Vermont Ski + Ride, Summer 2017

VT

FREE! SUMMER 2017

SKI + RIDE

Vermont’s Mountain Sports and Life

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SUMMER 7 RIDES OF YOUR LIFE THE ECO DREAM HOME 8 VINEYARDS TO VISIT PRO FLY-FISHING TIPS 100+ AWESOME EVENTS

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eat, drink, listen and shred. epic food, 100 beers, 1,000 records and access to miles of world class trails* right outside our door. * thank you stowe mountain bike club ! #stowetrails #notjustabeerbar

dinner every night and lunch friday - monday

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CONTENTS / 02.04 FEATURES GOING NATIVE, p. 24

Vermont stocks its rivers with more than a million trout each year.

But the lure for these pros is the wild fish and the waters where they run.

DIRT, BEER AND GEARS, p. 30

If you want to up your bike game or just ride new trails with a new tribe, these mountain bike festivals are for you.

THINK SMALL & LIVE LARGE, p. 34

Award-winning architect Harry Hunt’s own dream home is small, energy-efficient and drop dead gorgeous.

THE RIDES OF YOUR LIFE, p. 40

The best way to see the state? Sign up for one of these seven century rides.

Summer bonfires, flowy trails, good times: it’s VMBA Fest time.

FIRST TRACKS FIRST TRACKS | WHAT’S UP THIS SUMMER p. 4

Big things are happening at ski resorts around the state.

Photo by Greg Maino

ARTS | BEER, BIKES AND BOARDS, p. 15

COLUMNS EDITOR’S LETTER | I STAYED TO...., p. 3

This summer, there are even more reasons never to leave Vermont.

COACH | A WORLD CUP WORKOUT... FOR FUN, p. 49

Mixing work and play is all part of the job at Independent Allied.

Try Olympic downhiller Doug Lewis’s killer outdoor workout.

APRÈS | VERMONT VINEYARDS GROW UP, p. 19

THE GREEN MOUNTAIN CALENDAR |

With new wines produced from cold-hardy grapes, summer picnics and concerts, Vermont’s vineyards are catching up to its breweries.

p. 55

CHAIRLIFT Q/A | THE SKI BIKER, p. 64

When he’s not building trails, Brooke Scatchard designs the fat bike ski.

vtskiandride.com Summer 2017 1

MORE Adventure.

Adventure Center, Bike Park Gondola Rides, Hiking Center and 18 Hole-Golf Course—you can’t ask for more.

(800) 621-MTNS killington.com

I STAYED TO...

PUBLISHER, Angelo Lynn angelo@vtskiandride.com EDITORIAL Editor/Co-Publisher, Lisa Lynn editor@vtskiandride.com Creative Director, David Pollard

There’s a mantra among ski bums that goes like this: “I came to ski. I stayed to...” and at the end of the sentence you can insert the words downhill mountain bike, do a century ride, hit up a brewfest, plunge into a swimming hole, camp out or any combination of the above.

In Vermont, that’s especially true. Our summers are fleeting.We savor every minute, packing as much as we can into the long hours of daylight—one reward for being a northern state. In the past year or two, ski towns that were once sleepy in the summer have been bustling. As you’ll read in “What’s Up,” resorts are building out mountain bike trails, adding events, flyboarding (Google it), zip lines, climbing walls and kids programs. And with Vail buying Stowe, Aspen buying Stratton, Killington making a big play in mountain biking and Sugarbush adding new concerts and festivals, that pace is not likely to slow down. For those of us who live here, that’s good news. There’s even more to do and even fewer reasons to ever leave Vermont in the summer.—Lisa Lynn, Editor

Staff Writer, Emma Cotton emma@vtskiandride.com Conributing Editors & Photographers: Brooks Curran, David Goodman, Bud Keene, Brian Mohr, Doug Stewart, Jeb Wallace-Brodeur ADVERTISING SALES & DISTRIBUTION Christy Lynn, Advertising Manager christy@vtskiandride.com | 802-388-4944 Kevin Boehmcke, Associate Publisher, Sales kevin@vtskiandride.com | 802-343-0219 Michael Giorgio michaelg@addisonindependent.com Dave Honeywell dave_golfhouse@madriver.com Greg Meulemans greg@vtskiandride.com

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When he’s not doing ultra runs (at 53, he did the Zion 100 this summer) or announcing World Cup races for NBC, Olympic downhiller Doug Lewis, (above, in a wig) spends summers having fun at his ELITEAM training camps. How much fun? See p. 49.

If the title of her day job —Heritage and Recreation Specialist —for the state of Vermont doesn’t make you jealous, Hilary DelRoss’s account of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association festival at Sugarbush, (“Dirt, Beer and Gears,” p. 30) will.

Brent Harrewyn specializes in photographing farmers, food producers and chefs around Vermont. In “Going Native,” p. 49, he shows a different side of the food chain: Ben Wilcox’s passion for catching (and releasing) Vermont’s native trout.

ON THE COVER: Plunging into Bingham Falls near Stowe. Photo by Nathanael Asaro TOP: VT SKI + RIDE’s Angelo and Lisa Lynn with Amy Kimmel at the 2016 Sugarbush Brew-Grass Festival, photo by Candice White vtskiandride.com Summer 2017 3

Photo by Jeb Wallace -Brodeur

FIRST TRACKS

Killington’s mountain bike park is growing. The resort kicks off summer with the Vermont Bike & Brew fest, featuring a critical mass downhill from the summit.

4 Summer 2017 vtskiandride.com

WHAT’S UP THIS SUMMER? If your head was spinning from all the news that broke this past winter about changes in resort ownership, hold on: there’s more happening around the state this summer.

BY EMMA COTTON

L

ast April 10, as temperatures soared to 80 degrees in Burlington, the news broke that yet another Vermont ski resort had changed hands.

This time, it was Aspen Skiing Co. and KSL Partners, a private equity firm that had a stake in Squaw Valley, buying Stratton and the five other resorts in the Intrawest group for $1.6 billion. A week later, Aspen/KSL also bought Mammoth Mountain and four affiliated resorts near Los Angeles.

This came on the heels of a season where Vail had purchased Stowe, Ralph DesLauriers, the former owner, bought back Bolton Valley, Magic Mountain reopened for business and the assets of Okemo and 36 other properties (including 14 ski resorts nationwide) changed hands in the biggest ski resort real estate deal in history. This all spelled good news for season pass holders. As Vail Resorts put the price of an Epic Pass at $859, almost half of what Stowe’s previous season pass price was, resorts around the state came out with some of the best early season pass deals in years (see vtskiandride.com for prices).

Meanwhile, Sugarbush continued to build out its on-mountain condos. Mount Snow got approval for its EB-5-funding. This will allow a $52 million renovation for snowmaking and the Carinthia base area project to go forward. Jay Peak and Burke received more than $150 million as part of a settlement with Raymond James, the investment firm that handled former owner Ariel Quiro’s EB-5 funds. And Killington announced a plan to invest more than $110 million in new base area at Bear Mountain.Yes, all in one season.

One thing these expansions have in common: a firm belief that Vermont’s mountains have a bright future as year-round destinations. “I’m looking forward to coming back to the change of seasons,” said Stowe’s new general manager Bobby Murphy when he learned of his new job. “Stowe is a three-season resort.”

vtskiandride.com Summer 2017 5

Photo courtesy Bromley

u That’s increasingly true as resorts around the state build out their summer offerings. With a growing network of mountain bike trails, ropes courses, zip-lines, flyboarding, concert series, festivals, races and other events, there’s no longer an “off season” in the Green Mountains.

Here’s a look at the news from resorts around the state and what’s up for this summer.

BOLTON’S BACK IN THE FAMILY Between 1966 and 1997, Ralph DesLauriers built Bolton Valley into much of what it is today. At the same time, he raised two sons, Eric and Rob, who would go on to become pioneers of extreme skiing.

Then he sold. In the 20 years since, the resort high in the mountains above Bolton has gone through five owners. Then, this past April, DesLauriers, two of his other children, Lindsay and Evan, and a group of investors bought back the resort from Burlington-based developers, the Redstone Group.

The current management is expected to stay in place under George Potter, and summer events like Hop Jam, a brew fest with a line-up of local beers and bands, remains on tap for August 19.

Throughout the summer Bolton hosts a series of creative events ranging from competitions involving remote-controlled cars and drones to adventure races. Says DesLauriers, “We are looking forward to making Bolton Valley Resort a year-round recreational home for families to enjoy. It’s our way of giving back to our community.”

BURKE AND JAY PEAK GET $150 MILLION In April, Burke Mountain Resort and Jay Peak received a $150 million settlement with Raymond James Financial, Inc., as part of the ongoing EB-5 fraud case against former resort owner Ariel Quiros. Then, in May, Quiros’ $950,000 tax return was handed over to the resorts, under care of the receiver, Michael Goldberg.

At Burke Mountain Resort, the money will help replace a decadeold T-bar with a new POMA model. The POMA, and Burke Mountain Academy’s new $2.8 million 15,000-square foot Ronnie Berlack Training Center are boons for the resort and the U.S. Ski Team, which named Burke an official development site this past winter.

The new $55-million Burke Mountain Hotel and Conference Center, a four-season hotel that opened slopeside in September 2016, is going strong this summer with regular lobster dinners on the Willoughby Deck, along with Bluegrass Barbeques at the bike park.

From the hotel’s patio, you can access 13 downhill trails that comprise

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Summer is in full swing at Bromley.

Mount Snow hosts the Tough Mudder

photo credit

BROMLEY BETS ON SUMMER “Bromley has always been about families, summer and winter,” says manager Brian Fairbank, who this past May was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award at the National Ski Areas Association annual conference. If you’re looking for a way to burn off kids’ kinetic energy, Bromley has options with one of the longest alpine slides in the world, the Sun Mountain Flyer (a chair on a zipline) that can hit 50 mph, a four-story strap-in swing, a waterslide, space bikes and rides you might find at an amusement park. Plus, there’s the Aerial Park with a canopy tour and challenge course with 65 unique elements.

Over 600 years of Belgian Brewing Experience

Photo by Dylan Thomas

u Burke Bike Park (scheduled to open May 27) as well as miles of crosscountry dirt. On August 5 and 6, the mountain will host the Clif Enduro East World Qualifier, bringing mountain bikers from around the East and Canada.

Sister resort Jay Peak will use the EB-5 settlement proceeds to continue building out the Stateside hotel and 64 cottages. In addition, they’ll put up a 15,000-square-foot recreation center with a movie theater, state of the art arcade and “clip and climb” climbing gym, all of which will be complete for the 2017-18 winter season. Half a mile down the street, Jay will start work on fields for soccer, lacrosse and field hockey tournaments that should be completed for 2018.

Smugg’s new FunZone 2.0 is not just for kids.

Photo courtesy Sugarbush

Killington is planning out a new base village (shown here) and, it was just announed, a new Bear Mountain base development.

This summer Jay will bring back a lineup of festivals, including the 4th Annual Jeezum Crow Festival, July 14-15 with two days of live music, headlined by Big Head Todd & The Monsters and Pink Talking Fish.

The Garden of Eden Festival hosts Strangefolk at Jay’s Stateside Amphitheater on August 11-12, and the 13th Annual August West Fest, celebrating the music of The Grateful Dead, will take place on the same weekend, August 11. Jay’s famed Pump House Waterpark is open and if you’re looking to raise your kids the ‘Jay Way,’ send them to the Raised Jay summer camps, where they’ll experience hiking, surfing, golf, kayaking, outdoor survival skills and more.

MAGIC OPENS YEAR ROUND This past winter, Magic Mountain reopened under new management with the famed Red Chair and by February had the Black Chair running as well. This summer, the resort hopes to complete the Green Lift, which runs from the base area to mid-mountain. The Green Lift was partially installed in the early 2000s, but never completed. The lodge at Magic Mountain also received a makeover this year, with a new bar area for the Black Line Tavern; a new cafeteria layout, and a new roof. This summer, starting June 29 the Tavern will be open Thursdays through Sundays from 4-11 p.m.

MOUNT SNOW BREAKS GROUND Mount Snow’s EB-5 funding was approved this past winter meaning it will now go full-bore on a $52 million project that will include expanded snowmaking. The best news? It will break ground this summer for the new, three-story, 36,000-square-foot lodge that will replace the existing Carinthia Base Lodge. When it is complete in 2018, it should house several food outlets, a rental shop, retail and convenience store, and feature a modifiable interior that can host conferences and weddings in the summer.

In the meantime, on June 24-25, the mountain brings back the New England Tough Mudder, which draws thousands of people every year.

Mount Snow’s bike park and trails are also busy. The resort has been hosting lift-served mountain biking terrain for 31 years. Test yourself on the park’s berms, ladders and dirt jumps or, for beginners, head to Trail 7, the longest introductory downhill trail in the East.

KILLINGTON GETS A NEW BASE When it comes to expansions, Killington is earning its title Beast of the East. With Act 250 approval now in its pocket, the new base village plans are moving forward. And there’s more news: In April president Mike Solimano announced a $110 million Bear Mountain Revitalization Plan to create a new base for the Bear Mountain area with construction beginning in summer 2018. This will include remodeling the current base lodge, putting in six or seven multi-family dwellings, and installing a new fixed-grip lift on South Ridge. And that’s just Phase 1. Phase 2 will include 18 new duplexes and is slated for 2020.

But that’s not all. Over the past few years, Killington has spent upwards of $5.5 million on its summer attractions. That includes a $400,000 massive build out of what now amounts to more than 35 miles of mountain bike trails. And the town of Killington just got a grant to

vtskiandride.com Summer 2017 9

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OKEMO BUILDS OUT BIKE TRAILS Okemo is also expanding its mountain bike offerings. The Evolution Bike Park will see a new two-mile trail. Starting near the top terminal of the Sunburst Six chairlift, the path will wind across ski trails and the wooded areas between them. Construction of a second, more advanced summit trail is also scheduled to begin this summer. The Sunburst Six chairs will be outfitted with racks for transporting mountain bikes to the summit. Okemo is also home to an adventure center, where a $59-day pass gives you access to the mountain’s famed Timber Ripper Mountain Coaster, scenic chairlift rides, a climbing wall, miniature golf course and more.

Okemo builds out its mountain bike trails

SMUGGS OPENS NEW FUNZONE For the kids (and your inner child), head to the brand new Fun Zone 2.0 Smugglers’ Notch, a facility dedicated entirely to games and kidfriendly fun. Its two stories and 26,000 square feet include an arcade, laser tag arena, ‘Smuggs Warrior’ course, multi-sided climbing wall,

10 Summer 2017 vtskiandride.com

giant inflatable slide and obstacle course, slot car track, foosball table, shuffle board, mini golf, private party rooms, a cafe (licensed for adult beverages) and an entirely separate loft for toddlers. Plus, don’t miss the mountain biking skills park, swimming beach and water parks, and flyboarding (like a jetpack worn on your feet, propelled by water) in Bootleggers’ Basin and disc-golf courses.

STRATTON GETS GROOVY Big news came down in late April when a coalition formed between Aspen Skiiing Company and KSL Parnters, investors in California’s Squaw Valley, announced the purchase of Stratton, five other Intrawest Resorts, Mammoth and four more California resorts associated with it. At present, no changes are planned for this coming summer and Stratton is going full bore with its Stretching at Stratton during Wanderlust

legendary tennis schools and its 27-hole golf course (with its three 9-hole lake, mountain and forest sections.) Yogis and others head to Wanderlust (June 22-25), a four-day all-you-can-yoga event featuring the world’s leading instructors, live music, top chefs and winemakers and dancing under the stars. On August 19-20, Stratton hosts the last two days of the Vermont Challenge, a fourday bike ride through southern and central Vermont.

STOWE GETS BACK TO NATURE Last summer saw big changes at Stowe with the opening of the 40foot climbing wall in the new Spruce Peak Adventure Center, the installation of one of the longest zip lines in America and a Treetops Adventure ropes and canopy climbing course. All of those are back in line for this summer starting June 24. As for new programs, until the sale to Vail Resorts closed (expected in June), new general manager Bobby Murphy was reluctant to promise anything.

However, there is an indicator of what may be to come: Over the last two summers Vail and Vail-owned Heavenly Resort near Lake Tahoe, Calif, have started Epic Discovery, a series of “experiences” that includes canopy tours, alpine coasters and zip lining and interpretative trails, created in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Forest Service. Vail officials have

Photos courtesy Okemo and Stratton

add 5 more miles of trails.

