Remember last year's Seven Days Vermont City Marathon relay team?
No?
Maybe that's because while you were pathetically limping up Battery Street at mile 15, we were already finished — kicking back in the Waterfront Park beer tent. Maybe this post-race photo of Seven Days staff writer Ken Picard from last year will jog your memory.
The 2012 Seven Days squad is even more elite than last year's super-elite team of runners — and prepared to kick your relay team's behind at this Sunday's Key Bank Vermont City Marathon and Relay. On the roster, we've got a childhood ballet dancer, a hungry jogger, a multi-tasking mom of two, a beer-swilling alternate and a former JV soccer halfback.
We actually weren't going to run the Vermont City Marathon this year. But after we were recruited to join the U.S. Olympic Team in London this summer, we figured it would be a good warm up.
Now, let's meet the Seven Days runners.
1st Leg — Downtown (Distance: 3.1 miles)
Designer Brooke Bousquet
Brooke says, "After having two babies in three years, I entered this marathon to reclaim what's left of my body, mind and spirit. I've been cross-training with my kids to prepare and at this point I can out-run an irrational 3 year old in the parking lot while balancing a 20-pound infant on my hip with a week's worth of groceries dangling from my arms. I have enough in sheer will to make up for the lack of training I've had time for. In the end, I just want them to be proud of their mama, and that's enough to get me across the line."
2nd Leg — The Beltline (Distance: 5.8 miles)
Associate Arts Editor Megan James
Megan says, "All through elementary and middle school I used to "forget" my sneakers and athletic clothes on gym-class days so Mr. Leto would make me sit out. It's not that I didn't like physical activity — I did ballet several times a week. It's just that games involving balls, bats, rackets or sticks simultaneously terrified and bored me. (Hand-eye coordination remains a mystery to me.) I especially hated running the mile, which I stubbornly walked every single time, cursing Leto with every step. But something changed in high school when a sports requirement compelled me to join the crew team. I got fierce and helped my sophomore-year shell, Orpheus, snag a silver medal at nationals. But the glory soon faded, and I've been trying to recapture it ever since, which is perhaps why I volunteered — at what felt like the last minute — to join the Seven Days relay team. Go team!
3rd Leg — The South End (Distance: 6.4 miles)
Political Columnist Andy Bromage
Andy says, "Ever since joining the White House press corps last March, (that's me and Barry Obama in the picture), I haven't had much time train for this marathon. Jet-setting from Afghanistan to Camp David to Chicago with the prez leaves little time for the light jogs that earned me the nickname "Mr. Marathon" after last year's race. That's why I'll have to draw on my high school athletic experience to power me through — namely, my three months on the JV soccer team, my two semesters of intramural basketball, and, last but certainly not least, my single season of orienteering (if you get lost on the marathon course, come find me; I'll be the guy with the compass and topo map!).
4th Leg — New North End (Distance: 5.4 miles)
Marketing & Events Manager Corey Grenier
Corey says, "I started my running career in middle school as a member of the cross country team and have been running ever since. The main reason I run/exercise in general is because I love to eat. I love to eat so much that when I do, I usually eat to the point of explosion. My mentality has always been, 'Wow I ate a lot today, I should probably go for a run.' Not, 'Running is healthy I should do it more often.' So I run to counteract my unhealthy eating habits. And, FYI I plan on eating a HUGE meal the night before the race, so I'll be running extra fast.... The picture is of me eating the best meal of my life. I literally cried when I ate it."
5th Leg — The Bike Path (Distance: 5.5 miles)
Office Manager Cheryl Brownell
Cheryl says, "Wait ... what? I actually have to run? The attached picture pretty much captures my response to this news. So yeah... when I signed up to be an alternate, my understanding of the arrangement was that there would be no actual running involved on my part. Doesn't being an alternate mean that you get all the props for altruism without having to exert any effort? Had I known I would have to run, I'd have done something — for example, run — at some point in the past few months. I guess I should go brainstorm a training plan — right after I finish this beer."
Yesterday we kicked off the Vermont Brew Bracket with voting in half of the first-round match-ups. There are no big upsets to report so far; the higher-seeded brew won in all match-ups. Congratulations to Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout for winning with the largest margin, a 77.2% to 22.8% drubbing of McNeill's Pullman's Porter. The closest match-up popped up in the Nugget region, where Rock Art Ridge Runner edged out Zero Gravity TLA IPA by 9 percentage points.
Voting is now open for the Centennial and Simcoe regions, featuring the debut of more big Vermont beers (and Woodchuck Amber Cider, for the non-beer drinkers among us). Click here to cast your votes before the end of today.
Tomorrow we move on to the second round — the Sweet 16 Oz. The voting window for that will begin tomorrow and last through the weekend.
After the jump, see all the results from Day 1.
