Author Archive | Rosemary Shea-Cobb

Pascal, Katie and Michael along the Three Mountain Trail route.

After reading the past few summers about the Juniors tackling the epic “Three Mountains” trail run, the Masters gave it a try for the first time on Sunday for the last long training run before next weekend’s Race to the Top.

“Three Mountains” is a 17-mile loop that starts at the Audubon Center parking lot in Huntington, goes up Sherman Hollow Road to Sleepy Hollow, winds up-and-over three adjacent mountain biking networks (Sleepy Hollow, Hinesburg Town Forest, and Carse Hills) to Hollow Road, and ends with 5 miles on paved roads through Huntington village and back to the start (see map link below).  The mountain biking trails briefly cross Texas Hill Road and Lincoln Hill Road, allowing for shorter point-to-point runs for those who lack the time or inclination for a 17-mile outing.

Pascal Cheng, Michael Dillon, and Katie Hill took on the mountain biking stretch of the “Three Mountains” challenge for a 10-mile point-to-point run from the Sleepy Hollow parking lot through the three trail networks to end on Hollow Road.  This is a rugged route – lots of rocks and roots and more than 2000 feet of elevation gain – but it was a real treat to string together so many miles of continuous forest trails, with several of the trails new to all three of us.  Katie left her car at Lincoln Hill Road for a shorter 6-mile run but opted instead for the full 10-mile distance, her longest training run in decades.  Micheal earned bonus points for riding his strategically-hidden bicycle from the end of the run back to Sleepy Hollow to complete the full 17-mile loop.  Wildlife spotted along the way included a barred owl and Ben Ogden on a mountain bike, following the same “triple” route as us.  This trail run is a “keeper” that we’ll definitely do again!

If you try the Three Mountains route, make sure you have at least the free version of the Trailforks app on your phone, with the Vermont map downloaded for when there’s no cell signal (i.e., most of this route).   This will give you access to detailed trail maps for most of our local trail networks.

Bummed that you missed this outing?  Join us for our next “epic” masters trail run/hike:  the Monroe Skyline between the App Gap and Lincoln Gap, tentatively scheduled for Sunday 9/15.  That’s 11.5 miles point-to-point, with shorter routes possible by going out-and-back or exiting via the Sugarbush access road.  Keep an eye on the Masters Training Doc & Slack for details.

-by Katie Hill

Three Mountains Loop – Huntington

This spring and summer, the MNC masters have been getting in the training with trail runs, gravel rides and rollerskiing. Whatever you like to do, there is bound to be a group of MNC masters doing it and we’d love you to join in the fun!

A growing cohort of rollerskiing masters has started taking to some of the quieter and better groomed roads and bike paths around Champlain Valley to get their skiing fix during the summer months. Meetups are on Saturday mornings at 9AM, weather permitting. Routes typically range from 10-15 miles and feature scenic vistas and flat to moderately rolling terrain. Check the MNC Masters Training Doc each week for details. The more the merrier!

Lots of Masters have been doing some great trail running on many of the local trails  around Chittenden County. Most of these are within 30 minutes driving distance from Burlington, Jericho, Williston, etc. and offer a variety of terrain and technical challenge. There are organized MNC trail runs every Thursday evening at the Catamount Outdoor Family Center and every other Sunday morning at various places. Trails that we have explored so far have included Preston Woods in Richmond, Saxon Hill in Essex, and Mud Pond in Williston. All these runs have options for shorter and longer distances and varied paces. We are hoping to do several group hikes later this summer including the Stowe Pinnacle loop and the Mt. Abraham/Mt. Ellen ridge on the Long Trail. Keep an eye on the MNC Slack channel and Masters Training Doc for dates and info on these.

In addition to training runs, MNC masters have been participating in trail races around the area and beyond, starting with the weekly Catamount 5k trail races. With three different courses, these races are a great low key way to get the heart rate up and run fast with other people. Several people did the Sleepy Hollow Mountain Race which featured steep climbs, slipping and sliding downhills and blueberry pancakes. Both Carolyn Siccama and Kort Longenbach recently did very challenging technical races with significant climbing with Carolyn doing the Seven Sisters Trail Run in Massachusetts and Kort, the Great Adirondack Trail Run in New York. Upcoming races for masters will include the Catamount Ultra 25k race at the Trapp Family Lodge at the end of June and the Race to the Top of Vermont at the end of August.

If you are more of a biker, there are organized MNC Gravel Rides every other Sunday. This weekend we will ride the 35mi. route from Underhill Center that got rained out last time. In addition, there are also rides organized by Jericho Dirt on Thursday evenings plus Mt bike races at Catamount Outdoor Center every Wednesday. All the info, times, and contacts are on the MNC Training Doc so be sure to check it frequently!

Happy training out there!

Georgia Shore Road Rollerski last Saturday

Pascal and Jim pause to admire the view during a trail run.

Skiing the Southridge neighborhoods.

Riders prepare to depart on the Richard Tom Ride.

Saturday

On Saturday, many MNC masters took part in the Richard Tom ride.  The main organizer of the event, John Williams, is one of our masters.

Elizabeth, Karen & Ellie

John announcing the start.

Sunday