To celebrate, the Vermont Bike & Brew Festival will kick off on June 9th to 11th with a mass downhill ride from the top of the gondola, a beer tent, bands, bike swap and camping at a new Killington-built camp site. Since creating the Killington Bike Park, the resort has seen a growth in ticket sales from 4,900 in 2014 to 12,000 last year. This year, the resort projects another 33 percent growth to 16,000 visitors.

Killington also becomes one of three stops on the new Under Armour Mountain Marathon series, a race that sends runners on a 26.2 mile route between Killington and Pico peaks (with a variety of shorter options) and the Spartan race returns.

Also new this summer, flyboarding (like putting a jet pack on your feet in the water) comes to the pond opposite Snowshed Lodge, new Tesla electric car charging stations are going in and the Killington Grand Hotel gets a $2 million makeover.

& present

Summer Concert Series Saturday

Preservation Hall Jazz Band JULY 22

TU S BU UP O! W JMMBHF T R V B S F! T I P Q T

present

Saturday

RUSTED ROOT SEPT 2

Stay tuned as we announce August’s big name acts.

IT’S BETTER IN THE MOUNTAINS

The stars shine brighter here. You’ll want to mark your calendars for this summer’s line-up of live music at Stratton Mountain. Make a day, or weekend, of it with activities, adventure and lodging specials.

*All events subject to change

25

in advance

u hinted that a similar program might come to Stowe and in May Vail Resorts’ president Rob Katz and his wife Elana Amsterdam quietly gave $100,000 to the Stowe Land Trust. There are also permits in place for mountain biking from the triple chair on Mt. Mansfield.

SUGARBUSH HOSTS NEW FESTIVALS This summer Sugarbush makes several updates to the golf course, including a new roof on the clubhouse, more than $30,000 in new equipment and a revamped retail shop. Sugarbush is also reviving its upper mountain disc golf course, which will have nine holes, accessed by chairlift or on foot (after a good hike). The resort will also make changes for winter, including replacing the two remaining double lifts, Village Double and Sunny Double, with new, fixedgrip quads to improve the beginner experience at both mountains.

For next season, Sugarbush will also purchase two new groomers and replace snowmaking pipe at Mt. Ellen.

And with three festivals, the ‘Bush will keep up their highenergy vibe straight through the summer season. The Brew-Grass Festival (June 10), is the only brew festival that exclusively serves Vermont-based beers and ciders. On June 29, Sugarbush hosts The Frendly Gathering, with camping, art, yoga, local food, skateboard-

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Sugarbush’s Lincoln Peak hosts the Brew -Grass festival

ing, dance workshops and frends (because there’s no “I” in friends).

Mountain bikers then gather at the Vermont Mountain Bike Festival (July 21-23) to ride technical, rocky, flowy and downhill trails all over the valley, with free onsite camping at Mount Ellen and liftserved downhill at Lincoln Peak. n

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Arts & Crafts

BEER, BIKES AND BOARDS

The branding guys at Independent Allied know their business. And it’s fun. by Lisa Lynn

Photo by Jake Goss

I

t’s a muddy, off-season night in Stowe, the kind of evening when locals band together and everyone gravitates toward the same party. Tonight, it’s in the Lower Village, out back of the old Tubbs Mill building. There’s no sign and it’s dark out. Parking is in a dirt alley. I find what looks like a delivery entrance and crack the door, unsure if the building is even occupied.

Inside, the hallway and spare rooms are packed with a few hundred people and music is blaring. There’s artwork on all the walls and the beers are getting handed out (for free) faster than you can down one. It’s a sort of underground-arts-scene meets ski/bike bum vibe that might occur if you dropped Soho in Moab.

It’s the U.S. launch party for Canada’s Collective Arts Brewing, hosted by Independent Allied, its design and branding agency.

Independent Allied can be summed up in three words: boards, bikes and beer. Ok, and maybe two more words: killer design.

Independent Allied is nothing so formal as an “agency.” It’s really a workspace that gathers like-minded, equally-gifted creative professionals—Bob Russell, Ryan Thibault and Tim Clayton—who happen to be turning out some very cool branding. Their clients range from Atomic to J Skis, Canada’s Moosehead beer to Sri Lanka’s Lion lager, Highland Mountain Bike Park to MTBVT. And there’s also a fourth, digital guruturned politician, Sam Young—one of the groovier legislators in Montpelier.

As I move through the party, Bob Russell, a likeable guy in his 50s, hands me a can of Collective Arts Brewing’s State of Mind, a session IPA in a can I’ve never seen before. In fact, no two people seem to have the same can of beer. “Check this out,” he shouts above the music. He takes out an iPhone and aims it at the can which features sheep wearing crowns and medals. The phone focuses, then his Blippar app zooms into another world: a Collective Arts web page that tells the story of the artist, Mahshid Raghemi, an award-winning Iranian

Tim Clayton, left, is the art director behind the hand-drawn faux marble graphics on Atomic’s skis. Ryan Thibault, center is MTBVT’s founder.

Bob Russell, right, launched Collective Arts Brewing’s artsy beer.

vtskiandride.com Summer 2017 15

u illustrator and author of children’s books. The title of her artwork is “Winner Sheeps.” He then zooms in on a Stranger Than Fiction porter with line-block graphics of a tattooed owl.

It’s by Max Whetter, a 26-year-old from Cornwall, England, a “self-taught artist influenced by skateboarding and monsters.” Another can, this one with an illustration of a buffalo, takes you to a page on Collective Art’s website with a music video

by Texas indie band Wild Child.

To find artists, Collective Arts crowd-sources over the internet. Russell and his crew have pored over more than 13,000 entries from 40 countries to select the images that now grace the cans.

Russell had been designing packaging and labels for major brands in the beer and spirits categories when he teamed up with a former client, Moosehead veteran Matt Johnson, to create Collective Arts Brewing. The company self-describes as “a grassroots beer company fusing the craft of brewing with the inspired talents of emerging and seasoned artists, musicians and filmmakers.”

“We figured beer is a conversation starter and a way people bond,” says Russell. His idea: make those conversations start around the artwork. The beer itself is brewed in Hamilton, Ontario where the brewery is on track to produce 50,000 barrels this year—cans of everything from a rich porter to a papaya saison.

Though distribution has been primarily in Canada, the brand is now being introduced around New England.

Russell, a Canadian who had been living in Boston, moved to Stowe because he loved to ski. Early on, he met graphic artist and illustrator, Ryan Thibault, and the two of them set up shop.

Thibault works with Russell on Collective Arts and other design projects. In his spare time, he runs the website MTBVT.com. Born and raised in the Northeast Kingdom, the die-hard mountain biker started Winterbike, the region’s first fatbike winter fest at Kingdom Trails. Now in its fourth year, it has been an enormous success.

As Thibault says, “I had no idea hundreds of people would ever come to the Northeast Kingdom to fat bike in the dead of winter.”

They did. Thibault describes the 2017 event on his MTBVT website: “Like Emperor penguins in Antarctica, 300 dedicated bikers and 50plus die-hard local support crew huddled around hobo fires, cycling inside to warm up, and back to the outside to re-up on beer slush.”

Thibault is also responsible for Überwintern, a fat bike festival that celebrated its fifth anniversary in Stowe last January, as well as the branding for New Hampshire’s Highland Mountain Bike Park. His latest project: a new downhill festival at Killington, Vermont Bike & Brew. Thibault does everything for these events, from creating the posters (which are becoming collectors’ items) to dreaming up things like a Kegs ‘N Eggs breakfast.

The third in Independent Allied is Tim Clayton. The original

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Thibault’s posters (top) and Collective Arts’ cans (bottom) are artwork you want to hold onto.

designer for Line Skis, the Vermont brand that started the twin-tip revolution, he’s been the lead art director for Atomic, overseeing everything from the topsheets of skis to the graphics on the Full Tilt line of boots. He’s now focused just on Atomic’s freeride and powder brands, J Skis and Ski the East’s clothing line.

“The trend right now is toward no design—color blocks—which is kind of sad,” Clayton says.

The last guy in the group is a designer of another sorts.

Web designer Sam Young, 41, works on the mobile and digital developments for Independent Allied. That is, when Young isn’t at the statehouse in Montpelier, where he moonlights as the Democratic Representative from the county where he grew up in the Northeast Kingdom, Orleans County.

What draws these four together?

“We’re all perfectionists,” says Clayton, “but we’re not afraid to ask each other’s opinion or tell each other something’s a piece of crap.”

“We work like crazy,” Thibault acknowledges, “but we play hard too. One of the best things about working right here,” he says as he nods toward the door, “is the Cady Hill bike trails are right out there.”

“Yeah, pretty much every Friday afternoon we all take off and go for a ride together,” Clayton says.

Every artist needs inspiration, right? n

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Après At Shelburne Vineyard’s tasting room, sip a Marquette as you listen to live bands and story telling this summer.

VERMONT VINEYARDS GROW UP Photo courtesy of Shelburne Vineyard

Sure,Vermont is known for its beer, but with new strains of cold-hardy grapes, evenings with music and picnicking and scenery that can’t be matched, Green Mountain vineyards are taking off.

I

t’s 6 p.m. on a Friday.You’re sitting in a vineyard on the flanks of the Green Mountains, watching the sun lazily inch behind the Adirondacks. A food truck serves plates of glazed salmon and local kale salad, and you just ran into four of your friends while waiting in line to order. A band plays bluesy tunes for a crowd that includes both stomping

toddlers and twirling septuagenarians. Behind you lie acres upon acres of the vines that produce the nectars you’ve been tasting by the glass.

Vermont may be known for some of the top breweries in the world, but lately a growing number of vintners are saying “hey, us too!” The state’s climate may veer from the romanticized Mediterranean climate that fa-

BY EMMA COTTON

vtskiandride.com Summer 2017 19

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Boyden Valley Winery has Sangria Saturdays year-round, with a new recipe each week.

WHERE TO GET A TASTE OF VERMONT BOYDEN VALLEY WINERY + SPIRITS, CAMBRIDGE One of the pioneering Vermont wineries, The Boyden Winery was built on fourth-generation farm land. This May 27-28, Boyden invited locals and visitors to celebrate its 20th anniversary with the release of its new Marquette Reserve (vintage 2015) available for purchase by the glass and by the case. The wine, which marks the winery’s first official vintage, will be available only at the vineyard in limited quantities.

At Boyden’s Cambridge farm and tasting room, pair a selection of local cheese or chocolates with your wine. On Saturdays, try one of the housemade sangrias (different each week) while lounging on the patio. For an adventure, paddle down the Lamoille River with Vermont Canoe and Kayak.

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ripped up the old vines and ran with the hybrids. And then we started learning about the challenges of making wine with these grapes instead of the standard European grapes. I think we’re finally getting there.”

The Minnesota hybrids used by most Vermont vineyards sport names unfamiliar to many wine lovers. Marquette grapes are related to pinot noir, with notes of cherry, black pepper and spice. La Crescent grapes are hardy, easily surviving harsh, sub-zero temperatures, and they give a refreshing peach and citrus taste. The Frontenac grape is the offspring of an American grape and a French hybrid. It lends distinctive blackberry, black currant and plum flavors.

In the 1990s, winemakers began to establish these vines and cultivate new hybrids in the Green Mountains. Now, Vermont is starting to see a wine culture grow alongside its craft beverage scene. And though cold climate wines are distinctly different from traditional European wines, the quality is improving rapidly, according to Todd Trzaskos, wine correspondent for the New York Cork Report and author of the 2015 book Wines of Vermont: A History of Pioneer Fermentation.

“I don’t believe that any of these wines should be compared to traditional ones, in either aromatic or taste profile,” he said. “A number of professionals, masters of wine and master sommeliers see these wines

Wine, cheese and freshly baked bread are provided on the trip. And if you’re in Waterbury, head to Boyden’s second tasting room, where you can taste seven wines for $10. | BE SURE TO TRY: The Big Barn Red. boydenvalley.com BROOK FARM VINEYARDS, PROCTORSVILLE On a 45-acre estate in the Okemo Valley sits a 120-year-old, 10,000-squarefoot Georgian Revival mansion that’s on the National Historic Trust. It’s also the home and summer tasting room for boutique winery Brook Farm Vineyards.

Douglas and Jennifer McBride bought the estate in 2008, and each summer they invite visitors to explore its gardens, stone walls and mountain views, or to relax on the patio while tasting wines, cheeses and charcuterie. Brook Farm also has a year-round tasting room in downtown Ludlow, Circa 1810. Inspired by the great room of the estate’s mansion, the tasting room features a 48-squarefoot mirror and furniture that will make you feel like you’re on the set of Brook Farm Vineyards will host the first annual Governor’s Cup and blind tasting in July.

(Left) photo courtesy of Boyden Valley Winery. (Right) photo courtesy of Brook Farm Vineyards

vors California’s wineries, but viticulturists have figured out how to produce refreshing and deeply flavorful wines from the grapes that mature in the long days of a Vermont summer.

Now that there are about 20 registered vineyards (and more on the way), it seems fair to raise the question: could Vermont earn a reputation for cold-weather wines, similar to that of the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York?

For a long time, Vermont’s chilly climate was inhospitable to growing grapes, and wines were made in a mead-style from fruits like apples. Then, with the help of Minnesota Hardy, the University of Minnesota’s fruit research department, Vermont winemakers discovered hybrid grapes. Delicate vinifera varieties, used to make all the well-known European wines, were bred with hardier, cold-resistant grapes native to North America, creating fruit that could produce well-balanced and complex flavors while still surviving the winter.

“It’s been a learning process,” said Ken Albert, co-owner of Shelburne Vineyard, which was established in 1998. “At first, we didn’t plant grapes that were super hardy, because the Minnesota grapes weren’t readily available. When we learned about the Minnesota hybrids, we

as an exciting and completely new frontier, that in many cases breaks the rules of what people have previously known. Vermont cold climate wines are leading the new industry in quality, for sure.”

Deirdre Heekin, co-owner of La Garagista, grows hybrid grapes on a hillside in Barnard, Vt. Formerly the owner of Osteria Pane e Salute, a small restaurant in Woodstock, Heekin and her husband, Caleb Barber, recently closed shop to focus exclusively on making wine.

In 2015, La Garagista wines won praise from The New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov. “Though it’s not exactly her intention,” Asimov writes, “Ms. Heekin and her La Garagista wines demonstrate that wines made of hybrid grapes can not only be deliciously satisfying but can also show a sense of place.”

And the Vermont Fresh Network, an organization that works to advance relationships among the state’s farmers, chefs and consumers, is pushing Vermont wines into the state’s renowned restaurant scene. A new grant from the USDA’s Specialty Crops Block Grant Program, administered by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, funds the Vermont Wine Project. In partnership with the Vermont Grape and Wine Council, VFN plans to host forums that will bring Vermont winemakers, grape growers, distributors, front of the house workers and kitchen staff together to talk

Downton Abbey. | BE SURE TO TRY: Petite Pearl. brookfarmvineyards.com FRESH TRACKS FARM, MONTPELIER On Friday nights, the tasting room at Fresh Tracks is hopping until dark.

Starting May 19, they host the monthly series Friday Night Fires, where you can grab a slice of wood-fired pizza, a glass of Little Piggy Pink rosé and gather around fire pits while listening to local bands play live.

Fresh Tracks’ winemaker and proprietor Christina Castegren began making wine in 2002, and the vineyard’s first official vintages debuted in 2006.

