBER

2-3 | Jay Peak Trail Running Festival

With 7 races for all abilities --everything from a kids' race and 5K to a 53K ultra — there is something for everyone. /jaypeaktrailrun.com/

8-9 | RAGNAR Trail, Ascutney A full blown 3-day camping, running, weekend adventure. Teams of 8 run roughly 120 miles— in three repeating loops—on wilderness trails that wind through forests, valleys, and mountainsides. You’ll run day, and night, and day again, sleeping (yeah right) in a temporary tent city known as Ragnar Village. runragnar.com/ragnar/trail

9 | Bacon & Brew 4-Miler, Dummerston This 4 mile walk/run starts at Kampfires Campground and tours some beautiful backroads complete with cornfields, hidden

valleys, and maple sugar farms. It loops back to Kampfires where the hugely-popular Baconfest party will be underway with food trucks. Whetstone Station beer and more. Enjoy the post-race party trifecta: bacon, brews, and blues music! bb4miler.com/

9 | Groton Forest Trail Run, Groton

The marathon course is about 26.5 miles with 5,000 ft. of elevation gain. This course is approximately 60% technical single track, 10% multi-use trail, and 30% dirt road. In addition to Big Deer, Little Deer, and Owls Head this course features loops around Kettle and Osmore Ponds. The 25k course is about 15 miles with 3200 ft. of elevation gain. The new 10k course is about 6.2 miles with 1100 ft. of elevation gain. /ultrasignup. com/register.aspx?did=102638

17 | Trapp Cabin Races, Stowe

Run a 5K, 10K, or half-marathon at the beautiful Trapp Family Outdoor Center. This perennial favorite is also an important fundraiser for Green Mountain Adaptive Sports. greenmountainadaptive.org

17 | Westmore Mountain Challenge, East Charleston. One day, 5 mountains. 26 miles: Moose-Hor-Pisgah-Haystack-Bald. Take in the beautiful and stunning scenery of northern Vermont at peak fall foliage in this friendly, fun and challenging mountain marathon event. Registration spots limited. Proceeds benefit NorthWoods Stewardship Center. westmorechallenge.northwoodscenter.org

17 | 20th TAM Trek, Middlebury, A trail race and fun run to raise funds for the Trail Around Middlebury (TAM). The Middlebury Area Land Trust (MALT) started building the TAM in 1989 and its 19 miles now encircles the village.maltvt.org/tam-trek

OCTOBER

1 | 2nd Annual Three Peaks Mountain Race, Bolton Valley Choose between the 10 or 25k race during peak foliage season. Scenic vistas and a kaleidoscope of color will greet you as you move up and down a combination of work roads, cross country trails, raw ski slope climbs and some newly built lift-accessed mountain bike trails. boltonvalley.com/events-calendar/2ndannual-three-peaks-mountain-race/

1 | Leaf Peepers Half Marathon & 5K, Waterbury, The course makes a loop through downtown Waterbury and then rolls along the Winooski River through Waterbury and Duxbury. The majority of the course is well maintained dirt road after a few miles of pavement at the start, finishing on a short section of trail along the Cross VT trail. leafpeepershalfmarathon.org

7 | Fly to Pie Marathon, Newport Run, bike, or hike a full marathon mostly over vista-riddled dirt roads and through "The Gut" of the Northeast Kingdom during fall foliage. There are shorter options of 17 miles, 13.5 miles and 10 km. Finish is at Parker Pie in West Glover with all the pizza you can eat and some great beer, including Hill Farmstead. Shuttle back to the start provided by Jay Peak. This is one of the toughest and most spectacular marathons East of the Mississippi. kingdomgames.co/ fly-to-pie-kingdom-marathon/

14 | Devil's Den Ultra, Bradford The course is a rugged 6-mile loop with 1,600 feet of climbing per loop on Wright's Mountain. Run multiple laps for 30-hours, 12-hours, or just one 6-mile loop. To be an official finisher of the 30-hour length, runners must complete a 50K, 12-hour runners need to be an active participant for the entire 12-hours, and 6-milers need to finish the loop within 5 hours. Top male and female finishers for each length will receive the Devil's Skull, all finishers will receive a finisher medal and 100 mile finishers will receive a buckle. racemozey.com/devils-den-ultra-1

15 | Heady Trotter 4 Miler, Stowe

Perfectly timed at the end of leaf season, before the snow starts, this race is a flat, chip timed event running through the heart of Stowe. greatamericanbreweryruns.com/ heady-trotter-4-miler

