race

Hard’ack Fall Trail Running Series Wraps Up.

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The third and final race of the 2021 Hard’ack Fall Trail Running Series took place on Saturday under cloudy skies with a moderate southeast wind and temps in the 40s. While it wasn’t a beautiful day for running like week 2, it was still generally pleasant conditions for mid november. Over 3 years, we have had 9 races, and while we’ve had some wet days and some cold, snowy days, we have somehow lucked out, and missed the really miserable weather that comes around this time of year. This year, we just dodged the high winds and drenching rain of the previous day.

There was a very noticeable wind coming out of the southeast as Tyler showed up to set up the course in the morning. A quick adjustment of the course was made to keep runners sheltered in the woods a little longer and spend less time in the fields. This made the course a tad shorter, but I didn’t hear any complaints.

There were many new faces on course today, mixed with those who have become regulars. As someone who has been involved with the running and skiing communities for over 20 years, it’s always great to see people I’ve never met joining in. The enduring strength of our running community is dependent on fresh faces mixing in with the folks that have been carrying it along for years.

As we grow nearer to winter, the nordic skiers made a strong appearance. Kasie and Eli Enman came up from Huntington to support this event, and show the locals how it’s done, with Kasie winning overall in a scorching time of 17:18, and Eli not far behind in 17:58. These two run the Sleepy Hollow Inn in Huntington, and are really dedicated to making their vast trail network the best it can be. With snowmaking, lighted trails, and a dedication to quality grooming, it’s a fabulous place to go for skiing in the winter. If you’re not a skier, their great network of running and mountain bike trails is just as good in the warmer months. Another Chittenden county skiing couple, Eric Darling and Sarah Pribram came up for the 2nd week. After winning last week, Eric had to take a back seat to the Enmans, finishing 3rd, while Sarah also took 3rd for the women. We also had Perry Bland in attendance. This man has a C.V. in the running and skiing world that is matched by few, and a positive attitude that is matched by almost nobody. We also had Scott Magnan, who has done the vast majority of the heavy lifting to keep skiing alive in this area over the last 25 years. It was great to see Rich Dickinson come out with some of his family. Richie was a standout skier for BFA, and his family has been a tremendous source of support for the local ski community for at least 30 years. Andre Bolduc, part of another clan that has a rich history of running and skiing here, came out to do all three runs. Running isn’t his favorite, he’s more comfortable on his bike and skis, but he came out to support the event and the trails. Nordic skiing is a tough sport in so many ways, but it’s also beautiful, elegant, rewarding, and humbling, and absolutely nothing beats it for building health and fitness. We need more of you, so if you’re not a skier, please stay in touch with us, and we can help you fall in love with it as we have.

I want to give a shout out to everyone who did all 3 races. Brendan Ellis, Roy Sargent, Jackson Sargent, Andre Bolduc, Ashley Burghardt, and Evan Fortune. And a big thanks to Tom Cleveland, my lone volunteer for running registration and timing.

Remember, there is a little lapse in the fun until we get snow, but we will be doing Tuesday night ski races at Hard’ack this winter, Dec 14th to March 14th, anytime we have enough snow coverage to do so. We’ll have use of the lodge for warmth before and after, with hot post race food and beverages. Headlamps will be required as we work on getting lights on the trails, and we’ll have some for use.

Thanks, and we hope to see you on the ski trails this winter, but if not, we’ll see you on the running trails next year!

Week 2 of the 2021 Trail Running Series at Hard’ack

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Beautiful sunny skies took the place of the cold rains of halloween weekend, and 32 runners showed up to enjoy some fun in the sun. In addition to more forgiving weather, this week’s course was more forgiving as well, spending some time in the flat meadows and winding back through the woods with some moderate hills.

This course was a new one for the trail running series, and almost certainly never been run by anyone before. The tightly packed trail network at Hard’ack with intersections everywhere allows for lots of creativity in creating race courses, and race director Tyler Magnan likes to mix things up. The start line was near the bottom of the entrance to the Gratton fields. Runners then headed straight up towards the woods, and did a sweeping right turn around the massive dirt pile created by the pool construction project. One racer inquired about taking a short cut over the top of the massive pile, and the race director allowed it, but nobody decided that was the best route to take. Racers then hugged the woods and headed straight north through the meadow, enjoying a light tail wind, which hopefully allowed some to forgive Tyler for sending them into a nasty headwind last year on the same stretch. After a loop around the furthest meadow, racers then ducked into the woods onto the rolling terrain and wound their way back south before popping out on the sledding hill, and heading back down to the meadow. 5k racers did two laps, and a few opted for just one lap.

As runners came around for lap one, it was apparent that a lot of people were buddying up, running with friends or family, something we like to see at a small community event like this. Damian and Jessica Bolduc came through the first lap together, with Damian edging away towards the finish. The next couple to come through were Tania and Jason Storms, eventually finishing together. Our third couple pairing was Laura and Barry Gould. Then we had Roy Sargent and son Jackson running together, with Roy eventually edging ahead of his son this week after Jackson beat him last week. Ashley Burghardt returned this week, and brought her son Aiden, both doing the one lap race together this week. We also had John and Owen Leggett taking on the 5k course. Garry Settaedel and Todd Perry buddied up and ran the whole thing together as well. Jenn Magnan was teamed up with Sara Heth as the two were chatting away coming through lap one.

