"Door to Trail": the Salomon XR Mission

The Salomon website bills this shoe as the "door to trail" option; I couldn't imagine a shoe that I would be more about, given out-the-door adventure is my middle name. Now, I'm a girl, so it's no surprise that colors are what drew me to this shoe in the first place. And, in my defense, the Salomon XR Mission comes in some pretty attention-getting colors (check out the women's pink!). But I stayed for a longer look, and a fitting, because of the features. A neutral trail runner that is lightweight, comfortable, and promotes better running form was appealing. The shoe is lightweight and flexible. And, as a huge fan of Salomon footwear, it had the features I have come to require in a shoe: comfort, fit, and a really neat lacing system. The best part is they felt amazing on. I couldn't wait to get out on a run in them! Here I recount my first few impressions of these shoes on a variety of surfaces and over different distances, and I report on the good and the bad. If you would prefer just to get my take-home message about this shoe, just skip my run reports and scroll to the bottom of the page: The Bottom Line. 

My first "run" in these beauties was a comical mud/snow/ice mis-adventure in North Branch Park; I'm not sure what I was thinking there. (Before I left, I decided I would leave behind my sunglasses because the leaves would shade my eyes for me...um, what leaves? And where did I leave my brain that day? Even Odin was worried about me.) I will tell you, though, that these shoes handle quite well a thin layer of leaves over solid glare ice as you're bushwhacking your way around trail-shaped glaciers.

Anyways, my first real run in these came in Connecticut; we took an extended leave to catch up with family and we took the opportunity to get out on the dry trails to our south (no glaciers there!). When we got there, it was sunny and warm, true Spring weather. I got out of the car, said 'Hello', and put on my running stuff. My favorite part about running is the simplicity: just shorts, shoes, socks, a shirt, and I'm off, into the woods. It's so simple and freeing to have no gear, just you and the woods. And your trusty dog. My first run was a favorite section of the Nipmuck Trail along the Fenton River, alternating between eastern hardwood and conifer forests. The greens of moss and hemlocks were beautiful; the naked branches against a bright blue sky were uplifting. As I leaped and hopped over streams, rocks, and logs, I felt like I was flying. I'm sure the awesome colors helped, too. And as my stride took me over leaves, fallen needles, soft ground, and mud, I felt like I was floating on clouds; light, airy, lime green clouds. My lungs felt clean, my legs felt long and strong; Odin and I were having a great time. My two favorite things about this shoe, other than the colors, obviously, are the flexibility and the spaciousness (there is good support around the arch of your foot, though not too much support, a nice fit around the heel, and plenty or room in the toe box). Both features allow my foot to expand and move as it was meant to, as opposed to shoes that rigidly hold your foot into a "supported" shape.

The next morning was cloudy, but I set out on an early morning run with Odin on the familiar loop at Schoolhouse Brook. This trail is rockier and has some wet spots, plus a long down hill. I wanted to see how the roomy toe box felt on a sustained downhill. The shoe felt nimble and airy, and I found myself landing more towards the front of my foot as I ran, just naturally, since the shoe has enough flexibility to allow your foot to maneuver and better support your landings as I hopped over rocks. My foot did slide forward in the shoe on the downhill, and I could feel the tight lacing system against the top of my arch - a little uncomfortable, but not awful, and certainly not enough of a drawback to outweigh the roominess my feet were enjoying.

On the third morning I took a longer run that mixed pavement, trails, and dirt roads all in the five miles between Tristan's and my childhood homes. I headed down Maple Road, to Spring Hill, and over to my first leg of the Nipmuck Trail - 50 Foot. On the first stretches of pavement, the shoe did not feel great and my feet hurt, but I thought this might be because I was just warming up. When I headed into the woods, it was like returning home and the shoe knew just what to do. We hopped together over rocks, ran through mud, and navigated old wooden bridges. I popped out of the woods a couple of miles later, back on to pavement. Again, this did not feel good, and I knew I was warmed up by now. I found this shoe is not made for pavement. My feet quickly grew sore under my arch (I actually got small blisters there) and my foot muscles quickly felt very sore. I'm not a technical nor experienced runner, so I can't explain what happens with this shoe on pavement, but my guess is that the minimal support and flexibility of the shoe don't match well with hard surfaces. A mile later, when my path turned to dirt road, I immediately felt better. And then, back into the woods, where this shoe truly excels. I had a steep climb coming up and I wanted to see how this shoe handles - the traction is rather innovative and impressive. And the shoe did so well, even on steep, leaf-covered terrain! I finished the run with a short paved climb up to T's parents' house and was overall highly impressed. After 5 miles in pretty new shoes, I felt great!

