CTA Newsletter_V29-01_Fall 2012

T h e L e n g t h o f Ve r m o n t o n S k i s
­­Volume XXIX Number 1
FALL 2012
World Class Competitors Shine at The North Face Race To The Top Of VT
I
n a race where bragging rights
are earned by the person with the
fastest time up Mt. Mansfield, The
North Face Race To The Top Of VT
challenges some of the best runners
herb swanson
herb swanson
Olympian Lea Davison breaks the
women’s overall course record.
Josh Ferenc leads the pack on his way to
setting a new run course record.
and mountain bikers in the country
against one another for the prestigious
title of “King of the Mountain”.
Under bluebird skies and with
temperatures in the mid 80’s, nearly
800 participants tested their strength
at The North Face Race To The Top
Of VT in Stowe on Sunday, August
26th. Mountain biker Lea Davison
of Jericho, Vermont set a new overall
women’s course record. Returning
from an 11th place finish at the summer Olympic games, Lea road the
4.3 mile packed gravel course up the
Mt. Mansfield Toll in 37:18.7, taking
nearly two minutes off the previous
women’s course record set by World
Mountain Running Champion Kasie
Enman of Huntington, VT. Kristen
Gohr of Reading, MA was the second fastest female mountain biker
in 42.25.1, while three-year winner
Marilyn Ruseckas of Waitsfield, VT
placed 3rd in 45:34.3. Not only did
Davison set a female course record,
she also garnered the 3rd fastest
mountain bike time of the day for
both men and women.
In a closely contested men’s
mountain bike field, Joshua Dillon of
(continued on page 7)
Inside This Issue
CTA Helps Protect Bolton Valley Nordic
and Backcountry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Schedule of Fall Work Days. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Pills and Ills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
CTA 2012 Fall Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Wanted: Trail Chief!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Catamount Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Making the Right Choices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Adios to Lauren Fereshetian. . . . . . . . . . . . 21
On the Trail: Building Bridges . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2013 Multi-Day Tours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Winter Classic Pemi Traverse. . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Map Advenutres' New
Mad River Valley Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
CTA Trail Fund Appeal a Success!. . . . . . . . 17
Printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink
Michelle R. LaCroix
The Catamount Trail News is published
by the Catamount Trail Association,
a member-supported, non-profit
organization dedicated to developing,
maintaining, and protecting the 300-mile
Catamount Trail and promoting
backcountry skiing in Vermont.
CTA Board of Directors
Tony Amenta, Waitsfiled
Moira Durnin Anderson, Stowe
Jill Aspinall, Montpelier
Paul Demers, South Burlington
Steve Fernandes, Rutland
Lynn Fisher, Bridgewater
Trina Hosmer, Stowe
Bob Jordan, Saxtons River
Paul Kendall, Braintree
Pete Lane, Marlboro, MA
Rich Larsen, Essex Junction
Bill Michels, Plymouth
Ed Miller, Stowe
Tyler Miller, Burlington
Kris Roomet, Burlington
Jan Rozendaal, South Burlington
Dagny St. John, So. Londonderry
Jason Wyman, Burlington
Arnold Ziegel, Stowe
CTA Staff
Jim Fredericks, Executive Director
Amy Kelsey, Trail Director
Matt Larson, Admin. Coordinator
Emily Licht, AmeriCorps Member
CTA Office
1 Mill Street • Suite 350
Burlington, VT 05401
802-864-5794
email: info@catamounttrail.org
Visit our Web Site at:
www.catamounttrail.org
The Catamount Trail News is published as
a benefit for CTA members. The Catamount
Trail Association encourages interested parties
to submit manuscripts, photos, and illustrations
for publication in the Newsletter. The opinions
expressed by contributors are not necessarily
those of the CTA. The CTA reserves the right
to refuse materials and advertising deemed
inappropriate for publication.
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CTA Chairman Jan Rozendaal and Executive Director Jim Fredericks present $5000 to
Milena Zuccotti and Christa Kemp of the VLT.
CTA Helps Protect Bolton Valley
Nordic and Backcountry
T
he Bolton Valley Nordic and Backcountry area is a recreational and natural treasure, and it holds a very special place in the hearts of many Vermonters. With
over 90 kilometers of groomed and backcountry trails, the area hosts one of the
largest and most beloved Nordic trail systems in the state and offers outstanding recreational opportunity. The Catamount Trail runs directly through the property, and
there are connections to other popular backcountry routes and to the Long Trail. The
land is also a critically important watershed and wildlife habitat area.
The Vermont Land Trust is working closely with the community to raise over
$1 million in order to permanently protect more than 1,100 acres of Bolton Nordic
and Backcountry land. If successful, the land will be transferred to the State as an
addition to Mt. Mansfield State Forest. VLT had a great summer, and as of midSeptember they had raised 75% of the needed funds! The campaign received an
$800,000 grant from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board in May and an
anonymous $100,000 gift in September. The Catamount Trail Association has been a strong supporter of the project and
has played an active role in the campaign. The Bolton project was named as a beneficiary of the 2012 North Face Race to the Top, and CTA made a direct contribution
of $5,000 to the campaign from the proceeds of that event. On top of that, the racers themselves collected almost $3,500 in sponsorship pledges!
The campaign to protect the Bolton backcountry was launched into high gear in
early September when a second anonymous donor committed a $100,000 challenge
gift to the project. That means that every dollar donated this fall will be matched on a
1:1 basis up to $100,000. To learn more about the project, or to make a gift in support
of the campaign to save this unique corner of Vermont, visit www.vlt.org/bolton.
C a t a mount Tra i l N ew s • Fa l l 2 012
Catamount Tales
by Jim Fredericks –
Executive Director
Something for Everyone
S
ometimes it’s hard to pinpoint
who our CTA members are. Of
course we know your names and
addresses but besides that, there are
many of you who we just don’t know
much about. It always amazes me
to meet people out skiing, cycling,
kayaking, running, and hiking who
are CTA members. One thing for
sure is that they are all active outdoor people or they believe in that
philosophy.
As Executive Director I feel
it is very important not to pigeon
hole our members into one group,
i.e. backcountry skiers. As the CTA
membership continues to grow, I
find that the diversity of their interests has also grown. With this in
mind, it is important for our staff,
the CTA Board of Directors, and you
as members to help guide our organization on a course which will benefit
most of our member’s interests. So
far, I think we have done a pretty
good job, but we always welcome
your thoughts as a member or potential member.
close to civilization? Even though the
Catamount Trail continues to stretch
the length of VT, it’s always going
through small and sometimes large
changes in order to permanently protect or enhance sections for the skier’s enjoyment. Even when the trail
doesn’t move, it always seems to be
somewhat different during the next
outing. Setting new tracks during
a big snowfall, navigating obstacles
during minimal coverage, gliding
along effortlessly through champagne
powder, or traipsing along through
heavy wet snow, all add to the experience and adventure of each ski.
Improving Skills
There are many ways to enjoy
Nordic skiing, but the one most
important enhancement of that outing is the proficiency of your technique. There is probably not one of
us who can’t improve some aspect
of our Nordic skiing technique.
Whether it is weight distribution
while classic or telemark skiing or
negotiating obstacles when skiing
down a wooded fall line, improved
skill level parallels improved enjoy-
ment. The CTA offers two opportunities to take your skiing to the next
level. For you women out there who
like to learn in a supportive environment filled with other energetic and
enthusiastic women, the CTA offers
the Ladies Nordic Ski Expo held
each year in early January. Learning
or improving classic, skate, and backcountry technique are the goals of
this fun filled day, taught by some
of the best women instructors in the
East. It’s hard not to enjoy a informative day of instruction followed
by a great lunch, be entertained at a
post lunch presentation, and end the
day with a wine and cheese social.
