The Dirt In Vermont

Time To Ride 2013

As I sit here listening to the rain fall, I think about the year 2013.  The last few years have been full to say the least but when I think about this past Spring, into Summer and then into Fall, I start to feel something  and I smile....

Last winter, while out skiing, I started thinking about the upcoming riding season. I decided I would ride and photographically capture, edit and share the entire riding season, then go out on a limb, put it all together and raise money for our local MTB clubs. Now when I think back on this I can honestly say I had no idea what I was really getting myself into.  I am by no means a professional photographer, I simply like the feel of a camera in my hand and like to share what I see. I also like to ride *a lot*.

In the end we raised over $800 for our local mountain bike chapters. This helps pay for tools, advocacy, legislation, beer....(after trail work of course), and helps chapters reach out to new avenues. I cannot thank all the folks enough who rode with me, spoke with me, laughed, let me share their moments on a bike with me. Thanks also to all the sponsors who supported the show with raffle prizes, who did not even hesitate to support my project and donated their products and time so that we could make TTR (Time To Ride) positively the best time we possibly could. Here's to VMBA (Vermont Mountain Bike Association), Vermont Peanut Butter (Chris Kaiser), Darn Tough socks, Forsake shoes, Vasque, MTBVT crew, The Alchemist, the good folks at Jackson's Lodge (Mark, Gloria, and Lu) who took us in, Onion River Sports, Muscles Not Motors, Dirt Rag Magazine, Cannondale, Specialized,, SRAM and the Savoy Theater.  You all made a night possible where you could literally feel the energy and spirit of the VT MTB community.

When we moved here we knew we wanted to live in the mountains with mountain people. In Vermont mountain biking has come along way, from riding class four roads, VAST snowmobile trails in the Summer on private land, illegal or hand shake stashes of single-track, that either got discovered and destroyed or legitimized and solidified a community. As double-track turned into single-track, techy met flow, you could feel there was something there, it was good, REALLY good! It was the mountain bike culture in VT. That was over eight years ago and MTB'ing in VT  hasn't looked back.  I could ramble on and name names but you all know who you are, we all know who you are and if you don't, I only have two words for you: get involved. I like to joke that some folks think single track just simply grows on trees....well it doesn't.  It takes blood, sweat, some elbow grease, a couple of shovels, and a community, and yeah sometimes tears..wait I think I meant beers...But in the end its the people and together with those shovels, a smile, advocacy and some time we can make mountain biking in Vermont even stronger. I like to quote a good friend of mine: "you have to pay to play" and this doesn't  necessarily mean money but of yourself. So get out there and get involved.

Now stop listening to the rain, wax some skis and get outside...the snow is coming

 I promise....so is the singletrack. 

T.

Always; A Time To Ride

 As Nov 5th gets closer here's a little inside look at what we've been up to...

T&S

Vermont's very own Green Mountain Enduro

With over 50 riders, music and food, perfect fall weather, and the phenomenal trail network at Shaw Outdoor Center (part of Norwich University) in Northfield, the Green Mountain Enduro was a great success, particularly for a first-year event. The field was comprised of pros, sport riders, and beginners. Racers competed in three timed stages, for which the climbs were casual and non-timed, and riders then put it all on the line for the descent. Riders had a great time and everyone had a smile on their face. 

Many thanks to Liz at the Shaw Outdoor Center, the many Norwich University volunteers, the Town of Northfield, and Onion River Sports for putting on a great event.

Follow these links for race results and more photos.  

Friday Klunking

E.G.

Well it's a rainy Friday here in VT . Here's a throw-back to the beginning of MTB'ing and to what lies ahead.  I'm sure GF, JB and the whole Marin county crew can appreciate folks getting out on coaster brake klunkers and discovering just how to throw down that rear wheel skid on a dirt road. Nothing quite like it.

Happy Klunking!

T

In the Kingdom

Rider: Chris Lee

Vive Le Tour De France!