Now, as their wines catch on, the vineyard is planning to expand. Visit the distinctive post-and-beam tasting room, complete with tables, chairs and a wine bar, and order cheese or charcuterie plates. | BE SURE TO TRY: The Little Piggy Pink. freshtracksfarm.com

DISCOVER YOUR SENSE OF PLACE, AT OUR PLACE

Just off Route 4 in the heart of the Killington Valley Refined Dining | Creative Cocktails | Elegant Accommodations

HONORA, WEST HALIFAX Twenty minutes south of Mount Snow lies Honora Winery, a 200-acre farm dotted with gazebos, trellises and stone patios with panoramic views of the Green Mountains. The 11-acre vineyard grows 10,000 vines with cold-hardy varieties such as Frontenac, Sabrevois and Leon Millet and vinifera varieties like Pinot Noir and St. Croix. The chief wine maker, Patricia Farrington named the vineyard after her grandmother, Honor, when she bought the property in 1993. Honora hosts tours and tastings, both at their vineyard in West Halifax and their tasting room in Jacksonville. | BE SURE TO TRY: Honora Syrah. honorawinery.com LA GARAGISTA, BARNARD Deirdre Heekin lives on a farm on Mount Hunger with her husband Caleb Barber, and together they grow vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs, and

Restaurant open for dinner 5:30 to 9 pm, Thur. through Mon. 7 Woodward Road, Mendon, VT 802.775.2290 • 800.752.0571 • redcloverinn.com innkeepers@redcloverinn.com

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u

This past April, mixologists from around Vermont competed in a cocktail-shaking show at Stowe’s Rusty Nail. At play: the title Vermont Bartender of the Year. The competition, sponsored

by Hotel VT, the Vermont Distillers Association and VT SKI + RIDE, was broken into two rounds. In the first, each bartender was assigned a Vermont-made spirit. Sydney Stockmann of Pizzeria Verita in Burlington got gin from Stonecutters Distillery. “I was pumped, because it’s so easy to use,” she said. “It goes well with everything.”

She mixed the gin with chartreuse, lime, a shaken egg white, muddled strawberries and simple syrup, and forged into the second round.

Round two was more of a challenge: each bartender was tasked with making a cocktail using several mystery ingredients.

In the basket: Caledonia Spirits’ Tom Cat Gin, a mild tea syrup, loose leaf tea, Sour Patch Kids candy and papaya.

“The competition really tests your ability to make something on the spot,” Stockmann said. She picked out the blue Sour Patch Kids and muddled them with the papaya, tossing the resulting liquid in with the gin, chartreuse, lime juice, tea syrup and tea bag and served it up, winning the judges’ hearts and the contest.

Stockmann has been bartending for six years at Pizzeria Veritá but you probably won’t see Sour Patch Kids listed as an ingredient on the cocktail menu.

If you can’t make it to Pizzeria Verita, sample Stockmann’s style by making the Twisted Hopp at home.

TWISTED HOPP

2 oz. Smugglers’ Notch Hopped Gin 0.75 oz. lemon juice 0.5 rosemary simple syrup (see recipe below) 3 dashes Angostino bitters Topped with Switchback Citra Pils

To make the simple syrup, heat 1 cup of white sugar, 1 cup water and a sprig of rosemary on the stove until the sugar dissolves. Let the rosemary sit in the syrup for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove. Build drink by adding the ingredients in a Collins glass, with ice last. Top with Switchback Citra Pils. ‘Roll’ with the beer a few times. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

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brew ciders and “alpine wine.” Heekin’s vineyard is biodynamic (a practice that goes beyond organic). She notes on her website: “Our mission is to care for our land in creative and natural ways, make way for the honest narrative told by the wines and ciders that express our unique landscape and each vintage year.”

Eric Asimov of the The New York Times has had this to say: “Ms. Heekin’s wines are not intended to be complex works of art. They are direct and fresh, rooted in the notion that wine is food and belongs on the table, like bread or fruit.” From the winery, the couple hosts occasional tastings and events. They have adopted the Italian tradition of hanging a branch (frasca, in Italian) from the front door to show that they are open. Stop in for a glass of wine or a popup supper, and you might find yourself leaving with a bunch of peonies from the garden. | BE SURE TO TRY: Ci Confonde Rosé. lagaragista.com LINCOLN PEAK WINERY, NEW HAVEN In 2006, Lincoln Peak Vineyards’ Chris and Michaela Granstrom made their first commercial wine. Now, with their daughter Sara, the Granstroms make Lincoln Peak attracts up to 300 visitors each Friday.

Photo left by Trent Campbell, top courtesy Sydney Stockmann

THE BATTLE OF THE BARTENDERS

about Vermont wine.

Just how good are Vermont wines? For the first time this summer there will be a new wine competition that may help answer that. On July 8, Brook Farm Vineyards in the Okemo Valley will host a showdown of sorts for Vermont winemakers: the first annual Vermont Governor’s Cup Wine Competition. A selection of the region’s top restaurateurs, sommeliers, retail wine buyers, critics and distributors will act as the judging panel in a blind tasting, with the top wine winning the ceremonial Governor’s Cup. Visitors are invited to an all-day public tasting.

If you miss that, major ski areas are hosting increasingly elaborate wine festivals, where you can often taste the best of Vermont along with wines from around the world.

The Killington Wine Festival features grand tastings, wine dinners and a wine trail that takes visitors to local establishments for wine and local food pairings (July 14-16). The 500 featured wines

come from more than 40 world-class vineyards. From June 21 to 24, the Burlington Wine and Food Festival boasts a busy lineup of events that take visitors on a tour through some of Vermont’s best restaurants, with pairings along the way. At the Stowe Wine & Food Classic (August 25-27), you can taste wines from around the world along with local food and brews. Fall brings the Vermont Wine and Harvest Festival (Sept. 22-24) to Mount Snow, with 15 of Vermont’s vineyards and spirit distillers, tastings, dinners, wine parties, breakfasts and live entertainment.

But Vermont locals don’t need a special occasion. For many, picnicking on the lawn of a vineyard has become a standard Friday night summer activity. Wineries can now be found in almost every corner of the state. Many host pop-ups, weekly concerts, tastings and parties, allowing you to experience this new Vermont culture for yourself.

Here’s our guide to a few favorite vineyards you can visit. For a full list, visit vtskiandride.com/wineries. n

25,000 bottles a year, and the family’s vineyard is one of the largest grape producers in Vermont.

Three miles north of Middlebury, Lincoln Peak is set on 12 sprawling acres of grape vines that face the western sun, and its Friday night concert series attracts as many as 300 people on a Friday night. The tasting room, open on Saturdays and Sundays, offers $5 tastings, which come with a souvenir glass. | BE SURE TO TRY: Petite Pearl. lincolnpeakvineyard.com SHELBURNE VINEYARD, SHELBURNE After growing grapes in his backyard for decades, owner Ken Albert quit his day job at IBM and dedicated his life to the vineyard. Now, Shelburne Vineyards holds several gold medals from the International Cold-Climate Wine Competition.

The vineyard hosts a free concert series on Thursday nights, along with a monthly open–mic story hour series. The tasting room is open seven days a week, year-round with $7 tastings and tours of the vineyard are complimentary. Bonus: just across the street order wood-fired pizza from Folino’s and pick up a growler at Fiddlehead brewing’s tasting room. | BE SURE TO TRY: Marquette Untamed. shelburnevineyard.com SNOW FARM, SOUTH HERO David and Julie Lane opened Vermont’s first licensed winery, Snow Farm Vineyard, in 1996. Thirty miles south of the Canadian border on the shore of South Hero’s Crescent Bay, Snow Farm’s microclimate, created by the farm’s nearness to Lake Champlain, resembles that of Burgundy, France. Since opening, the Lane family has brought home medals from the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, the Amenti Del Vino International Wine Competition and the Tasters Guild International Wine Judging.

On Friday evenings from June through August, Snow Farm hosts the Music in the Vineyard Concert Series. | BE SURE TO TRY: Seyval Blanc. snowfarm.com —E.C.

THE ROOTS PEPPER TRIBAL SEEDS THE WELTERWEIGHTS Cold Cider! FoOd Trucks! Games! Fireworks!

Gates open @ 2PM, Music starts @ 3PM

AUG. 19, 2017

The WoOdchuck Cidery MidDlebury, VERMONT

Get tickets at woOdchuck.com/ciderstock or at the Cidery located at 1321 Exchange St, MidDlebury

vtskiandride.com Summer 2017 23

GOING

NATIVE

VERMONT STOCKS ITS RIVERS WITH MILLIONS OF FISH EACH AND WALKING THE MOUNTAIN WATERS WHERE THEY RUN.

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YEAR, BUT THE REAL ALLURE FOR THESE PROS IS CHASING WILD TROUT

Photo by Brent Harrewyn

PHOTOS BY BRENT HARREWYN

vtskiandride.com Summer 2017 25

THE BARTENDER

It’s 10:05 a.m. when Willie Dietrich climbs down the bank of the shady mountain brook that spills into one of Stowe’s valleys. He wades to a rocky outcropping and casts five times. “I’ll give it a try but the fish in this brook are small—all wild and wily and it’s not the right time of Willie Dietrich tends bar at Stowe’s The Den all winter, but spends all summer guiding and fishing Vermont’s backwaters.

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day so I don’t know how I’ll do,” says Dietrich as he switches to one of his own custom flies.

It’s 10:10 when he starts to move upstream, reading the riffles like a book written in a language only he is fluent in. Rays of sun pierce the forest, illuminating the pools below. “Look for the bubbles,” he says quietly, “that’s where the oxygen is and the fish are likely to bite.”

It’s 10:16 when his line goes taught. He keeps the tip of his rod high and slowly brings in the line. At the end, a 10-inch native brown trout flips and turns, the biggest he’s caught in this stream in years.

Dietrich, one of Vermont’s top fishing guides, makes it look easy.

It’s not. As he says “Vermont is not an easy place to fish. We have nutrient-poor water, tight streams and flash floods. But it’s like skiing, if you can do it here, you can do it anywhere. Landing fish out West is easy.

But if you can catch wild trout in Vermont, that’s something.”

Dietrich spends his winters tending bar at the Den at Stowe’s Mt. Mansfield base lodge. When he’s not there, he’s guiding ice fishing or escaping to the Bahamas or New Zealand to test his skills. The rest of the time, he’s out guiding one of 135 or more trips he does a year, up and down the streams of the Green Mountains.

Why here? “There’s 6,000 miles of streams and not a lot of people. You are almost always totally by yourself on these gorgeous little streams. Fish live in beautiful places and there’s nothing like Vermont.”

Dietrich learned to fish as a Boy Scout in Falls Church, Virginia, and then moved to Vermont where he’s been guiding for 18 years. He gradually got to know the small brooks and developed his cache of secret spots, the way skiers do their powder stashes. “I don’t like to fish the big stocked areas: those are basically petting zoos,” he says.

Instead, he opts for the smaller streams where the wild native brook trout and rainbows and browns that were introduced years ago and are now wild—like to put up a fight. He often meets clients at 5 am. “You have a better chance if you’re the first human a stream sees that day.”

Much as he enjoys fishing, it’s teaching he loves just as much. “I had a client recently who had all the right equipment, knew how to cast and was going to all the right places but he had never caught a trout. He was ready to quit,” Dietrich says with a chuckle.

“We went out and I was able to teach him about where the fish live, what flies to use, and refine his skills. Now he loves the sport.”

Dietrich won’t reveal his secret spots, but he’s not shy about sharing much of his local knowledge. In his blog he documents most of his trips – the rivers or lakes he fished, what flies he used, the water temperatures, what fish he caught. His favorite flies are a tungsten bead head prince nymph,

Photo left courtesy Willie Dietrich, right Brent Harrewyn

T

hey came to fish. Like ski bums who come to ski, these three guides found their way to Vermont’s cold brooks for the native trout that put up a good fight, the landlocked salmon that run in the early fall and the myriad of fish that ply the waters of Champlain and other lakes.

They may ski, or sugar or tend bar all winter but come summer, these men know the rivers that crease the slopes of the Greens (and the insects and other bait that lure them to you) better than anyone.

credit

‘What I love about fishing is that trout don’t live in ugly places.

They live in cold, clean water and they are our canary in a coal mine.

When we start having trouble with trout in a watershed, we know something’s wrong.”

—JESSE HALLER

vtskiandride.com Summer 2017 00

A true Vermonter, Wilcox fishes the rivers and tiny streams his father and grandad fished before him.

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the gift of gab—I’m a bartender after all. I meet people I’ve never seen before at five in the morning and spend all day with them. I try to show them the beauty of this place, teach them about the rivers and the nature around them, and show them why it’s important to preserve them. Fishing is not about being tense, or competitive. It’s about relaxing and having fun. That’s why I love it.” catamountfishing.com

THE SUGARER

As Ben Wilcox tells it, “Fishing has always been an important part of my life. My parents tell the story of the first fish I caught, a huge sheepshead which I dragged around the lawn for days. I was too young to even remember, but it clearly started a love affair with fishing and the outdoors.”

Wilcox grew up fishing and sugaring. His grandfather tapped 3,000 sugar maples near his home in Milton using a team of horses to collect the buckets of sap and bring them to the sugarhouse, a mile into the woods.

Ben’s father, on retirement, followed suit.

Ben seemed destined to go into the business Instead, after getting his B.A. in Business Adminstration at the University of Maine, he went to work in sales for Pepsi.

“I realized this was not the lifestyle I wanted,” he notes. “I missed Vermont.” After 6 years, he came back and went to work with his dad, tapping 30,000 trees on their Underhill property. But his real passion remained fishing.

“Wilcox is good, really good,” says Jesse Haller, another guide who works for Orvis.

In Maine, Wilcox had become a Registered Maine Guide (Vermont doesn’t have a similar program), learning the ins and outs not just of fishing, but reading the landscape.

In recent years, Wilcox, a former Division One soccer player, has also been competing in fly fishing tournaments. This past spring, he took a top 10 finish in the 2017 Fly Fishing Team Northeast Regionals. Last year, he was 34th at the Nationals.

Living in Richmond, Wilcox likes to fish the Winooski for bass and trout in the summer and heads to some of the larger rivers that spill into Lake Champlain for steelhead and landlocked Atlantic salmon in the fall.

“My granddad is in his 90s now and he still wants to come with me to some of the tiniest streams he fished when he was young,” Wilcox says with a laugh. “He sits in the car but loves it when I catch something.”

Wilcox chronicles the fishing conditions, the hatches, the flies he uses on his website—everything except the spots he heads to. A guide has some secrets, right? maplecountryanglers.com

Photo by Brent Harrewyn

his go-to for subsurface trout, or an X caddis. But he also discounts the importance of the right fly. “Fish are so hungry in many of these streams you could catch them using belly-button lint. It’s more about attracting their attention.” Often, he says, it’s less the fly than the drift and the presentation, matching the size of the fly and the way it moves in the water to what’s floating down the river.

Dietrich does a lot of trips with parents and kids. “When there’s a kid involved, you have to catch a fish or they get frustrated,” he says. So he makes sure they do. And while he always releases his fish, he’s not opposed to clients keeping and cooking a few for dinner.

“Most of all, I’m in the business of helping people have fun. I have

When he’s not landing monster trout Jesse Haller develops flies for Orvis. The American Pheasant Tail Nymph (top right) is one of his

Bottom photo: Brent Harrewyn; Top photos courtey Jesse Haller

favorite flies to use.

THE FLY GUY

Nine years ago, shortly after he moved to Vermont from Colorado, Jesse Haller started the Otter Creek Classic Fly Fishing Tournament, a competition held in early April in Addison County. “It was great way to get folks together and get them excited about fishing season,” says Haller who at the time was working as a guide at Middlebury Mountaineer.

Haller grew up fishing in Wisconsin. “My dad was a big trout angler and we grew up on the eastern edge of what’s known as the “Driftless Region,” known for high-quality trout streams.

When Haller moved to Vermont he not only discovered the mountain trout streams, but also the myriad of tributaries that spill into Lake Champlain. “What’s great about fly-fishing in Vermont is there are so many options—bass, steelhead, pike—beyond trout. We watch the water temperature and if it gets above 70 degrees, the oxygen goes out of it, making it harder for fish to survive.

That’s when I like to head up to the smaller, colder mountain streams.”

Haller still guides through Middlebury Mountaineer but a few years ago the 36-year-old was recruited by Orvis to come work at the Manchester headquarters developing flies and other new products. “We call Jesse the vacuum,” says Tom Rosenbauer, host of the Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide podcast. “We’ll all head some place to go fishing and he’ll just vacuum up all the fish in the stream.”

Haller just missed a place on the U.S. Fly Fishing team this past year. “It’s been fun to watch the pros and learn from them,” he says.

“A few years ago, the U.S. team got skunked by teams from Europe,” Haller recalls. “They were all doing what’s called the tight-line or Czech nymphing technique, now I’m the biggest nerd in the world when it comes to tight-line fly-fishing,” says Haller. “I love it.”

The tight-line technique involves using a weighted nymph that floats down to where the fish often feed and keeping the line taught, instead of stripping it. “Only about 10 percent of what fish eat is on the surface so if there’s not an insect hatch going on, this is a great way to catch fish. I’ve seen a four-to-one difference in how many fish you can catch simply by doing this.”