The second opportunity for
improving your backcountry skiing proficiency is the Get Out and
Backcountry Ski Festival held at
Bolton Valley. Participants enjoy a
day of instruction on some of the
best backcountry terrain in the east.
If you are a beginner to intermediate backcountry skier, the day full of
instruction and lectures will prepare
you for tackling any section of the
Catamount Trail. The day finishes
(continued on page 12)
Adventure
The uniqueness of the Catamount
Trail is unlike any other skiing
North America has to offer. How
many places can you do continuous
backcountry skiing for 300+ miles
in some of the most picturesque,
magical, and often challenging terrain in the U.S. and yet be fairly
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On The Trail
trail, my expectations were not high. Yet
to our surprise and delight, FPR found a
small amount of funding to assist CTA.
With the promise of funding, I
turned to logistics. In 2010, when CTA
first built the Sargent Brook Bridge, the
materials were driven 2 miles in, then
hauled ½ mile through the woods to the
bridge site. Today, the bridges at the base
of that road are gone, creating a carry 5
times the length of what we had done
before. With winter around the corner, I
called the local VAST snowmobile club
to ask for help. Could they haul lumber
in on their groomer so we could stash it
in the woods until summer? “Absolutely”
was the answer. “We just need snow
and frozen ground.” Unfortunately,
2x12s by hand!) Our next call for help
was to Vermont VASA, the Vermont AllTerrain Vehicles Sportsman’s Association.
Was there a local ATV club that might
help move the materials up the snowmobile trail in the summer? We’d need
multiple ATVS with trailers, each vehicle would need to make multiple trips,
and we could only do it if the trail was
Bulding Bridges
dry. Ten members of the Birds Eye ATV
Club answered the call. Not only would
ust over a year ago, we were busy
they like to help, they’d like to devote
collecting post-Irene trail condition
two days to the project: one to scout the
reports. We were counting the number
route, and a second to haul in materials.
of culverts and bridges that had been
In between these two volunteer days in
buried in debris, split in half, or washed
the field, they retrofitted their trailers to
downstream. And we were wondering
carry stacks of 12-foot 2x12s.
how we would possibly put all the pieces
Thanks to the Birds Eye ATV Club,
back together. Today, the Trail is
by mid August, the bridge
in remarkably good condition.
materials were within ½ mile of
There will be several new bridges
the bridge site. That was great
for skiers to enjoy this coming
progress, but we still needed
winter, but the bridges most
to haul it all ½ mile upstream,
worth celebrating and recognizin a streambed littered with
ing this fall are the figurative
large cobbles and storm debris.
ones. The relationships and partThere were multiple shallow
nerships that continue to evolve
stream crossings, boulders to
and allow CTA to complete projnegotiate, and trees that had
ects on the ground are, without
fallen into the stream when the
question, the most important
soil at their roots was eroded by
“bridges” we build.
floodwaters.
To illustrate this point,
In the manner of superheI’m going to share The Tale of
roes, Scott Ryan arrived on the
The new “Friendship Bridge” constructed across Sargent Brook, scene. Scott happens to live at
Sargent Brook.
August 2012. Photo by Bill Herrington.
Sargent Brook is to the
the base of the access road and
south side of Killington and
is an active member of the local
Shrewsbury peaks in central Vermont,
those conditions were hard to come by
VAST and VASA clubs. He bookended
where Tropical Storm Irene hit with
last winter. Despite consistent weather
his workdays with several missions up
particular strength. There are larger
checks and phone calls to Roy Arthur of
Sargent Brook, clearing a narrow trail
drainages to be found, but this one is
the Shrewsbury Snowbirds Snowmobile
that would allow hikers to carry in the
deep, and drains a decent-sized area. A
Club to check on conditions, Mother
materials.
thirty-foot Catamount Trail bridge, built
Nature was not on our side.
When our August work weekend
in 2010 as part of a larger Section 12
Spring arrived, and with VTFPR
arrived, over a dozen CTA Volunteers
relocation, was destroyed by Irene. In
support, Timber and Stone LLC was
teamed up with 9 first year students
the wake of the storm, I called Vermont
hired to lead a volunteer CTA crew in
from UVM’s TREK Orientation
Forests Parks and Recreation (VTFPR)
bridge construction for 2 days in August.
Program and Timber and Stone’s staff of
to see if they might have any funding to
The distance in and the need to move a
3. Each board, post, sill, nail, and screw
help us rebuild. Knowing all of Vermont
significant amount of materials weighed
was carried by hand ½ mile upstream,
was facing far greater challenges than a
heavily on me (although not has heavily
along with a generator, nail gun, power
splintered bridge on a backcountry ski
as it did when I actually started hauling
drill, and lots of baked goods to fuel the
J
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C a t a mount Tra i l N ew s • Fa l l 2 012
crew. At the end of Day 2, a gorgeous
bridge had emerged. And at the end
of Day 3, what remained of the bridge
Irene had destroyed was deconstructed
and refashioned to aid skiers across two
small gullies.
To celebrate the many bridges
built this past August, both literal and
figurative, we will be christening the
new “Friendship Bridge” across Sargent
Brook on Sunday October 21. (See page
10 for details.)
A very special thanks to Timber
and Stone LLC, VT FPR, Birds Eye
ATV Club, Shrewsbury Snowbirds,
UVM Trek, Bill Herrington, Paul
Kendall, and Scott Ryan for all the
time and energy dedicated to completing this project. Thanks also to the
CTA volunteers who spent a weekend
lugging lumber uphill!
Map Adventures’ New
Mad River Valley Map
M
ap Adventures LLC, recently released the newly
updated Mad River Valley Trail Map (Hiking,
Biking & Skiing, third edition). With 23 suggested
outings, the new map has something for everyone—
from an easy village ramble, to a challenging hike up
one of Vermont’s high peaks. And of course skiing the
Catamount Trail!
Steve Bushey, cartographer and co-owner of Map
Adventures, founded the CTA in the early 80’s and
worked with current CTA Trail Director Amy Kelsey on the updated Mad River
Valley map. “We’re grateful to the CTA for their participation in our planning
meetings and for helping us create a great resource,” said Bushey.
The map is available from the CTA, retail outlets throughout the region,
the Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce, The Mad River Path Association,
and online at http://www.mapadventures.com.
Snowshoe Festival and WinterParty!
Sat, Feb 2
8:30 -­ 3:00
Snowshoe Hikes & Nature Walks
Workshops & Demonstrations Kids Activities, S’mores, & Cocoa
3:00 -­ 5:00 Winter Party with live music, refreshments, and prizes
$8 members, $10 non-­members (BECOME A MEMBER AT THE EVENT AND RECEIVE FREE ADMISSION)
~ Support the Green Mountain Club’s Outdoor Education program ~
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C a t a mount Tra i l N ew s • Fa l l 2 012
The North Face Race To The Top Of VT
(continued from page 1)
Stowe, VT outpaced Kip Roberts of Montpelier, VT by
21 seconds to take first place in 35:35.4. Tyler Berliner
of Richmond, VT rounded out the top three with a time
of 38:22.4.
The previous course record in the men’s run category
(34:34.6) set by Andrew Gardiner in 2010, was broken
by Josh Ferenc of Saxtons River, VT with a time 33:53.4,
leaving the overall fastest men’s record time still intact.
The overall fastest time for both the run and mountain
bike divisions was set by mountain biker Jamie Driscoll
of CO in 2011 (31:51.6). Second and third place in the
men’s run division went to Craftsbury Green Team racers
Gordon Vermeer in 35:33.3 and Nils Koons in 36:56.5.
First place in the women’s run category went to former World Mountain Running Champion Kasie Enman
of Huntington, VT with a time of 40:16.7. Enman’s
time of 39:17.7 still holds as the record for the fastest
female runner up Mt. Mansfield, which was set in 2011.
