BKL Info March 3-9

After an amazing winter with cold and snow it seems like spring has found us. The March sun is strong and the snow has started to transform from power to more granular in the open field. Tomasi still has good snow coverage, but we are watching the forecast and snow at Tomasi.

MNC is planning a Season Ender Party at Sleepy Hollow. Join us Sunday, March 23 for skiing and dinner. More Info

Mini Marathon Event Report – Together we skied the distance from Montpelier, VT to Albany, NY!

Tuesday 3/4: Penguins, JackRabbits, Arctic Foxes, Racers
Location: Tomasi
Details: Classic for all. Devos there is no official Devos practice at Sleepy, but there is an option to join Racers at Tomasi or ski on your own.
Waxing: It looks  like 32 degrees at practice time and possible snow showers. We’ll have the bench and kick wax at the parking lot. Please come a little early if you need help waxing. We also recommend skiing on skin skis or no wax skis. Kids that raced last weekend could ski on their race wax. 

Thursday 3/6: JackRabbits, Arctic Foxes, Racers & Devos
Location: Tomasi
Details: Skate for all and this is going to be our tentative fun ski Olympics Day. Yes, we are on for Olympics Day!

Saturday/Sunday:  Racers & Devos – weekend practices are done for the season.

BKL Season Lease Ski and Race Suit Return

Thanks to everyone that rented race suits and ski equipment from MNC this season. It’s hard to believe that the season is almost over.

Race Suit Rental Return:

If you are done racing for the season, please return your washed suit to Coach Liz at any of the next few practices. Please put it in a bag and write your name on the outside so we know who returned the suit.

If you are hoping to race some late season races, please keep your suit and return by March 30th. Email Coach Liz for drop-off details – bkl@mansfieldnordic.org

Ski Equipment Rental Return:

If you are done skiing for the season please return your skis at the last day of practice. If you can’t make it to practice or want to try and ski a few more times this season please try to return skis by March 30. Email Coach Liz for drop-off details – bkl@mansfieldnordic.org

Training Block/State Meet

It is a busy time of year for the juniors. As we head into the “championship season” we have a lot of different irons in multiple fires. On one hand, we want to be putting in some training time while we have a little while until events like Junior Nationals, Eastern HS Championships, and U16s. In the midst of this window is also the State Championships. So it is a balancing act, but on Wednesday everyone is aligned once again!

You can see a little recap video of the first day of States over at WCAX. You may see some familiar MNC names and skiers both racing and being interviewed! Tuesday is the classic edition down at Prospect…good luck everybody!

For those not racing in the high school league, we’ve gotten the training block underway with several longer days, including a really nice ski at Camel’s Hump Nordic! This is a really great under-the-radar ski area that has lots of trails, cool terrain (including some fun descents both groomed and backcountry) and grooming with a Pisten Bully…this great winter of snow allowed us to ski the whole place.

We’re in for a few days of warmer weather, but the skiing should remain great up there and it’s worth checking out.

 

BKL Mini Marathon 2025 – Montpelier to Albany

The Mini Marathon is one of our favorite days of the season! It’s a fun affair where kids are in charge. They choose who they ski with and how many laps of the course they ski. There are no warmup games or technique sessions, it’s just skiing!

This year we had to postpone one week (due to a school snow day), which landed us just days after the biggest snowstorms of the season (of the last couple seasons for that matter). Groomer and coach Peter Davis did a tremendous job whipping the windblown snow into shape and setting a beautiful double classic track around the whole course.  A double track is the perfect way to visit with friends while gliding along side by side.

Skiers had the choice of skiing a short lap and a long lap.  At the end of each lap volunteers at the tally sheets recorded the laps skied.

The snack table is another highlight of the Mini Marathon. After everyone skis a few laps the snack table opens and skiers are treated to a snack at the end of each lap.

This year the MNC BKL skied 255KM! That’s from Montpelier, the Capitol of Vermont to, Albany, the Capitol of New York.

