Club Blogs

It looks like spring skiing weather in St. Albans this weekend! A week of freeze-thaws, a race-time temp in the mid-30s, and a natural snow base will mean softer and dirtier snow. Here is a simple wax recommendation that should help repel dirt as long as possible and keep skis moving through the wet snow.

About 36 racers from Lollipop to Grade 8 hit the Picnic Loop at Sunset on March 6 for the first MNC BKL Sweetheart Sprints. This race, originally scheduled closer to Valentine’s Day, was rescheduled due to extremely cold temperatures. Today was a much nicer day, in fact, it was perfect!  The temps started out at

Time to #recruittheglute! The following routine is made up of a series of dynamic, glute-isolating exercises. This sequence includes a variety of movements to target and strengthen each of your major glute muscless in different ways. The routine takes 10 minutes total, and can be repeated 2-3 times for a longer workout. As discussed in Recruit the Glute(s): Part Two, consistency and specificity is key to building effective glute strength, and we recommend trying to work […]

Part Two: The Why of StrengtheningFrom Running Director Heidi Caldwell.Last month we introduced the importance of using our glutes as runners in the blog post Recruit the Glute(s): Part One. This month, we’re getting into why it’s important for runners to develop strong glutes. Our glutes need to be consistently strengthened in order to be strong enough to maintain an efficient, stable stride as we run. Because most of us don’t actively engage or use our glutes […]

From GRP Biathlete Jake Brown.Alex Messenger was attacked by a grizzly bear and lived to tell the tale. That’s the premise of this book released in 2019. Opening the first pages, the reader knows that much already. So, how much more is there to know? How can 304 pages be filled with such a story that could keep the reader entertained? In The Twenty-Ninth Day, Messenger chronicles his story as a member of Camp Menogyn’s 40-day “Hommes Trip” canoeing in Canada’s […]

A classic treat from the Outdoor Center’s kitchen, these chia seed cookies are a perfect snack to bring on an adventure. Or top them with nut butter and maple syrup and they’ll satisfy even the fiercest post workout craving. The cookies are customizable with optional chocolate chip and shredded coconut add-ins. And if desired, the recipe will probably work with your other favorite extras too; just try to keep the total add-ins (including cranberries) in […]

Found on the trails at Bolton. If it belongs to you, email Rosemary at [email protected]

No Regular BKL Practice this week (2/23-2/28) It’s vacation week and coaches are taking a little break. Feel free to come up to Bolton anyways and use your pass!  But we will have… Craftsbury Day 2/24, 10-Noon, SKATE technique We will all meet and go for a long ski on the beautiful trails at Craftsbury.

A note from MNC alum and current Bowdoin skier Meredith Stetter. In case you didn’t know, this week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (NEDA Week, for short). AKA, this is the perfect time to learn more about the mental illness that infiltrates our wonderful sport all too often. Whether you have struggled with a disorder yourself

Good morning MNC members, We realize that many of our members made big commitments to ski and train at Bolton this winter. We’re psyched to have helped put in lights and do some work to maintain the trails there…we’re frankly not sure what we would be doing without this resource and facility behind us! That

It was a true New England variable ski day today and for the first time, we broke out some klister! Now that you (or your child), has that sticky stuff on their skis, how do you get it off? First- take those skis out of the ski bag before the klister oozes out onto the

It has been a busy year of testing and racing on fluoro-free products. Many days are testing days…regular training session? Put two different waxes on and try them! Race day? At VT Cup #3 in Woodstock I went back through the notes to calculate that we tested a total of 36 different NF topcoats and

“…but I want to come too!” - Every outdoor dog, ever. Tired of sneaking out the door while your dog looks on imploringly? While dogs are not allowed everywhere at Craftsbury, leashed or e-collared dogs are allowed to join you on your ski or snowshoe on select ski trails in Craftsbury and Greensboro. Pets are not presently allowed on any Center snowshoe trails or singletrack during the winter. Which ski trailsIn Craftsbury: the Lakes and some of their […]

We set out this year to revitalize a ski area…this video shows a one day (morning, afternoon, and sunset) at the Bolton Valley Nordic center. Thanks to Green Mountain Electrical Supply, Nate Laber, and Lionel Welch for all of their help with the lighting system. Thanks to Reid Greenberg for helping the club acquire a