El Mont Diablo

At the Heart of Singletrack

Trail Crew

With wet weather in VT, a MTB'er must look inwards at times and face a brutal truth: It's just too wet to ride. With that realization comes a couple of choices: clean bike, drink beer, watch a bike movie, pig out on some Ben & Jerry's, or..... get out anyways and give that favorite local trail some much-needed love. With that, our Wednesday ORS MTB ride set out to do some local trail work.

The Wednesday ride is some folks only chance to ride during the week. Every Wednesday people excitedly call the shop throughout the day to inquire if the ride is still on, and where we're riding. On this particular Wednesday, folks called with an already less-than-excited tone asking, "So, are we still riding?.....[long hopeful pause]." My reply: "Sorry, no group ride today. But we're gonna grab some tools and head up to do some trail maintenance after a couple of intense storms that came through."

With a little encouragement, stoke and some promised hydration (read: beer), a couple of folks rose to the occasion. This is where the "heart" of singletrack  lies. I often think to myself, "Where would we ride if it weren't for all the volunteers?" These local clubs and VMBA (Vermont Mountain Bike Association) and their blood, sweat, and tears go into building all the great places we get to ride here in VT. We are fortunate to have all these things at hand to make VT a true destination for MTB'ing. It is the people that constantly give their time even when they would rather be riding that keep singletrack alive and well.

So the next time it's raining instead, of digging into a pint of B&J's or watching a bike video, grab your pack, tools and some good friends and head for that favorite trail. Chances are it needs a little love and this way you can be sure that trail will be able to keep on giving back.

Worcester Range at Sunset

Here's to the trail builders and to all that give their time.

T.

Singletrack Summer

Riders- Brett Leeper, Sarah Galbraith, Justin Tyme

Rider Ryan Madison

Sometimes you have to ride some of VT's beautiful dirt roads to get to the good stuff.  Here some good friends of mine have a little fun in between a flat tire, re-creating those early MTB years out West. I think Gary Fischer would be proud...

Riders Ryan Madison, Phil Parrish and Burt Marsh

 Rest those legs as the rain soaks in....

T.

A time to ride..

Riders Chris Lee- Dylan Covington

Rider Kevin Jacques

With such an unusual dry Spring followed by some wet and interesting weather it's been a good time here in VT to ride some of the best singletrack around.  I get to ride with some real fun folks and this is what they've been up to lately in the Green mountains of VT....

Rider C. Lee

Rider Brian Stevenson

Rider C. Lee- Rodney Nobrega

Rider KJ

A pleasure to ride and share cold beer with the Millstone Hill Trail crew.

 There's always a time and place to ride in VT. It's just a matter of finding it.

T.

Easter Sunday; back to VT singletrack.

Every year it's a given; we gather early Sunday morning, drive South, and ride bikes. One important  thing we noticed this year: some are just learning. To watch a young kid laugh and giggle as they ride their bike was something that really brought me back to my youth, to how a bicycle was an integral part of my life growing up, as it is for others.

Another Easter ride with friends, bikes, and the feeling of Spring in the air. Winter isn't over yet but Spring in VT is a special time of year where anything can happen.

Legends of the Thaw...

Well it's January here in Vermont and at times it can get warm, wet and windy! While the Ol' Ski Hill out back can get kind of.....well, lets just say it was beautiful..

Never let yourself second-guess getting out, no matter the conditions. In the end you'll always be glad you did.

Good thing I had the fat skis?! Where are my E99's when I need them most?

Good thing I brought some cold beer.

T.

Winter Beckons at Millstone Hill

Rider Kevin Jaques.

Here's some more two-wheeled love in our latest post from guest writer Cody Chouinard. If we weren't missing our bikes before, we certainly are now. Thanks, Cody, for sharing your story with us!