At the front of the race, there was a pretty hot battle for top honors among both men and women. For the men, Eric Darling took the front and held off a strong challenge from Joe Frost, winning in a time of 18:35 with a 30 second margin. For the women, Jessica Bolduc pulled away from Sarah Pribram on the 2nd lap to win by 40 seconds in a time of 22:30. These two are good friends who hadn’t seen each other in 18 months, but I’m sure they were both trying hard to beat the other one. This is just a small race in a small town, but this is what I love about the running and ski racing communities, that competitiveness mixed with friendship and respect.

In the one lap race, Liam Heth took top honors with a great time of 12:36 as a 4th grader. Lane Fortune, who was apparently inspired by his brother Evan’s first ever 5k last week, decided to jump in to do the 2.5k this week. He took a bit of a wrong turn, but we got him back on course and he did a great job, coming in at 15:25.

Those that ran in week one seemed pleased to get a little reprieve from the tough hills of week one. Add in that the week one course is a hair over 5k, and this week was a hair under 5k, plus the better weather conditions, and most people ran 2 to 3 minutes faster than last week. The nice weather made for some great post race conversations as runners could mingle with friends and enjoy the raffle prizes, many of which were donated by race participants, another great aspect of our running and skiing community. The vintage tractor trophy made its 2nd annual appearance, donated by the Bolducs. Apparently the supply of these trophies is still healthy, but limited, so don’t miss out next year. You don’t have to win the race to get one. You just have to impress the race director somehow with your running. This year’s trophy went to Evan Fortune for completing his first 5k in week one on a really tough course in wet conditions.

Thanks to everyone for coming out, and we hope to see you on Saturday for the 3rd and final race. The course will likely be similar in difficulty to this one.

Week One of Hard’ack Fall Trail Running Series

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Halloween weekend had a dreary look to it as mother nature looked to bring down some cold autumn rain on Northern Vermont. It was a busy weekend for the running community in Vermont with many other events going on, including the VT high school championships where a lot of local runners looked to shine. 12 hardy runners showed up to take on the challenge of the hills at Hard’ack.

The runners took on course number 1, which is now the traditional week one course. This course avoids the flat meadows, and instead opts for the main loop in the woods section of the trail system. It is almost never flat, and certainly not conducive to a PR, but the perfect course for those who like rugged hilly terrain. Runners were dressed for cold, dreary rain, but by race time, the rain had cleared, and temps were around 50 degrees. It turned out to be fantastic running conditions, though most runners were overdressed and trying to shed layers as they ran.

There was a one lap option, but all runners opted for the full 2 lap 5k. Evan Fortune, a 5th grader from Georgia middle school who didn’t want his season to be over chose this race for his first ever 5k, a great accomplishment on a tough course. It was nice to see some familiar faces, as the Sargent family returned to the course, and Jackson, the youngest, ran away from his father Roy this year to better his time by 2 minutes!

Brendan Ellis took the win with a time of 26:10, followed by Laurie Orzech, taking the top female honors and 2nd overall with a time of 27:54. It was a small crowd, but a great crowd. We had some familiar faces, and I always love to see some new faces I’ve never seen before. Thanks so much to everyone who came out to run! See you next week!

What a Great Season!

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We may still be in for some late season snow, but spring has arrived, and it’s time to reflect on the winter we had. It was a pretty dismal start to the year, as we didn’t get any early snow. Those of us who’ve been around the sport a long time knew not to get spoiled by the great mid november skiing we had in 2018 and 2019. This year was particularly late in coming around, as the first real snow fall didn’t arrive until New Year’s day. Spirits were lifted that day with the arrival of the new snow, but on that same day, spirits were deeply heartbroken by the sudden passing of Mike Cain. If you haven’t yet done so, please check out our community collection of thoughts honoring Mike Cain, and message us if you would like to add something.

After that first snowfall, something amazing happened that even the most optimistic skier would not have dared predict. We had two months of uninterrupted packed powder conditions, with little accumulations continually piling up and making the skiing better and better. I’m not sure how often a Blue Moon happens, but I’m pretty sure getting that kind of streak in the Champlain Valley is rarer. We then survived a little warm weather, and made it to March 10th before the trails finally gave way to the warm south winds.

In addition to the wonderful help from Mother Nature, the St. Albans rec department purchased some extensions for our groomer with the money we raised from the fall trail running series. This changed it from 4 feet wide to 6 feet wide, and it provided a much cleaner result. It was also a HUGE improvement to have Hard’ack open from 9 to 5 every day.

On February 28th, we were able to host a ski race open to anyone. Hosting a ski race is always stressful because the weather can destroy the best laid plans, and it was a little hairy going into it, but we hit the perfect weather window, and had warm sun and perfect skiing conditions. We had 38 racers, a mix of all abilities including former NCAA all americans, former VT high school state champions, and some people who normally stick to touring in the fields. There were smiles all around, and it really put us on the map in the wider ski community, so we can attract people for future events. In addition, we raised another $850 for future trail improvements.