MNC has officially pulled into second place in the NENSA Club Cup rankings!  The Club Cup is worth some serious cash this year – $5000/$3000/$1000 to the top three teams – and it’s shaping up to be a three-way battle between Craftsbury, MNC, and Stratton Mountain. MNC has one big advantage that these other powerhouse

The winter 2020-2021 season has been a tough one for ski racing with many events cancelled or moved to virtual formats. Despite the challenges of masking and physical distancing, excellent snow coverage, creative CSU race organizers, and the grooming team at the Weston Ski Track have created opportunities for local skier to test themselves this winter. On Friday, February 12th, CSU hosted the Westonloppet, a timed test of endurance pitting skiers against the clock, each […]

Vistas of a quieter side of the NEK’s working landscape await you in Greensboro. Sadly, during the pandemic we’re not running our shuttles to Greensboro. But don’t let that deter you from exploring a quieter - and frequently snowier - side of the Craftsbury Trails. Let’s go over some steps to make your visit to Greensboro a success.Check conditionsGenerally the grooming team gets over to Greensboro about twice a week: one mid-week day and a day in […]

We offer paper maps of our trail system, either printed for pickup at the Touring Center or printable from your home computer. But the maps shown on craftsbury.com/maps are also capable of being used in the field WITHOUT any cellular signal to show your location in real time. Here’s how.Download Avenza Maps - this free app is available for Android and iOS.Follow Video for loading maps from website (apologies for audio):3. OR Load maps into Avenza using a QR code […]

We're noticing a recent trend: folks are walking on trails groomed for skiing without skis or snowshoes. Any Outdoor Center groomed trails are intended for use for skiing, snowshoeing and fatbiking only. (Fatbikes at specific locations and times/conditions only).But what's the big deal really?Hours of work and expense go into preparing trails for skiing - all year long - which makes for good skiing and brings economic benefits to the community.Walking without snowshoes […]

January 25, 2021 marked the grand opening of the new T-bar on the Inverness Trail at Sugarbush Resort in Vermont. This multimillion-dollar investment will give GMVS athletes more time on snow, more time with coaches, and more efficient training blocks. GMVS Senior Carly Elsinger has been with GMVS for over 10 years, and sees the The post GMVS Completes Second Phase of Multimillion Dollar Transformation of Racing Venue appeared first on Green Mountain Valley School.

How much of what happens in our lives is due to chance versus skill? This is the question Maria Konnikova sets out to answer in her recent book, The Biggest Bluff: How to Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win. The book chronicles Konnikova’s real-life journey to “conquer the poker world” and dig into the tension between luck and control. Konnikova, a writer with a Ph.D. in psychology, has spent much of her career studying human behavior, with a special […]

If you’ve been to running camp or participated in one of our virtual programs, you know the importance of adding a dynamic warm-up to your pre-run routine. Thorough, fine, or lackluster, some sort of active warm-up is key - whatever you have time for. This is especially true in the winter months, when the sub-freezing temperatures make it even harder for our body to get moving and ready for the impact of running. Ideally, a dynamic warm-up gives your body all the […]

Here’s a quick run thru how to use the Acuity Scheduling Client app. This app is available for Android and iOS and is a very quick way to both make reservations AND readily demonstrate to kiosk staffers that you’ve got a reservation and can quickly pass thru the kiosk. Almost all the other how-to’s still apply to this platform.

Part One: The Why & How of Activation All athletes experience aches and pains from time to time. Some of the most common running ailments are chronically achey knees, stiff lower backs, and tender shins. Most of us grow so accustomed to such nagging ailments - or get so good at ignoring them - that we simply accept them and “muscle” through the pain. While these injuries can arise for a whole host of reasons, […]

From GRP skier Adam Martin.Here’s a simple and easy recipe for delicious baked beans. I like this recipe because it requires very little prep time and doesn’t require any unusual ingredients. I use the Instant Pot delay start feature so I can have the beans finish right when I’m planning to return from an evening workout. The dish goes great with a boiled grain like brown rice or farro, and it also makes an outstanding meal with corn bread. I like topping the […]

