Author Archive | Liz Hollenbach

Tuesday: Penguins, Jack Rabbits, Arctic Foxes & Racers
Climbing Day at MetroRock 

Update 10am Tuesday- We are going to keep MetroRock as an option for this afternoon. MMUUSD closed for the day and lots of places are still flooded. Please do not feel any pressure to come to ski practice today- especially if travel is not safe from your house or kid care plans are complicated. But if you need an activity for the afternoon come on over.

With all the rain we are going to go to Plan B for Tuesday practice this week. We often do a Metrorock BKL Day when we have bad weather. It is always a lot of fun!

Details: We are getting a discounted rate: $20 includes day pass, shoes, and a harness. Parents need to come in, sign the waiver, pay and get your child set up. We will have a few coaches around, but it would help to have a few extra parents stay.  To expedite things, sign the waiver before hand: Metrorock Waiver

Time: Normal time 3:45-5:15, but feel free to stay longer with a parent present.

Metrorock Location: 320 Sunderland Way, Essex Junction

Directions: Turn into the Lowe’s parking lot off Susie Wilson Rd. Drive through the front of the Lowe’s parking lot and all the way around to the back. You will see MetroRock on the left.

Website: MetroRock

***UPDATED Location and Plan***

Thursday: Jack Rabbits, Arctic Foxes, Racers & Devos

11am Thurs update: BKL is on for the Range today. Dress warm, it’s chilly out there.  Other MNC groups are practicing at alternate locations.

Location: The Range

Technique: Skate Skiing for all groups. (If you don’t have skate skis yet, classic will work too.)

Details: With no snow on the horizon we thought it would be fun to have one last on snow practice before vacation. To celebrate the winter Solstice we are going to do a Solstice Ski followed by hot chocolate. We are all going to ski the same loop and kids can ski in groups with friends and coaches. Everyone counts their own laps. How many laps can you ski? We’ll have an inner stadium/range loop and the outer sprint loop.

Parent Volunteers and Hot Chocolate Supplies Needed: We need a few supplies and a couple parents to help make hot chocolate. Sign Up Here

BKL Vacation Break- 12/22/23 – 1/1/24

Want to ski over break? Try Ski Bingo created by NENSA (New England Nordic Ski Association). It’s a fun Ski Bingo Game that is available for any BKL Skiers. It’s a great way to do some skiing over vacation and on weekends.   More Info and Rules  | Youth Bingo Card | Junior & Adult Bingo Card

See everyone on 1/2/24 at the Range!

Gabriel, Finn and Kaisa on the start line for the 5/6 race.

With spring conditions in the air and on the ground MNC hosted a fun BKL Race at Craftsbury on Saturday, December 16. Skiers joined us from half a dozen BKL Clubs in VT and NH including Craftsbury, Ford Sayre, Frost Mountain, GMVS, Mad River and U-32.

Thank you to the good folks at Craftsbury that helped put the race on. A huge thank you to all our parent volunteer and families.

Full Results Here

Many racers came early to take advantage of some skiing before the race, while others zipped in at the last moment and still got to the start line in plenty of time.

Conditions were a bit icy in the morning and Craftsbury groomed the race courses just before the start and the conditions were fast. We shared the stadium with the Biathlon races that took place earlier in the morning and used the same fancy finish line!  Lollipop racers skied around the upper field and behind the Event Garage before heading back to the finish line by the solar panels.. All the other races went out towards Murphy’s Field. The Grade 1/2 race had a gradual downhill along the side of the field before heading back in on Round-a-bit. The Grade 3/4 course went around Murphy’s Field and back on Round-a-bit. The 5/6 course did Duck Pond counter clockwise, dodging a few bare spots with pine needles showing through. The 7/8  racers did a 4k course that started with a loop around Murphy’s Field and then Duck Pond before heading straight in on Round-a-bit.

Congratulations to Mansfield Nordic Club skiers Daisy Tremble (lollipop), Johannes Hollenbach (lollipop), Tanner Magnan (lollipop), Nathaniel Schroeter (lollipop), Margo Dillon (1/2), Ollie Laber (1/2), Mazzy Merritt (3/4), Oliver Tremble (3/4), Rory Dillon (3/4), Kaisa Weaver (5/6), Finn Laber (5/6), Gabriel Schroeter (5/6), Fiona Repp (7/8), Isaiah Bowen (7/8), Silas Weaver (7/8), Liam Vile (7/8), Oakley Crawford (7/8) and Ansel Sprague (7/8).