Thanks to our skiers, coaches and parent volunteers for helping make this a really fun ski event.

Photos

JackRabbits Short Lap 1 km Long Lap 2.5km
Bodhi White 3 2
Claire Dolbec 2 1
Daisy Tremble 4
Elsie Tuck 4
Ford Nearey 5
Grant Gillian 2 2
Johannes Hollenbach 4
Julia Tuck 4
Kyle Mack Granzow 4
Leah Schwartz 4
Maddy Lou Granzow 4
Margo Dillon 2 2
Nathaniel Schroeter 3 2
Nora Johnson 5
Oliver Wooster 4 3
Ollie Laber 2 3
Ophelia Popkin 2 2
Ronin White 5 1
Rory Dolbec 1 3
Taylor Miles 2 3
Willa Niles 1 2
Arctic Foxes
Adrianna Bibeau 4
Charlotte Niles 4 1
Elise Ochs 2 2
Gabriel Schroeter 1 2
Jackson Neary 3 2
Levon Sterritt 3 1
Maddie Schwartz 4
Martin Sterritt 3 1
Racers/Devos
Finn Laber 5
Fiona Repp 4
Izabella Altadonna 2 3
Mazzy Merritt 3 3
Oliver Tremble 1 5
Rory Dillon 1 3

BKL Ski Adventures for Feb Vacation Week!

It’s almost February vacation week and if you are sticking around Vermont we have a couple fun BKL ski options this week. (We don’t have regular Tues/Thurs BKL during February Vacation, but practice resumes Tuesday, March 4th.)

Please RSVP and let coaches know that you are coming (There is a tab for each of these events on the spreadsheet)

Sunday, February 23th 11:30am-1pm- Ski Games Day with the UVM Ski Team at Sleepy Hollow

Everyone is invited. We’ll play games on skis and have fun with the UVM Ski Team.

Meeting Time: 11:30am at Molly’s Meadow Sleepy Hollow. Eat a big snack before you come and bring a water bottle. If you arrive late get your skis on and meet us up in Molly’s Meadow (this is where the Skiathlon start and finish were a couple weeks ago). Sleepy Hollow Website

Ending Time: We’ll ski until about 12:30pm, then gather for hot chocolate and snacks with our UVM skier friends.

Technique: We’ll skate ski.  Penguins and anyone else that’s more comfortable can classic ski.

Tickets: Everyone needs a Sleepy Hollow ticket or season pass. We’ve organized $5 Sleepy Hollow tickets for this event. Please purchase your ticket inside the lodge when you arrive.

We had a ton of fun playing games at Craftsbury last year!

Wednesday, February 26th 10am- Craftsbury Ski Day
Join us for our traditional MNC BKL ski adventure day at Craftsbury.

This is a family event! Parents are encouraged to ski with us. We’ll have all different abilities and speeds and only a few coaches.  If you have never been to Craftsbury, you are in for a treat! There is tons of snow and beautiful trails and it’s very affordable.  Craftsbury Outdoor Center Website

Getting There:  In google maps or your map app, enter: Craftsbury Outdoor Center, Craftsbury Common, VT

Meeting Time: 10:00am in the upper field, just outside the Nordic Center Lodge (bring a water bottle and holder)

Ending Time: It’s a little fluid. We will ski from 10 to about 11:30, have lunch and then play some games and do some relays, probably ending about 2. You are welcome to stay as long as you want!

Technique: We will skate ski. Penguins classic. And any parents that want to join, but don’t skate ski, can classic too.

Lunch: Bring lunch! There is also a food option in the Nordic Center. Front Seat Coffee (of Hardwick) has an outpost at Craftsbury and they serve m-f 10-4 with sandwiches, baked goods, drinks and coffee.

Tickets: Everyone who skis needs a day pass or membership. It’s $5 for kids, $10 for adults, Free for 6 & under and you can get tickets in the lodge when you arrive.

Conditions: Craftsbury Trail Conditions

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial