What do you do when you are a BKL skier, the snow disappears and it’s raining outside? You go climbing at Metrorocks! A big gang of MNC BKLers descended upon Metrorocks last Tuesday for a fun afternoon of challenges. We climbed, we walked the slack line, we bouldered, and tried the pull-up bar. We also got to know each other a little better and had a great time doing it! Thanks to all the coaches who helped to belay and supervise.
Penguins bouldering up the Twister wall.
Kate and Elsa trying to shake each other off the slack line.
The Range is closed. We will do dryland on foot at Mills River Park. We will go from 3:45- dark (4:45/5pm). There are no lights and no indoor space, so dress warmly in layers, wear sneakers for running, and bring a headlamp if you have one. We’ll do some dryland stuff, play some games and go for a run or hike in the woods and have some fun on foot! Parents are welcomed to join us, have some fun and get some exercise!
Mills River Park is located on Rte. 15 across from the JOLLY’s gas station between Brown’s Trace Rd and the Deborah Rawson Library (on River Rd).
The Range is working on making snow but we are getting more warm temps and more rain again this weekend so it may be difficult. Stay tuned and get those kids to do a snow dance!
On a weekend, Craftsbury is the hub of Eastern skiing where you’ll find clubs from all over, tourists exploring what Vermont has to offer, and hardcore racers getting in their season tuneups. Thanks to the scope and layout, all of these ski groups can find what they need, and on Saturday MNC was a big group that had many different representatives on snow for different reasons.
Early in the morning, all three of our programs (BKL, Juniors, and Masters) were out in force. Practically filling up the entire lower field, our teams gathered to prepare for their workout and training; Juniors and BKL on classic skis, Masters on the skate boards.
Masters group!
Also sharing the wax room with us upon arrival was the UVM team, who was out to fire off a classic timetrial. UVM assistant coach Perry and UVM senior Lizzie had both worked with our groups a fair amount over the summer, and with alums like Bill, Greg, and Conor all skiing for the Cats it feels like a group we can have a great casual interaction with. They’re all super-fast, but they’re all just skiers like we are!
The Juniors had a tough workout on the menu, with 20 straight minutes of 30/30s (30 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy). This is a workout we’ve built up to for a while, and perfect for dialing-in the final tuneups of technique, tempo, and power before the racing season starts. Everyone looked GREAT!
Junior squad on a cooldown lap
The bonus was having the UVM team use a similar section of trail for their timetrial. There was a good amount of overlap, and after the intervals we even sought out some of the Cats late in their race to follow them on the trail and match their skiing.
But the morning workouts were just the start of the day. It was also “Demo Day” and so a host of tents were positioned in the upper field (including our supporters and friends at Skirack) to let skiers try out equipment. Many MNC members headed over there after the morning session to try out some stuff, whether for a new purchase of just for fun.
At lunchtime, we had what I believe was one of our biggest coach gatherings ever! It’s great to get everyone on the same page, both in terms of technique and training but also philosophy. Our group of Junior, Masters, and BKL coaches all spend some time working on various drills, games and challenges before taking a lunch break to watch video and hash out the logistics of MNC. Thanks to everyone that came out to learn!
A gathering of some of our great coaches!
Even later in the day, MNC faces kept popping up either in the lodge or on the trails. Coach Sara was diligently helping folks try new equipment at the Skirack tent, while others switched to a different technique after their lunch break. Coach Rick and I got to even take a lap of our own, a rarity on days like this when there is so much going on! One of the last to leave was Carly, who was taking advantage of the demo day to help figure out just what she was looking for in a new pair of classic skis. I had left just as the sun was rising, and it turns out I was leaving Craftsbury as the sun was beginning to dip down low. I caught this quick photo of Carly showing that alpenglow lighting that so often blankets the Northeast Kingdom in the winter months.
And then…it was back home before getting ready for another great week of skiing!
This coming weekend (the 14th and 15th) we have the Craftsbury Openers coming up! These are great events for any age and ability, including a BKL Race on Sunday! Some of the first Club Cup points are on the line for the season, so come and race for MNC and get the season underway!
Registration for this year’s New England BKL Festival at Great Glen Trails, near Gotham, NH is now open. The Festival is on the weekend of Feb. 29/March 1.
This is a weekend of races and fun activities all on skis. Over 400 kids from all over New England participate. MNC always has a good turn out and Coach Rosemary will be going as well. If your child doesn’t want to race, they can register and just do the Nordic Adventure activities instead. Everyone always has a blast at this event and Great Glen Trails does a spectacular job hosting.
My suggestion: If you are even considering going, make a lodging reservation NOW! Cancel it later if you decide not to go. Lodging fills up fast!
Everyone who goes to the Festival needs to be a NENSA member (New England Nordic Ski Association). This year, membership is FREE to new members! Register or renew your NENSA membership before you register for the Festival.
Questions? See the Festival Website below and if you still have questions, email Coach Rosemary
