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Bolton gets LIT!

By Adam Terko on 9 November, 2020 in Uncategorized

A lot of pieces really came together this weekend to begin the final preparations and put a stamp of completion on the lighted loop at Bolton. A heroic effort by Green Mountain Electrical Supply crew (and MNC skiers and parents) Nate Laber and Lionel Welch involving a full day of work on both Saturday and Sunday, plus a final push of MNC volunteer hours and crework Sunday means the Picnic loop now has:

More than 30 LED lights, shining 5500 lumens of power onto the trail at night
A control panel and 8000w generator powering the lights whenever needed
1,300 lbs of industrial-grade wiring, fully metal and PVC-clad for snow and weather protection
4 bridges spanning previous washouts and allowing low-snow grooming and skiing
Immensely-improved side drainage ditching to keep water off the trail
Over 5 new sections of culvert and piping diverting runoff under key segments
Full raking, mowing, and weedwhacking for an ideal low-snow grooming and skiing surface

On Sunday afternoon, we turned on the generator and the lights for the first time. Our target for a “ribbon cutting” and official evening lighting will be this coming Sunday. We’re ahead of schedule to complete everything before Thanksgiving week, which is incredible. As I said to many of the volunteers the other day, this is one of the fastest progressions of “idea to reality” this club has ever seen. That it all occurred in a busy time of year, amidst a pandemic, is almost unbelievable.

The best news is that it will benefit not only our programming, but the entire Nordic community. In a year without the Range and Sleepy Hollow previously offering some of the only lighted after school/after work skiing in Chittenden County, this project will offer more space for groups, more potential for skiable early-season snow, and more venues for potential racing.

We are incredible indebted to Nate Laber and Lionel Welch. This can’t be overstated. Not only did these two put in countless hours of personal and company time to make this project happen, they have acquired thousands and thousands of dollars worth of equipment as donations and write-offs that keep this project feasible for a club like ours. If you see Nate or Lionel on the trails this winter, please stop to give them some thanks. We’ll also find a way to recognize them more formally soon!

You can find an updated album of trail work and infrastructure upgrades HERE

You can find photos from our first real ski days on the loop HERE

Some serious wire, 1,300 lbs worth. Took about 10 of us to pull it through the woods to connect the lights!

Nate making the actual connections, hooking up the lights into the main large cable

Lionel connecting up the control panel: along with the generator next to it, this is the hub from which all the magic happens

Another day’s work done…

Bolton: 1st ski on the MNC lighted loop!

By Adam Terko on 5 November, 2020 in Uncategorized

Well, the Picnic trail at Bolton has existed for quite some time, so it’s tough to call it the first ski on this loop. BUT, with the immense amount of work our club has put in over the past 2 months this loop is starting to feel more and more like a new home for the club.

Without the rock removal, bridge building, weed trimming, branch cutting, and grade levelling MNC members carried out, there is no way we would have been able to ski groomed laps this week. With the exception of two large rocks that we’ll need a real excavator to remove, the loop is about as fine-tuned as possible for low-snow skiing and grooming, and we got the perfect initial test of that this week.

Human grooming!

6 inches fell Sunday into Monday, and on Monday night my friend Ben and I, along with Mike Millar, were up and in business with some homemade grooming devices. Nothing like a good strength workout of snowshoeing a few laps tugging an unweighted groomer, followed by a couple laps with rocks in the back to pack things down further!

On Tuesday, we woke up to even more snow as a further 8 inches hit Bolton. For those curious, the base area is at 2000′ so even with barely an inch in Burlington there was a full-on winter scene up on the Nordic trails. More grooming was in order, and on Tuesday afternoon the Juniors had an awesome training session. As night fell and we donned headlamps (read on to learn about how you can help install the lighted system THIS SUNDAY) masters skiers from MNC and just the surrounding area in general

began to appear. This was really happening!

But the real treat was Wednesday morning, when the skied-in and groomed-in snow had another cold night to set-up. Skiers for the 8am training session had nearly perfect mid-winter conditions. With a little creative shoveling, the loop held on for the afternoon session as long as you were ok with dodging the occasional grass patch.

