A Race Up The Face

from Woodstock Magazine - Winter 2020

A Store for Our Times

Photos are from the 2019 race. Due to COVID-19, safety precautions will be in place for this year's race and will be announced as the date nears.

By Mark Aiken Photos by Herb Swanson

Suicide Six’s snowshoe challenge

Suicide Six ski area holds its fourth annual Face Race on February 2, 2021. It’s an event where anyone—even the most chair-prone desk jockey—can, for a short time, channel their inner adventure athlete.

Consider this: a steep, sheer, and vertical black-diamond ski trail. Athletes don snowshoes and charge . . . up the slope. That’s right. The Face at Suicide Six is a precipitous route that only experts try to ski down. Going up is a different matter; on snowshoes, however, any ability level can make it so long as they are determined, patient . . . and comfortable being completely out of breath. “People sprint for the first hundred yards,” says Courtney Lowe, vice president of the Woodstock Inn, which owns Suicide Six. Then they hit the ascent. “The slowdown is immediate,” he chuckles.

Competitors reach the top of The Face, then turn down Easy Mile—as the name implies, a much gentler trail—for the descent, a mile and a half in all. “It’s really a personal challenge,” says Courtney. “Can I make it up The Face?” Still, he is amazed at how quickly the fastest competitors complete the course. “The first year we couldn’t believe it when the winners came back in just 15 minutes,” he says. “The next year it was 14. Then 13.”

The event, which benefits CHaD, the Children’s Hospital at DartmouthHitchcock, will be a bit different this year because of (you guessed it) the coronavirus pandemic and guidelines around public gatherings. Last year’s event attracted 70 competitors (“Our goal is 100,” says Courtney), but the state of Vermont does not yet allow gatherings of that number.

According to Courtney, race organizers will wait until the event date nears before deciding what format the race will take. Whatever approach they

“People sprint for the first hundred yards,” says Courtney Lowe, vice president of the Woodstock Inn, which owns Suicide Six. Then they hit the ascent. “The slowdown is immediate,” he chuckles.

choose will align with state and Vermont Ski Areas Association guidelines around health and safety for all. What we know: fresh air, challenging oneself physically and mentally, and accomplishing personal goals regardless of how long it takes, are physically and emotionally healthy endeavors. Meanwhile, Courtney stresses that organizers would call the event off if it seemed inadvisable or unwise from a health and safety perspective.

Organizers have held other snowshoe events in the past, like scavenger hunts and food and drink tastings closer to the Woodstock Inn & Resort on the trails of Mount Peg. But for those looking to get outdoors in winter, to raise their heart rates, and for sheer bragging rights, look no farther. The Face Race is for you.

Favorite Picks for the Season

Woodstock Beverage offers a wide selection

By Corey Burdick

The days have slowly become shorter and the fiery red and orange leaves that dotted our landscape have given way to barren, sturdy trees ready to take on another Vermont winter. This shift in seasons is the perfect time to hunker down by the fire and get cozy. Luckily, Clay Hillgrove, owner of Woodstock Beverage, has some libations at the ready to accompany whatever your winter has in store.

Although some local businesses have understandably been struggling during the time of COVID, Clay reports that at Woodstock Beverage, “Business is very good. We are constantly upping the quality of all of our products in the store. Our wine selections are growing and Vermont craft beers are still a big part of our business.” On that note, here are Clay’s wine recommendations, followed by Stephanie Barnard’s holiday cocktail inspirations. According to Clay, Stephanie is the store’s “sales guru and mixologist.”

TO GIVE OR TO KEEP? K Vintners, created by the infamous Charles Smith, is a favorite producer of Clay’s. “Smith is the rock star of wine,” Clay says. “He is a legend of sorts. He has won winemaker of the year twice, once from Food & Wine maga-

Holiday Cocktails

Sometimes a cocktail is the perfect accompaniment to an appetizer, the main dish, or as an after-dinner libation by the woodstove. Stephanie Barnard from Woodstock Beverage offers some inspirational recipes. The store carries numerous spirits from Vermont distilleries, so you can easily make these cocktails a true locavore experience.

Maple Bourbon Manhattan

2 oz maple bourbon 1 oz maple liquor

Dash of maple bitters

Brandied cherries

Vermont Crème Coffee

Maple or apple cider liquor Top off with coffee Sprinkle with brown sugar Top with whipped crème

Maple Martini

2 oz Vermont Vodka 1 oz maple liquor

Maple sugar rim or maple drizzle in martini glass

Shake and serve in a martini glass. zine and again from Wine Enthusiast.” Clay enjoys pairing Smith’s wines with roasted or grilled meats, and he particularly likes the Charles Smith Syrah ($59.99). This wine comes from Walla Walla, Washington, boasts 13.5 percent alcohol by volume, and has beautiful notes of plum, black olives, and white pepper. This is a limited-production wine with only 1,135 cases made. This syrah would also pair well with turkey, a holiday staple.

Sesti Brunello di Montalcino ($99.99) is perfect for giving 2020 a sendoff— a splurge to be sure, but worth every penny. Sesti is a small family vineyard that was planted on the flanks of an old Italian castle in 1991. According to Clay, “Although the vines are younger, their roots pull terroir from the depths of ancient soils giving them deep flavors.” “Barnyard” is an aroma often used to describe this type of wine, but not so for the Sesti. The flavors evoke warm spices, ideal for pairing with roasted leg of lamb with cherry compote. As an added bonus, this Tuscan vineyard utilizes biodynamic practices.

Interestingly, Clay notes, “Customers have guided me to expand on the oldworld offerings of wine. They are looking for classic, lower alcohol wines.” Enter Capitol Fizz, hailing from the Illahe vineyard in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. “Capitol Fizz is just a fun, uncomplicated wine to enjoy with friends. Plus, they have really good videos,” Clay opined. Fizz is produced by Illahe vineyards, which practices organic as well as older farming styles. What does this mean? Grapes are hand harvested, then Percheron draft horses bring the harvested grapes to the winery. This classic method certainly reduces their carbon footprint, especially when combined with their solar-powered winery that works with a gravity feed system. This organic, dry, pink bubbly has 12 percent alcohol, tastes like sparkling raspberries, and is limited in production (only 925 cases made). At $19.99, pick up several bottles while you can!

ABOUT THE BUSINESS Clay Hillgrove took over Woodstock Beverage in June 2019 from Mike McCarthy, who had been the owner for 20 years. Clay’s background spans the gamut from farming to being an estate manager to bartending and buying for the Quechee Club, where he implemented the first-in-the-state private wine locker program. Clay has been working at Woodstock Beverage for four years. The store is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9am to 6pm. While in-store shopping is an option, they are also offering curbside service for those clients who would rather not shop directly. Please call the store and place your order with a credit card, and staff are happy to accommodate your needs.

Woodstock Beverage

512 East Woodstock Road Woodstock, VT (802) 457-1326 www.woodstockbeverage.com

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Shop, Support & Enjoy Quechee this Winter

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