Mirroring the men’s run results, 2nd and 3rd place went
to Craftsbury Green Team athletes Caitlin Patterson
in 42:31.6 and US Ski Team member Ida Sargent in
43:41.5. The Craftsbury Green Team is made up of post
college age elite cross-country skiers from throughout the
US, preparing for future births on the US Olympic team.
A third course record of the day was set in the overall
Team category with a time of 1:56.08 set by Team HillToppers, made up of Craftsbury Green Team Members,
Caitlin Patterson, Gordon Vermeer, and Dylan McGuffin.
For the non-competitive people, the hiking division
was a big success as 125 participants leisurely strolled up
the 4.3 mile course taking in the magnificent views while
enjoying casual conversation on route.
The MVP Health Care Run For Fun, a onekilometer hill climb, got off to a roaring start prior to
the awards celebration at the Stowe Mountain Resort’s
Midway Base Lodge. Eighty young runners from ages
4-14 took part in this fun run with each participant
receiving their own custom made race medal. The post
race activities culminated with a delicious BBQ and over
$16,000 of raffle prizes. Proceeds from The North Face
Race To The Top Of VT are used to support the 300mile Catamount Trail and the Vermont Land Trust in its
effort to protect 1,161 acres of forested recreation land
in Bolton Valley.
Check out our Catamount Trail Facebook page and
our CTA Website for the many wonderful photos of
the race.
A perfect introduction to running at the MVP Health Care Run For
Fun event. Photo by Michelle R. LaCroix.
THANK YOU Race Supporters!
A big thanks to our photographers, Jay Stearns, Herb
Swanson, Michelle Wilcox, Sheri Larsen, and Lee Krohn. A big thanks to all our sponsors who made The North
Face Race To The Top Of Vermont a tremendous success.
Title Sponsor: The North Face
Gold Level Sponsors: Fleischer Jacobs Group, MVP
Health Care, Sojourn Active Vacations, The Northface
Store @ KL Sport
Silver Level Sponsors: Merchants Bank, Nokian Tyres
Bronze Level Sponsors: Concept 2, Darn Tough Socks,
Dinse/Knapp/McAndrew, Frida’s Taqueria, Maplefields,
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Northeast Delta Dental,
Onion River Sports, Redstone, Salomon, Stowe Today,
Vermont Smoke & Cure
Lodging Sponsors: Brass Lantern Inn, Commodores Inn,
Golden Eagle Resort, Green Mountain Inn, Stowe Motel
& Snowdrift, Stowe Mountain Lodging, Top Notch
Resort
Contributing Sponsors: Cabot Creamery, Craftsbury
Outdoor Center, Crystal Rock, Earls Fitness & Cycling,
EMS, Fleet Feet Sports, Otter Creek Brewing, Pepsi
Bottling Ventures, Redwood Creek Wine, Small Dog
Electronics, Sovernet, The Essex Agency
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7
AMY KELSEY
Schedule of Fall Work Days
I
f you enjoy working in the woods and have some time to spare, please join CTA’s
Trail Chiefs and other volunteers in our annual effort to clear the Catamount Trail
of blow-downs, branches, and brush. Check out the schedule below and contact
the appropriate Trail Chief for details on meeting time and place. As additional trail
workdays are scheduled, they will be added to our online calendar. You’ll need lunch,
water, long pants, work gloves, hiking boots, and a pair of loppers or a handsaw. Pack
or wear blaze orange as many of these dates occur during hunting season. Bring a
friend, give back to the trails you enjoy, and help CTA provide trail users with great
experiences this winter.
Always contact the Trip Leader in advance to confirm meeting times and
locations, as they are subject to change.
Volunteers take a break from bridge
construction on Section 11.
Saturday 10/6/12
Sunday 10/14/12
Saturday 10/27/12
Section 20: Camel’s Hump Rd. to
Section 17: South Lincoln, VT
Section 10: Buttermilk Falls to Lake
Duxbury Rd. (Huntington)
Contact: Peter Cottrell, pcottrel@
myfairpoint.net, 802-879-0755
OR Andy Strauss, arstrauss@yahoo.com,
802-881-4168
Saturday 10/13/12
Section 12 Middle: Gov Clement Shelter
Contact: Dave Scott, 802-352-4607,
sand515@myfairpoint.net
Meet at 9am, Bristol Bakery, Bristol,
VT
Saturday 10/20/12
Section 6 North: Route 30 to South
to Brewer’s Corner (Shrewsbury/
Rutland)
Contact: Steve Waite, smw26@sover.net,
802-558-9770
Road (Peru)
Contact: Alan Binnick, anbin@
myfairpoint.net, 802-464-3917
Meet at 9:00am at the South Road
parking lot.
Saturday 10/13/12
Sunday 10/21/12
Section 4 North: Mid-Somerset
Section 30: Hazen’s Notch to Jay Pass
Reservoir to Kelly Stand (Stratton)
Contact: Alan Binnick, anbin@
myfairpoint.net, 802-464-3917
Meet at 9:30am at the Grout Pond
parking area (down Grout Pond Rd.)
Saturday 10/13/12
Section 19: Battlegrounds to
Huntington Gap
Contact: Tony Amenta, tamenta@
accessvt.com, 802-279-7288
Meet at 9am at Battleground
Condominium on Route 17 in Fayston
8
(Montgomery/Westfield)
Contact: Sam Nelson, samnelson@
surfglobal.net, 802-524-0358,
802-309-0867
Saturday 10/27/12
Section 3: Route 9 to Somerset
Reservoir
Contact: Tim Marr, hauptmarr@
comcast.net, 802-442-3469
Saturday 10/27/12
Section 4: Somerset Reservoir to Grout
Pond (South Half)
Contact: Jim Briggs, jimrbriggs@
me.com, 413-458-4390
Rain Date: Sunday 10/28/12
C a t a mount Tra i l N ew s • Fa l l 2 012
Ninevah (Ludlow/Mt Holly)
Contact: Donna Dearborn, winnie@
vermontel.net, 802-875-6617
Saturday 10/27/12
Section 18: Sugarbush Golf Course to
Route 17
Contact: Lauren Slater, laurens@
madriver.com, 802-496-6793
Saturday 10/27/12
Section 25: Elmore Mountain Road to
Elmore State Park
Contact: Jill Aspinall, jillaspinall@
alumni.uwaterloo.ca, 802-224-9980
Rain Date: Sunday 10/28/12
Sunday 10/28/12
Section 18: Lincoln Gap to Sugarbush
Golf Course (Warren/Waitsfield)
Contact: Phil and Audrey Huffman,
phil@madriver.com, audreya@
madriver.com, 802-496-6793,
802-371-9501
Saturday 11/3/12
Section 9: Route 155 to Healdville
(Weston/Ludlow)
Contact: Bob Jordan, bobjord@
earthlink.net, 802-869-2784
Rain Date: 11/4/12
Saturday 11/3/12
Sunday 11/11/12
Saturday 11/24/12
Section 19: Huntington Gap to Camels
Sections 1 and 2: MA border to Route 9
(Readsboro/Wilmington)
Contact: Sam Bartlett, sam@bart-tech.
com, 413-624-0192
Use “Catamount” in subject line of
email
Section 25: Ryder Brook Golf Course
Saturday 11/17/12
Section 25: Elmore Mountain Road to
Hump Road (Huntington)
Contact: Paul Demers, demers.paul6@
gmail.com, 802-660-0971
Saturday 11/3/12
Sections 1 and 2: MA border to Route 9
(Readsboro/Wilmington)
Contact: Sam Bartlett, sam@bart-tech.
com, 413-624-0192
Use “Catamount” in subject line of
email
Section 5: Kelley Stand Road to Kendall
Farm Road (Stratton/Bondville)
Contact: Andrew Harper, Andrew
Harper ap_harper@hotmail.com,
802-824-3139
Meet at 9am at the entrance to the
Bondville Fairgrounds
to Elmore Mountain Road (Stowe/
Morrisville)
Contact: Mike Stafford, msstafford@
vtusa.net, 802-253-2505
Saturday 12/1/12
Elmore State Park (Stowe/Morrisville)
Contact: Jill Aspinall, jillaspinall@
alumni.uwaterloo.ca, 802-224-9980
Rain Date: Sunday 12/2/12
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9
CTA 2012 Fall Events
Tickets: Free (general admission),
$8 Reserved, $20 VIP
Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT
The North Face’s Never Stop
Exploring Speaker Series
Monday Oct 15, 2012, 7pm
VIP Reception: 6pm (VIP Reception
proceeds benefit CTA)
We are excited to announce that we
will again be a part of The North
Face’s Never Stop Exploring Speaker
Series, thanks to our Sponsors at KL
Sport in Burlington. Conrad Anker
will be speaking at 7pm at Higher
Ground in South Burlington on
October 15, 2012. We encourage
you to come to the VIP reception
for an opportunity to meet Conrad
and enjoy free food and beverages.
