Last day of January snow bike ride

Randy and I went for a little loop - conditions are perfect right now for cycling - anywhere! We did a little single track on Grandma's trails then cut across Erica Dow's fields to the Duxbury VAST trail. Snow not deep enough for snow machine, x-c skiing or snowshoeing but we saw tracks of all three of these. Went down the brook by Harwood where I crashed into a block of ice in a stream crossing then across Rt 100 to the Church o t C. One then Vast behind Simplicity Farm to Small DOg then Pony Farm back to Moreotwn. The climb home was as hard as it has ever been for me! Randy rode his Rawlands with 650b Pacenti's and I took my SS Litespeed with custome ice spikes. No mechanicals no flats. The gear was a bit high - the same gear I raced VT50 with in 5:15 - pretty tough with the slow tires and breaking throw the crust. Strange randy seemed to float on the surface more than me.

More photos here:  http://picasaweb.google.com/parisbrestparis/SnowbikeJAN31#

new LC-142 Vermont Tax Form

Here is the *new* LC-142 Vermont Tax form. This is a bit off topic - but I can't find this form anywhere! Just Gov. Jim Douglas making hard for poor little renters to get there tax rebates.  This form seems to be available only by request for some reason.  Oh and here are the instructions: (click on image to get printable form)

The Vermont Farm Show maple contest 2010

Maple syrup was tasted and judged, And the winner is - you'll find out tomorrow - first time ever for this Best in Show! The three class winners in syrup were all very good. I ended up judging maple products with Hugh Lund but then went to the syrup table for the best in show contest. This was a lot easier than last year when I judged the fancy - hit my limit on drinking syrup. I had a pretty clean pallet going into this and when the six judges all gave two votes to each of the three classes I cast the deciding vote: ________ ! It was an excellent example of this class - one of the best I've had.

Guy Amundsen

photo from the Valley Reporter 'Valley Vetrans Honored" pages.
Guy was in the USMC 1955 - 1959


Guy died today while skiing at Ole's. It was a great day for skiing - the "pick of the week." Guy taught my girls to ski and was always such an inspiring, cheerful face in the Valley. I am glad I had a nice long chat with him while picking up my season pass application at the Waitsfield Ski and Skate sale. But I didn't get out on the snow with him this year - I only had one other brief conversation with him in the ski shop... Our family will miss him.

I was pretty low coming home from my otherwise wonderful ski - listened to Moondog's "Bird's Lamment" twice in a row with the tiptronic on and picked up Hazel. I didn't say anything to her about Guy so I thought it was sweet she insisted we go out for a ski when we got home. It appears the ski bug has jumped into her rosy cheeks out here in a star lit snowy Vermont field, her head lamp forging ahead through the darkness.

Killington Stage Race 2010 is on!

Just saw race director Gary Kessler at Ole's - the race is on:
http://www.killingtonstagerace.com/index.php
Still no sign I will get a job out of the gig....

The boy who rode to Perham and back

..is in.
Kent "Mountain Turtle" Peterson  is in for TD2010.

http://kentsbike.blogspot.com/2009/06/i-dont-know-whats-wrong-with-me.html

plus:
"While I am going to be ramping up my training in March and yeah, I'm spending the month of June racing the Divide, .... First off, it will take a lot of prep, a ton of luck and something of a miracle for this old guy to crack Chris Plesko's amazing 19:00:21 record for the 2741 mile course. My old record of 22 days and change was for the 2500 mile border to border route. Jake makes it sound like I'm just going to ride up and take the record back. I'm going to ride like heck (at a persistent, old turtle pace) to see if I can do it, but it's by no means a forgone conclusion. I'm racing to find out if I can do it."

Says it all... much better blogger than me.  27 comments and followers galore.

51 years old and aiming to win and break the SS record!  Inspiring... maybe I can do the TD in 2015?

Go Kent!

Mr Lamb ride

Six gaps in one 222km day.
Moretown 1590 ft
Rochester 2109 ft
Brandon    2170 ft
Middlebury 2144 ft
Lincoln        2410 ft
App Gap     2365 ft
total: 12,000 feet?

plus the un-named:
Northfield Gulf
Granville Gulf
Baby Gap


I just got a nice note from Don Nolte about the 2009 MR LAMB ride. It was a fun day - the politics/business part of the ride soured things for me and kinda tainted the memory of what was a really cool thing to do. It was great to raise a chunk of money for the PTN and the Safe Routes to School program at Moretown Elementary. But when our project was delayed and nasty letters to the editor written... I threw up my hands and thought "why bother?" But hearing from Don made me look at the photos and re-think the whole thing. The Bolgers did a great job supporting the ride and the after party at Randy's house was excellent - especially with the deput of the Red Hen Pizza!  MR LAMB 2010 anybody?

Start at Moretown Elementary School

Rochester Gap (aka Bethel Gap) 2109 ft

                                                                       Brandon Gap

Middlebury Gap

Lincoln Gap

Appalachian Gap

Red Hen Pizza!

Biggest snowstorm in Vermont ever (that we missed)

33" in Burlington, 3.3" in Moretown

Hiked to top of Baldy with Annie and Martha plus dogs Posey and Oscar.
It was spectacular.  I am always disappointed how un-spectacular my Vermont photos are... esp compared to blogs out west.  But I assure you: it was spectacular.  In the link below is a view of the clouds dumping a record setting snowfall west of the the Green Mountains!
more photos here.

First place woman

Suzanne M Marcoe

"This summer I plan on becoming unemployed and catching up on all the mountain biking that I have been missing out on in recent years. I think 2745 miles should probably cover it, so I will be lining up under Mt Rundle on June 11th. It’s time to leave behind the mind (and soul) numbing boredom of the 9-5. See you in Banff."

 

 

 

Hard to tell with Suzanne... she comes right out and says she has been missing out on mountain biking in recent years.  That works for me... and certainly her unemployed angle might work for me!  ( at least for a little while) Not much to report otherwise.  This could be her ... looks a bit young for a long distance rider:

another short track rider!

"It's a friendly, no drop ride, right?"

About  Brian De Groodt





Brian De Groodt - makes it easy for me: nice website!  Very funny letter of intent - I'd say he is already in the lead of contenders, certainly on the LOI podium.  BUT what the heck went down at Leadville last year??!!  Interesting.  Very interesting.  Demons and baggage and witches.  Did he learn his lesson?   Sounds like he'd be fun to ride with anyway.

Damn hard to see all these people signing on while I have to sit on my hands.