With the loop in the best shape it has ever been in, and the first real skiing able to happen, we were able to glean some first impressions from what will become our new lighted loop:

Both the sunrise and sunset skiing is beautiful. With a western-facing high-point to start the loop off, you’re treated with beautiful light and views of the Adirondack sunset for the whole first half of the loop.
The loop flows well, especially in the general counter-clockwise direction. There is a sharp downhill curve to the right, and hairpin to the left, with your reward for this tricky section being a smooth and snaking V2 section that feels like true “hero skiing”.
The climb is tough, but perfect for this kind of loop. There is a steep climb out of the low-point, and once you reach the end of the steep section that parallels the access road, you are rewarded with smooth undulating grades that we are amazing for classic striding!

The sunsets are no joke here

While the snow is gone for now, the little taste we got makes us all the more excited for this winter.

You can check out on-snow photos from these couple of days in this album

You can check out the trail work before-the-snow in this album

Interested in installing the lights with us? Our mission will be to put up the remaining light posts on trees and then run this wire (below) to all of the posts as we prepare to flip the switch!

Join the club at Bolton this coming Sunday, 11/8 at 9AMto help complete this big project! Bring work clothes, gloves, and some water!

Stoneground skis return

By Adam Terko on 3 November, 2020 in Uncategorized

If you got a pair of skis stoneground through Caldwell Sport, they will be headed back to our part of Vermont this coming Friday, November 6th. We will be heading down to pick them up directly.

MNC will cover the cost of the stonegrinding in one lump sum, and then create a payment form for members to select their number of pairs ground and cover each individual costs. There will be an online version (slightly higher due to PayPal processing fees) or the option to submit a check (payable to “Mansfield Nordic Club”) to the following address:

MNC/Adam Terko

3541 Nashville Rd

Jericho, VT 05465

We will update skiers with final cost information and payment links on Friday when the final invoice is published and the skis are headed back to Northern VT!

If you have ordered anything from Zach (skis, wax, poles, etc) and would like to save on shipping, let him know and we will gladly pick up your order and bring it back with us when skis are picked up!

Bolton is (lightly) groomed!

By Adam Terko on 2 November, 2020 in Uncategorized

This afternoon the grooming team of Mike Millar, Ben Ogden, and Adam Terko visited Bolton to “groom” the 1km soon-to-be-lighted loop. With the help of the “Terktech 3.0” human-powered grooming device and a few laps (with the three of us trading skiing and grooming on foot) there is at least a little bit of level corduroy.

One thing’s for sure…it feels like the real deal! And even though it’ll likely melt by Wednesday afternoon, it’s the perfect chance to get up there and get a taste of winter.

Grooming action

View from the driver’s seat

Soon to be wired for completion! If you want to lend a hand in the finishing touches, keep an eye on the website

Sunset skis…a nice element that we didn’t always have at the Range

Skiing on the Stowevio Glacier

By Adam Terko on 1 November, 2020 in Junior Blog, Uncategorized

If you follow Nordic skiing at the World Cup level you may have heard of athletes making a trip in the summer and fall to the Stelvio Glacier in Italy. This is where the sport’s finest test their fitness and train long hours at high elevation on summer snow. But in a pandemic year where long travel is not safe, did you know that the Stowevio Glacier is only a short drive for most MNC members?

Although it involves a hike and not a tram ride to the skiable terrain, the views are no less inspiring. On a sunny day, you will see lots of skiers making the pilgrimage up to the glacier with the promise of early-season snow while the ground is bare at lower elevations…

The high alpine terrain of the Stelvio is known for its lack of oxygen, so athletes must be very careful to not train too hard or too fast before they become acclimated. However, with the Stowevio Glacier topping out at just over 4,000 feet the altitude is not much to worry about. You can still expect pristine white snow and rocky outcroppings much like that of the Domomites.

It’s important to wear sunscreen to be protected from the high alpine rays. Although conditions are often good, old skis are usually recommended since the occasional rock may pop up on the trail. However, snow-capped pine trees and well-packed surfaces are usually suitable for skiers looking to get in early striding and gliding.

On the Stelvio Glacier, the altitude means it’s very hard to do intensity training and push yourself. However, given the low elevation of the Stowevio Glacier, along with ample manmade snow at the main parking area, it’s possible to have World Cup-level race efforts such as the 200m relay sprint course with downhill jump feature and backpack directional markings. It’s true: on October 31st the races of the 20/21 season have already begun.