All proceeds from the VIP Reception
will be donated to the CTA! Reserve
your ticket today at http://www.
thenorthface.com/en_US/get-outdoors/
speaker_series/
Conrad Anker, Alpine Climber:
Return to Meru
Conrad Anker’s specialty, simply put,
is climbing the most technically challenging terrain in the world. This quest
has taken him from the mountains of
Alaska and Antarctica to the big walls
of Patagonia and Baffin Island and the
massive peaks of the Himalaya. Mount
Everest, which Conrad has climbed
three times, is the peak that’s always
in the media, but more challenging mountains rise in the Himalaya,
including India’s ice-coated granite
fang, Meru. The saga of Conrad’s
ascent of Meru’s formidable east face,
which had defied climbers for two generations, begins with a failed attempt
in 2003, followed by a treacherous
attempt in 2009, when an epic storm
froze feet and forced retreat. Three
Vermont’s only
independent
statewide
community bank
Proud supporter of the
Catamount trail association
800-322-5222
www.mbvt.com
Merchant’s Bank - “Catamount Trail Association Sponsorship” // B/W // 7.375” x 4.75”
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C a t a mount Tra i l N ew s • Fa l l 2 012
Member FDIC
years later, grit and determination
brought Conrad and his team back
to complete the climb, which Conrad
regards as his most challenging.
be to be at the bridge at approximately
2:45pm for the christening, and back
to our vehicles by 4:30pm.
If you plan to attend either event
on 10/21, please RSVP to akelsey@
catamounttrail.org.
CTA Annual Meeting
Saturday November 10th, 2012
3:00pm-5:00pm
Green Mountain Club Headquarters,
Waterbury Center, VT
John and Judy Stearns
CTA Trail and Bridge Dedications
Section 12: Tin Shanty to Route 4
Sunday, October 21, 11am and 1:30pm
Section 12 Dedication: Sunday morning,
CTA will be dedicating Section 12 of
the Catamount Trail to long time Trail
heroes, John and Judy Stearns. Meet at
11am at the Bucklin Trail parking lot at
Brewers Corner on Wheelerville Road,
Mendon, VT. It is a very short walk to
the dedication site.
Sargent Brook Bridge Hike and
Christening: Sunday afternoon, CTA
will be christening a new bridge across
Sargent Brook, built in August 2012 to
replace a bridge that was destroyed by
Tropical Storm Irene. Meet at 1:30 pm
at the intersection of Upper Cold River,
Gilman (Township Rd 12), and Kister
Roads, Shrewsbury, VT. It is a 2.5-mile
hike to the bridge, 2 miles on 4th class
roads, then 0.5 miles up a streambed
(about 1 hour each way). Our goal will
Come join us to hear the stories of
Ross Scatchard and Leath Tonino, two
new Catamount Trail End-to-Enders!
Listen to these inspiring outdoorsman
and writers as they retell some of their
insightful stories from skiing 300 miles
through Vermont, self-supported, in
20 days during an unpredictable, ever
changing and unnervingly feisty winter.
Leath, a native to the Champlain
Valley, completed the Catamount
Trail as part of his project known as
“Seven Lengths of Vermont” which
he came up with while hiking the
Long Trail about one year ago. His
idea was to explore Vermont end to
end seven times in one year, each time
using a different means of transportation and while looking at the state
through a different lens. Some of his
trips were rugged outdoor adventures
while others were wandering explorations, though all were about absorbing
the culture and land he has grown to
love. At the end of his journeys, Leath
hopes to share his year by compiling
his writings into a book. Besides skiing the Catamount Trail and hiking
the Long Trail, Leath has also hitchhiked, canoed and biked the length of
Vermont thus far.
Ross grew up in Charlotte and
he and Leath have been friends since
about age 4. Ross was a nordic skier
in high school and has been involved
in mountain biking as a competitor and coach since 1997. Ross has
always spent his winters on skis and
enjoys all types of skiing, including
backcountry, alpine, nordic, and AT.
The trip on the CT last winter gave
Ross the opportunity to experience
the Trail (something he’d been wanting to do for years) before heading
back to work at Shelburne Farms,
where he works in the production
garden and with small livestock.
Look out for updates from Leath
as he documents each leg of his journey
in Vermont’s Seven Days Magazine!
Visit the Stowe area, take a hike up
the Stowe Pinnacle or Mount Hunger,
join us for a short business meeting
and enjoy this great presentation that
will fuel your enthusiasm for the winter ahead. Light refreshments will be
served. The event is free (donations
accepted) and open to the public, but
space is limited. If you plan to attend,
please RSVP by November 5th to
Emily Licht at intern@catamounttrail.
org, or call us at 802-864-5794. We hope
to see you there.
Onion River Sports Benefit Movie
Night for the Catamount Trail
Tuesday, November 13th
Doors open at 6:30pm, film at 7:00pm
Mark your calendars for the Onion
River Sports backcountry movie night
at the Savoy Theatre in Montpelier.
This will prove to be another sell-out
night with lots of good pre-season
energy and much anticipation for
Powderwhore Production’s “Choose
Your Adventure”. Check out youtube
to view the Powderwhore trailer.
Doors open at 6:30pm with film
at 7:00pm. Enjoy a good beverage,
have some popcorn and settle in for
a great adventure movie while helping support the Catamount Trail. We
hope to see you there but limited seating is available so please make reservations by calling Onion River Sports at
802-229-9409.
www.cat am ounttrail. or g
11
a single day tour might not be the
number one reason for joining an
organized guided ski tour, but it is
sure nice when it happens. With over
forty days of tours throughout the
winter, many friendships are formed
in this natural outdoor environment
where the peaceful chatter of conversation, laughter, and sometimes
adrenaline flow. If you haven’t taken
the time to join us on one of these
adventures, set a day aside this winter for one of these outings. I often
hear people remark, “I can’t believe
it took me so long to do this, it’s so
much fun!”
Competition
Lady Liberty (Melissa Haberman)
promotes the CTA on July 4th float in
Montgomery.
Catamount Tales
(continued from page 3)
with an informative adventure presentation and a fun social with beverages and light food.
Setting Goals
If your bucket list includes finishing the Catamount Trail, you are not
the lone ranger. Many members have
taken on this goal and we are making
it easier than ever to make it a reality.
Since very few people can take off a
month to ski the Trail straight through,
we have devised the Week Long Tour
(WLT) concept. Offering two WLT’s
each winter, a CTA member can ski the
entire length of the Catamount Trail
in two winters and earn the prestigious
honor of becoming an End-to-Ender.
We still have less than 65 people who
own those bragging rights.
Camaraderie
Developing a camaraderie with other
skiers on a multi-day tour or even
12
There are competitors in every crowd
and yes, I have to admit that I’m
one of them. There are days when us
competitive types enjoy just touring
along in a group and there are other
days when our competitive desires
take over as we enjoy challenging
ourselves against nature or our fellow skiers. For those people, we have
the Romance Half Marathon and
Tour at the Rikert Nordic Center
in Ripton, VT. For the competitors, a 25km classic ski will follow
these expertly groomed trails as you
compare your time against some of
the better citizen racers in the East.