Haller still loves heading back to Addison County where he’ll make his way up the East Middlebury River to find trout in the cold pools below. “What I love about fishing here is that trout don’t live in ugly places. They live in cold, clean water and they are our canary in a coal mine. When we start having trouble with trout in a watershed, then we know something’s wrong. If you’re lucky enough to be standing in a stream with native trout around you, most likely it’ll be pretty nice around you too.” middleburymountaineer.com n

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Saturday night is for bonfires and beers (below right)). On Sunday, wake up to a free lift ride to the top of Sugarbush’s Lincoln Peak and a

Photo by Greg Maino

Photo by John Atkinson

downhill enduro (this page.)

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Dirt, Beer and Gears WANT TO UP YOUR DIRT SKILLS? THE VERMONT MOUNTAIN BIKE FESTIVAL RETURNS TO SUGARBUSH.

BY HILARY DELROSS

I

t was late Saturday afternoon last July and a beast of a summer storm was rolling in fast. Packs of riders were racing it back to basecamp, heading for shelter in the lodge at Sugarbush’s Mt. Ellen. Bike company reps wrestled pop up tents to the ground amidst a deluge of wind and rain. Most riders made their way inside unscathed and lined up for first dibs on Nashville hot chicken and corn on the cob. A band started up in the back of the pub. In the hour or so it took to clean our plates, the storm passed through and the party rocked on.

As the clouds parted and rays of evening sun lit up the grassy base area, four simultaneous games of cornhole got underway. The deck quickly became a dance floor complete with laser lights and a DJ spinning classic party anthems. Riders quenched their thirst with brews from Citizen Cider and Long Trail, a little liquid courage to those who were going to tackle the mountain bike Olympics.

Kids had the first go around the course, and showed off their skills, evoking envy from adults. Next up, a crowd-pleasing how-slow-canyou-go race before the main attraction—grown men and women tackling obstacles on tot-sized Huffys. Kids started hurling water balloons at the competitors in their final laps. Pretty soon my sides were sore from laughing so hard.

The rest of me was sore as well. I’d been riding some of the 45 miles of trails that criss-cross the Mad River Valley and, in the name of progression, joined group rides I expected would be slightly above my comfort zone. I was curious to try the intermediate Revolution and Evolution trails behind American Flatbread at Lareau Farm—mostly because they’re named after my favorite flatbreads on the menu. The climb was tough but worth the long downhill, which was flowy and fun.

As the night sky darkened, folks gathered around the bonfire.

Others drifted off to their tents in the primitive camping area, to hotel rooms or condos at Lincoln Peak or nearby B&Bs. I was ready to tuck in early so I’d be up in time for sunrise yoga and Sunday’s rides.

Three years earlier I learned to mountain bike at the Blueberry Lake trails in Warren, after a friend convinced me to take a full day clinic for beginners. That summer, I spent the reminder of evenings after work stuffing my shoddy, second-hand hard tail into the back of my car to figure out the figure-eight-shaped trail network. I practiced skills I picked up in the clinic—looking ahead, cornering, hovering, and climbing—on the smooth beginner and intermediate trails next to the lake. I was instantly hooked and I wanted to progress my skills and explore some new terrain, but what I really needed was to find a community that would support my progression.

Enter the Vermont Mountain Bike Festival—a weekend-long, one-stop-shop for all things mountain biking and, for me, an integral experience for getting oriented to this remarkable sport.

In its early years, the Vermont Mountain Bike Association noted a growing interest from chapters around the state to host this annual event at different locations to showcase their trail networks. During its first years, several hundred riders descended upon, and up, Perry Hill where Stowe Mountain Bike Club (SMBC) hosted an early iteration of the festival. Riders could catch shuttles to Stowe and Waitsfield from the Waterbury trail head, which is now managed by Waterbury Area Trails Alliance (WATA). The festival quickly outgrew that

vtskiandride.com Summer 2017 31

infrastructure and moved to Mount Ascutney, home of Sports Trails of the Ascutney Basin (STAB). (If you find yourself speaking in acronyms, consider yourself indoctrinated.) After three years, the festival moved again, this time to Mad River Riders’ territory.

After my first festival, 2015 at Ascutney, I was hooked and headed to Sugarbush last year for more. Driving up to the festival and seeing cars parked, driverless for days on end, was nothing short of dreamy. People were moving about on bikes or on foot.The cars, once they were parked, were simply serving as mobile gear lockers for the weekend.

At registration, I picked up my wrist band and new t-shirt, snapped a few photos of the ride and clinic schedules to keep handy, and decided which were a good fit for my goals and skill level. I made a beeline over to the sign-up table to get on the appropriate lists before they filled up, then checked out the selection of demo bikes available in my size. I had a blast on Specialized’s Stumpjumper Fattie with 3” wide tires and a dropper seat post, their ladies’ specific Rhyme, and the aptly named Liv Lust, which I purchased soon after the festival.

The clinics made a big impact to my riding. Meridith McFarland, an International Mountain Bike Association-certified downhill instructor at Sugarbush, was leading a clinic. I had taken a downhill lesson with Clockwise from top: VMBA fest is part expo with vendor tents and demo bikes. The Mad River Riders celebrate their 30th year in 2017. As a party favor, they’ll show you their favorite trails. “The Nooney,” a steep hil climb challenge up Mt. Ellen, is open all weekend. The highlight of Saturday night? The mountain bike Olympics featuring a

Bottom photo by John Atkinson; Top photos by Greg Maino

tiny bike race for the biggest kids of all.

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FIVE DIRT FESTS

6/9-11 | VERMONT BIKE & BREW, KILLINGTON With 35 trails covering 27 miles and three lifts servicing them, Killington’s bike park is among the fastest growing in ski country. Now, Killington has teamed up with MTBVT to host a new event, Vermont Bike & Brew, a downhill-focused festival. It kicks off with a Kegs ‘NEggs breakfast, followed by a downhill critical mass ride,starting from the top of K-1 Gondola. Try your luck at the skinny bridge crossing over Snowshed Pond, grab a craft brew and pitch a tent at Killington’s new on-mountain campsite. Fee is $99. killington.com 6/16-18 | NEMBAFEST AT KINGDOM TRAILS, EAST BURKE The New England Mountain Bike Festival has been been going strong for more than 20 years. This year, Kingdom Trails hosts again with complimentary camping, live music, a stunt show by Mike Smedley, bike demo loops and a pop-up expo. Oh yeah, and 100 miles of Kingdom Trails to ride. $99. nembafest.com 6/23-25 | BIKES, BEVS AND BEATS FESTIVAL, STOWE The Stowe Mountain Bike Club hosts a block party, a critical mass ride, group rides, clinics, live music and beer. Best? “B3” is free. stowemountainbike.com

c Photo by John Atkinson redit

7/21-23 | 10TH ANNUAL VMBA FEST, SUGARBUSH As if guided rides on the Mad River Valley’s 45 miles of trails weren’t enough, there’s lift-served downhill, a Sunday enduro, a pop-up tiki hut at American Flatbread, swimming holes and camping. $99. vmba.org or sugarbush.com 8/12 9TH ANNUAL BIKE N’ BREW FESTIVAL, EAST BURKE Check into Burke’s new on-mountain hotel and get ready for local brew tastings, lift rides, mountain biking on Burke and Kingdom Trails, contests and awards for the best beer. As if you need another reason to head to the Northeast Kingdom this summer. skiburke.com

her at Lincoln Peak the year befor and knew she’d help me step up my game. The main payout this time was learning how to load up my front suspension to gracefully get up and over obstacles, which in this case were six-inch high wooden boxes and bridges.

This beginner group happened to be all women and we were stoked to see each other progress through the challenges.

We then practiced what we learned out on a group ride, putting our education (do you know your mountain bike ABC’s?), etiquette (uphill riders have the right of way), and skill development (tackling obstacles) to work on the demo trail, Sugar Run. The success of the festival is due largely to Vermont’s stellar riding scene and more than 750 miles of trails. As mountain biking has grown in popularity, the Vermont Mountain Biking Association has helped usher in a new era of advocacy for trail building. VMBA works to keep mountain biking growing in Vermont in a way that’s sustainable for all stakeholders. In the past 20 years it has grown to include almost 4,000 members and 27 chapters around the state and is now affiliated with organizations in Maine, New Jersey and New York.

As the umbrella organization, VMBA provides administrative assistance such as insurance, membership benefits and advocacy. Of the $50 cost for an individual membership, 84 percent goes right back to the chapters for trail grants (such as the grant for a mile and a half of new trail slated for Blueberry Lake this season) and chapter services (such as mailing out the yellow membership strips we wear on our bikes to show our support). It also helps chapters work with land owners to provide access and link trails. Consider this: the 45 miles of trails in the Mad River Valley cross two state forests, a national forest, and countless private and municipal lands. Leveraging partnerships allows local, volunteer-run chapters to focus on navigating trail maintenance.

In the last few years, VMBA has worked closely with chapters to develop a statewide trail map and to make trail conditions available on the app TrailHub. It has also partnered with other trail organizations such as the Catamount Trail Association and with local businesses to create VOICe, the Vermont Outdoor Industry Coalition, to get both public funds and private support for trail building. According to VMBA’s Executive Director,Tom Stuessy,VMBA is the only state-wide mountain bike organization of its kind in the country.

On Sunday, when the downhill enduro at Lincoln Peak and group rides throughout the Valley were finished, we headed back to basecamp for one last bite from The Mad Taco’s food truck. As I cleaned up my bike and got ready to leave, a guy in the car next to mine was pulling on the festival t-shirt. It could have been the cleanest piece of clothing he had left, or a badge from a weekend of bonding over bikes.

As I drove off, I thought about all I’d learned. I gained new skills, made friends, and discovered OWL energy bars, but the biggest takeaway came from the last line in Mad River Riders’ trail rules: “Remember to share gracefully, smile widely and appreciate often.” n

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Dream Home

Summer evenings take Harry, Stephanie, Tucker and Alaena out to the firepit. Come winter, sunlight streams in through the glass lip on the porch roof and the insulated windows, giving the sense of living outside year-round.

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THINK SMALL & LIVE LARGE STORY BY LISA LYNN PHOTOS BY JIM WESTPHALEN

When architect Harry Hunt imagined a new year-round home in Stowe for his family of skiers, he strived for the smallest footprint on the environment. vtskiandride.com Summer 2017 35

W

hen Stephanie Gilchrist and Harry Hunt ran into each other years ago in the Colorado high country they realized they had more than a few things in common. Both were hard-core skiers (Harry’s brother, Jesse, was director of alpine racing for the U.S. Ski Team.) Both UVM grads had lived in Vermont—Harry grew up outside of Burlington and Stephanie still owned a house in Stowe. Both wanted to leave as small a footprint on the environment as they could.

They married and set up home in Aspen, Stephanie working for Rocky Mountain Institute, an environmental think tank, and Harry, for architecture firm Harry Teague, focusing on energy-efficient design.

But the call of family back East brought them back to Stowe.They moved into Stephanie’s house—an old 1,200 square foot farmhouse built on a little more than an acre—with the idea of one day renovating it. Then kids—Alaena, now 13 and Tucker, now 10—came along and years passed.

“We realized that to insulate that house so it would be energyefficient would just not be practical,” says Harry, who had spent time working for an engineering firm in Munich, Germany. “Also, before I even start drawing I like to break up living spaces into units based on

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Big windows, open spaces and the clean warm lines of locally-sourced woods give the home a fresh and open feel. “We wanted to use as many local materials as we could,” says Hunt. Kitchen cabinets are red birch and the counters and living room floor, concrete. Hemlock posts hold the porch roof, which is angled so that it lets the winter sun stream in but provides shade in the summer. The low-maintenance landscaping, done by Warner Hodgson Design and built by Ambler Design, blends into the surroundings.

how people use them. I play around with how to put those units together, kind of like a Rubiks cube,” says Hunt. “I’ve found that process really helps make a house work. No matter how I tried, I realized there was no way to make our old 1800s house work for us today.”

So they started looking at parcels of land similar to their current location: near schools, close to town and facing south. “Sunlight is at such a premium here in Vermont,” notes Hunt.

“We decided that the best thing to do was build in an area that was already developed, had perfect southern exposure and everything else we wanted,” said Harry. That parcel? Their own land. So they set about designing a small home that would sit just above their present one, which now serves as an office.

Hunt calls the new house, the “Right” house.

“When a house has soul, you feel it. It comes from someplace deeper than any architectural style. What matters more are your individual needs, taken in context with what’s right for the planet,” Hunt states on his website.

Walking into the open, sunny space, you feel that soul. It’s the type of place that invites you to kick off your shoes in the mudroom and pad barefoot across the smooth poured concrete floors. Or to curl up like a cat in the sun on the built-in couch with views out to the mountains.

An open floor plan, vast windows, sliding doors and a wide deck (where you can lounge on a couch beneath the partial-glass roof) give the entire first floor the feeling of a giant indoor/outdoor porch.

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“WHEN A HOUSE HAS SOUL, YOU FEEL IT... WHAT MATTERS MOST ARE YOUR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS, TAKEN IN CONTEXT WITH WHAT’S RIGHT A native Vermonter, Hunt was inspired by the simple Vermont barns he helped build as a teenager and the farm his parents owned. He wrapped the 2,500 square-foot building in corrugated steel, a durable and recyclable material that mimics barn siding from a distance. Upstairs, (right) Alaena hangs out in the “guest” suite, with a private bathroom, pull-out couch and loft bed. Downstairs, a six-foot wall separates the entryway mudroom from the kitchen/dining area, where sliding glass doors open onto the deck.

In the winter, light from the airtight windows spills into the room, warming the polished concrete floor poured by Tim Frost of Vermont Eco Floor. “I hate being cold and on the chilliest days in February I can walk around in pajamas and not feel even the draft,” says Stephanie.

Influenced by the German notion of passivhaus–a house that strives to use minimal energy and electricity, Hunt angled the house with the precision of a sundial and chose each window and its coatings, based on its exposure, to maximize energy efficiency. The walls, rated R-40 are airtight—so much so that a heat recovery ventilation unit helps circulate and purify the air. Heating bills for the house are $200 a month.

Hunt made a point of working with local materials—wherever possible, wood cut and milled in Vermont—and neighboring builders and contractors, many of whom he skis with on weekends. Stowe’s

38 Summer 2017 vtskiandride.com

Patterson Smith did the framing and exterior; Gristmill Builders, the interior finish work. The ceiling throughout the ground floor is covered in slats of local spruce. Red birch gives warmth to the stairs. and the outside deck is untreated cedar. “We didn’t want something we’d need to use a lot of chemical stains on,” notes Hunt.

Vermont slate graces the counters in the downstairs bath and poured concrete, done by Damian Taylor, the kitchen counters. “I built this house for about $165 a square foot,” says Hunt.”But if I hadn’t tried to be the contractor as well, it probably would have been cheaper,” he admits with a laugh.

The back third of the ground floor houses a small office and a bathroom, all packed as tightly and efficiently as on a ship. Off the kitchen is a pantry/laundry with walls bathed in a soothing saturated fern color.

FOR THE PLANET.” A good friend, Flor Diaz Smith, who has a design firm in Montpelier, convinced the Hunts to use bright colors on the walls throughout.

“I totally trusted her,” says Stephanie, “and she ended up doing all the interior design—everything from colors to fixtures.”

Upstairs, two baths and four bedrooms create enough space for the family. For storage, additional cabinets are built into the rail of the open stairwell and tucked into a small attic above the master bedroom.

A playroom doubles as a separate suite with a loft and bathroom that can sleep Hunt’s brother and his family of four when they visit.

In the kids’ bedrooms wall-mounted ladders lead to loft spaces,where friends can tuck in. It’s another idea Hunt seems to have borrowed from Vermont barns—you half expect a hay bale to come tumbling down.

“If you design well and conscientously you don’t need much more space than this,” says Hunt as he looks around, the “Right house.”

The American Institute of Architects agreed—its Vermont chapter honored Hunt and his home with a Design Excellence award. n

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The Rides of

IF YOU WANT TO DISCOVER SOME OF THE BEST BACKROADS IN THE

Forget your standard energy bar, the Farm to Fork Fondo aid stations are at farms the ride benefits. Dinner is prepared by one of Vermont’s top caterers using produce that’s locally-grown.

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Courtesy Farm to Fork Fondo

By Lisa Lynn

Your Life COUNTRY, SIGN UP FOR THESE RIDES.

vtskiandride.com Summer 2017 41

THE WAY UP AND THE WAY DOWN ARE NOT, JUST NOT, ONE AND THE SAME.