I continued to do a few more runs, including a nice long, all-trail run through the Natchaug State Forest with Tristan and Odin. Tristan got these shoes, too. As Tristan said, "This shoe has renewed my love for trail running!"

My only gripe about this shoe is no Gore-tex. I do like waterproofing, especially in the wet conditions we have up north in the spring and fall, when I do most of my trail running. However, after about 10 runs in these (including one where I sank mid-shin in mud), I can say that I actually like that these shoes are not waterproof. They dry very quickly and are highly breathable. I am now very much looking forward to running in these through all seasons and weather; a good pair of wicking socks will keep your feet comfortable and safe in wet conditions (definitely don't wear cotton with these if there is a chance you will get wet - that would be very uncomfortable and would cause blisters and raw-ness for sure).

The Bottom Line: This is a great shoe and is truly a door to trail shoe, that is, if your path to the trail is dirt. I found this shoe to be uncomfortable on pavement, even short stretches. There was a short period where my foot had to become accustomed to less support and structure, but now my feet and I are quite happy to have some extra room. I was worried to buy a shoe for trail running that is not waterproof, but it dries quickly and, when paired with a quality wicking sock, it just as comfortable wet as it is dry. This roomy, flexible, nimble, and airy shoe is perfect for dirt road and trail running!

These shoes are available at Onion River Sports in downtown Montpelier or you can find them at your local sports store (remember, shop local!). See you out on the trail!

Running Back to an All-Familiar Time

When time passes, however fast or slow, there are some places that always remain familiar. Sarah, Odin, and I had not returned home in awhile and felt the pull to return - not just for a day, but for a good amount of time. One reason happened to be my mother's completion of her breast cancer treatment, which had entailed Chemo, a double mastectomy and radiation; quite the journey.  So upon our return we wanted to focus inward on family and perhaps the routine we so enjoyed when we so did live here in our childhood homes.

With unseasonably warm temps and beautiful weather, Sarah and I had wanted to spend as much time outside either riding or running.  When we lived home there were always places to do either and all were close enough to string together any kind of loop imaginable, right out the front door. As most of you know, this is something we strive to continue here in Vermont and have found endless possibilities. But it was on our second to last day home in the  midst of our last run that it all came together...

When we were younger we would always venture out to the UConn ski hill - or Husky Hill - when we had a lot of snow.  We would get dropped of at the top of the hill that would lead us down to the warming hut of an old ski hill, where sat the old diesel engine that once powered the old rope tow.  On this day, we chose to run through the Natchaug State Forest along the Fenton River, through my childhood memories. When we got to the Field of Dreams, I knew I wanted to try and find that old ski hill.

We took off up an old, barely used trail. A few wrong turns and flashbacks of memories brought us to the base of the rope tow, though! We are up the trail along the path of the rope tow. I was looking forward to finding the warming hut at the top, and the memories that would come along with it. Sadly, on our return run, we found that this structure is now just a pile of old white boards with the old engine underneath. With time, mother nature also reclaims what was once an open ski hill - the slope is now an overgrown young forest with a single track trail down the middle. Sledding here when we were kids, even then as the hill was starting to be reclaimed, was much more open and quite the thrill!

What struck us the most, though, was the rope tow: rusty, still there, and eerily open as if, if only it just had that hemp rope, it would still take you to the top! It even looks as if horses, runners and bike riders still use it to access trails from UConn. As I told a friend, if CT could have more consistent snow (this was not the year of course), I could see a renaissance that would reclaim the old hill. At the very least, this would be a great spot for the touring skis; again, if there was consistent snow.  This is wishful thinking of course and maybe it's for the best and even though the old hill fades back into forest the memories still feel familiar when we return.

From here as we ran up and down the old ski hill; we linked our path to all the other old trails we used to ride and run. It brought back a lot of good memories of building trails, riding, and growing up in the woods. We ran on into the Field of Dreams by the Fenton River, past the familiar old the pumping station, through the woods, and back to Gurleyville Road; back home.

 We all find new homes, find a place that feels our own, even start our own families. No matter how much our old home may change for better, or for worse, we still find that old feeling of familiarity when we return and for this it will always remain a home. After all home is where the heart or trail finds us.......

For more information on UConn's ski hill (including pictures, history, and current status), visit UConn's page on the New England Lost Ski Areas Project website (a very cool site overall).