For the non-competitive types, the
enjoyment will be yours as you tour
this gradual undulating terrain supported by aid stations on the route.
All participants will receive Danforth
pewter pendants and the timed competitors will race for age group hand
crafted mugs.
The North Face Race To The
Top Of Vermont has become a significant event for establishing both
outreach and fundraising for the
CTA. Attracting almost 800 participants and hundreds of spectators this past year, this unique event
showcased some of the world’s best
C a t a mount Tra i l N ew s • Fa l l 2 012
runners and mountain bikers as they
challenged each other on the 4.3
mile course up the Mt. Mansfield
Toll Road. For you non-competitive
types, we do have the popular hiking division. This non-timed event
is ideal for people who want to take
part in the day’s activities and still
want to carry on a conversation with
their friends as they take in the spectacular views. For the kids, the MVP
Health Care Run For Fun is a great
introduction into off-road running
in this one-kilometer event where
everyone receives a custom made
medal. A post race BBQ, spectacular
raffle, plenty of fabulous prizes, and
great live music make a fun day for
the entire family.
Stewardship
Sometimes it’s not what you take
advantage of, it’s what you believe
in. There are many CTA members
and supporters who never use the
Catamount Trail, but who strongly
believe in the concept and the value
it has to the State of Vermont. Even
though the CTA is continually making progress in protecting and maintaining the trail, there is always more
work to accomplish. The financial
help and the valuable time spent cutting new trail, building new bridges,
and maintaining what already exists
is one of the most important aspects
of the entire CTA. We can’t thank
enough the hundreds of volunteers
who help us each year with the various projects, events, and financial
support.
If you are already an active member of the CTA, we hope you will
take the time to enjoy all the benefits it has to offer and while doing
so, spread the word to your friends
and other outdoor enthusiasts. The
Catamount Trail Association has
something for everyone!
www.cat am ounttrail. or g
13
Making the Right Choices
by Kip Roberts
This article was written by for the CTA’s Spring 2012 Newsletter,
but due to space constraints, we were unable to publish it last
spring. Read on for some great information on choosing your next
pair of “fat” skis for the backcountry.
T
hough the swirling flocks of robins ravenously attacking
sumac berries along route 2 seem to belie the fact that
winter is finally here, head out for a day’s excursion on Section
22 from Bolton Valley to Trapp Family Lodge and you’ll swear
spring was at least another two months off. Vermont has
received massive amounts of snow in the last two weeks and
what had been boney lines through the woods that threatened
life and limb of intrepid skiers are now choked with snow and
hold the promise for turns late into March and even April. It’s
a good time to be a backcountry skier and good things did
come to those who waited.
What’s a Catamount Trail skier to do with all this snow?
Break out the trusty 205cm Fischer Europa 99s and head
for that remote birch glade that’s tempted you all season?
There certainly are some folks (particularly in the Northeast
14
C a t a mount Tra i l N ew s • Fa l l 2 012
Kingdom) who would make quick work of laying down perfectly matching S-turns with this setup, but for the rest of us
who don’t necessarily possess “old-school” skills, I’d go fat and
never look back.
The designation of “fat” when referring to the width of
skis is certainly a subjective term: East-coasters generally tend
to have a more modest opinion of what a fat ski is—some of
our more generously proportioned Telemark skis at Onion
River Sports often get mistaken as snowboards—whereas
Western powder-seeking backcountry skiers would scoff at
anything less than 115mm underfoot. Does one need to
have a ski as wide your head in order to enjoy 8” of fluff?
No, fresh snow is fresh snow and for us powder-starved New
Englanders, we’ll take anything we can get this year. However,
in my final installment of equipment used on and around
the Catamount Trail, I’ll make the case for width and power
and introduce you to the types of skis, boots and binding that
make a powder day that much more fun.
As you may recall from where we left off last time, skis
such as the Madshus Annum and Rossignol BC 125 have
pushed the boundaries of traditional dimensional norms for
waxless backcountry Nordic skis. Paired with lightweight plastic boots such as the Garmont Excursion or Scarpa T4 and a
Volunteer Spotlight
A Look into Some of the
Dedicated Supporters who
Make the CTA Possible
JIM FREDERICKS
light3-pin backcountry binding, hours of fun can be had right
out your back door. All of us at the shop have enjoyed many
an afternoon on these skis and similar models, be it yo-yoing
laps on some not-so-secret hills around town or “meadowskipping” through neighboring, mellow farm fields. Nothing
beats these wide, shapely, lightweight setups after 6” of fresh
has fallen, when minimal planning and extra equipment isn’t
needed or wanted. They are the backyard, back bowls, quick
tour-with-turns bushwhackers of choice. When it comes to a
real excursion, however, where deep, fresh snow, steeper lines,
an extended approach covering multiple miles and hundreds
or thousands of feet of vertical are the requisite, we almost
always reach for our full-on Telemark or Alpine Touring (AT)
—locked heels—setups. And just as waxless skis have recently
undergone massive changes, their bigger siblings are a far cry
from more humble beginnings.
In the past few years, there have been two revolutions of
sorts in the design of alpine and Telemark/AT skis that have
changed playing field permanently: increased width without
sacrificed performance, and rocker. We’ve already discussed
some of the benefits of increased width: better floatation in
soft snow and increased stability (think of standing on a 1”x1”
strip of wood vs. a 2”x 6” board), but we haven’t talked about
the differences in construction techniques (be it from Nordic
skis to downhill-oriented boards or older “powder skis” to
their more recent iterations). Nordic backcountry skis are generally constructed using more simple and cost-effective techniques. The cores of these skis have a minimal (or no) amount
of fiberglass, metal, rubber or carbon—all materials that add
heft (crud-busting ability), edge-hold, torsional rigidity and
dampness to a ski. Older powder skis utilized some of these
materials, but a wide ski with soft flex along the length of the
ski (ideal for soft-snow performance) usually had extremely
low marks when encountering hard snow where edging was
necessary (case in point: the venerable Voile Mountain and
Carbon Surf skis—great in the soft snow, but deadly and
noodly on the hardpack). Recent ski construction techniques
where wood cores are CNC machined and fiberglass and carbon are wrapped and laid-up in ways that allow for maximum
edge-hold with reduced weight and longitudinal forgiveness
(soft along the length of the ski) have turned fat boards that
used to be a quiver ski into an all-the-time, any condition, ripper that’s light enough to go all day.
To make the leap from theoretical to tangible, I welcome
you to head down to Onion River Sports and pull a Madshus
Annum off the rack and compare its torsional and longitudinal stiffness to that of a Voile Charger Telemark/AT ski
with a 112mm waist. If you were to clamp the mid-section
of the ski between your knees and attempt to twist the tip
Dave Burns and Melissa Haberman on the Trail.
A
s trail chiefs of the Catamount Trail’s Section 31
for the past 8 years, Dave and Melissa are active,
enthusiastic members of the CTA. Each fall, the couple
organizes a trail work day to get prepared for the massive amounts of snowfall that their section receives each
winter. Even in last year’s snow crisis, Section 31 measured over 40 inches of snowfall in just over a day! Die
hard skiers on the Northern Weeklong Tour continued
in the tough conditions and were able to safely ski the
final day thanks to Dave and Melissa’s upkeep of the
trail.
For Dave and Melissa, as for many other CTA volunteers, their time spent volunteering stems from their
genuine love for the trail, the sport, and the people they
meet along the way. The two are out each weekend,
skiing with their dogs and enjoying the natural beauty.