THE TOUR DE KINGDOM

Burke to Quebec and back, June 9-22 and again, Sept. 22-24

You have two chances to ride on some of the least-traveled roads in the state as the Tour de Kingdom (three days of supported rides) takes place during both the dandelion season of spring (June 9-11) and the prime foliage of fall (Sept. 22-24). Both Tours take riders on the nearly-empty backroads through the wide open country of the Northeast Kingdom on routes that include Friday’s 65-mile tour around Lake Memphremagog and Sunday’s century ride from East Burke to the lake region, including passing Lakes Willoughby, Memphremagog, Seymour and Island Pond. The highlight of the three days is The Moose, a 107-mile ride (with timed sections you can race) that heads into the remote northeastern corner of the state before returning along newly-paved roads that border serene stretches of the Connecticut River.

As organizer Phil White notes, “We call it the Moose because you are more likely to see moose on the route than cars.” Kingdomgames.co

LONG TRAIL CENTURY RIDE:

Bridgewater to Ludlow and back, June 24

In winter, you might drive the section of Route 100 between Okemo and Killington without ever noticing the stretch of frozen lakes. Come

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Stratton hosts the mountain events at the Vermont Challenge, which drew 312 cyclists from 26 states in 2016.

summer, those lakes come alive and so do the backroads of central Vermont. Based out of the Long Trail Brewery in Bridgewater Corners, the Long Trail Century Ride offers several options including 100-, 60-, 40- and 20-mile loops and, new this year, a mountain bike session at Killington Resorts’ Snowshed trails.

It’s hard to say what’s better, the route (which goes past Killington and Pittsfield, up into the hill town of Barnard and back down toward Woodstock and Ludlow before returning on Route 100) or the after party at Long Trail (with beer, live music, a barbecue, face painting and kids games, vendor tents and corn hole by the river). But perhaps the best part of the ride is that it’s a fundraiser (with a minimum $100 threshold to register) for a good cause:Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports. Longtrailcenturyride.com

VERMONT GRAN FONDO

Middlebury to Mad River Valley and back, July 1 Keep thinking about what’s waiting at the finish at Woochuck Cider’s tasting room, and it just might help you get over the steepest paved mile in America. Just south of Sugarbush, Lincoln Gap is closed in the winter when its steepest (24 percent) pitch makes for extreme sledding. Come summer, it’s one of those notch-in-the-belt rides that Vermonters pride themselves on accomplishing. Olympic mountain biker (and former Middlebury College ski racer) Lea Davison holds the QOM (Queen of the Mountain) title on Strava for ascending the 1.3-mile, 15-percent grade, 1,100 elevation gain section in 14 minutes. She’s also called the Gran Fondo the “toughest race” of her life.

The Gran Fondo’s motto? “Ride it if you can.”

Lincoln is just one of four gaps and one of two Category 2 climbs that help you accumulate 10,495 feet of climbing over the course. The 2017 course has riders screaming down the paved Appalachian Gap, past Mad River Glen and views of Sugarbush before heading up Lincoln Gap

credit

That’s all I can think as I push/pull/cajole the wheels into one more rotation, then another. I stand, putting my full weight on the pedals.

Think positive, I coach myself. I’m grateful .. grunt.. for the cool green tunnel of hardwoods shading the road. Grateful ..groan..for the packet of maple syrup from the last aid station, liquid energy. I’m grateful for the six guys who let me draft for the last 10 miles. Grateful for the swimming hole ahead that’s going to be deliciously cool.

Then, the trees open up.There is light.The road crests at the gap. Below, a toy landscape of farms with red barns spreads out. Patches of green fields are dotted with miniature black and white cows. A white spire rises through trees in the distance. I pause to take a swig of water, shift into my largest gear and then let go, screaming down the other side, taking the S turns like a ski racer on a GS course.

By far the best way to see Vermont, I’m convinced, is on a century ride or organized group ride. In the past few years, a host of new rides have sprung up with events such as the Vermont Challenge, Farm to Fork Fondo, and the Vermont Gran Fondo, making the national Top 10 lists. Others, like the Tour De Kingdom, are lesser-known gems that will show you roads you never knew existed.

Yes, you pay an entry fee but you get a sag wagon, in case you have a mechanical issue. And then there are the aid stations. Since this is Vermont, instead of GU and Budweiser, there might be PB&J sandwiches on slabs of homemade bread (Vermont Challenge) or woodfired pizza with farm-fresh toppings (Farm to Fork Fondo). After parties? In Vermont, you don’t bring the beer to the party, you take the party to the beer. Three rides start and finish at Harpoon Brewery, Long Trail Brewery and Woodchuck Hard Cider this year.

While there is an organized ride somewhere in the state nearly every week, here are some of our favorite loops, in calendar order.

and then back over App Gap. From there, you head south on Route 100 past waterfalls and farmland. The fourth and last gap, Middlebury Gap, descends past Middlebury Snow Bowl with views to the Adirondacks before ending back at Woodchuck Cider.

If you’re not up for that type of punishment, Medio and Piccolo Fondo routes let you drop a gap, or two, or three and still enjoy the scenery.

There’s also the option to stop at three classic old-time Vermont general stores in Ripton, Warren and Northfield. Vermontgranfondo.com

RAID LAMOILLE

Stowe to Craftsbury and back, July 8

“Gravel grinding,” riding the back roads far from traffic, has become a thing around Stowe. So has the Raid Lamoille. It started in 2012 as a group of friends riding together to discover some of the better dirt roads in the area. Five years later, it’s an official ride. The 100K and 50K routes are unsupported (meaning no rest stops or aid stations) but routed to take you by some of the region’s most beloved country stores, including the Craftsbury General Store.While it’s not a race, the “raid” lives up to the meaning of its French name: a long or challenging ride. Expect a fast-paced group and some 6,000 feet of vertical climbs. Race organizers recommend a gravel or cyclocross bike and 28 mm tires or larger. Perhaps the best news about this year’s event? The Alchemist brewery will be providing liquid refreshments at the finish. Raidlamoille.com

FARM TO FORK FONDO,

Pittsfield to Woodstock and back, July 16

In Italy, a “fondo” means a non-competitive bike ride or tour.After 13 years as a competitive pro cyclist, Tyler Wren has brought the comforts a European bike vacation to a new series of fondos that combine his passion for farms, food and, of course, bike riding. Wren, a Princeton grad who now lives in Burlington, now hosts Farm to Fork Fondos in the NewYork’s Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes regions, in Pennsylvania, Maine and the Berkshires.

This July’s Vermont event kicks off with a Meet the Farmers Dinner in the elegant barn at Riverside Farm, the Pittsfield estate owned

by Spartan Race founder Joe De Sena. It ends back there with a farmto-table dinner of heirloom squash salad with Maplebrook feta, mint and chili and grilled Misty Knoll chicken salad. The catering is by Vermont Farms Catering’s Kevin Lasko, the acclaimed chef behind the Backroom in Pittsfield.

You’ll work up an appetite riding the 93-mile route to Woodstock, then north over Bethel Gap to finish cruising past the stunning farmland and quiet valley between Rochester and Pittsfield. Aid stations?

They highlight offerings from local farms—try Sandy’s Bakery’s Flower Toast (yes, made with edible fresh flowers) or Raspberry Tarts or Maple Candies from North Hollow Farm. Farmtoforkfondo.com

HARPOON POINT TO POINT

Windsor to Strafford and back, August 12

Though it is no longer a point-to-point ride, this ride covers a variety of terrain as it leaves the Harpoon Brewery in West Windsor and heads north along the Connecticut River. The 100-mile route will take you all the way to White River junction and into the quiet hill towns of Strafford and Topsham before heading south again to Barnard and Woodstock. Make no mistake: this is a hilly ride, but you’ll know you earned that cold one at the end. There are also options for 50- and 25-mile rides and a 20-mile mountain bike loop around the trails at Mount Ascutney. Put on by Harpoon and National Life, the ride is one of the biggest fundraisers in the state for the Vermont Foodbank, raising more than $200,000 in 2016. Harpoonpointtopoint.com

THE VERMONT CHALLENGE

Stratton to Okemo and back, Aug. 17-20

If you took the best aspects of a multi-day guided bike tour (sag wagons, lunch stops, dinners sharing stories of the day over a craft brew) and combined it with four days of the semi-competitive (read: bragging rights only) fun of a century ride, you’d get the Vermont Challenge.

Stratton skier John Sohikian dreamed up the Vermont Challenge as way to showcase some of the best riding routes in southern Vemont.

Joining a pace line is tempting, but with views like this, what’s the rush?

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The four-day event heads along the valley between Manchester to Dorset, before climbing into the mountains around Stratton and sending riders on a 107-mile fondo toward Okemo.

Of course, you don’t have to do all four days of rides. You can sign up for shorter routes each day (starting at 23 miles). You can stop where you want (last year’s favorite rest stop was at Wilcox Dairy, which makes a killer salted caramel ice cream). You can join in the group kickoff dinners at the Taconic Hotel in Manchester or eat on your own. You can do just the Valley Days (Day 1-2) or just the Mountain Days (Day 3-4). In 2016, the fifth running of the Challenge the ride raised $9,200 for local charities and $10,000 the year before. vermontchallenge.com

KELLY BRUSH RIDE,

Middlebury to Charlotte and back, Sept. 9

Dirt roads, covered bridges and classic general stores are all part of the Raid Lamoille.

distances, ranging from 25 to 100 miles, and more than 800 riders of all abilities participate. The 100-mile route takes you past the shoreside farms near Lake Champlain, through the village of Vergennes and the covered bridges of Charlotte before heading back along hills of Addison County with western views of the farmland and the Adirondacks. Kellybrushride.com n Flat and fast, the Kelly Brush Ride skirts Lake Champlain and the farms and the backroads of Addison County.

The Gran Fondo takes riders on the steepest paved mile in America and across four classic gaps.

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Photos courtesy Raid Lamoille, Kelly Brush Ride and Verrmont Gran Fondo

The Kelly Brush Ride doesn’t go anywhere near a ski lift–most of its routes cross the rolling farmlands and orchards of Addison County. But it probably attracts more top skiers per entrant than any other event—including, in past years, Mikaela Shiffrin, paralympic medalist Chris Waddell, and, of course, Kelly Brush. Brush, whose mother was an Olympic ski racer, was racing for Middlebury College when a crash on the mountain left her with a severe spinal cord injury. She and her now-husband Zeke went on to found the Kelly Brush Foundation to promote safety in ski racing and help others with spinal cord injuries pursue sports.

Ski race teams from schools and academies around New England show up to support the event, which means the pace at the head of the pack is smoking fast. But there are multiple options for start times and

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Sugarbush Resort Pump It Up:

Skiing and riding down Sugarbush can be a real rush, but mountain biking down that same terrain can get the adrenaline pumping even harder. Sugarbush offers twenty miles of lift-served downhill, cross-country and freestyle mountain biking terrain leading to the base of Lincoln Peak. If you don’t own a bike or have gear, rentals are available right in the base area. Lessons are available for all ages and abilities, from those looking to get out for the first time, to those looking to tune up their skills on technical terrain.

In addition, the Vermont Mountain Bike Association has connected nearly sixty miles of mapped trails to Sugarbush’s own terrain including technical trails throughout the Valley and less technical terrain at Blueberry Lake. The Vermont Mountain Bike Festival returns to Sugarbush’s Mt. Ellen again this summer from Friday, July 21 to Sunday, July 23 packed with hosted rides, downhill access, and more.

For those not interested in mountain biking but still looking for some adventure, Sugarbush offers summer camps for ages 3-18 from late-June to mid-August. The resort offers special weekly themed camps for children ages 6-12 with themes including adventure, climbing, farm-toplate, golf, water and outdoor skills. One week you might be climbing Lincoln Peak and scoping the wildlife and the next you could be honing your archery and carving skills.

Tennis camps are available as well through New England Tennis Holidays. Lodging packages are available for all camps.

Enjoy:

Not every resort has its own par-71 Robert Trent Jones, Sr. designed golf course, especially one as challenging and beautiful as Sugarbush’s. Golfers will enjoy a course designed under Jones’ mantra of “every hole should be a hard par and an easy bogey” while taking in breathtaking views of the Monroe Skyline and Mad River Valley.

Led by second-year Head Golf Pro Roger King, the club has built a robust calendar of events including the Brew-Grass Golf Scramble, Boomer Scramble Championship and VSWGA Ladies State Day in June, Junior Golf Camp and VGA Men’s State Day in July, Stroke Play Club Championship in August, and New England Craft Beer Open, Sugarbush Ryder Cup and Vermont Troops and Families Tournament in September.

King finished 3rd overall in the VTPGA, of which he is also in the second year of a two-year term as President.

There will also be a number of recurring weekly events including League Night on Wednesdays, $35 Thursdays, Ladies Night and Burger Night on Fridays, and Wood Fired Pizza Night on Saturdays.

Whether you golf or not, don’t miss out on Hogan’s Pub – the Mad River Valley’s premiere lunch spot for magnificent views and thirst-quenching brews. The pub offers sandwiches, soups, burgers and more all off one of the sunniest decks in town.

Don’t Miss:

June 10, 2017 – Sugarbush Brew-Grass Festival, Sugarbush Resort Enjoy craft beers from more than twenty Vermont breweries, local food, and jamming bluegrass bands.

June 13-14, 2017 – Boomer Scramble, Sugarbush Resort Open to participants ages 65 and over, enjoy a two-day golf tournament for a chance to win some great prizes. Golfers can sign up as a full team or be grouped up with others. Lodging packages with breakfast available at the Sugarbush Inn. June 29-July 1, 2017 – Frendly Gathering The Frendly Gathering moves its home to Mt. Ellen with three days of live music and a lineup for all genres of music fans. Over 20 musical acts will play on unique stages throughout the festival grounds. Other activities include camping, art, dance workshops, local food, and more.

July 9, 2017 – Mad Marathon, Sugarbush Resort The 7th Annual Mad Marathon and Mad Half return for 2017. Enjoy one of the most beautiful and toughest courses around with rolling hills, dirt roads, breathtaking views of the Green Mountains, historic barns, quaint villages, covered bridges and more.

July 21-23, 2017 – Vermont Mountain Bike Festival, Sugarbush Resort The Vermont Mountain Bike Association has teamed up with Sugarbush to host Vermont’s premier mountain biking festival. Based out of Mt. Ellen, the event will include rides throughout the Mad River Valley, Perry Hill, and Green Mountain Trails.

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Stowe Resort This summer Stowe Mountain Resort keeps the adrenaline flowing. Starting June 24, try the Stowe ZipTour and our Treetop Adventure course. Check out the new Stowe Rocks climbing gym or take the summit Gondola up to lunch at the Cliff House. Visit Stowe.com or call 802-253-3500.

Stowe’s ZipTour is the world’s fastest and most exhilarating zip line. Period. You control your speed, which can reach up to 80 miles per hour, or you can cruise at a slower pace and enjoy spectacular views you won’t forget. (A quick lesson and practice area is part of the ride, so you’re comfortable with the harness and brake system.)

To get to the start, you’ll ride the Summit Gondola almost to the top of Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak, then once you clip in, you’ll careen down three of the world’s longest zip-spans.

At Stowe’s TreeTop Adventure you can play in the canopy. With six different levels of courses consisting of aerial tree-to-tree connections and 68 various

challenges and game elements, it’s a truly inspiring activity for all ages. It’s also a great half-day event to pair with a half-day at the Zip-Tour.

Kids (and adults) will also love the new Stowe Rocks Climbing Gym at Spruce Peak Plaza, where there is adult supervision, coaching and all the gear you need. Parents can also sit back and watch their kids scale the heights while enjoying something to eat and drink at the Canteen at Spruce’s Adventure Center.

Want a short, but spectacular, drive? Head up the Auto Toll Road, which will take you within a short walk to the summit of Mount Mansfield.

It’s a chance to experience an

alpine environment that, while fragile, is stunning and rare for the East Coast. (Stay on the trails, try to avoid trampling the tundra, please.) You’ll also be treated to views that can stretch east to Mount Washington, west across Lake Champlain to the Adirondacks and north all the way to Canada.

Ride the gondola up to the Cliff House Restaurant for lunch on the outside deck — and enjoy one of the more spectacular views in Stowe.