Lunch, On The Rocks

Sometimes I imagine Odin's adventures with us from his perspective: We go outside, head into the woods a ways, eat some snacks, and then head back to the car. "Why don't we just eat snacks at home?" he might wonder. But, I think if Odin could speak, he would share a sentiment similar to ours: It's not about the destination (or the snacks) - it's about the people we meet out there, the sights we get to see, and the fun of being outside in the woods on our skis, bikes, or feet. Today was no different from this: Moments in from the parking lot we met up with Abe (a friendly black lab) and his person Nick. We skied along together - the dogs playing, us chatting about our winter adventures. Odin, Tristan, and I were already in our groove. Then, something even more wonderful happened. Just up the trail we could make out two figures, lumbering along with tremendous packs. The dogs barked at them; this was unusual.


The first thing you do when you see someone with a tremendous pack such as this is ask them what they're up to. These two, a girl and a guy, were hiking the Long Trail. In winter! It had been great they told us, and then this snow changed everything. The day they woke up to it, it took them eight hours to move four miles. They didn't even make it to their planned stop for the night. Today, they were headed to town for food. We chatted with them awhile - I was so inspired from meeting them. What an amazing adventure! Before parting ways, we shared our favorite high-calorie trail snack with them: pre-packaged cookie mix with water and dried milk: More calories than you can imagine, a bit of protein from the milk, and sinful deliciousness (think chocolate chip cookie dough with walnuts added in, maybe some dried cranberries - yummmm). We told them they should have no trouble getting a ride. We could relate; food beckoned, and warmth, and maybe a shower. I remembered the feeling, but tried to imagine adding into that several treacherous days in thigh-deep snow and cold. Now I couldn't imagine the feeling.

We parted ways, us moving up the mountain and they moving down. And soon after, Nick parted ways, too - he was headed up to catch the first glade we passed, while we were heading another three miles in, up to the height of land: Lunch Rocks. After a few "nice meeting you's", we all skied on. Tristan and I skinned up and up, through the switchbacks, past the many glades we were looking forward to, and into the high mountain forest we love so much. Just before our destination, we met two couples, our parents' age, skiing down. Again, I felt inspired: I hope I am still doing this in 10 years, 20, 40.... I think I will be, if I can help it.

And then, there we were: Lunch Rocks (though, I had already come to calling this Cheeseburger Rocks because I could think of nothing more I wanted for lunch). I stepped up to the lookout; Tristan was already taking it all in, in peace. And then I saw it - in full panorama: The view was astonishing. And out there, in the distance, the wind mill on top of Bolton. I can see nothing but beauty upon the sight of a mountaintop pinwheel, weaving the wind.  The expanse was amazing.


I was looking at my very favorite section of Long Trail, from Route 2 in Jonesville up and over Bolton Mountain, Mt. Mayo, and on to Mt. Mansfield. I remember the first time I walked these ridge lines, through damp, deep, dark forests. I was in love. We have continued to walk those lines; this is a section of the trail we have repeated over and over again. It feels desolate and wild out here; we've had moose walk up to our tent, we've passed them from feet away, the views of Mt. Mansfield from the back side of Bolton Mountain are unique - a vantage point you don't get from the valley roads, and the climb up the forehead, through the Needle's Eye, is unforgettable. And I remember the first time I saw the backcountry trails that cross paths with the Long Trail in the deep sag before the climb up Bolton Mountain to Puffer Shelter; I remember looking down Raven's Wind, a steep, narrow swath cut into the mountain side. "People ski that?!" Not yet being a skier, I asked myself this. "Hmm...looks cool." Onward. To Puffer Shelter, to Canada, back to the real world, to new jobs, to Montpelier, to our discovery of skis. Here I am again today, exploring these mountains I love so much, only this time I'm on skis. I stood there today, at Cheeseburger Rocks, and took in the view. A view like that can put everything into perspective. There's something about looking down on things that helps you understand exactly what's important, exactly what is cherished. I took it all in; we ate lunch (not cheeseburgers, unfortunately); and we headed back down, but not before I took one last look, and smiled from my heart.

We skied into the dense mountaintop woods, down through the fun narrow shoots of the Catamount Trail.This time we knew these turns, thanks to our recent Bolton to Nebraska Valley tour, and we zoomed down them with smiles. We ripped skins just above a sweet open glade and made our first turns into the deep powdered woods. Again, I smiled from my heart.