“We love turning people onto the trail,” they expressed,
“we love watching people come out for a day of skiing
and get really excited about the Catamount Trail and
backcountry skiing.” The two have lead tours, attended
trail planning meetings, helped at CTA events, and even
advertised for the CTA with a float in their July 4th
Montgomery Town Parade. Their enthusiasm for the
CTA is contagious and we are so thankful for the time
and energy they provide!
(continued on page 16)
www.cat am ounttrail. or g
15
sheri larsen
This season CTA is offering
two Weeklong Tours (WLTs) and
two 3 Day Tours (3DTs). The
3DT’s are designed to give a shorter
MDT experience, and do not
require advanced skills. Skiers may
sign-up for as many days as they
wish, even one.
Registration for 2013 MultiDay Tours will open November 1st,
2012. To register for an MDT you
must be a CTA member. Please visit
www.catamounttrail.org for complete
registration details.
A list of suggested lodging
opportunities along the Tour route
will be made available to participants after registration. All participants will be responsible for arranging their own lodging and meals.
Martin Luther King Weekend
Northern Three Day Tour
Donna Dearborn and Bill Herrington take
the lead on the Northern WLT
2013 Multi-Day Tours
M
ulti-Day Tours (MDTs) provide
an opportunity to ski a large
portion of the Catamount Trail in one
winter. We want to help you explore
the beauty of the Catamount Trail and
in the process have lots of fun, meet
new friends, and maybe even become
an End-to-Ender.
Every winter the CTA organizes
two week-long tours, each of which is
designed to cover one quarter of the
trail. One MDT is in the southern
half of the state, and the other is in
the northern half. The following year’s
tours each cover a different quarter. If
you were to join both weeklong tours
for two consecutive years, you’d quickly
become an End-to-Ender, and you’d
have great company and support in
doing it.
16
Saturday–Monday, Jan.19–21
Sections 25 to 27
Ryder Brook Golf Club
(Morrisville) to Craftsbury Outdoor
Center
Southern Week-long Tour
Saturday–Sunday Jan. 26–Feb. 3
Sections 1 to 8
Massachusetts Border to Greendale
Road (Greendale)
North Central Week-long Tour
Saturday–Sunday Feb. 9–17
Sections 16 to 23
Widow’s Clearing (Breadloaf) to
Edson Hill Manor (Stowe)
Central Three Day Tour
Friday–Sunday Feb. 22–24
Sections 13 to 15
Route 4 to Widow’s Clearing
(Breadloaf)
C a t a mount Tra i l N ew s • Fa l l 2 012
Making the Right Choices
(continued from page 15)
like a Twizzler, the Charger would be
infinitely tougher to deflect than the
relatively noodle-like tip of the Annum.
Longitudinally, however, the Charger is
going to flex in a much rounder, softer
manner. Imagine what this torsional
deflection of the Annum means when
you hit an icy patch under that hemlock at speed: yep, loss of your edge
and loss of control. Not good in the
tight trees of New England!
This brings me to the second
game-changing innovation of the past
decade or so: rocker. First introduced
to the skiing world by visionary Shane
McConkey in the form of the Volant
Spatula, rocker can be thought of as
a reversed traditional camber. As a
backcountry Nordic skier, I’m sure
you’re familiar with the idea that your
Nordic ski has camber. This is the
arching shape where the tip and the
tail (the glide zones) of the ski are in
contact with the snow when minimally
weighted or completely un-weighted
and the center (kick) area of the ski
is raised off the snow until pressure
is applied to set the kick pocket and
provide purchase for forward movement. Now imagining reversing that
profile—glide zones off the snow
and kick zone constantly flat on the
snow—and you’ve got rocker. I know
what you’re thinking—no, we won’t be
seeing rocker anytime soon in a World
Cup classic race as there are zero glide
advantages to a reverse-cambered ski.
Bring your thought process back to
that 8” of fluff on Section 19, however.
Wouldn’t a rockered tip that rises easily up out of the snow no matter how
much forward pressure you put on the
cuffs of your boots be preferable to
hooking a traditionally cambered tip
under hidden branches in a variable
layer of snow during a series of quick
turns down a tight shoot? Adding a bit
of tail rocker (or “rise”) into the equation makes that ski that much easier to
pivot at will.
Rocker comes in many different variations, but the one that seems
to work best in almost all conditions
(from a “packed powder” groomer at
speed to a powder-choked drainage
in the sidecountry of Stowe) is often
referred to as “all-mountain” rocker or
“semi-rockered”. To look at the ski’s
profile from the side, you see the tip
rising off the ground until a point just
in front of the binding, a slight traditional/arched camber or flat camber
underfoot (for some amount of edgehold in firmer conditions where you
obviously don’t want your tips and tails
flopping uncontrollably and unattached
to the snow) and then either a slight
rise to the tail or simply an upturned
(twinned) tail.
Excellent examples of this category
of backcountry Telemark/AT skis are
the K2 COOMBAck and SideStash,
the Black Diamond Justice, Amp and
Element, the Voile Vector and Charger
(and their unparalleled waxless “BC”
versions) and the G3 Tonic and Zest.
(Note: While some companies such at
K2 and Black Diamond initially made
ski models that were specifically desig-
nated as a Telemark or Alpine Touring,
pretty much everyone has grouped the
two into one, broad “backcountry” or
“sidecountry” or “adventure” category.
The construction differences of the older
Tele and AT skis were close enough
and the equipment demands are similar enough where companies have just
combined the two.) All of these skis are
capable of day-long excursions in the
snowy backcountry of our mountains,
but they’re also at home on your favorite
run at Sugarbush or Mad River Glen in
all but the firmest of conditions.
As far as boot and binding needs
for Telemark and AT skiers, the backcountry enthusiast certainly isn’t short
on options. From relatively active
Telemark bindings (where the level
of “activity” refers to amount forward
power exerted) that are best paired
with a stiffer, taller 3 or 4-buckle boot;
to a “neutral” binding that relies more
on skier input and technique to drive
the ski; and even to a “New Telemark
Norm,” Telemark equipment has
undoubtedly grown closer to its alpine
brethren than its Nordic roots. AT
equipment, for its part, runs the gamut
of lightweight, uphill-specialized equipment that rivals a classic race ski setup
in weight to full-on hard-charging,
cliff-hucking, groomer-shredding freeride boots and bindings that serve the
lifts and the backcountry with equal
proficiency. And just as Telemark now
has two options for how the boot and
binding interface (traditional pins and a
heel cable or the New Telemark Norm),
ATers have the option of clicking into
a binding very similar to a traditional
alpine binding that pivots for uphill
climbing or a newer “tech” style that
shaves a ton of weight. Is your head
spinning yet? I could go on for hours
explaining the intricate differences
between Telemark setups and which
AT boot and binding would be best
for you, but that’s where demos and
talking to a knowledgeable salesperson
with the equipment right in front of
you become more valuable. Swing on
in and we’ll get you set up.
So when those late March storms
come rolling in and the CTA trail
markers are just barely visible above
the drifting snow, leave that traditionally cambered, under-matched Nordic
ski in the shed and reach for your
new wide, rockered skis with Black
Diamond O1 free-pivoting bindings
and toast me and the visionaries that
made your epic powder day that much
better. Enjoy!
lauren slater
CTA Trail Fund
Appeal a Success!
W
CTA, Mad River Riders, and Harwood Union High School’s Pre-Tech
Outreach Class worked together to rebuild a bridge shared by hikers,
skiers, and mountain bikers in the Mad River Valley, June 2012.
ith your help, CTA’s 2012 Trail Fund Appeal
was a great success, with contributions totaling over $28,000. Donations to the Trail Fund help
us with all aspects of trail maintenance and protection, including easement appraisals and acquisitions,
trail maintenance and relocations, bridge repair
and construction, trail signs and blazes, and the
online maps and trail descriptions that CTA provides
to you at no cost. Many thanks to all who contributed to the Trail Fund this year.
www.cat am ounttrail. or g
17
Pills and Ills
Vitamins
By Dr. George
Terwilliger
M
embers of the Catamount
Trail Association are more
health conscious than most people.
I’m guessing we exercise more,
smoke less, and eat better than others. This is good. I’ll also guess that
many of us take more vitamins and
nutritional supplements than others, too. Unfortunately, the use of
these “natural and healthy” pills is
symptomatic of an epidemic in this
country.
Our nation is addicted to pills
(1). The very human impulse to
stay healthy and seek relief from
common maladies has been abetted
by massive advertising campaigns
to create our modern drug culture
whose creed seems to be “a pill for
every ill.” I’m not just talking about
the abusers of recreational drugs. I’m
talking about the false promise of
better living through modern chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and neutraceuticals. These false promises are
based largely on mis-applied science
by corporations focused far more on
profits than on our health.
Don’t get me wrong, prescription medications can provide more
benefits than harm in carefully chosen patients. However, side effects
are often buried in the fine print.
Often, the studies showing harm
are ignored for a variety of reasons.
Drug companies spend vast amounts
of money marketing their pills to
consumers, nurses, and doctors.
18
“Ok, ok ... I get it, medications can be
dangerous. I can stay healthy by taking
my vitamins, right?”
Sorry, but no. I bring bad news
to many of you and the multi-billion
dollar industry that pitches vitamins.
Contrary to what most people seem
to believe, taking vitamin pills is more
likely to be harmful than helpful.
While it is true that getting vitamins is
essential, and without them we would
eventually die, the best way to get
them is from food. There is very little
evidence that, in general, getting them
from pills is healthy.
Several well-conducted studies
which were meant to confirm
long assumed benefits of vitamin
pills have shown harm:
Taking vitamin A supplements
increased rates of lung cancer and death
rates (2).
Taking vitamin E increased mortality and prostate cancer rates (3).
To be fair and balanced, however,
I should mention that there is some
evidence, although weaker, that in
some circumstances vitamin pills may
be helpful:
For symptomatic patients with specific deficiencies.
Vitamin D supplementation has
been shown to prevent fractures in
women, though getting sufficient, safe
sun exposure will allow the skin to
naturally produce sufficient vitamin D
levels in most people.
Folate supplementation in pregnant women helps prevent neural tube
defects (e.g.: spina bifida) in developing
fetuses
For vegans, who consume no animal products, getting sufficient vitamin
B12 is a challenge and they may benefit
from vitamin B12 supplementation.
C a t a mount Tra i l N ew s • Fa l l 2 012
Minerals
Iron and calcium supplements have
long been pitched as necessary to good
health. Iron, whether in pill form or in
red meat, has long been used to treat
or prevent “iron poor blood” which
was supposed to cause fatigue and cognitive decline. Calcium has long been
recommended in large doses in the
form of dairy (heavily promoted by the
Dairy Council) and pills and. It turns
out that both iron and calcium, when
taken in large doses from pills or animal sources, not only fail to deliver on
the promised benefits, but also appear
to cause real, unintended harm:
Higher body iron stores increase
the risk of heart disease. A recent study
which looked for a long assumed existence of cognitive deficits in women
with low iron stores found the opposite: women with low iron stores actually performed better in memory tests
compared to those with so-called normal levels! (4)
Recent studies show that those
consuming lots of calcium in the form
of dairy products show increases in urinary calcium, weaker bones, and more
kidney stones. Calcium in pill forms
(usually derived from ground up oyster
shells) does not clearly improve bone
strength. Disturbingly, a recent study
demonstrated that consumers of these
pills had a nearly doubled risk of heart
attack. (5)
What about the fish oil capsules?
New studies do not show any tendency for fish capsules to prevent
heart attacks(6), (7). In fact, they
appear to increase the risk of cancer
in women(8). Hopes that fish oil pills
would help Alzheimer’s dementia
patients have also been dashed in recent
trials(9).
OK, that leaves antioxidants.
Certainly they are important to
take, right?
Not in pill form. In a recent study(10),
when the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid
was combined with the vitamins C and
E, there was no trace of the hoped for
improvement in Alzheimer’s disease
compared to those taking placebo. In
fact, those taking this combination
showed worsening on standardized
dementia testing.
Eat food, not pills
Many nutrition researchers believe that
we are aware of only a small percentage
of all valuable nutrients in food and
it is likely that the vast proportion of
them exist only in whole plants. Likely,
the majority of them have not yet been
identified. Plants consist of hundreds
of thousands of natural compounds
that animals (like us) depend on for
maintaining health. Focusing on only
a few of these and placing them in
pills is foolish when viewed from this
perspective. I strongly believe that the
goodness of a varied plant-based diet
provides the best and safest way to consume the known, and unknown, nutrients, which are essential to excellent
health. The only sure beneficiaries of
our current “pill for every ill” mentality
are the pill-pushing corporations who
rake in billions of dollars a year catering
to our appetite for vitamins, supplements, and medications.
References
1. My blog entry “Are We All Addicts?”
http://www.drterwilliger.com/blog.html
2. Effects of a Combination of Beta
Carotene and Vitamin A on Lung
Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease. N
Engl J Med 1996; 334:1150-1155.
3. Vitamin E and the Risk of Prostate
Cancer: The Selenium and Vitamin E
Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT).
JAMA. 2011;306(14):1549-1556.
4. Consequences of iron depletion
on health in menstruating women.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
(2003) 57, 1169–117.
5. Associations of dietary calcium
intake and calcium supplementation
with myocardial infarction and stroke
risk and overall cardiovascular mortality in the Heidelberg cohort of the
European Prospective Investigation
into Cancer and Nutrition study. Heart
2012;98:920-925.
6. n–3 fatty Acids and cardiovascular
outcomes in patients with dysglycemia.
N Engl J Med 2012;367:309-18.
7. Efficacy of omega-3 fatty acid supplements in the secondary prevention
of cardiovascular disease. Arch Intern
Med. 2012;0(2012):20122621-9.
8. B Vitamin and/or Omega-3 Fatty
Acid Supplementation and Cancer.
Arch Intern Med. 2012;172(7):540547.
9. Omega 3 fatty acids and cognitive health in older people. Br J Nutr.
2012;107:S152-S158.
10. Antioxidants for Alzheimer Disease.
Arch Neurol. 2012;69(7):836-841.
www.cat am ounttrail. or g
19
A proud Gold Level Sponsor of
The North Face Race To The Top Of VT
20
C a t a mount Tra i l N ew s • Fa l l 2 012
Section 6 NORTH
Route 30 to South Rd
(Bondville/Peru)
Wanted
Trail Chief!
T
he CTA’s Trail Chiefs make the Trail possible. Here in
the office, we rely on their expertise gained by acting
as the liaisons between their local communities, landowners, and the CTA. Right now, the CTA is in need of a new
Trail Chief for the northern portion of Section 6 of the
Catamount Trail, between Route 30, east of Bondville, and
South Road in Peru. If you are looking for a way to support
the Catamount Trail, get to know your local trails, and work
with your community, this is the perfect opportunity. We
also welcome Co-Trail Chiefs – this is a great way to share
the fun and responsibility of maintaining the Trail.
As a Trail Chief, you would be responsible for working
with the Green Mountain National Forest, posting blazes,
scouting minor re-routes, brushing, and removing deadfall
on this 4-mile portion of the Trail that is entirely on USFS
lands. You don’t need to know how to do all these things,
but you do need to be interested in recruiting and working with people who do. The CTA staff and past Trail
Chiefs will help you get started by walking or skiing the
trail with you. We also provide resources such as land
manager information, maps, a list of local volunteers, and
tools for trail maintenance.
In the fall, Trail Chiefs organize one or more trail
workdays to get the CT in shape for the upcoming ski
season. In the winter, most Trail Chiefs plan and lead
tours of their section or other events along the Trail. They
help us keep our landowner database up to date, secure
permissions for the Trail, monitor trail easements, and
send an annual thank you to landowners and managers.