There’s also plenty of hiking trails for the family — from difficult to mellow — and numerous events at the mountain and in town, throughout the summer. Event highlights are noted at right.

Don’t Miss:

Friday Farmer’s Markets at Spruce Peak Every Friday afternoon this summer, (beginning June 30), Spruce Peak at Stowe Mountain Resort features a Vermont artisan craft and food marketplace, outside in the beautiful Spruce Peak Village Center. Live music, kids games and more.

July 4 | Weekend Bash Rusty DeWees Independence Day Bash at the Spruce Peak Village Center (July 2) will feature live music, comedy, circus performers and more from 4:30-9:30 p.m.

Fireworks show at dusk.

August 26 | Stowe Wine & Food Classic The Stowe Wine & Food Classic is New England’s preeminent culinary event, located this year at Spruce Peak. On Saturday, 8/26, the themed ‘Fire on the Mountain’ event will feature gourmet cooking with open fames and ceramic ovens in the great outdoors. For more info, www.stowewine.com.

August 27 | Race to the Top of Vermont Join the tough and hardy for Stowe’s famous Race to the Top of Vermont, a lung-searing, leg-burning 4.3-mile run or mountain bike up the Auto Toll Road. For more info, www.rttovt.org

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Killington Resort At Killington there is no longer an offseason, as summer operations get underway while spring skiing continues into late May — and then the summer activites begin! Sunny skies and multi-sport days feature the Killington Golf Course, Snowshed Adventure Center and Killington Bike Park.

Killington passholders get the best perks all winter long, and the same is true in the summer. Mountain Bike Season Passes and Adventure Center Season Passes make it easy to enjoy Vermont’s highest lift serviced peak, largest downhill mountain biking park and most diverse adventure park complete with the mile-long Beast Mountain Coaster and dual drag-racing zip lines across Snowshed Pond.

Mountain Biking

With over 35 miles of rugged single track, rock gardens, switchbacks and machine-built berms, hips and jumps, the Killington Bike Park is a great place to shred the brown pow all summer!

Golf

Killington’s par 72 Championship Golf Course features a brand new fleet of golf carts this summer, plus GolfBoards are back by popular demand!

Hiking

With 15 miles of hiking trails, hikers will never take the same route up or down The Beast.

The rewards after summiting Vermont’s second tallest peak are unencumbered 360 degree views and access to the Peak Lodge, offering fresh food and cool drinks to hikers and mountain bikers all summer.

Dining

There’s something unique about every spot on the mountain – and our goal at Killington is to make dining as much of an experience as coming here to ski or mountain bike. From seasonal farm-to-table fare at Preston’s restaurant and bar at the Killington Grand Resort Hotel to made-from-scratch daily specials at the Peak Lodge, The Beast caters to discerning tastes.

Vermont’s highest elevation restaurant and bar, the Killington Peak Lodge, is

accessible from mountain trails and the K-1 Express Gondola.

Hikers, mountain bikers and sightseers converge here to witness the Green Mountain state from on-high, have a beverage and enjoy a summer night overlooking three states.

Music & Beer

The Killington-Pico Area Association has announced the return of the star-studded free concert series for summer 2017, with an expanded eight-week series beginning July 15th. www.killington.com/site/to-do/ events-calendar/cooler_in_the_ mountains Top names from the national music scene will be taking the stage for eight FREE outdoor shows as the “Cooler in the Mountains” summer concert series returns. So grab a lawn chair, a beach blanket and head to the Snowshed Base Area for this family-friendly event.

Concerts are held from 3:30-6 p.m. and guests are encouraged to come early to enjoy the festive atmosphere and all the summer activities Killington Resort has to offer.

Don’t Miss: June 9-11 | Vermont Bike & Brew MTBVT and Killington present a familyfriendly weekend of downhill mountain biking, organized challenges for all ability levels and enough craft beer to satisfy even the most discerning palate.

July 8 | Dirty Girl Mud Run You’ll run, jump, hop, bounce and splash your way to the finish line with thousands of other women at the 2017 Dirty Girl Mud Run.

July 14-15 | Killington Wine Festival Over the past 16 years, the Killington Wine Festival has grown immensely and now features more than 500 wines from a collection of over 40 vineyards around the world.

July 27-30 | Beast of the East Pro GRT Top mountain bike racers from around the world will compete in the USA Cycling Pro Gravity downhill event at Killington.

August 18-20 | Under Armour Mountain Running Series Created for trail running enthusiasts and professionals, this new trail running series provides unmatched racing experiences in beautiful mountain environments and features 5K, 10K, Vertical Challenge, 50K, Marathon Relay, Half Marathon and more.

SPONSORED CONTENT

the Summer File

Stratton Mountain At Stratton Mountain, you’ll find that everything you love about summer is right outside your door. you to the historic fire tower Game Time Shop, Dine & Spa

Play New England’s only authentic red clay courts and tune up your game with a session at Cliff Drysdale Tennis, one of North America’s top programs.

If golf is the game, Stratton’s 27-hole course – a Geoffrey Cornish designed gem that has played host to six LPGA tournaments – promises a scenic and challenging round. Stratton Golf School, founded by Arnold Palmer in 1969, offers proven programs for every player with special sessions for women, juniors and families.

Soar

Board the Stratton gondola and head to the summit of southern Vermont’s highest peak. Explore the scene that inspired both the Long and Appalachian trails; an easy 1.5 mile roundtrip will lead

where the view stretches clear across four states and mountain ranges. Practice your tree pose with classes on the summit yoga deck.

Live Music

Stratton Mountain Music is set at the base with bigname acts performing live under the big tent. From Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Rusted Root to Three Dog Night, shows run through Labor Day with tickets only $25 and kids 10 and under are free. Enjoy fun fare and lawn games along with your music.

Paddle

First Run in Stratton Village offers kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) rentals and tours. You can even practice SUP yoga on a mountain pond, now that’s balance.

Stratton’s slopeside Village is lined with shops, restaurants for patio dining and a Day Spa. Enjoy craft brews, Vermont spirits, farm-totable fresh and tasty options.

Don’t miss the midweek dinner specials at Mulligan’s.

Benedict’s is new this summer serving breakfast and lunch.

Outfit all your adventures with the latest from The North Face, Burton and more in Stratton Village. You can also pick up the signature bear charm at the family owned Von Bargen’s in silver, gold or with a diamond.

You’ll be amazed at what you can do in a few days, and what a few days at Stratton can do for you.

Don’t Miss:

June 22-25 | Wanderlust Festival This one-of-a-kind festival brings together the world’s leading yoga teachers, top musical acts and DJs, renowned speakers, top chefs and winemakers, and much, much more - all in a setting of breathtaking natural beauty.

July 3 | Running of the Bears This 5k fun run or walk race around Stratton is open to all and includes cash prizes. Enjoy all the festivities including live music, family games and fireworks that are all part of Stratton’s Mountain Friends and Freedom Fourth of July weekend celebration.

July 4-August 13 | Vermont Summer Festival East Dorset: Every year hundreds of riders from all over the world look to picturesque Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset for six weeks of competition in hunter, jumper, and Equitation categories. Spectators are welcome. More info at www.vt-summerfestival.com.

August 17-20 | The Vermont Challenge The four-day ride takes cyclists through southern Vermont with routes designed for every level of rider. More info at vtchallenge.com.

August 25-27 | Manchester Food and Wine Classic Whether you are a full-fledged foodie or an emerging gourmand, you are sure to find more than one event to whet your appetite at the Classic. There is something for everyone – from food and wine tastings, to seminars and cooking demonstrations, to outdoor adventures with food & wine influences, there are tastes and temptations at every turn.

COACH

BY DOUG LEWIS

I

was 17 and weighed just 135 pounds when I skied my first World Cup downhill race. I crashed going way too fast and ended up in the hospital. Four years later, when I raced in my first World Championships I weighed 175 pounds, and I won the bronze medal.

Yes, I had grown up. Yes, I had progressed technically as a ski racer. I now had the advantage of knowing the culture and courses of the World Cup. But it was the fact that I was stronger and had better agility that allowed me to be a podium racer— 40 pounds stronger.

Skiing—and ski racing in particular—is a technical sport that involves more skill than most others. It is also a sport that requires strength, agility, and cardiovascular fitness to perform well. This is true for the World Cup racer, the junior racer, or the weekend warrior.

In my early years, my motivation for working out was two-fold; to pursue my Olympic dreams and to have fun.

Today, I’m no longer focused on winning medals but on maintaining my fitness and helping others build theirs at our ELITEAM camps in Waitsfield. Since retiring from competitive skiing in 1988, I coach young people on how to become “complete” athletes by teaching them about sports physiology, psychology and nutrition.

The primary thing we focus on at our kids’ camps is building strength. But no matter how old you are, if you do these workouts all summer, I can pretty much guarantee you will be a better skier or rider come winter.Why? These exercises will help you in the following areas:

moguls, gates, high-speed turns and dancing in the trees easier, less stressful on your back and safer.Working your core will enable you to head straight from the mogul field to the après dance floor instead of the hospital bed.

Agility/Coordination: Skiing and riding involve complicated movements that all happen in a timed and coordinated manner. The more different combinations of moves you have in your brain and body’s “library,” the better you will be at finding the correct moves to ski elegantly or instantly avoid obstacles. The best time to learn these moves is when you are young (say ages 8 to 14, the age groups of our ELITEAM campers.) However, even us veterans can train to be more agile.

Cardiovascular Fitness: Hiking to the top of the Green Mountains once a week will work your aerobic fitness,which translates into longer and more enjoyable days on the slopes.Your engine will have the capacity to stay out there until the lifts close. The Leg Routine and Rock Workout

A WORLD CUP WORKOUT …

JUST FOR FUN Who needs a gym? World Cup downhill racer Doug Lewis shows how to build all the strength, stamina and agility you need in your backyard or home hill.

Set up a slalom course on a hill using sticks, poles or trees and see how fast you can run it.

Photos courtesy ELITEAM

Lower Body Strength: Stronger lower body muscles will allow you to hold an edge better while skiing. For the racer, this means a cleaner arc which means a faster turn. For the average skier or rider, holding an edge translates into better control. Not only will you have the ability to go down any trail in any conditions (including ice), you’ll be a safer skier/rider as you will be able to avoid ruts, ice patches and people.

Core Strength: All powerful movements originate from the center of your body—never from the limbs alone. Because the core muscles stabilize the spine from your hips to your shoulders, they allow the transfer of power to your arms and legs. A strong core makes

vtskiandride.com Summer 2017 49

COACH will work your anaerobic system, which means you can ski Sugarbush’s Stein’s Run or Killington’s Superstar non-stop and still have the power to land a 360 at the bottom.

However, the most important part of my program, the one that I never lose sight of as both an athlete and a coach is this: fun. Kids won’t do it—heck, I won’t do it—unless it is fun. It may be a struggle to do hill sprints in the freezing rain in November, but if I am with someone

who shares my passion—and there’s a challenge such as it’s slippery and there’s a chance to crash—I will be doing it with a smile on my face.

That’s why in the summers, I bring kids to Vermont, get them outside and improvise exercises that many people spend hours in the gym practicing. Many of these simple workouts you can do in your backyard (or at your home mountain.) They are all outdoors. They are all tough. But they are all super fun, especially when done with friends.

5WORLD-CUP WORKOUTS FOR WEEKEND WARRIORS 1. REACH THE PEAKS One of my favorite workouts is walking/ hiking/running up the Green Mountains, specifically up the trails of our 22 awesome ski areas. It’s free, a great workout and you’ll be rewarded with an incredible view. Living in the Mad River Valley, I have three options, each minutes away: Mad River Glen, or Sugarbush’s Lincoln Peak or Mount Ellen. My favorite is trying to run up Mt. Ellen’s 2,700 vertical feet under the time of my age. This summer that finish line has moved to 53 minutes.

Classic Sprint: Run as fast as possible. Use your arms to pump you up all the way.

Tuck Jumps: Put your body in a ski racer’s “tuck” position facing forward, arms folded and knees and hips bent.

Then jump forward until you reach the far cone. Slow the pace on these and pause just a second between jumps.

Backwards Tuck Walks: Get into a tuck and then walk slowly backwards and uphill toward the “finish.” Done low and slow, it will really make your legs burn.

Tuck Walks on Tip Toes: Get into a tuck (facing forward), and then lift your heels and pretend you are wearing high heels. Your calves will explode.

One-legged Jumps Sideways: Face sideways and explode off your downhill leg only up the hill. Land quietly on the same leg, regain your balance and explode again. Don’t forget to switch legs for the next one.

Lunges Up: Facing up the hill, lunge forward, lightly touching your back knee to the ground and then continue all the way up.

Goal: Do a complete leg routine once every week. In June, do one rep of each exercise. In July two reps, and August through October, three reps. Core Add-On #1: Drop into a plank at the top of each drill for 30 seconds. Core Add-On #2: Get into a plank at the bottom of the hill facing down and plank walk all the way to the top. Yes, it is as hard as it sounds! What It Works: Lower body strength; cardiovascular fitness.

Photos courtesy ELITEAM

Goal: Reach the peak once a week. Extreme goal. Hike every Vermont ski area this summer and fall! Core Add-On: Set the alarm on your watch to go off every 10 minutes. When it buzzes drop into a plank position for 60 seconds. By the time you are done, you’ll have worked your core for 10-20 minutes! What It Works: Lower body strength and aerobic fitness.

2. WORK YOUR LEGS Leg routines done on a hill are tough, but oh so good for you. They are a staple of the World Cup racer’s program. They can be short and sweet or last 90 minutes and crush your quads. The reward here is strong quads, hammies and calves as well as a fine-tuned anaerobic system.

Find a hill that has a medium pitch and mark off a segment that is about 50 feet in length. Create a starting line and finishing line straight uphill with some kind of clothing or a rock (or get fancy with a cone).

Next, go up the hill doing these exercises for the 50-foot span:

50 Summer 2017 vtskiandride.com

Get a good night’s sleep–you’ll need it.

Because there’s more to do tomorrow.

Burke Vermont

Photo cred

ibau it: Ryan Th

lt

Over 100 miles of mountain biking trails for all ability levels in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.

www.KingdomTrails.org

East Burke, Vermont

VT 1/8

VERMONT STATE PARKS Where the experience is in tents.

vtstateparks.com

COACH 3. PLAY WITH ROCKS This may be the cheapest hardcore workout you can do: Just find a rock. For athletes ages 8 to 20, go find a rock that weighs your age. For example, a 16-year-old should look for a 16 lb. rock. For those of us older than 20, just go with a rock that you can lift over your head ten times without dropping it on your noggin.

This has become one of the favorite routines at ELITEAM. After a few workouts with your rock, it becomes a lot more than a rock. It becomes your friend, enemy, “white whale,” partner and trophy. Most people name their rock by workout #2 and chuck it into the river by workout #10.

To get the most out of these workouts (and save your back) do these with a balanced athletic stance with knees slightly bent: Military Press: Standing in athletic stance, lift the rock with two arms over your head.

Sit-Up with Rock: Do a regular sit up with legs bent, holding the rock on your chest.

Rock Curls: Again in a good stance, using both hands, do an arm curl, bringing the rock to your chest.

Russian Twists: Get back in a sitting position with knees bent. Touch rock on the ground at your side while holding your legs up, and then to the other side. Then go back and forth.

Rock Squats: In an athletic stance, hold the rock with both hands against your chest. Squat down to 90 degrees and then rise back up slowly, keeping your abs engaged and your back straight.

Rock Throw: Using two hands, bend your legs and throw the rock as far as you can. Walk to it, pick it up and repeat until you’ve covered 50 feet.

Rock Sprints: Sprint with rock for 100 feet, carry it any way you can.

Trunk Twists: Standing in a good wide stance, hold the rock out in front with straight arms. Twist 90 degrees to the left and then 90 degrees to the right while holding the rock out and level.

Goal: Once a week, try to do ten reps of each. Work up to three sets by October. What It Works: Arms, core, leg and a complete body strength workout; cardiovascular fitness.

4. RUN SLALOM If there is a pitch to it, you can run gates on it. This exercise teaches you line, angulation and to look ahead, all key to ripping on the snow. We use bamboo or slalom gates, but you could use sticks or find some trees that are spaced right. Whatever you use (cones or other markers work too), place the gates about 8 feet apart in a zigzag formation (like a slalom course) and run it! You can do this on grass, sand, dirt or through the woods. Ruts will develop which look really cool— unless it’s not your land. Be careful though, as once when I was going for speed I hit a tree and split my head open.