As we continued on out of the glades and back on to the trail, we dipped in and out of  the woods at the sight of fresh powder and a steep angle. And we marveled at how life is what you make it, your adventure is what you make it. It can all be as epic - or unepic - as you want and, as long as you're having fun and living from the heart, it's everything it needs to be. The key is to stay positive. And this can be hard! I personally have struggled with negativity, anger, and depression; and I had the realization that this life is what I make it. Each morning, I choose the mood I will be in; I choose my reaction to each of life's events; and I choose where to focus my energy. Life can bring good and bad; the trail can be good or bad. And I can take these developments and do anything I choose with them. Today, life brought me torn blisters on my heel, frustrating missed photo opportunities, a broken climbing bar, and I dressed all wrong - it was much warmer on the climb than I had planned for. But, life also brought us fresh powder snow, wonderful people, happy dogs, and inspiring views, and a break of sunshine through the pine trees just as we crested towards the height of land. We stopped to hear my favorite sound in the world: wind in the spruce trees. I met skinners, skiers, and long-distance winter backpackers. I think if Odin could talk, he would tell us this was far better than eating snacks at home. I can't imagine a better, more epic day than this.

Happy Trails!      

Oh, p.s., today also brought me hand-cut potato fries with bacon and blue cheese at the Res. Holy crap, I have found my reason for living! Seriously - you must try this apres ski snack. ( :

February Fresh

 Here in the northeast, we've recently been rewarded with a long-awaited thing: winter. To the tune of 12-24 inches of the fresh, fluffy white stuff. Needless to say: we've all been pretty stoked. To celebrate the new arrival of the white stuff, we headed early morning on Sunday to do some dawn patrol at our local mountain. Typically we skin up one of the main trails before the lifts start running, but on this particular morning, the groomers were out in full force. We've had some run-ins with some of the groomers - they don't always like that we're there, and they certainly don't like that our dogs are there. And I can understand why, but on this particular day, we had to get to work by 9am (well, 9:30...more on that later) and we also had to get some of that fresh, fluffy white stuff. So, off we headed to our local ski hill...and there we found knee-deep powder.

Kip, Tristan, and I plowed into the parking lot early morning and met our friend Jase (he has a broken leg, but still joined for the camaraderie of dawn patrol, a ski which he normally would have joined us on). He set up a chair, played with the dogs, and laughed with us about everything. He's a good friend. And, finally, after much fiddling around with skis, boots, skins, and etc. we started our skin - and Jase his short shuffle, up to the start of the ski trail. Jase waved good bye - it was sad to leave him there as we trekked into the fresh powder. Next year, Jase! 

Now, I should have mentioned sooner that Jase agreed to take our dog Odin back to his house with him while we skied - we didn't want Odin to get in the way of the groomers. So, with dogs in the car, Jase headed back to the parking lot and we warily started off towards a couple of groomers. Not wanting to get in their way, we quickly ditched into the woods. And that's when we heard it: "OOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDIIIIIIINNNNNN!!!!!!" We looked back and what did we see? Odin, dragging his leash, running madly for the woods behind us. He was not going to be left behind on a powder day! (We learned later that Odin took a millisecond opportunity to clear the backseat and squeeze out the door as Jase opened the back hatch of his Suby.). In truth, I was so happy to see him. And I really admire his little doggy spirit: There was fresh snow, and he wasn't going to miss it. 

So up we skinned  through the deep fluff and trees. It was a great skin. We all agreed: the ups are just as good as the downs. We got out of the woods with the first light of day streaming through the spruce tops and naked birch limbs - that will never cease to be one of my favorite sights. We skinned up the rest of the way to the top on groomed trails. Once there, we ripped our skins off, set up for the descent, and headed down - the boys through the woods and me on the groomer. I wanted to practice my telemark turns.


We all met up again further down the mountain, after I had my first several glorious turns through knee-deep fluff. What a feeling! The sound of gliding through fresh snow reverberates through your whole body. And, at three years in to trying, my telemark turns are starting to form - I made some really silky turns down the upper portion of the trail. I stopped to take it all in. And after a little while, Kip joined me and we waited for Tristan. And waited. And waited. "He was right behind me," Kip said. We could barely make out a figure through the trees, further up the trail, moving around eratically. Was he hurt? Kip started the climb back up and, after a few minutes, I followed. It was the camera; Tristan had demoed from ORS a helmet cam to video-tape our descent and, upon face planting into the snow, lost it in feet of powder! Kip and Tristan looked frantically and, eventually, Kip found it. After a little celebration, we all headed down to make turns together.







The camera search had set us back time-wise, so no second lap for us. But it was all so worth it. And I'm so glad to have shared a great day on skis with friends and my dog.

Good Morning Skis

These pics are from a few weeks back - we woke up to some fresh snow and got out there before day break on the trails around our house. We were rewarded with a beautiful sunrise, awesome powder snow, and the best, most refreshing wake-up there is.This is such a great way to start the day!

