Looking for a fun active camp for your BKL-aged child this summer? There are a number of camps around the region and word has it that a number of them still have room. Most of these camps focus on fun, doing active adventures and introducing kids to rollerskiing. NENSA has put together a great list of camps and links and you can find it all HERE. Check it out!
After a typically-rainy and cold April, the days turned a bit warmer and brighter for our first week of Junior spring training. With new goals, new teammates, and a fresh couple hundred days of the year ahead it was easy to be excited.
For one thing, I don’t think we’ve ever had a spring group quite this ready to hit the ground running. I’ve found myself trying to be assertive in grabbing the reins and keeping some of the team from doing too much and if it weren’t for the excellent 2021/2022 season we’re all coming off it, we may not be in that situation.
What it all has added up to has been a “Week 1” of the highest quality I can remember.
We started off on Tuesday with an easy run at Allen Brook School in Williston. Most people familiar with the area probably wouldn’t take ABS for a good running location…there’s a bike path and some suburban sprawl and that’s about it. But the goal was to have the first day be on foot in order to maximize the ability of everyone to participate without rollerski experience coming into play.
Earlier in the afternoon I separated a few jigsaw puzzles into plastic bags, spaced them around the various neighborhood spots we’re used to rollerskiing (a side-benefit of this workout was familiarizing new skiers with our routes). With a map and two teams, the gang spread out to find the puzzle pieces, with the key rules being:
I went along with one group and of course all three of those rules were broken within about 8 minutes. In typical MNC fashion some fun was had trying to find the best way to navigate the suburbs and get pieces fast enough to “win” (even though the two teams were seeking different puzzles and had different routes, so it was not even a competition). We followed a dirt path and eventually came to a dead end at a stream which, naturally, was jumped-across and forded in any way possible. This led to a scramble through the back of a few condo units in order to arrive at the road and pick up a bag of puzzle pieces.
One of the scavenger teams scanning the map
Jonah crossing Allen Brook
Workout isn’t over until the puzzle is complete
Not every training session can be a ridiculous scavenger hunt though (well, it could, but that wouldn’t help us achieve all our goals) and it was time for some more traditional business on sunny Thursday, when the wheels came out for the first team rollerski of the season.
Despite having a mix of experienced veterans and some who had never rollerskied with the Juniors before, everyone was able to mix it up and get in a great effort. It’s already shaping up to be our biggest spring training group yet!
And in another lucky day of sun and blue sky, everyone teamed-up to get dirty and contribute to Green Up Day. The Juniors were signed up to do their part on Nashville Road in Jericho, and after meeting for a run on some trails and roads in the area and eating some bagels to refuel, the green bags came out and the gloves went on. Fun to get in a little alternative additional exercise and help remove the litter from the roads we travel and train on.
There’s a new GREEN RACING PROJECT in town!
Now, it’s onto more solid training as we incorporate some staples like intensity sessions and a schedule of fitness tests that we’ll use as benchmarks for improvement over both the summer and the long-term. Here are a few important links!
Sign up for training (Spring and Summer) programs, and training camps, HERE
Order apparel (spandex shorts and sweatshirts) by May 10th HERE
MNC graduating seniors,
NWVE awards the Spike Clayton Memorial Scholarship each year. Spike was an institution in the ski world, and a great friend to the club who helped support MNC alongside many local and regional outdoor organizations. Below are the details about this scholarship from the NWVE website. You can apply at the link below:
Spike Clayton Memorial Scholarship
Has been accepted at an accredited two or four year college
Has participated in Nordic Skiing Events in grades 11 and 12
Has maintained a B average in high school
Shows qualities of good citizenship and sportsmanship
Available ONLY from the NWVE website.
Completed applications and transcripts must be received by May 9, 2022.
Email completed application document as an attachment northwestvermont@gmail.com.
Transcripts may be emailed in pdf form to northwestvermont@gmail.com or mailed to NWVE, PO Box 103, Craftsbury Common, VT 05827.
Selections will be made by the NWVE Board of Directors.
The recipient will be notified by email in early June and the scholarship will be mailed.
May is here, and summer is right around the corner! We like to try and stay one step ahead of things, and so with the start of Junior Spring Training this week, here is some info on the next season for planning purposes.
Junior Summer Training starts on June 21st, and runs through August 30th. You can read program descriptions (updated along with dates and links) on the page below:
All of our Junior programs are best suited to skiers with some prior rollerski experience (even just a little neighborhood practice). Additionally, a good base of aerobic fitness is recommended, as athletes in all summer programs will be engaging in strenuous exercise for at least 30+ minutes at a time, and routinely up to 60-90 minutes at a time.
For newer rollerskiers, we are targeting two “Learn to Rollerski” days (also open to Masters and BKL skiers) on Saturday, June 11th and on Saturday, July 9th on the bike paths and parking areas near Allen Brook School.
For advanced rollerskiers, please keep an eye on the NENSA Calendar for rollerski races at locations such as Craftsbury or App Gap. If you get your rollerski feet under you this month, check out NENSA’s great 25K in May event and look for an MNC day of 25 kilometers on rollerskis later this month.
With rollerski orders, summer camps (see below) and training all adding up, we’ve put together a page on Junior Yearly Expenses that we hope is helpful in planning and visualizing an entire picture of costs. This can be found under the “Juniors” tab on the MNC homepage. Our aim is to price our programs, camps, race support, and experiences reasonably. As our programs have grown in competitiveness on a regional, national, and international scale, we have added levels of support and trips that grow alongside our athletes.
Any and all MNC members can access our Scholarship page at this link, where information can be found on applying for financial support.
Keep an eye on the MNC homepage for the launch of summer registration pages!
A few more links:
Congratulations to the 6 MNC athletes who were named to this year’s NENSA Elite and Development teams!
Elite Team:
Ava Thurston
Development Team:
Hattie Barker
Emma Page
Virginia Cobb
Julia Thurston
Anders Linseisen
Click through to check snow conditions at Tomasi Meadow in Underhill. Submitted by on-the-ground reports, as current as possible. Read More about “Snow Conditions”…
Our spring 2026 registration is open for Junior athletes! Click through to visit the info page, learn more, and register. Read More about “Spring”…
A piece sharing memories and photos of MNC’s dynamic and inspiring founder, Murray Banks, who passed in February 2026 Read More about “Tighten Your Boots: A Murray Banks Remembrance”…