Maybe wear a helmet?’

Goal: Every other week. Minimum 10 runs. Time them. What It Works: Agility and coordination

5. MAKE AN OBSTACLE COURSE Here’s where you teach your old body new tricks. Let your imagination run wild here. Literally anything can be an obstacle; old tires, rocks, gates, hay bales, hula hoops, logs, streams, branches, culverts. A good length for a course should be between 30-60 seconds. Anything shorter won’t do much. Anything longer and it ceases to be anaerobic. Pulse should be at 7090% of max by the end. Time your runs. Compete against each other. Split the course up into sections and run it as a team. Run it backwards.

Opportunities are endless.

Goal: Every other week do 5 to 10 runs through a 30-second course with at least five obstacles.

Core Add-On: Find your rock and carry it in front of you, arms straight, through the course. What It Works: Agility as well as your anaerobic power. n

Doug Lewis is a two-time Olympic ski racer, two-time national champion in downhill and has appeared in four Warren Miller ski films. He grew up in Middlebury, Vt. and hosts his ELITEAM summer camps near his home inWaitsfield,Vt. in the summer. He spends winters doing live commentary for NBC at World Cup ski races.For more .

vtskiandride.com Summer 2017 53

Prouty The 36th Annual

TM

&

10th Annual Prouty Ultimate

Bike!

20, 35, 50, 64, 77, 100 or 200* miles

*

Walk!

3/6/9/12k or 5/10k

July 7* & 8, 2017

Register today! TheProuty.org

Row!

5, 10, 15, or 20 miles

Golf!

18 holes All donations raised through the activities of the Friends of NCCC will be used by the Director of NCCC to advance cancer research, improve cancer treatment protocols, develop strategies for cancer prevention, provide supportive services for patients with cancer and their families, and facilitate otherwise unfunded endeavors in cancer research, education, and translation of research from science to patients.

THE GREEN MOUNTAIN CALENDAR MAY 27-29 | Killington Stage Race, Killington Road cyclists tackle courses 11-, 110-, 12-8, 146-, 160- and 200-miles long in this USA Cycling certified event. bikereg.com 5/27 | Peace Pipe Rail Jam, Mount Snow Mount Snow scrapes together the last snow for a rail jam with a barbeque and live music. Entry is free and you can hike all you want all day. mountsnow.com 29 | Vermont City Marathon, Burlington RunVermont hosts its annual marathon through downtown Burlington, finishing in Waterfront Park. vermontcitymarathon.org

JUNE 2-4 | The Strolling of the Heifers, Brattleboro Watch calves parade through downtown Brattleboro, the goat Olympics, or compete in a pie baking contest–but save some energy for the 60-, 30- or 15-mile Tour de Heifer bike ride on Sunday. strollingoftheheifers.com 4 | Onion River Race & Ramble, Bolton Paddle ten miles down the Winooski River in Vermont’s largest river race. Cruise to the finish for a post-paddle party and live music. winooskiriver.org 7-11 | Tour De Kingdom: The June Tour, Newport Get ready for five days of long-distance road rides through the NEK, totaling 440 miles and 25,000 feet of climbing. tourdekingdom.com 6/9-11 | Vermont Bike & Brew, Killington New this year, Killington hosts what organizers hope will be one of the largest downhill-oriented bike festivals in the east, with night ride, and a critical mass ride that starts from the K-1 Gondola. killington.com 10 | The Vermont Epic, Ludlow, Vt, Bedford, Mass.

Cyclists gather for a series of three events. The 73-mile Vermont Monster is a gravel grinder with 9,000 feet of climbing. The Battlefield to Vermont ride is 134.3 miles long and has 8,101 feet of climbing as it travels from Bedford, Mass. to Okemo Mountain. Forty-mile recreational rides are also available. vtepic.com 6/16 – 18 | 38th Annual Quechee Hot Air Balloon Craft and Music Festival The skies over Quechee and the surrounding area fill with colorful hot air balloon.

The festival features up to 20 balloons offering five flights per day and tethered rides throughout the day. quecheeballoonfestival.com 6/16-18 | NEMBAFest at Kingdom Trails, East Burke, Vt. East Burke hosts the annual festival celebrating New England mountain biking. with demos, camping, live music, competitions and exhibitions. nembafest.com 17 | 6th Annual Mad River Valley Golf Tournament, Warren Sugarbush hosts an 18-hole scramble on Father’s Day. All proceeds are donated to Waitsfield’s Global Health Media Project. sugarbush.com 6/ 23-25 | Bikes, Bevs and Beats Festival, Stowe The Stowe Mountain Bike Club hosts a weekend-long bike festival with group rides, clinics, live music and beer. stowemountainbike.com 6/24 | 7th Annual Long Trail Century Ride, Bridgewater Corners This ride benefits Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports with 100-, 60-, 40-, or 20-mile and Adaptive 5K routes, followed by BBQ, music, kids activities and more. New for 2017, mountain bikers ride the trails at Killington. longtrailcenturyride.com

CONCERTS & MUSIC FESTS 6/22 – 25 | Stratton Wanderlust, Bondville Wanderlust attracts the world’s leading yoga teachers, top music acts and DJs, speakers, chefs, winemakers and more for four days of yoga, talks, music and local food. stratton.com 6/29-7/1 | Frendly Gathering, Sugarbush Mt. Ellen is the site of this year’s Gathering, a festival organized by pro snowboarders Jack Mitrani, Danny Davis, Kevin Pearce and “frends.” Bands include Twiddle, Yonder Mountain String Brand, Kat Wright, Madalia and more. frendlygathering.com 7/2-7/9 | Vermont Symphony Orchestra Summer Tour, Vermont’s most celebrated orchestra travels the state for lawn concerts and fireworks. Catch them in Manchester on 7/2, Grafton on 7/3, Shelburne on 7/4, Chittenden on 7/6, Okemo on 7/7, Randolph on 7/8 and Stowe on 7/9. vso.org 7/14-15 | 4th Annual Jeezum Crow Festival, Jay Peak Stateside Amphitheater hosts two days of live music from bands like The Mallet Brothers, Rick Redington & The Luv, Pink Talking Fish, Eric Gales, Soule Monde, and more. jaypeakresort.com 7/15-9/15 | Cooler In The Mountains Concerts, Killington Killington kicks off a free Saturday live music series at the Snowshed base area with top names from the national music scene taking the stage for eight shows. killington.com 8/11-12 | Garden of Eden with Strangefolk, Jay Peak Jay’s Garden of Eden reunites the original band members of Strangefolk and other acts. jaypeakresort.com 9/16-17 | Grand Point North Festival, Burlington Vermont rocker Grace Potter presents a full lineup of live music on the Burlington waterfront, including Trey Anastasio Band, Dawes, Mondo Cozmo Smalltalker, Tank & the Bangas and more. grandpointnorth.com

vtskiandride.com Summer 2017 55

JULY

1

Vermont Gran Fondo Ride the Steepest Paved Mile in the USA 4 gaps, 109 miles, 11K’ of climbing After Party Hosted by Woodchuck Cider VERMONTGRANFONDO.COM 56 Summer 2017 vtskiandride.com

THE GREEN MOUNTAIN CALENDAR 6/24 | Okemo Bicycle Hill Climb Okemo hosts a 5.8-mile uphill road bike race to the top of Okemo Mountain.This event is affiliated with the Bike Up Mountain Points Series (BUMPS), 11 uphill races held throughout New England. okemobikeclimb.com 6/24-25 Tough Mudder New England, Mount Snow Obstacle course racers tackle a hardcore 10- to 12-mile race at Mount Snow with a variety of obstacles, including mud pits, rope-climbs and cables. mountsnow.com 24 | Catamount Ultra 25/50k Trail Race, Stowe This race features 25K and 50K courses that circumnavigate the Trapp Family Lodge trail system on wide, hard-packed dirt trails. catamountultra.com

JULY 1 | Vermont Gran Fondo, Middlebury Starting at Woodchuck Cider, the Vermont Gran Fondo is a non-competitive ride with challenging climbs across gaps. Distances include the Gran Fondo: 108 miles, 10,000+ feet of climbing, Medio Difficile Fondo: 68 miles, 7,100 feet of climbing; Medio Facile Fondo: 78 miles, 6,300 feet of climbing and Piccolo Fondo: 39 miles, 2,900 feet of climbing. vermontgranfondo.com 1-4 | Warren Fourth of July Weekend, Warren Warren’s Fourth of July is one not to be missed with floats, music and many more surprises. A classic Vermont affair and a must-see on your bucket list of things to do. get there early to get a spot along the route. warrenpajuly4th.com 7-8 | The Prouty, Hanover, N.H. Join in for two days of 100-mile “century” road bike rides supporting patient services and research at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center. Friday’s ride starts in Hanover and goes through quintessential Vermont. On Saturday, ride the Prouty Century or the new a 64-mile metric century hybrid gravel route. theprouty.org 8 | Tour De Grace, Stratton Stratton Resort serves as the starting point for a scenic, 17.5-mile ride to benefit Grace Cottage Hospital. stratton.com 8 | Raid Lamoille, Stowe Cyclists ride approximately 100K on mostly gravel roads through the stunning northernVermont countryside. The 100K will include nearly 6,000 feet of climbing.

A 50K option will also be available. raidlamoille.com 8 | Dirty Girl Mud Run, Killington A 5K obstacle course run through muddy conditions for women of all ages and athletic abilities. killington.com 9 | Stowe 8-Miler/5K, Stowe, Vt. Stowe hosts the classic 8-mile run along with a 5K on local roads. cvrunners.org 9 | Mad Marathon, Mad Half and Relays, Waitsfield, Vt. The Mad River Valley is the site of a weekend of races on dirt roads with tough climbs, and great views of the Green Mountains. madmarathon.com 7/9 | Stoweflake Hot Air Balloon Festival, More than 25 balloons take to the skies, with music, a new kids area, food, wine and beer. Ballon rides are $275, and should be reserved in advance but tethered rides are $10. Stay at Stoweflake, and entry to the festival is free. gostowe.com 15 | Goshen Gallop, Goshen The Blueberry Hill Inn hosts their 39th annual 5K and 10K trail race in the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area. Start is at 4 p.m. blueberryhillinn.com

15-16 | Farm To Fork Fondo, Pittsfield Cyclists ride one of four fondos with stops at local farms. Pick between a 93-mile gran fondo, a 50-mile medio fondo, a 35-mile piccolo fondo and an 11-mile ride.

New for 2017 is a Meet the Farmers Dinner the night before the race. farmtoforkfondo.com 15-16 | Vermont 100 Endurance Race, West Windsor An ultra-marathon starting at Silver Hill Meadow in West Windsor is one of the four 100-mile races that comprise the Grand Slam of ultra-running. A 100 Km race is also offered. vermont100endurancerun.blogspot.com 16 | Eastern States Cup Showdown, Sugarbush The Showdown, featuring enduro and downhill mountain bike races with a combined cash purse of $3,200. It’s a great race for spectators, too. sugarbush.com 7/21-23 | Vermont Mountain Bike Festival, Sugarbush’s Mount Ellen area VMBA’s 10th annual festival is headquartered at Sugarbush’s Mount Ellen area but includes riding all over the Mad River Valley. You’ll find live music, bonfires and equipment demos. vmba.org

THE 3RD ANNUAL

28-29 | Kids Adventure Games, Stowe Teams of kids, age 6-14, conquer a 3-mile course on bikes, by foot or on water at the Trapp Family Lodge. kidsadventuregames.com 27-30 | Beast Of The East Pro GRT, Killington Top mountain bikers from around the world duke it out on Killington’s new Goat Skull Trail in USA Cycling’s Pro Gravity Downhill event. killington.com 30 | Mansfield Double-Up, Stowe This 11-mile endurance race climbs 5,500 feet and might have you encountering ladders, no-fall traverses and alpine tundra. nativeendurance.com

AUGUST 5-6 | Enduro East, East Burke Burke Mountain’s bike park hosts this downhill challenge, which is a World Qualifying site and part of the Clif Enduro East event series. skiburke.com 12 | Harpoon Point-To-Point, Windsor Choose to tackle 100, 50 or 25 miles on the road or the 20-mile mountain bike ride at Ascutney. Head to the Harpoon Brewery for BBQ, live music and fresh beer after the race. harpoonpointtopoint.com 8/12 | 9th Annual Bike N’ Brew Festival, East Burke The event features tastings, lift rides, mountain biking on local trails, contests and awards for the best beer. skiburke.com 12 | 100 on 100 Relay, Stowe Teams of runners complete a 100-mile relay on Vermont Route 100 from the Trapp Family Lodge to Okemo Resort. 100on100.org 12 | 13th Annual August West Festival, Jay Celebrate the Grateful Dead with tie-dying, free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, and food and craft vendors. There’ s also free live music by Dead Sessions, Hoopla, and Rick Redington & The Luv. Event is on the town green in Jay, Vt. jaypeakresort.com 17 – 20 | The Vermont Challenge, Manchester & Stratton Manchester and Stratton Resort serve as the home base for four days of longdistance rides between 23.3 and 107 miles. The challenge also includes a gran, medio or piccolo fondo options for Saturday. vtchallenge.com

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vtskiandride.com Summer 2017 57

THE GREEN MOUNTAIN CALENDAR

7 e Rated # p My Rid

a 017!!! or & M es for 2 er Arm

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New England's Premier multi-day tour of Vermont's picturesque countryside and historic villages : vermont challenge

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Ride up to 4 days, including 2-Valley and 2-Mountain stages Challenge yourself finishing atop Stratton Mtn Resort!

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FOOD & WINE FESTS 6/10 | Sugarbush Brew-Grass Festival Sugarbush’s Lincoln Peak Village hosts live folk music and over 20 Vermont breweries. Follow up your day at Brew-Grass with a 9-hole tournament at the Sugarbush Golf Course. sugarbush.com 7/8 | The Governor’s Cup, Proctorsville Vermont wineries present wine for judges in a blind tasting. Meanwhile, anyone can attend and taste Vermont wines. vermontgovernorscup.com 7/14-16 | Killington Wine Festival The 16th annual wine tasting at Killington now features more than 500 wines from more than 40 vineyards around the world. This year’s festival is held at the Killington Peak Lodge, accessed by gondola. killington.com 7/28-29 | Stowe Brewers Festival Beer lovers flock to this two-day festival i to sample more than 120 beers, ciders and meads from 40 local producers. stowebrewersfestival.com 7/23 | Blueberry Fest at Okemo Celebrate all things blueberry with a pancake brunch in the Jackson Gore courtyard with music, games, a pie eating contest and more. okemo.com 7/21-22 | Vermont Brewers Festival Vermont Brewers Association holds its 25th annual beer tasting festival at Burlington’s Waterfront Park with 50 breweries on tap. vtbrewfest.com 8/4-6 | Hops in the Hills, Okemo Okemo hosts a three-day beer and cider festival with over 50 regional craft beers and ciders. okemo.com

Travel with confidence at Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott®, a hotel with outstanding service for an easy and comfortable stay at an exceptional value. We look forward to welcoming you to our thoughtfully designed guest rooms and suites with plenty of room to work and relax, the perfect place to recharge between your Vermont adventures.

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58 Summer 2017 vtskiandride.com

6 | Vermont Fresh Network Annual Forum Dinner, Shelburne Sample fresh, local produce and meat in signature dishes prepared by Vermont’s top chefs at the lakeside Coach Barn at Shelburne Farms.

Warning: this event sells out so reserve ahead: vermontfreshnet.org 8/19 | Hop Jam, Bolton Valley Hop Jam enters its third year with a day-long party filled with great music, food and some of the finest beer from Vermont. boltonvalley.com 8/19 | Woodchuck’s Ciderstock Join close to 10,000 cider enthusiasts and sip on some refreshing cider while listening to headliners The Roots, Pepper and Tribal Seeds, and the Welterweights while munching on food from local food trucks. woodchuck.com 8/25-27 | Stowe Wine & Food Classic, Stowe Stowe Charities hosts a week of tastings of the best food and wine from Vermont and beyond, talks and live music. stowewine.com

18 | Under Armour Mountain Marathon, Killington Run between Killington’s and Pico’s peaks. The race, which is the second in a three-part running series, features a marathon, half marathon and relay, as well as shorter distances. killington.com

CHANGING THE WORLD IS A CONTACT SPORT. GAME ON.