15 | Trapp Mountain Marathon, Stowe

A challenging half and full marathon distance trail run at beautiful Trapp Family Lodge. ironwoodadventureworks.com/trapplodgemountainmarathon

22 | Champlain Islands Marathon and Half Marathon, South Hero

The certified marathon and half-marathon begin near the house where Clarence H. DeMar, seven-time Boston Marathon Winner, once lived. The half-marathon course is out and back on the west shore of South Hero and Grand Isle. Flat to rolling., The entire course is paved. Gmaarun.com

29 | The Hills Are Alive 5k Trail Run, Milton- This trail run is around the Arrowhead Golf Club in Milton and includes the legendary "Laura's Tears" section: s-turns, small hills, and an overall fun but manageable challenge. All finishers are awarded a unique, one-of-a-kind "Woodal" for their efforts. Costumes are encouraged. post race party will feature prizes and awards .facebook.com/events/2461624217385586

NOVEMBER

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

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

AUGUST

5 | Ascutney Hill Climb, West Windsor The legendary Mt. Ascutney Hillclimb returns with a new mass start format and post-race group ride. Compete side by side and push each other as you conquer one of the most challenging road climbs in the US. After the race, join a one-of-a-kind group ride* full of people who love hills. .bikereg.com/ascutney-hillclimb-2023

11 - 12 | VMBA Day Series, Stratton Group rides, after parties with Zero Gravity and a cross-country race and tours of local chapter trails. - all to honor the Vermont Mountain Bike Association. vmba.org

12 | Last Mile Ride, Randolph

Held over two weekends in Randolph, Vt., the community tradition includes a bicycle ride, Saturday, Aug. 12; 5K run and walks, Friday, Aug. 18; and motorcycle ride, Saturday, Aug. 19. Supports end-o- life care for Gifford patients and their families. giffordhealthcare.org/lastmile/

12 | Detoor, Westford Detoor was born when a group of riders asked how they might address common barriers to participation. This event aims to keep entry costs low, focus on riding, and support riders of all ages and abilities. Choose: ~35 or ~80 miles. Pedal the route or race the clock. Both courses feature lots of dirt and at least one aid station. bikereg.com/detoor

19| VMBA Day Series, Bolton Valley Group rides, downhill rides and shuttles, after parties with Zero Gravity and raffle prizes. vmba.org

26 | Overland Grand Prix, West Windsor. A 55mile dirt road bicycle ride featuring close to 7,000 feet of climbing, eight sectors of Class 4 Roads (unmaintained ancient public through-ways), two well-fortified sag stops, a magnificently scenic route and an awesome party afterwards. vermontoverland.com

SEPTEMBER

1-4 |Green Mountain Stage Race,

Four stages of great racing return once again this year. These include a challenging strong woman/man ITT, an exciting circuit race, an epic road race with a finish every climber dreams of winning at the summit of Appalachian Gap (Vermont's highest four-season road). The GMSR's final stage takes place on one of the best and most exciting criterium courses in North America with a cobbled section, elevation changes and 6 challenging turns in downtown Burlington, overlooking Lake Champlain. gmsr.info/

9 | Kelly Brush Ride, Middlebury

Ride one of the supported routes (10, 20, 50, or 100 miles), or the brand-new 32-mile gravel ride. Can't make it? Ride from anywhere with our virtual option. Participation helps to make active lifestyles possible for people with spinal cord injuries. kellybrushfoundation.org

9-10 | VMBA Day Series, Burke Group rides, after parties with Zero Gravity and tours of localtrails. vmba.org

10 | Cabot Ride the Ridges. Cabot A collection of great rides on routes up to 100K , runs, walks, and community enthusiasts. Register for a ride that best fits you, start at the Cabot Common, and witness beautiful Vermont scenery. ridetheridges.com/

17 | Tour de Farms, Shoreham

Rain or shine, enjoy panoramic views and beautiful back roads while visiting local farms in Shoreham and Orwell, Vermont. Most farm stops along the way will have multiple food produces who will offer you a taste of something they are known for. Don't forget to bring a fork, spoon and a bowl for tasting the samples! You might also want to bring cash in case you'd like to purchase products along the way—a farm van delivers your purchases to the finish. acornvt.org/tourdefarms

21-24 | Fox US OPEN, Killington, The Fox US Open returns with their signature brand of open class racing; featuring pro/am Downhill, Enduro and Dual Slalom, as well as Next Gen Youth Downhill and the USO Best Whip invitational. usopen.bike/

