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Bolton, Vermont - March 1, 2009
Eric Tremble raced to the finish Sunday to win the Second Annual Catamount Trail Back Country Challenge. "It was a little bit icy and difficult, but it was fun," he said.
His time -- one hour, 35 minutes. His challenge -- cross-country skiing from Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe to the Nordic Center at Bolton Valley. "It's like a classic race getting up the hill and then it's basically survival on the way down," he said. "I fell three times."
The groomed run to the finish hides the rough terrain of most of the 16-kilometer course along the Catamount Trail. "In the back country, you're kind of at the mercy of the elements a lot more, because nothing's groomed," Tremble explained. "This year it was all icy; last year it was raining during the race, it was soft, and you just never know what you're going to get to see out there."
Some say the unknown is actually the appeal of the back country. "You get to see the unspoiled beauty of Vermont," said Jim Fredericks, executive director of the Catamount Trail Association, which organized the event. "They came over the top of Bolton. You look up there, it's spectacular! The snow is five or six feet deep up there. The trees are low to the ground so you can see quite a bit. It's just spectacular. It's a winter wonderland up there."
Fredericks says back country skiing is the fastest-growing segment of the sport. One reason -- cost. With no lift tickets or trail passes to buy, the sport is free once you've got your equipment. "You can go to a lot of other back country trails, and the only place you have to pay is if you come to a touring center and they might charge you a minimum fee," he said. "But otherwise it doesn't cost anything to get out there."
The race is raising money to preserve the 300-mile long Catamount Trail. Two-thirds of it are already conserved or protected with easements, but one-third is not. Fredericks says the Catamount serves as the gateway to the back country, and he wants to make sure that is always open to enjoy. "So our children and their children can use it until the rest of time," he said.
Kate Duffy - WCAX News