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If you're like me, every time you see your bike jammed in the corner of your garage you get a brief flashback of shredding single-track all summer long. Thanks to our friends at the Millstone Trails Association you no longer have to suffer. Whether you are whipping around the turns creating a snow wave or just the casual biker looking for some great views, the trails at Millstone have everything you want in a winter mountain biking experience. If you have ever ridden at Millstone in the summer you know how beautiful the quarries are, but there is something about them in the winter that is equally if not more amazing. The snow outlined pieces of granite create a skeleton-like look to the grout piles towering above you. Winter riding doesn’t compare to summer riding, but the Millstone Trails Association has done an amazing job creating trails that will help you cope with those single-track flashbacks.

CC. 

Cody Chouinard lives in Barre, Vermont, and likes to ride his bike. 

Our local hill finds the snow rolling; literally.

Odin doesn't like being left out of a good run. 

 A couple of weeks ago we found ourselves in the midst of some wonderfully unique weather out our backyard.  As the blue sky clashed with dramatic and intense clouds, the heavy wet snow and gusty winds created some beautiful skiing. This is what we found:

Snow rollers were something we had not seen before.  With the wet snow and heavy winds the snow is pushed and rolled into what looked almost like delicious snow pastry, ranging in size from a softball to a large exercise ball. A unique day, to say the least.

With today's fresh snow in the mountains (we needed it), I hope you'll find your way outside today - I know I will, even if for a quick lap out the back.


T.

From Wax to Waxless: Voile's Game-Changing BC Skis

We're so excited about the Voile Charger BC and Vector BC skis! These are our new skis for 2012-13 (well, the Vectors are still on back order ... ), and they're a favorite in our quivers. (Our small quivers include Rossignol BC 125s, and an old pair of Karhu Tenth Mountains - all of which are great skis, too.) To make these skis, Voile essentially put waxless bases on two of their very popular downhill skis.


Stepping into the Vector BC, mounted with a Voile  3-pin hardwire binding, was like love at first ski. It's sturdy and capable, yet light and tourable. And oh-so glide-y (is that a word?), yet climbs like a tractor. The revolution comes in the fat widths of these skis, but more importantly, it's in the rockered tip. Rocker is typically associated with keeping those skis afloat in the deep, deep powder days to our west, but they also really help with navigating dense New England backcountry by keeping your tips up and above debris, blowdowns, or crusty layers of snow. The Charger BC delivers all the same, but with a fatter base. Read on to get the low-down and our take on these fabulous new skis.

Voile Vector BC (a.k.a Sarah's New Love)
Dimensions: 92-96 under foot (a "mid-fat" ski)
Design: These have a mountain scene and cute fuzzy bear, which means I heart them instantly
They ski like: the dickens! I didn't want to stop skiing, despite painful blisters from a different boot/outing. This ski handled breaking trail in wooded terrain, climbing rolling hills and ravine banks, and descending tight down-hill trails with ease and grace. They edge beautifully, carving awesome turns through any conditions. Amazingly, they descend like a downhill ski while still being lightweight enough to climb comfortably - and climb you can, like a skidsteer with chains. Loggers should use these puppies to drag felled trees out of the woods. There is something both burly and sleek about this ski, simultaneously, that makes you want to ski them all day. Recommended set up: Voile 3-pin hardwire, light plastic telemark boot, an appetite for all-day fun (and the snacks to keep you going)

Voile Charger BC
Dimensions: 110-114 underfoot (like a fat powder ski, but built to take it all)
Design: These have a mountain goat on them, because they eat mountains for breakfast!
They ski like: a dream! This is a true adventure ski! It has the look, dimensions, and performance of a deep powder ski. But make no mistake, Voile excels at making this a really light, semi-stiff ski that is highly versatile. It's at home in the backcountry - either in powder or not, and can even handle your favorite groomed Nordic or downhill trails. I've taken this ski many times down the local snowmobile trail to make some laps on a local pasture hill - its a light, versatile ski that does it all well. Also, the rockered tip keeps the ski from diving in deep powder or rugged backcountry conditions, and it smooths the transition between turns.
Recommended set up: Voile 3-pin hardwire, light plastic telemark boot

Another plus for both skis: Made in the USA! Continue to support local, small shops by buying yours at ORS Cross-country Skis Direct - these guys don't just sell skis, they ski 'em!