23 | VSECU Point to Point, Montpelier Ride your bike and raise money for the Vermont Foodbank, and help end hunger in Vermont. Rides are 10, 30, 60, and 110 miles, each with fully stocked aid stations, basic first aid, and support and gear drivers. After, join us on the State House lawn for music, local bites, local brews, and fun and games for the whole family. Put the fun in fundraising and help meet our $150,000 fundraising goal! thepointtopoint.org

30 | Hungry Lion Bike Tour, Whiting

A 25 -mile gravel ride, or 35-, 50-, and 75-mile road rides through the beautiful backroads of Southern Vermont and Western Massachusetts, Fully supported with rest stops, sag service, and a great after party. Helps the local Deerfield Valley Lions’ Club feed neighbors. Hungrylionbiketour.com

30 | Peacham Fall Fondo, Peacham

Join Wahoo cyclist Ian Boswell and his local community on a 50-mile route featuring the Northeast Kingdom's best gravel. Entries are limited. Local bakers sell pie by the slice, bands, food and fun after. peachamfallfondo.com/

OCTOBER

14 - 15 | Maxxis Eastern States Cup: Downhill Finals, Killington The Eastern States Cup Downhill Series will culminate with finals at Killington Resort. A racer’s top 8 results will determine the ESC DH Series champion, with these finals giving a 125% series points bonus. killington.com

WATERSPORTS & OTHER AUGUST

5 | Dryway Downriver Race, Monroe Bridge, MA Mass start race. On the signal you turn and go, the finish is a marked rock at the standard take out. Boat classes for 10’ and under, 10’ and over.facebook.com/ events/1493556451415597/

6 | Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival, Burlington

In addition to providing an opportunity for team-based fun this event raises money to support cancer survivors dragonheartvermont.org/

5-13 | NEK Swim Week

Swim 8 gorgeous lakes, 46 miles in 9 days. Lakes are: Crystal, Seymour, Echo, Massawippi, Caspian, Willoughby, Memphremagog and Island Pond. Kayakers paddle alongside. kingdomgames.co

13 | Vermont Sun/Lake Dunmore Triathlons, Salisbury The Vermont Sun Triathlon is a 600-yard swim, 14-mile bike, 3.1-mile run. The Lake Dunmore Triathlon is a .9-mile swim, 28-mile bike, 6.2-mile run. Both events have an aqua bike division—swim and bike only, no run. Race offers digital photos, food, music, awards, finisher medals, T-shirts, massage and more. vermontsuntriathlonseries.com

SEPTEMBER

Aug. 30 - Sept. 3, PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championship, Smuggler's Notch Resort The best pro disc golfers in the world return to Smugglers' Notch Resort compete for the most prestigious title in the sport. Spend the week spectating and enjoying live music, craft libations and local food. pdga.com/2023ProWorlds

9- 10 | She Casts: Women's Fly-Fishing Weekend, Woodstock Join the Woodstock Inn's Orvis Endorsed Guides to support Orvis’ 50/50 On the Water initiative to bring more women to the sport of fly fishing. Attend one day or both sessions for an intensive but not intense learning experience and fun on the water. Equipment provided. www. woodstockinn.com/do/events/she-casts-womens-fly-fishingweekend

15-16, USARA Adventure Race National

Championship, Smuggler's Notch Resort The best teams from across the nation come together to compete in a non-stop, 30-hour adventure race put on by the Green Mountain Adventure Racing Association. usara.com/2023championship-details

16-17, Spartan North Americans, Killington Compete in the Ultra 50K, Beast 21K & Sprint 5K. Expect steep slopes, off-trail descents and massive climbs at this legendary venue. killington.com

22-24 | Vermont Climbing Festival, Richmond

Join CRAG-VT at Cochran's Ski Area and on the cliffs of Bolton for a weekend of camping, climbing, workshops, clinics, competitions, speakers, music & more. All proceeds support the work of CRAG-VT to protect and preserve Vermont Climbing. cragvt.com

Ethan

DATES July 6, 13, 20, August 3,10, 17

TIMES

WHERE

Ethan Allen Biathlon Club Ethan Allen Rd., Jericho, VT

IKE SHOPS

AROUND THE REGION

advertising section

BATTENKILL BICYCLES 1

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.

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.

BOOTLEGGER BIKES 3

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.

4 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.

