Below you can view an online version of my slideshow from the MNC Annual Meeting. In addition, directly below is a link to the podcast episode referenced (“Escaping Perfectionism” by Hidden Brain) and the Seven Days piece referenced (“Pitch Imperfect”).
Ski Swap Success!
Our 2nd annual MNC Ski and Gear Swap was a big success! The club raised $5,000 for the Scholarship Fund, and as a big bonus we also got to bring together skiing friends and enthusiasts from all over the area! Thanks to all who volunteered, brought items to the sale, bought items from the sale, and helped share the joy of skiing. And a special thanks to the Community Center of Jericho for being a great host venue.
The room was buzzing and the skis and gear were flying around. With a wide selection of everything from race skis to touring boots, there seemed to be something for most everyone.
We also set up our BKL lease station, helping to outfit younger skiers for the season ahead. It was great to hear of new and returning members alike excited for colder temps and an impending winter.
Ski lease fitting!
Thanks to all our volunteers!
This event is a HUGE undertaking. Without the planning and conceptualizing by Liz Hollenbach and Jenn Carlson, and the spreadsheet wizardry of Eric Tremble, this event certainly would not have been feasible.
We’re looking forward to continuing this event for the third successive year in 2024!
BKL News Oct 30-Nov 5
We had a great xc ski swap this past weekend. It was awesome to see so many familiar faces and fun to meet lots of new kids, families and coaches. Thanks to all that consigned gear and came to purchase gear.
November is almost here and there are several events starting later this week.
BKL Fun Fall Fridays
This is our first week for Fun Fall Fridays and we’ll be at Cochran’s. The weather is looking good. Please wear bright clothes, bring a headlamp (if you have one) and wear sneakers or running shoes.
We’ll play games, hike, do some dryland ski exercise and get outside for some exercise. It’s a great chance to meet coaches, other skiers and parents. These days are for parents and kids- everyone is encouraged to join the groups! (Don’t worry if you can’t make it, Fall Fridays are just an extra.)
November 3 at Cochran’s in Richmond- we’ll meet in the upper parking lot. Let us know if you plan come.
November 10 at Mills Riverside Park, Rte. 15, Jericho
November 17 location is TBD
Time: 3:45 to 4:45. Bring your headlamp!
Fun Fall Fridays are FREE!
Tomasi Trot and Annual Meeting and Potluck
MNC also has a couple events coming up this weekend that are great for BKL families. Sunday is the Tomasi Trot in Underhill. It’s a fun trail running event on the mowed field trails that we ski on in the winter. Lots of kids and adults will be running and racing. Just after the run is the Annual Potluck Dinner and Meeting at the Underhill Town Hall. Families are encouraged to come. Lots more info here
Equipment
At the swap 11 skiers outfitted with BKL season lease gear over the weekend. We still have more classic no-wax lease gear available- especially for Penguins up to 1+2 grade. Skis, boots + poles are $89 for the season. Please check out the *new* BKL Equipment 101 page of the website for more info (it’s under the BKL Kids).
Tomasi Meadow Trot + Annual Meeting Nov 5!
We are closing-in on November 5th, which is a big day for MNC. We have two big events on the calendar, the Tomasi Meadow Trot and the MNC Annual Meeting.
The Tomasi Meadow Trot is a fun, relaxed 5km event (including a shorter kids run) that is a fundraiser for the ski trails at Tomasi Meadow. MNC has become a partner in grooming, maintaining, and running this trail system in collaboration with the Town of Underhill.
Registration is from 1-1:45, with a kids race at 2pm and main event to follow.
Funds raised from this event help keep the snowmobile running smoothly, the trails maintained with signage, and more. Please consider signing up for this low-cost, low-pressure on a beautiful trail network…the race course is actually a preview of the winter Nordic layout!
After the Tomasi Meadow Trot, stay in town and head just down the road to the Underhill Town Hall for the MNC Annual Meeting.
Join us at the Underhill Town Hall for a potluck dinner, a gathering with other members and friends, and presentations by club leaders!
Learn what MNC is all about, AND what we’re up to this winter. This is an event that allows members of all ages to gather together to welcome the coming season.
Join us starting at 4pm or just after the running event, and sign up for a the potluck below:
Skiing “home” from NY
Last year I took a day in the fall to do a scenic drive around northern New York. Armed with a coffee and apple fritter from Stewart’s (opinion: Stewart’s makes great apple fritters, but not the greatest coffee) I spent a few hours zig-zagging through towns you likely have never heard of…Lewis, Reber, Boquet…with a phone map on the dash, a notepad in hand, and an eye for wider road shoulders and safe downhills, I created a route that would take us from Elizabethtown all the way to the Essex/Charlotte ferry.
When we held our fall training camp in Lake Placid a few weeks later, the final workout was to ski all the way home from camp. It was a success with beautiful weather, amazing new roads to see after so many trips to Cochrans and the Range, and a fun challenge to conquer.
It was a memorable enough endeavor that the consensus was that this ski should be an annual event, even if we aren’t at a camp in the area.
Although the weather and foliage hasn’t been as epic this fall, we nonetheless got up early on Sunday and drove over to Elizabethtown. One thing about an long early drive: when you’re skiing all the way back to Vermont, it makes the return trip in the van a lot shorter (well, if you’re an athlete doing the skiing, that is!).
We experienced chilly temps, with some donning long spandex for the first time this year. But we met some new fans, including a friendly resident of Hyde Road near Lewis, who came out to say hello and tell us her son was an XC runner at Bates. She was therefore somewhat familiar with rollerskiers, which was not what we expected for the area! She was even kind enough to offer us hot coffee or water, which we politely declined and continued on our way.
Starting off fairly bundled-up with temps around 40F. This is the climb up from Elizabethtown to Lewis, NY
We gradually made our way down from the hill High Peaks region and into the west side of the Champlain Valley, where we saw some of my favorite houses and spots ever on Leaning Road near Wadhams. The temps were now comfortable, and the kilometers were ticking by.
“Leaning Road” in Wadhams, an area full of beautiful colonial-era farms and houses
Emily and Virginia cruising along! The foliage was still hanging on nicely in spots
After crossing Rt22 at the Whallonsburg Grange, we approached what is possibly one of the most scenic roads in the valley. Whallons Bay road steadily climbs out of town, and enters rolling fields for a few miles as it crests and then trends downward to the shores of Lake Champlain. If you’re heading east, you ski into sight of the Green Mountains and the lake. Behind you, the Adirondacks ride majestically in the distance. You can’t beat it!
Now THAT is a view for your workout! You just have to remember to turn around if you’re the one skiing!
The squad taking their “album cover” photo upon a farm fence
From Whallonsburg it’s all flat and downhill to the Essex Ferry. We timed it perfectly…or, almost perfectly. But the kiosk attendant was nice enough to hold the boat for us as they were JUST getting ready to shove-off. We enjoyed the 25 minute break across a smooth ride.
We made it into Charlotte in the early afternoon, but our ski wasn’t over just yet. From the eastern shore of the lake everyone popped their rollerskis back on and began climbing out of the Champlain Valley from the Vermont side, heading up Church Hill in Charlotte and toward the foothills of the Green Mountains. We then turned north and made it to the Linseisen home in Shelburne where we were greeted by hot cider, baked goodies, and other snacks! What a great day!
Climbing east from Charlotte, with the Adirondacks (where we started) getting ever-more-distant in the background!
The full route: what a day!