24-27 | Middelbury New Filmmakers’ Festival Witness the work of 90 first- and second-time filmmakers in this festival and hear pros talk about their art. middfilmfest.org 27 | Race To The Top Of Vermont, Stowe The Catamount Trail Association challenges runners and mountain bikers to a race up Stowe’s historic Toll Road, gaining 2,564 vertical feet over 4.3 miles. catamounttrail.org

SEPTEMBER 16-17 | Spartan Race, Killington The famous Spartan Race returns with mud pits to cross, ropes to climb, plenty of hills and more daunting challenges. Start training now. killington.com 24 | Vittoria Eastern States Cup, Killington Top downhill mountain bikers head to Killington for the Regional Enduro Championship Series Finals, held on some of the most technical new terrain on the mountain. killington.com

We all belong in the game.

Play. Coach. Volunteer. info@vtso.org (802) 862-5222 specialolympicsvermont.org

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ELITEAM Girls Power Camps are action packed conditioning camps teaching skills that will help young female athletes navigate the challenges of their sport and daily lives with a feeling of confidence and empowerment. people” “It’s all about all about people” people” about all about “It’s all people” all about “It’s “It’s people” people” about “It’s “It’s all

all about people” people” “It’s all about people” about“It’s “It’s all

www.ELITEAM.com vtskiandride.com Summer 2017 59

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ST

ANNIVERSARY

ANNUAL FORUM DINNER It is a dinner...

tickets: www.VermontFresh.net 802.434.2000

$60 per person

vfn members

$75 per person

general public

...like no other.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 6, 2017

5:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. | The Coach Barn at Shelburne Farms For one special evening, farmers and chefs from across Vermont come together to prepare a sensational meal. The celebration features a bounty of local products grown and raised by Vermont’s farmers and grilled, braised, sautéed and baked into delectable offerings by 30 of the state’s finest chefs.

- affiliate sponsors -

- gold sponsors -

Addison County Independent Citizen Cider Dealer.com Shelburne Farms Timbers Restaurant at Sugarbush Resort Vermont First - Sodexo Vermont Public Radio Zero Gravity

The Green Mountain State is home to some of the best breweries, wineries, cideries and distilleries. Many of them use the finest Vermont products, including local apples, grapes and 100% maple syrup to create their unique libations. For more information, links and maps to each location check out www.vtskiandride.com.

133 North Main St, St Albans, VT 802-528-5988 www.14thstarbrewing.com

14th Star Brewing started as a daydream in the mountains of Eastern Afghanistan. While deployed overseas, soldiers have plenty of time to contemplate two things: Beer and getting out of the Army. 14th Star’s now owner and head brewer Steve Gagner and his buddies were doing just that in 2010 when the idea came to the long-time homebrewers: Why not open a brewery, preparing for the day we can retire from the Army? Thus started the journey from a handwritten business plan in the back of a notebook to a fully-licensed craft brewery.

64 Vt. Route 104, Cambridge, VT 05444 802-644-8151 www.BoydenValley.com

Experience Vermont’s award-winning Winery, Cidery, & Distillery. Crafting a variety of products including VERMONT ICE using sustainable agriculture and socially responsible practices. Tastings, Free Tours, and seasonal Gourmet Cheese Plates available. Two convenient locations: Cambridge – Winery & Tasting Room (only 7 miles from Smuggler’s Notch) and Waterbury - Tasting Room Annex at Cold Hollow Cider Mill (minutes from Stowe). Visit our website for hours and tour times. sponsored content

46 Log Yard Drive, Hardwick, VT 802-472-8000 www.caledoniaspirits.com

Caledonia Spirits is a craft distillery in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Raw honey distinguishes our Barr Hill vodka, Barr Hill gin, and Tom Cat barrel aged gin by imparting a pure and soft botanical essence into each bottle. All of our spirits reflect our deep connection to the land and Vermont’s agricultural heritage.

Open daily 12-5 for free tours and tastings at the distillery.

3597 VT-74, Shoreham, VT 802-897-2777 www.champlainorchards.com

Open daily 9-5. July-Nov. Please call ahead.

We offer guided tastings of our locallymade hard cider including our Original Hard Cider, Mac & Maple, Limited Edition Ginger Spice as well as our Pruner’s Pride and Honeycrisp Ice Cider. All our ciders are made onsite with our ecologically grown apples. 100% of our electricity is generated from our solar orchards. 2015 Winner of Vermont Cider Classic.

316 Pine Street, Suite 114 Burlington, VT 802-497-1987 www.citizencider.com

We are cider makers who love to take fresh local apples and ferment them into delicious, refreshing, dynamic, clean and fulfilling cider!

We use 100% locally sourced apples and cider for 100% of our products, 100% of the time. Never made from concentrate, ever!

Our goal is bold, yet simple: Make cider for the people, by the people. Visit us on Pine Street in Burlington for tastings and a great meal.

610 US Route 7, Middlebury, VT 802-989-7414 www.dropinbrewing.com

Steve Parkes and Christine McKeever, owners of Drop-In Brewing and the American Brewers Guild, pride themselves on educating brewers and creating worldly beers with Vermont character. In a small but fun atmosphere, customers can try our 7 beers on tap in our tasting room and take home any of three different sized growlers.

150 Main Street, Newport, VT Near Jay Peak 802-334-1808 www.edenicecider.com

Founded in 2007 on an abandoned farm in the Northeast Kingdom, Eden produces high quality ice ciders, aperitif ciders and naturally sparkling hard ciders from heirloom and true cider variety apples grown at our own and 5 other local orchards. Slow Food Snail of Approval, Good Food Award Gold Seal, Great Lakes International Cider Competition Best in Show 2015.

VERMONT BEER, WINE, CIDER + SPIRITS

DRINK VT

740 Marshall Ave, Williston, VT 802-999-7396 www.goodwaterbreweryvt.com

VERMONT BEER, WINE, CIDER + SPIRITS

GoodWater Brewery blends classic beer styles with modern tastes. Come visit us at our Williston location and check out the 20 BBL brewhouse adjacent to the tasting room. Enjoy sampler flights, pints and of course, growlers and cans to go.

4445 Main St, Isle La Motte, VT 802-928-3091 www.hallhomeplace.com

We make the most distinctive Hard Cider, Ice Cider and Apple Wine in the world.

Enjoy them around your meals or as wedding favors & toasts or sitting on your front porch watching a sunset.

1859 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT 802-253-4765 www.idletymebrewing.com

Beer-centric restaurant and brewpub featuring simple & seasonal comfort food and small batch beer brewed onsite. Lunch and Dinner daily from 11:30 am. Innovative cocktails, extensive wine list, outdoor bar, patio & biergarden, lawn games, lounge bar with fireplace. Family & dog friendly. Perfect for groups & special events. Ask about our brew tours, growler fills and 22oz bombers to go!

353 Coburn Hill Road Newport, VT 802-334-7096 kingdombrewingvt.com

This working farm is the northernmost brewery in Vermont. It has a greenhouse for food production, a Black Angus beef herd for spent grain and trub recycling, a geothermal cooling system and wood-fired hot water... we are Vermont Green.

Warren, VT 802-496-HOPS www.lawsonsfinest.com

Lawson’s Finest is an award winning small artisanal brewery located in Warren, VT, producing an array of hop-forward ales, specialty maple beers, and unique creations of the highest quality and freshness.

Find our beer at lawsonsfinest.com.

5 Bartlett Bay Rd South Burlington, VT 802-658-BREW MagicHat.Net

Where ancient alchemy meets modern-day science to create the best tasting beer on the planet. Come watch our spores dance and play! Visit the Artifactory for FREE samples, FREE tours and the most unusual shopping experience!

8814 Route 30, Rawsonville, VT Junction VT Rt 30N and VT Rt 100N 802-297-9333 www.CraftDraughts.com An intimate shop with over 300 craft beers plus ciders, meads and two rotating Vermont taps for growler fills. A muststop for craft beer lovers traveling through southern Vermont.

632 Laporte Road, Route 100 Morrisville, VT 802-888-9400 www.rockartbrewery.com

Enjoy samples of our beers during your visit and have a growler filled to take home to enjoy later. We have the best selection of our beers on tap. You’ll also find great Rock Art swag, Vermont foods and wonderful items from local artisans.

485 West River Rd, Brattleboro, VT 802-246-1128 www.saplingliqueur.com

Conveniently located just off I-91, stop in to see how all of our handcrafted spirits are made! While you are here you can pick up a few bottles and souvenirs, learn about the distilling process straight from our master distillers, and of course, taste all of our delicious liquors. sponsored content

Join us to taste and tour and share our adventure growing grapes and making awardwinning wine in northern Vermont. Then, pick your favorite to sip on the patio overlooking our vineyard. Check our concert and event schedule online or visit Shelburne Vineyard on Facebook, or plan your own special event here! Open 7 days a week, all year.

Drawing on the alchemy of a father/ son dream, Smugglers’ Notch Distillery creates Vermont inspired, small batch, and remarkably distinctive vodka, bourbonbarrel aged rum, hopped gin, 802 Blend gin, bourbon and wheat whiskey.

52 Seymour Street Middlebury, VT 802-897-7700 whistlepigwhiskey.com

WhistlePig showcases the tremendous flavor potential of rye while maintaining a smooth and balanced profile, identifying it with the most acclaimed whiskeys in the world.

Open daily for tastings at both locations 11 to 5.

1197 Exchange St, Middlebury, VT 802-388-3000 www.stonecutterspirits.com

Stonecutter Spirits captures complexity and tradition in their barrels of awardwinning Single Barrel Gin and Heritage Cask Whiskey. Sip samples of each--or try a seasonally-rotating craft cocktail--as you gaze at hundreds of aging barrels from their hip, cozy tasting room in Middlebury, Vermont.

1321 Exchange St Middlebury, VT 802-385-3656 www.woodchuck.com

Here at the Woodchuck Cidery in Vermont, we handcraft every batch of Woodchuck Hard Cider. Our Cider Makers utilize the highest quality ingredients and meticulously oversee each small batch from start to finish. We reinvigorated American cider in 1991 and continue to lead the category through our commitment to craft innovative and refreshing hard ciders.

FIND MAPS AND MORE INFO AT www.vtskiandride.com/drink-vermont

DRINK

VT

sponsored content

von Trapp Brewing 1333 Luce Hill Rd. Stowe, VT 802-253-0900 www.vontrappbrewing.com

von Trapp Brewing is dedicated to brewing the highest quality Austrianinspired lagers with a Vermont twist.

Experience “a little of Austria, a lot of Vermont,” in every glass. Plus come visit our new bierhall at the brewery!

Pine Street Brewery Flatbread Brewpub 716 Pine Street 115 St. Paul Street 802-497-0054 802-861-2999 www.zerogravitybeer.com Visit either of our two locations for two distinct ZG experiences: The Pine Street Brewery houses a 30-barrel brew house, full canning line, tasting room, retail shop and a sundrenched beer garden in Burlington’s South End Arts District, and our original location in downtown Burlington at American Flatbread features the full line-up of ZG flagship and Specialty brews alongside some of the finest wood-fired pizza you can find. Cheers!

VERMONT BEER, WINE, CIDER + SPIRITS

6308 Shelburne Road, Shelburne, VT 802-985-8222 www.shelburnevineyard.com

276 Main Street, Jeffersonville, VT Barrel House Tasting Room 2657 Waterbury Stowe Rd. Waterbury Center, VT 802-309-3077 www.smugglersnotchdistillery.com

Roth’s Vermont treehouses include this one at Lincoln’s Zeno Mountain Farm as well as one at Burlington’s

The Chairlift Q+A

BY LISA LYNN

THE SKI BIKER Brooke Scatchard spends summers building mountain bike trails and his winters riding his invention, the ski bike.

go up on edge and carve like a regular ski. I started out using snow blades but now have a short, wide ski custom built for this.The beauty of it is the attachment can fit onto most regular fat bike forks and it’s pretty easy to swap out a front tire.The only difference: there are no front brakes.

How did the Warren Miller film segment happen?

I was in Crested Butte for the Fat Bike Worlds and these guys saw me riding in powder and asked me if they could film. The Warren Miller crew started calling me Cinderella because I was pretty much an unknown and suddenly I’m showing up in their film.

Where would we, could we, be on a chairlift right now?

As of now, no alpine resorts allow fat bike skis that I know of.That’s too bad since these can go pretty well downhill if it’s not too steep—and uphill. I once rode my fat bike ski 40 miles from Charlotte to Bolton Valley. But they’re really best at Nordic ski areas.

How did you come up with the idea for the fat bike ski?

I started racing mountain bikes when I was 14, skied on the high school Nordic ski team and was really into metal work, so this sort of combined all three passions. I came up with the first design as my senior project at Champlain Valley Union high school. I made a prototype in shop class and applied for a patent. Interestingly enough, when I was researching the patent I found a design for a British “ice-velocipede” from the 1890s.

How does the fat bike ski work?

It’s a much flowier, smoother ride than a regular fat bike. The ski is on a double articulated attachment so you can both turn it and it can

64 Summer 2017 vtskiandride.com

Is trail-building still your primary business?

That’s what my partner Mariah Keagy and I do all summer. She does a lot of the design and I have two other employees. We started out building the trails behind Norwich University, a full network we designed on an abandoned ski area with about 6 miles of trails, including a flow trail. We’ve built a pump track in Putney, the new Connector trail at Stowe’s Cady Hill and last summer we built Evolution, a two-mile up and down trail in the Mad River Valley.

What trails are you working on now?

This summer we’ll be working on new trails near Kent Pond in the town of Killington and an entrance build near Perry Hill in Waterbury. We’re also building a flow trail at Grafton Ponds and, hopefully, a downhill trail network for Suicide Six. What does it cost to build a mountain bike trail?

With machines, it’s about $30,000 per mile of trail. Most people do a mile or two per year. Hand-built is a little more.

You still have time to ride?

Yeah, the only time I don’t ride is when trails are muddy—and I hope others don’t either because it ruins my trails. —L.L. n

Photo top by Ryan Thibault, bottom by Aly Kibbee

T

here is a segment in the most recent Warren Miller film, Here, There, and Everywhere, where Brooke Scatchard, 34, makes an unscheduled appearance. Scatchard, a professional trail builder from Morrisville, Vt. was in Crested Butte, Colo. when he was spotted riding his fat bike skis by the film crew. That segment (for video, see vtskiandride.com/fatbikeskis/) helped launch the fat bike ski business.

Have you had a lot of orders since then?

There’s a waiting list now, and we’re gearing up our website and production. It’s about $875 for one now but I hope to get that cost down and am looking to work with a Vermont ski builder.

W H AT ’ S N OT TO LOV E ?

sugarbush.com

800.53.SUGAR

#SUGARBUSH

UPCOMING EVENTS BREW-GRASS FESTIVAL Sat, Jun 10

MOUNTAIN ACTIVITIES OPENING DAY Sat, Jun 24

FRENDLY GATHERING AT MT. ELLEN Thu, Jun 29 – Sat, Jul 1

JULY 4TH PARADE, FIREWORKS & MOUNTAIN ACTIVITIES Tue, Jul 4

MAD MARATHON Sun, Jul 9

VERMONT MOUNTAIN BIKE FESTIVAL AT MT. ELLEN Fri, Jul 21 – Sun, Jul 23

EASTERN STATES CUP ENDURO & DOWNHILL MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE Sun, Jul 16

COMMUNITY WEEKEND & FAMILY OKTOBERFEST Sat , Oct 7 – Sun, Oct 8

WEEKLY SPECIALS Jun 26 – Sep 3

Monday: 50% off Dinner Timbers Restaurant Tuesday: Cornhole, Beer & Pizza Timbers Restaurant Wednesday: Raw Bar Timbers Restaurant Thursday: $15 Lunch Voucher with mountain bike lift ticket purchase, Timbers Restaurant Friday: Burger & Wing Night Hogan’s Pub Saturday: Birdies & Slices Hogan’s Pub Sunday: Bloody Sundays Timbers Restaurant

shifting gears is Better at Sugarbush Sugarbush’s lift-served mountain biking with après beers in the Lincoln Peak Courtyard isn’t the only summer hot spot at Sugarbush. From hitting the links at Sugarbush Resort Golf Club to disc golf and kids summer camps, the Mad River Valley boasts tons of summer fun. Join us for stay and play packages, beer festivals, farm-to-table meals and more.

For more information on restaurants, activities and events call 800.53.SUGAR or visit sugarbush.com.