They are an energetic and enthusiastic bunch, and the
trail could not be maintained without their effort!
If you are interested in learning more about this
opportunity, please contact Amy Kelsey at akelsey@catamounttrail.org, or 802-864-5794.
Adios to Lauren Fereshetian, 2011-2012 VHCB AmeriCorps Member
F
or the last 3 years, the Vermont Housing and Conservation
Board AmeriCorps program has supported the Outreach
and Youth Program Coordinator Position at CTA. This position
has increased the capacity of CTA’s staff, allowed us to start the
Ski Cubs program, and introduced us to several talented young
professionals. The only drawback to this program is that each
year we have to say goodbye to another member!
Lauren Fereshetian joined us in
September 2011 and jumped into youth
program planning. When the CTA staff
was short-handed early in 2012, she
stepped up to help, filling in, unofficially,
as interim trail director, interim administrative coordinator, webmaster, and
whatever other hat she was asked to wear.
Thankfully, as we bid Lauren farewell this fall, we know that
she is happy and engaged in her 5th/6th grade classroom at
Monkton Central School in Monkton, VT. There is no question the youngsters in Monkton are in good hands! When a
lack of snow demanded some quick and creative moves to keep
last winter’s Ski Cubs active, she taught them to geocache and
set up broomball games, amongst other things. We will miss
having Lauren here in the office with us, but are certain her creativity and great energy will serve her well in her new role.
A Note Of Introduction From Emily Licht,
CTA’s 2012-2013 VHCB Americorps Member
Happy fall and a warm hello to all of
the supporters of the Catamount Trails
Association! I am thrilled to be joining the CTA as the new Outreach and
Youth Program Coordinator for the
2012-2013 year. Growing up in Maine,
I Nordic ski raced for 7 years, developing
a love for both the sport and for spreading this passion to others. I have spent the last four years
at the University of Vermont, majoring in Environmental
Studies through the Rubenstein School of Environment and
Natural Resources. While furthering my love for skiing, both
in the front and backcountry has been a part of my time in
Vermont, I have also spent a great deal of time exploring the
outdoors through being a leader with the Outing Club, a wilderness semester in Montana and most recently as a mountain bike instructor through Vermont Works for Women’s
Dirt Divas program. I have grown very passionate about outdoor education for youth through these experiences and am
thrilled to be instructing the Ski Cubs program this winter.
I am looking forward to an exciting year filled with learning,
fantastic events, meeting many of you and maybe even some
snow! Lets all keep our fingers crossed!
www.cat am ounttrail. or g
21
Winter Classic Pemi Traverse
By Julie T Higgins
M
arch 10th; the date had been
marked off on my calendar for
over a year. It was the date Pete Lane
and I had chosen to ski the Classic
Pemi Traverse—ski #23 in David
Goodman’s Book of Classic New
England Skis. The traverse is an infamous backcountry ski route that takes
one from route 302 to Zealand Hut to
Thoreau Falls to the Wilderness Trail
to Lincoln Woods. Late fall 2011, Pete
posted the ski trip with the Catamount
Trail Organization and with the
Appalachian Mountain Club in order
to advertise. Six hearty soles signed up. This trip was ‘take 2’ for Pete and I, as
last year Thoreau Falls was impassable. We were excited and ready to go.
The trip was paid, posted, and on the
calendars; all we needed now was snow. We waited and waited for the snow
but as we all know 2011-2012 would
be a warm winter. Climate change? Global Warming? Weather weirding? As March approached, the six became
four—Laura, Tim, Pete and I.
The forecast was perfect sun and
40 degrees and we met up at Lincoln
Woods.. The plan was to do the
traverse in two days. The first day
we were to ski Zealand Hut and
the second across the Pemi. The
Pemigawasset was designated as a
Wilderness area in 1984 by Congress
and is the largest wilderness area in
New Hampshire and encompasses
45,818 acres. The area was logged
between 1890 and 1940 but in the past
70 years the forest has returned almost
to its pre-logging state. The greatest
challenge of our planned ski was once
we passed Thoreau Falls—we had over
13 miles of Wilderness to cross before
we reached the other side. Nary a road
crosses this great Wilderness and slowly
the Forest Service is removing all the
bridges and trail signs.
After our successful car spot at Ethan
Pond Trail, three of us skied up the
Spruce Goose Trail to Zealand Trail to
the Hut. Coverage was bare in spots
but doable. Our fourth member was
our driver, Laura, and she snow-shoed
up. The hut was full and we enjoyed
the night. Up early for an early breakfast our true adventure began. Laura
and Tim set out back to 302; Pete
and I were left to cross. We had asked
the Caretaker, the Forest Service and
checked the internet but there were
no postings for trail conditions for the
Pemi; we truly did not know what we
would find.
9 AM, we get to the decision point,
Thoreau Falls. Pete looks at me and I
at Pete and then swish over the falls we
go. The first part of the trail is tricky as
you descend to the river and due to the
lack of trail markings and maintenance
we had to do a bit of bush whacking
to the river. Throughout the day it
would be a challenge of bushwhacking,
trail finding, and the beautiful skiing
through an undisturbed forest. We
saw many animal tracks but no animals, and no sign nor human sound. I felt like an explorer going west or a
Native American before the Colonists. I want everyone to have this experience of pristine silence. I will continue
to spread the word of preservation
and conservation and I hope others will
join me so they can enjoy the beauty of
silent and nothingness.
9 hours later we hit the first campsite; woohoo! I was exhausted. Lots
of ice bridges, 4 ski removals, and 1
‘where did the trail go?—guess Irene
took it. Not only had I skied for 9
hours but was carrying my overnight
winter backpacking gear. From there
we slowly started seeing human signs
and then the parking lot. Pete and I
skied across the Pemigewasset, 2 days,
lots of memories, an experience of a
lifetime, high fives.
Will there be a round 3 in 2013;
who knows? But if there is, I hope you
will join us; it was truly a magical and
rewarding experience.
Route: Spruce Goose Trail to
Zealand trail to Ethan Pond Trail to
Thoreau Falls Trail to Wilderness Trail
to Cedar Brook Trail to Pemi East
Side Trail.
22
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C a t a mount Tra i l N ew s • Fa l l 2 012
2012 Gold Sponsor
Race to the Top of Vermont!
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23
Non-Profit Rate
Catamount Trail Association
1 Mill Street, Suite 350
Burlington, VT 05401
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit #421
Burlington, VT
RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP NOW!
The Catamount Trail exists thanks to the generosity of ski enthusiasts like you. If you plan on skiing
on the Trail next winter or just want to know that it will be there waiting for you, renew your
membership today. We really can’t keep it going without you. THANK YOU!
❯ Membership Application for 6/1/12–5/31/13
Protector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $250*
Benefactor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100*
Name (please print)
Patron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $75*
Address
City
NON-BUSINESS Membership
StateZip
Telephone ( )
E-mail
I am a new member.
I am willing to volunteer for events.
Business . . . . . . . . . . . . $350**
Individual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $35
Lodging Membership. . . $100**
* Receive two (2) membership booklets
and cards
Payment:
I am willing to help lead weekend ski tours.
Exp. Date
Questions? Please call us at 802.864.5794
$________
I want to support the CTA even more. Enclosed is my additional tax deductible
contribution for
Trail Conservation
Annual Operating Costs$________
Total Enclosed: $________
Card No.
Catamount Trail Association is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization.
** See CTA website for additional
benefits
Membership Dues
I am willing to help with trail maintenance.
If you do not want us to share your name with other groups, please initial here. _____
BUSINESS Membership
Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $50*
VISA
MasterCard
Check
3 Digit Code
Signature
Mail to ❯ The Catamount Trail Association
1 Mill Street, Suite 350, Burlington, VT 05401