BRADLEY’S PRO SHOP SKI & SPORT 5

2012 Depot St. Manchester Center, VT 05255 802-367-3118  | bradleysproshop.com

Bradley’s Pro Shop Ski & Bike is the premier bike shop in Southern Vermont! We are located in Manchester Center. Always known as your go-to ski shop we are now your go-to bike shop. We have one of the best bike mechanics in Vermont on staff, Dan Rhodes. Many of you know of his reputation as a master bike mechanic. Dan runs all aspects of our bicycle operations. We carry the full lineup of Cannondale and GT bikes—mountain bikes, gravel, e-bikes, BMX and hybrids. We are a full-service operation with sales, service, accessories and rentals including e-bikes. We offer a great bike tune-up price so be sure to bring your ride in. THINK DIRT!  6

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

16 Pleasant St., Randolph gearhouseVT.com

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

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 bikeshand crafted by our own Rochester boy Zak Hinderyckx. So STOP READING and RIDE YOUR BIKE! Hours: 7 days a week, 10 – 6.

13 HANOVER ADVENTURE TOURS

713 US 5 N., Norwich, VT | 802-359-2921 hanoveradventuretours.com

THE GEAR HOUSE FROG HOLLOW BIKES

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.

HIGH PEAKS CYCLERY 14

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!"

16

OLD SPOKES HOME 18

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.

OMER & BOB’S 19

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

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

17

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!

20

ONION RIVER 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!

OUTDOOR GEAR EXCHANGE 21

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!

POWERPLAY SPORTS 22

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.

RANCH CAMP 23

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.

SKIRACK 24

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.

STARK MOUNTAIN 25

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.

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.

VILLAGE SPORT SHOP 27

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!

WATERBURY SPORTS 28

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!

WEST HILL SHOP 29

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.

IN SEARCH OF....

SERIOUSLY FOLKS, HERE’S WHAT OUTDOOR GEAR MANUFACTURERS SEEM TO BE MISSING. BY KEITH ROTINO

Ilove the outdoors. I love the trees, the rivers, the rocks, the clouds, the sunsets, the chipmunks, the slime molds. I love the many strange scats and the fact that it isn’t weird to love them.

You’re telling me it’s okay to get down on all fours and fall in love with turds squeezed out by bears and porcupines and various unidentified Wild Others? What a radical subculture! I love this whole thing called Nature, and of course that includes my fellow primates. Reginald, Trisha, Mr. and Mrs. LeFevre, Baby Xiu, Grandpa Saul, Saniqua, Ahmad: I love each of you because I know that you also are Wild Others and you also love…

Turds! Slime molds! Muds! Thunderclaps! Caterpillars! Lakes! Turds! And we’d be remiss to forget the feathery flying birdies and the fine German binoculars and the grayhaired seniors who stand around gazing at dawn, tinkling their quickdry trousers, excitedly whispering the words wrentit, wrentit, dickcissel, woodcock, woodcock, wrentit.

Actually, hmm, that last part brings to mind something I don’t love. It’s a lack, an absence. Can you have strong negative feelings towards an absence? That’s a complex philosophical question, so let me rephrase: It’s something I would love in a big exuberant way if it existed. That’s right, you guessed correct — specialty gear.

Aside from the binoculars and quick-dry trousers mentioned above, and I suppose a few really old-school pieces of useless garbage like canteens and waxed canvas tarpaulins and hobnail boots and candle lanterns and wool, I can’t seem to find any specialty gear anywhere.

Did you check the Internet? Yes, there is literally nothing to buy. Did you scan the glossy sports magazines with scantily clad women and Jimmy Chin on the cover? I did, and what I found was zero advertisements.

I’m not freaking out — my love of the outdoors will survive despite this bizarre scarcity — but the situation makes me confused and sad. How much additional love might we feel thumping in our collective chest if there were high-tech gadgets and nickel-plated, zinc-infused, titanium/

aluminum/carbon-frosted toys to buy?

If there were rainproof vegan ponchos and, c’mon, even a single app for identifying flowers or mapping routes or editing photos of campsite enchiladas? Last night, I was upset to the point of sleeplessness and had to rustle up flint and tinder and light my candle lantern and read a book (a lame paper book, WTF!) until I calmed down and got drowsy again.