Homegrown Singletrack

Trail crew Mike, Zack and Chris

Don't get us wrong, we're loving all this great snow. But there's not a day that goes by that we don't think of our bikes. Partly that's because they're hogging one-third of our mudroom, and we have to step over them to get to the ski poles, but we also just really love two wheels.

This love got us thinking back to last fall, and ahead to next spring. That's the beauty of this spinning planet: we will ride again.

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November in Vermont is a unique time of year. Snow in the mountains lures one for early season turns, while sweet single track below can be had amidst Vermont's short hunting season. This year the focus for us has been singletrack in our back yard.  After a year of cleaning up our woods by removing blow downs and piles of brush, the real work has finally started: trail building.

So this year that wonderful cold, frosty lure of early season turns, that itchy anticipation of scratching down the mountain hasn't quite happened for us. Instead, we're hearing the call to build.

r

Rider Chris Lee on R.I.P.

Sarah and I are no strangers to driving to some of the best hard built, hard fought singletrack in VT, like Perry Hill, Carse Hill, Adams Camp, Northfield ... the list goes on.  But driving there can be the least fun of the whole experience, so when we searched for a place to call home, land was certainly of most important interest. As a child I can't ever remember driving to ride my  mountain bike; it was a home grown affair. We would get out of school, get on our bikes, and ride 'til dinner. I remember not being able to stay awake all day in class, only to be magically awakened as the last hour of class slowly ticked away and I looked forward to getting on my bike.  This is something I want to recreate from my youth, out-the-door riding. And Patrick Kell, formerly of VMBA and now of IMBA, once told us that everyone should have a trail to ride within 15 minutes of their front door. We're shooting for 15 seconds.
 
Riding - plain and simple. Absolutely no driving.

Late night brush burning.

So what can you do with 5 acres?  Well let's just say there's no world- class caliber XC trails to be had here(this will hopefully change). But we do have some great contours to play with. So with that I called  friends, gathered some tools and beer, and started digging.

So far we've put together some great lines, like R.I.P and B-line, that are all collaborations of riders'\builders' ideas. Next year we hope to bring in more than a bit of dirt and build a pump track, all ready in the design and recruitment stage, plus a skills course, and as much flowy singletrack as 5 acres can handle.

And so it begins.....

The Couching Lion

Ride like the wind.

Today starts the beginning of a new phase of a  project I've been working on for some time now, one that is finally taking shape. I have finally erected the first of three wind towers constructed completely out of old bike parts, or objects that would otherwise end up in a land fill (or Kip's garage) that I will be using to harness the power of the wind, hopefully by next year, to use on our property in some way, shape, or form.  I was inspired by the artists of Sculpt-cycle in Montpelier a few years ago who constructed wind mills at the rotary on Main St. that I drive by every day. Slowly but surely I will be building and writing about the process as it moves along.Wind power and the towers we see high on some of the ridgelines here in Vermont have been a very touchy subject the last few years.  Through this art/energy project I'm hoping to learn more about how we as a culture view renewable energy sources visually and economically in our state and in our backyard.

Well, here goes nothing!

Or something?!!

We'll see.

T.

From Wasteland to Playland.

Rider Chris Lee playing at Millstone Hill

Till next year........

A great time was had by all cheering on the cyclists and runners at this years Onion River Sports Cliff street hill climb. A huge thanks to the Cliff st. neighborhood and surrounding community's for supporting this fun and enthusiastic event.  We couldn't do it with out you! or the brutal yet beautiful Cliff st.

See you this Fall?

or till next year!

El Diablo.