Though the COVID-19 pandemic sadly prevented us from holding our 2020 season of sculling camps on Great Hosmer Pond, we were glad to host a 14-week sculling webinar series that gave us the opportunity to meet with many of you throughout the sculling season. The series, which ran each Wednesday from July through September, featured a lineup of our sculling directors and head coaches presenting on a variety of topics that we hope will aid you in your development as a […]

One of the positives of our contact tracing system for Day-use reservations is that we can quantify our experiences of welcoming folks. We're only starting to dig into this, but we thought sharing some early data could be helpful for users who are looking to plan their time at Craftsbury.Takeaway #1: Mondays and the mid-week are still the best days to ski.Duh, I know. But it's still striking how much quieter the midweek days are. If you have flexibility in your […]

GRP Rower Jen Forbes and GRP Ski coach Pepa Miloucheva during a VO2 max test. From Troy Howell, Director of ScullingPrevious posts in this series: Training at the Bookends and The Other BookendVO2 max and anaerobic threshold (AT) are arguably the twin holy grails of endurance athletes. In simple layman’s terms, the former is a simple measure of the volume of oxygen the athlete’s body can process in a minute. The latter is the heart rate and intensity at […]

From GRP skier Adam Martin.A perfect meal to warm you up after a chilly winter workout, this curry is rich, slightly sweet, and very satisfying. With a side of brown rice, the recipe makes enough for 3 hungry people. And while the brown rice is cooking, you’ll have plenty of time to prep all of the ingredients and make the curry. If you have the time, making fresh naan will elevate the meal to a dinner party worthy feast. Ingredients:1t coconut oil, optional1 medium […]

View from the mid-point of a sunset Ridge Run. From Running Director Heidi Caldwell. It has been quite the year. The last ten months have been unusually quiet in Craftsbury without the busy hum of summer camps and community programs. Their absence is still felt today, and has been a defining part of the year. Looking back, it’s easy to forget that the year didn’t start with cancellations and program changes; 2020 landed in Craftsbury in a bright, snowy […]

From Running Director Heidi Caldwell.Winter running can get a bad rap in the ski-centric Craftsbury bubble. But during the low snow weeks or days when you don’t have time to drive to ski trails, keeping in touch with your running legs throughout the ski season can pay off big time. And for those training for a spring marathon, running through the winter is just part of the deal. Navigating the often slick roads of the Northeast Kingdom, however, is no small task, and […]

From Running Director Heidi Caldwell.Walking isn’t part of my usual routine. I love running and hiking, but walking - not so much. The times I voluntarily “go for a walk” have largely been reserved for special occasions like family gatherings or city tours. Walking tends to leave me both tired and restless, without the thrill of running fast or summiting peaks to keep me energized. Put me on a mountain trail and I am good to climb, but strolling over smooth […]

Green Mountain Valley School (GMVS), in Fayston, Vermont, announces the purchase of a residence and additional 6.4 acres adjacent to the campus, expanding the existing 14-acre campus by 45%. As part of an ongoing commitment to continually evolve and improve the academy’s infrastructure, the new property just west of campus includes a three-bedroom postcolonial structure The post GMVS Expands Campus by 45% appeared first on Green Mountain Valley School.

N. Andover, surprisingly, gave me permission to hold the 32nd annual rollerski race in N. Andover this morning, squeezing it in between a snowstorm on Friday and a tropical storm this evening.  A great turnout of juniors.  It was great to see everyone out there racing!  Results and photos below.  Thanks everyone for coming, thanks especially to all who helped out to watch corners and organize skiers at the start and to Lisa and Sarah for timing, giving me a chance […]

Skier. Athlete. Wife. These were some of the identities members of the GMVS community shared during an event led by author, athlete and diversity trainer, Mirna Valerio. Valerio was the point person for a day of exploring how we match up the outer and inner versions of ourselves and how we present them in the The post SPARKING IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IDENTITY AND INCLUSIVITY appeared first on Green Mountain Valley School.

Born from ice, Bode Miller, is a New Hampshire native who grew up racing on the Eastern slopes, and eventually became one of the greatest ski racers in U.S. history. With 33 World Cup wins, two overall titles, four world championships, and six Olympic medals, he is known as the most decorated male in U.S. The post BUILDING STRENGTH AND POWER AT THE BODE BARN appeared first on Green Mountain Valley School.

