Taking Strides Towards A Stronger Nordic Community
We are excited to announce we will have a full season program this winter for youth skiers in 1st through 8th grade. Practices will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:30 PM, and the program will run from early December to Early March. Board member Brook Hodgeman will be the head coach for the program. If you’re interested in further details, you can find them here.
The fee to participate is only $25. Equipment is not included, but we offer affordable leasing options.
Thanks to our generous donors at the end of last season, we were able to purchase 500 feet of snow fence. Sunday, November 13th, we installed it at Hard’ack thanks to our handful of rock star volunteers. These same volunteers worked in the rain the previous sunday to do some trail trimming. We are getting close to being ready for snow. There’s so much work that goes on behind the scenes to provide high quality local skiing, and so much more that could be done if we had the resources. Still, we are set up better than ever, so get your skis ready because we’re ready to make the most out of whatever the weather brings us!
Thanks to the generosity of our donors over the past month, we were able to purchase 450 feet of high quality wooden slat snow fencing with heavy duty steel posts. We could use about 4 more batches like that, but it’s a good start, and should make a big impact.
Snow fencing allows us to catch the snow that gets ripped off the open meadows at Hard’ack, so we can use it to our advantage and build up the snowpack on the trails where we want it. It also provides some shelter from warm winds that melt it down. I’m really excited to see what it can do for us next winter.
Keep an eye out for notifications in the fall calling for some volunteers to help set it up!
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
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.
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.