Fun in the Sun and Snow

President's Day weekend gave us some time off and some unbeatable skiing conditions - blue skies, fluffy clouds, strong doses of sunshine, and temps warm enough to soften up the snow. Tristan and I stuck close to home - we're lucky enough to have a fabulous town forest about a half-mile from our house. Most of the time we can actually ski out that back door to the town forest - this was not the case this weekend as the trails had thin coverage and lots of ice. But, still, we headed out to one of our favorite open hills up the road and found the goods: snow, fun, sunshine, and a great time. We even found some "powder" conditions out there! 

I did a really nice tour on Saturday. The snow was soft and coverage was actually really good on the trails through the town forest. On Sunday, Tristan and I skied the Moon Field, a big, open pasture that has a good slope on both sides - enough room for a few turns anyways. We were joined on the hill by Kip from ORS on Monday, and it didn't take him long to find some lumps of grass to launch himself off of. We had a bunch of fun - that's what it's all about! 

This winter has certainly been trying - and less than inspiring - for all of us. So when the weather gets good, get out there! And even when the weather's not that great, there's still a lot of fun to be had. And these conditions just build character and make better skiers out of us all!

More beaver ponds than you could shake a stick at.....Wait, what did he just say?

   If there is one single reason I delved into skiing three years ago, simply put, it was to to enjoy the outdoors and glide through the forest enjoying the ups and downs of it all.  As I awoke this Thursday morning, quite groggy  I might add, the first thing that came to mind was to continue skiing somewhere I had left off with Sarah a week ago. Sarah was busy with work, so naturally  I called Mike, the Chong to my Cheech- I'm sure he'll be absolutely flattered with that analogy.

So here it was Groton State Forest on a beautiful bluebird day in Vermont with temps in the 40's?! We used access across the lake into Groton SF. As you make your way across the lake you clearly see the granite cliff of Marshfield Mt. (elev. 2,154 ft). This was where Sarah and I  had left off to ski another day just last week when the temps were in the single digits. Now, however, we found ourselves on great Spring corn snow.




Sarah and I have BC skied at some great spots and more than a few are well guarded or well known for that matter.  Many of these spots need drive time, the info and well, the snow pack to get there. This year has been a bit different from last year and I believe last year had us just a little spoiled....OK more than a little spoiled. As things go here in Vermont, I hear most of you are out there making the best of it, which is all one can do.  One thing we really enjoyed last year especially in our "new" neck of the woods was skiing out the back yard or a short drive a way. This has always been at the core of what we believed in especially when we lived in Montpelier and found ourselves car-less.  Hubbard park was "the" scene as we were often there or in the Worcester Range, a slight distance away. 

A little bush whacking..

One of Mike's first descents although I think Odin may have beat him to it?

The cliffs of Marshfield Mt. 2,154 ft.

For awhile now I've been asking Sarah "Whats that beautiful granite peak in the distance?" and Sarah would say " I don't know - maybe we should find out?!"  After repeatedly asking Sarah and expecting her to know I finally found out myself via the CVT - Cross Vermont Trail - a rails-to-trails bike path venturing East to West across the state of Vermont; still a  work in progress.  Little did I know that one beautiful Fall day last year Mike and I would ride our bikes into Groton  SF and find ourselves at the bottom of that very same granite cliff; Marshfield Mt. So naturally we thought it would be great to ski out there as well,  so here we found ourselves exploring the beautiful ponds, forests and meadows of Groton SF. And I can stop asking Sarah what that mountain is!

The Birch trees were astounding

Groton SF has many places to explore whether on  foot, cycling, snowshoeing, paddling or skiing.  Many trails are multi-use and you will find that the CVT becomes a great avenue in which to explore it.  In winter the CVT becomes a snow mobile trail and is quite popular.

As I said " More beaver ponds than you could shake a stick at"

Access is a very touchy subject, especially here in VT and I think Groton SF is a shining example of what can happen when people come together and coexist. One can only imagine the possibilities when examining the trail system which encompasses Groton SF.  With trails and wonderful destinations such as Boulder Beach, Marshfield Mountain, and Kettle Pond, this is truly a place anyone can enjoy no matter how you choose to explore it.

    If a little adventure is what you seek, no matter the mode, Groton State Forest provides - all that is asked is that you find it for yourself, which is the best part. What ever you seek, however much or little snow you may find, make the most of it and remember: If you're not having fun out there then what the hell good is it anyways? Oh and remember don't take yourself too seriously....it affects your turning ability......, it's scientifically proven...OK maybe not,  just have fun out there!


T.