It was fun to watch everyone race today in our first race of the season! Great job!

If you would like to share photos please email them to bkl@mansfieldnordic.org

We’re looking forward to a FUN first race of the season tomorrow at Craftsbury. It’s a skate race. Link to race flyer with all the race info.

Please note**** All races will start 15 minutes later than shown below. There are morning biathlon races at Craftsbury and those races need a little extra time.

1:00 PM – Lollipop (Kindergarten/pre-K) ~.5km (classic)

1:15 PM – Grades 1/2 ~1km

1:45 PM – Grades 3/4 ~2km

2:15 PM – Grades 5/6 ~3km

2:45 PM – Grades 7/8 ~4k

Plan to arrive at least an hour before the race. This will give time to pick up your bib and get settled. I will be there to help kids warm up and we have a couple other coaches that will preview the course with age groups.  If you would like to preview the course, meet at the start line 45 minutes before your race.

Race Course: We will have course maps available at registration and everything will be marked with stakes and colored arrows. If  you were at the BKL Fest last year the courses are very similar and go out in the direction of Murphys Field and Duck Pond.

Volunteers: We are still looking to fill a bunch of volunteer jobs – if you are going to be around please volunteer. The most important jobs that still need volunteers are Course Marking Change Over and Start Finish Line Helpers. Sign Up Sheet

Skis: Forecast is for about 30 degrees tomorrow afternoon. Hot Wax with a warm glide wax like TOKO Yellow (you can also add on a couple drips of toko red), then scrape and brush.This makes them faster and glide better.  If you don’t have time, equipment or know-how, don’t worry- It will just be good to get your child out there skiing!

Cookies: I’m bringing cookies and rice krispy treats for the end of the race. Feel free to bring some to add to the cookie table. But I know this is last minute, so don’t worry if you don’t have time.

If you have questions, feel free to shoot me an email or text!

Find your child’s Sub-group & coach info here:  BKL Sub-Groups

Please make note of your child’s coach’s contact info. Let coaches know if your child will be absent. If it is last minute, please text Coach Liz (802-922-1843).

*Remember that groups are not static and we may switch kids if we find they would benefit from being in a different group.

Practice Plans will be posted on Sunday nights or Monday mornings on this site (BKL Schedule).

Please check the website for any last minute changes, especially this time of year or if the weather looks bad. I will post a change by 2 pm the day of.

If you expressed interest in doing a volunteer job at practice- I’m working on it and will send an email.

Practice Plans Dec 5 & 7

It’s our first week of practice. We’ll be at the Range doing games, fun dryland activities, hiking and running. We will meet our groups in front of the Walker Building.

Bring your drivers license to check in at the front gate at the Range as MNC.

Written directions to get to the Range  and Range directions from the MNC Website

Tuesday: Penguins, Jack Rabbits, Arctic Foxes and Racers

Location:  The Range for dryland practice

Gear: wear running shoes or sneakers and dress in layers  (if it’s cold and wet penguins might want to wear boots)

Racers: bring classic or bounding poles (all other groups no poles)

Devos: with the Juniors, check the Junior training plan

Thursday: Jack Rabbits, Arctic Foxes, Racers and Devos

This is a good time to label all the ski equipment with a piece of masking tape and name and show your child how to tell which ones belong to them.

Location: The Range

Jack Rabbits + Arctic Foxes: dryland practice, bring classic ski poles and wear sneakers or winter boots (label ski poles with child’s name)

Racers + Devos: bring skate skis and sneakers and classic or bounding poles (we will have to see if they get any more snow pushed out)

Saturday: Racers Practice 10:00-11:30am at Sleepy Hollow. Classic- bring both waxable and no-wax (if you have them).  It is supposed to warm up on Saturday, so we are anticipating warm hard wax or klister. Coach Kristen will meet the group for waxing under the pavilion (next to the round barn) between 9:50 and 10am.

Sleepy has the 400m snow making loop with Acadia Mania added on.

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