Youth loves action! Coaching ski racing with this fact in mind has lead to the rapid popularity of a new Cross Country ski discipline: The Cross Country Cross (XCX)! Athletes maneuver at high speed around cones, over drop jumps, through speed whoops and off of snow berms. Balance and body position are taught without over The post NENSA ROLLER SKIER CROSS CHALLENGE appeared first on Green Mountain Valley School.

The letters GMVS and KBF have long been synonymous with one another, and on Saturday, September 12, 2020, it was no different.   With brisk fall temperatures and clear blue skies above, the student-athletes of Green Mountain Valley School (GMVS) took to the roads and the mountains to raise money for the Kelly Brush Foundation (KBF). The post Supporting the Kelly Brush Foundation and Ski Racing Safety appeared first on Green Mountain Valley School.

We extend a warm welcome to our new staff members, Sydney Hopkins, and GMVS Intern Emily Berner will be working in Learning Services this fall during Lauren Ayotte’s upcoming maternity leave. Emily, who will also be a dorm parent in Poundcake, will provide academic support to students one-on-one and in small group sessions. A double The post Welcoming New Staff to the Team appeared first on Green Mountain Valley School.

Members of the GMVS community are mourning the sudden and unexpected passing of Eric Keck in early July. Eric was a graduate of the Class of 1986 who went on to pursue his dream of racing at the highest levels, eventually landing a spot on the U.S. Ski Team, where he became an iconic member The post Remembering Eric Keck, Class of 1986 appeared first on Green Mountain Valley School.

With COVID-19 in our midst, life seems to have come to an uncertain halt. Championship races were cancelled just as they were about to begin, interstate (let alone international) travel has ceased, and many of our early season prep camps have been put on hold. Yet, Green Mountain Valley School in Waitsfield, VT maintains focus The post Looking Ahead to a Thriving Future appeared first on Green Mountain Valley School.

Hello Ford Sayre friends and families! The calendar has turned to June and, while many of our seasonal rhythms have been upended, we still find ourselves nursing the early-summer blisters of rollerskiing, embracing the newly-greened beauty of our environment, and … Continue reading →

On Wednesday May 20th, 2020 over 220 Green Mountain Valley School (GMVS) students, staff, and alumni honored their 32 student member Class of 2020 with a unique athletic challenge. The goal, as a collective virtual community, was to sweat through 2020 miles and 53,000 vertical feet, in honor of the current year and a May The post Honoring The Class of 2020 With Athletic Challenge appeared first on Green Mountain Valley School.

Need a quiet break?  Take a short ski on Trail 38 at MSA.Trail 38

It was a beautiful weekend for racing last weekend at Bretton Woods and for taking photos.  I really didn't have a problem hanging out looking at Mt. Washington while I waited for skiers to come by.  Bretton Woods did a good job scraping up the icy snow and setting a track.  The weather was warming fast but no one seemed to have any problems getting kick out of their klister and CSU brought home many age group awards.  Here are several photos of CSUers in action in […]

Victoria, who joined JNT before the Craftsbury Eastern Cup, is in the process of writing a memoir (yes, we were impressed too). She’s written the following excerpt as a reflection on her decision to join Ford Sayre and get back … Continue reading →

The days are getting longer, the dirt roads are getting bumpy and athletes are hurriedly finishing school assignments and packing T-shirts and sunscreen for race trips. Yes, it’s March in the world of New England Nordic skiing, which means Championship Season! Here’s a quick update on … Continue reading →

Qualifiers galore! These past two race weekends have flown by in a flurry of qualifiers for Junior Nationals, Eastern High School Championships and U16 Championships. And this team has QUALIFIED! While we don’t fixate on results and rankings, it is … Continue reading →

Rumford, Maine we love you so! This past weekend, the JNT team made the pilgrimage to Black Mountain for two days of bluebird racing. While our travel up to Maine may have been less bluebird, race days dawned cold and … Continue reading →

Jeff DusekBackground: I started skate skiing in January 2019 after being invited by the Wellesley College Nordic Ski Club to be a volunteer coach (aka drive buses to practice since I already coach/drive the sailing team). I had tried nordic a couple times in the past with the MIT Tri Club and enjoyed it, so I found some older used gear and decided to give it a go. I quickly found I enjoyed having a winter sport that kept me off the bike trainer, and actually improved a […]