I knew not to get spoiled by great mid-november skiing, and I know not to get spoiled by the unusual run of good snow we had this winter. Plans are in the works to do some trail work this summer to help us endure the meltdowns we typically get. Next winter, we hope to have some snow fences and harvest some snow to beef up the trails. If you want to contribute to this effort, just send us a donation with a note that says “grooming.”

Thanks to everyone that got out there and enjoyed the trails this winter. As the man responsible for grooming, it warms my heart to see people using them!

Tyler Magnan

Keep the Torch Burning

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The following is an account of the annual BFA Citizen’s / Alumni Race held on March 15th, 2020. Authored by Tyler Magnan, it is not just a report about a tiny ski race, but an essay that exemplifies the passion for nordic skiing that lives in this community and is just waiting for an opportunity to blossom into something greater.

2020 BFA Citizen’s / Alumni Race Report

While the rest of the sporting world has been prematurely sent into the offseason, a small group of skiers descended upon a small farm in St. Albans to battle it out and earn the coveted epithet; The Pride of St. Albans.  This special farm tucked away in a cold hollow behind St. Albans Hill grows much more than grass, maples, and Angus beef.  Hundreds of local skiers have taken their first strides in these meadows, and honed their skills on the twisty, hilly tracks through the woods.  The roots of St. Albans nordic grow deeper and deeper on this property with every passing year, and are now older and stronger than many of the maple, birch, and beech trees that populate the landscape.

The warm March weather had taken it’s toll on the snowpack at the Dickinson Farm, closing down about half of the already limited trail network.  A combination of natural geography and snowfarming efforts earlier in the season produced good coverage on what remained.  The 1.25k race loop was groomed beautifully on Saturday afternoon, and with a deep freeze overnight, it was firm and fast, but very skiable.  The attempt to scratch up the surface in the morning was thwarted by a machine with chronic mechanical problems, but the course was deemed good enough for a race.  A touch of lightly falling snow came just before race time, and while it wasn’t enough to soften up the course, it was a welcome sight to see some snowflakes instead of raindrops.

The course started at it’s lowest point in the bottom of the horseshoe, went up, and took a right through the narrow connector and under the sap line, which some spectators graciously held up for the racers so they wouldn’t get clotheslined (or saplined?).  After a very brief flat section, the course headed up Doc’s Hill, steep at first, but mellows out the second half, a great place to gain some ground if you haven’t burned up on the steep section.  At the top of the hill, you enter the woods to do the rolling, twisty middle loop counterclockwise.  Then with a brief section of two way traffic, you wind your way back down the hill through the woods and meadows, under the sap line again, and down to the bottom of the horseshoe. 

About 15 racers took the start line.  Most notable was the presence of Damian Bolduc, Scott Magnan, and Perry Bland.  It was very fitting that these three were on the start line today.  There was every excuse to not show up today, but these are three of the original NWVE club members, and they built the club on the motto that you show up for a ski race anytime, and anywhere.  Anytime I see these three men gathered together, I know I’m in the right place. 

Besides these three, there were many more familiar names in the mix as well as some fresh faces from the high school team.  Other alumni included Tyler Magnan (NWVE), Brook Hodgeman(St Mikes), John Thompson (Castleton), and Meredith Mashtare.  Jessica Bolduc raced as an Alumni-in-law.  The rest of the field was filled out by some devoted high school skiers who show the passion and perseverance necessary to succeed in this beautiful but humbling sport we love.

It was an uphill start, but the fast conditions kept the pack tighter than it normally would be in a race of this size.  By the top of Doc’s hill, things had begun to sort themselves out, with Tyler taking the lead, followed closely by Brook and John.  Behind them was a mix of current BFA team members and alumni including Jacob Tremblay, Ethan Mashtare, Damian, Scott, and Lydia Hodgeman.  Further back, the field spread out quickly, as most were focused on staying on their feet while navigating the technical course in difficult conditions.  On days like this, even the most experienced racer can be swiftly brought down by a small rut or a poor weight shift.  At the front of the race, Tyler soon looked back with disappointment to see that nobody could hang with him, as Brook had some issues with soreness in his shins and resorted to double poling.  John took on the chase, taking 2nd quite comfortably and proving he is very much worthy of the BFA all-star team that was supposed to make an appearance at Craftsbury next weekend.  Things were a bit tighter behind, but Jacob pulled ahead and took a podium for the high school team, while Brook had to double pole into the uphill finish to fend off Ethan and Lydia, who won the women’s title for the first time.  Damian came in shortly after, while Scott, Jessica, Meredith, Perry, first year skier Maya Frost, and a couple more skied strong to the finish, even with no positions to fight for.  

While victory in this race is highly coveted by some, people show up to keep the torch burning; the torch within your soul that lit your passion for the sport, and the torch that brings energy and life into the local nordic community.  Back on November 16th, this community had the honor of hosting the first ski race in New England and possibly North America.  Although it’s nothing to celebrate, we may have also hosted the last race of the season in North America.  Here in St. Albans, the race must go on, and the sport will live on.