Why this dearth, this paucity? In a rabidly materialistic culture like ours, you’d think a clever entrepreneur would have capitalized on folks like me who love to love the outdoors and are eager to love it with increased efficiency, comfort, style, and digital savvy. Tons of nonsensical junk is sold in America every single day — chairs, skin creams, vegetables, diapers — and yet it appears that nobody will take eight minutes out of their busy schedule to invent a thermos that connects to a solar panel, or a machine that allows you to roll up and down mountains while absentmindedly crushing insects and ignoring the scenery, or a shoe with a GPS, or a GPS with a hammock, or a very large van.

When did my country decide that social justice and whatever was more important than innovation? I’m a patriot, out of touch with the times, no apologies.

Speaking of time, my Great-Uncle George is 96 years old, and though I dearly love the guy, he is undeniably a fossil. We went backpacking in Canyonlands National Park and, I

kid you not, his tent was from the 1960s. Homemade, as in designed and stitched at home. Weighed 12 pounds, 50 pounds, 1,000 pounds.

As a career Forest Service entomologist, he worked for decades in the backcountry of California, Alaska, Colorado, everywhere, and yet… Why not build a tent out of lead, eh Georgie? I showed him a compression sack with no less than five buckles (one of the few pieces of gear on the market, far as I can tell) and demonstrated how it scrunched my bedroll (hay and a cotton pillowcase) down to the size of a plum

He was impressed and jealous, but all he said was “Nice.” When I brought it up again that night, he pretended to be so focused on the shooting stars that he couldn’t hear me. This fossil mentality is the problem.

A related subject: Why is there no dank, extra-hopped, hop-heavy, extra-hop-danked microbrew for lovers of the outdoors? I take it as a personal insult that I’m expected to return from a throat-parching lovefest in the forest/desert/ocean/dog park and “quench” my thirst with 4.3% ABV pond water. (No offense to ponds. I friggin’ adore ponds!) Brewers, seriously, help a lover out. Design a banger for the badass outdoorsy radical subculture. Throw some gnarshredding imagery on the label. And as long as I’m dreaming an impossible dream, could we get Jimmy Chin on there too?

I hate to be negative, but this essay has not exactly been fun to write. It

hurts. It’s almost like we’re ignoring Nature. It’s almost like we don’t care about the Wild Others. It’s almost like we are willfully disregarding the magic and mystery of Planet Earth, our only home and, more importantly, our only playground. (My favorite description of intricate, ancient, lifesustaining ecosystems, hands down. Not in the least adolescent and lame. Such a sick playground!)

Earlier, I said that I’m doing fine — despite this unconscionable stuffvacuum we’re all suffering inside, my love is pure and deep and resilient — and that’s absolutely true. What keeps me up at night is everybody else. How are people who don’t already love the outdoors going to fall in love? In this era of Climate Derangement and the Sixth Extinction, why are we making it harder for hearts to beat in tune with Gaia?

The lack of specialty gear is a moral failure and it’s on us, those of us who understand the preciousness of turds, owls, muds, rabbits, cobwebs, waterfalls, and twigs, yet refuse to help the neophytes enter into wonderment because we refuse to engineer and sell — well, anything whatsoever!

In my darker moments, I picture a young girl staring at a distant green hill, a small ache in her soul. She assumes the ache derives from the staggering beauty of the world, but obviously I am aware of its more sinister source. No ski lifts or bike trails sprawl over the hill. No roads access it. She won’t be spending the better part of Saturday helping her parents pack a very large van with expensive and totally necessary coffee accessories, nor will she anytime soon have a computer on her wrist to track her step count as she bags that hill while vlogging for a profit.

Here’s an idea: Why not just steal her childhood while we’re at it? Why not just kill the love before it has a chance to be born? Why not banish this poor girl to the backyard, force her to stay outside until supper? “Give” her the “gift” of unstructured time in clean air and free sunlight instead of… Waste, waste, waste. As I said, I’m sad and confused. But I’m also disgusted. Angry.

Ferrisburgh author Leath Tonino is a contributing editor to Vermont Sports.

Why has someone not yet invented a solar-powered waterbottle? Or shoe with GPS? Photo Adoe Stock.

HELP THE VERMONT FOODBANK FIGHT HUNGER!

Saturday, September 23, 2023, at the State House Lawn in Montpelier

Did you know that two in five people in Vermont have experienced hunger in the past year?

Register now for the Point to Point, powered by VSECU—an annual bike riding event and fundraiser for the Vermont Foodbank. There will be rides from 10 to 110 miles and music, food, fun, and games for everyone. We look forward to seeing you there.

Every dollar we raise provides a meal for a Vermont family, so sign up today to support a good cause and help us reach our $150,000 fundraising goal.

www.thepointtopoint.org