Cascade Region
1. Magic Hat #9 - 61.59% (202 votes)
8. Madison Old 76 - 38.41% (126 votes)4. Lawson's Double Sunshine IPA - 61.79% (207 votes)
5. Harpoon UFO 38.21% - (128 votes)3. Rock Art Vermonster - 68.48% (226 votes)
6. McNeill's Dark Angel Imperial Stout - 31.52% (104 votes)2. Trout River Rainbow Red - 58.44% (187 votes)
7. Zero Gravity London Calling - 41.56% (133 votes)
Nugget Region
1. Long Trail Ale - 73.31% (239 votes)
8. Norwich Inn Whistling Pig Red Ale - 26.69% (87 votes)4. Rock Art Ridge Runner - 54.6% (178 votes)
5. Zero Gravity TLA IPA - 45.4% (148 votes)3. Shed Mountain Ale - 58.44% (187 votes)
6. Three Needs Chocolate Thunder Porter - 41.56% (133 votes)2. Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout - 77.2% (254 votes)
7. McNeill's Pullman's Porter - 22.8% (75 votes)
A few weeks after I chronicled Rutland's tentative renaissance in our Feb. 1 cover story, RutVegas is making headlines again — this time in a decidedly less flattering light. The New York Times on Saturday covered the story of talented high school basketball players who left the Bronx behind to attend Mount St. Joseph, Rutland's small, and by all accounts struggling, Catholic high school.
It seemed like a win-win proposition for everyone involved: The Bronx students enrolled at the private high school and boarded with local host families. In the process, they helped the Mounties turn around a terrifically terrible basketball team. After playing to a 2-18 record in the 2009-2010 season, the Mounties clocked 16 wins last season. This year, the team is 15-1, and blazing a trail to the state playoffs.
Down-on-its-luck high school sports team? Check. Talented young athletes fighting their way out of inner city housing projects? Check. Throw in the setting — hardscrabble, blue collar Rutland — and you've got all the makings of a feel-good Hollywood flick.
But not so fast, reports the Times:
This month they beat their archrival, Rutland High School, for the first time in five years, a 62-49 game that drew more fans to Mount St. Joseph’s small gym than it had seen in years.
“I’ve never seen that kind of school pride since I’ve been here,” said Matt Sanborn, a junior from Rutland who is captain of the Division 2 team.
Though the atmosphere that night was electric, nasty comments have flown on Facebook, at basketball games and elsewhere in town, directed not only at the players, but also at Mr. Benetatos and Cam Gilligan, a local woman who agreed to host four of the boys in a modest brick home here. Racial epithets have been directed at the boys, all five of whom are black, as well as taunts like “Go back to New York.”
Some say Mount St. Joseph is cheating, and that the new students are shoving local kids off the court. Countering the outcry about the "imports," officials at Mount St. Joseph say the decision to enroll the four Bronx students was about fulfilling the school's mission, not about winning basketball games. What's certain is this: In a city that's trying to claw its way out of economic depression, a story about racial prejudice and small town xenophobia scores no one any points.
Photo by Caleb Kenna.
Though I'm nowhere near a die-hard football fan, I can appreciate the tactical slow burn of a good game — and during the Superbowl, I can definitely appreciate the food in all its greasy glory. What other day of the year can you completely give yourself over to chips and dips, nachos, sliders, beer and wings?
Mmm, wings. I've never tried to make them at home because I didn't think I could achieve the perfect crispness that comes from a deep fryer. So I rely on others for a fix. And a few weeks ago, I downed some pulse-stopping sweet and tangy wings — plump Misty Knoll beauties glazed with a maple-barbecue sauce and crumbles of Bayley Hazen Blue cheese melting into their sides.
What genius had thought to meld blue cheese right into the wings, rather than serve it on the side? That would be Phillip Clayton, executive chef at the Farmhouse Tap & Grill. Clayton hails from North Carolina, so he knows a thing or two about wings. And he's also good spirited enough to share his recipe with the football-watching masses. Lucky us!
First, though, know you might not be able to exactly duplicate the Farmhouse version at home: Clayton and his crew cure, smoke, confit, fry and then glaze these wings before they arrive at the table — it takes hours, but the process lends them the smoky, complex flavor that goes so well with a pint of black lager. With some patience, though, you can come close. And maybe even bring a few sticky-fingered Pats and Giants fans closer together, at least at a party. Wings, the great uniter.
Maple BBQ-Glazed Local Chicken Wings
(Courtesy of executive chef Phillip Clayton of the Farmhouse Tap & Grill)
12 whole chicken wings, preferably local (Clayton uses Misty Knoll)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
For the BBQ sauce:
½ cup diced yellow onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon canola oil
1¼ cup ketchup
1/3 cup Vermont cider vinegar
1/3 cup Vermont maple syrup
1 tablespoon mustard powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
For frying and serving:
Enough canola oil to fill a home deep fryer, or a frying pan three inches deep
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Bayley Hazen Blue Cheese (or some other blue cheese)
Rinse wings under cool water and pat dry. Toss with kosher salt and refrigerate overnight.
To make the BBQ sauce, sauté onions and garlic in oil until tender. Add the remaining ingredients, stir thoroughly, and simmer on very low heat for approximately 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
Rinse the wings again, and dry them thoroughly. Fry the wings in 350 degree canola oil until the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees (about 8 minutes), turning once.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter into ½ cup of the BBQ sauce. Toss the wings with the sauce and lay them onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle one teaspoon of Bayley Hazen Blue Cheese onto each wing. Place the wings in the oven for about four minutes in order to glaze the wings and melt the cheese. Remove from oven, and serve immediately.
(Chef's note: For a healthier version, you can bake the wings in the oven as opposed to frying them — but to achieve crispness, sauté for a minute in oil before tossing with sauce and serving.)
Many of Vermont's big names in music and art have stepped up to raise money for Vermonters affected by Tropical Storm Irene. Now it's the sports world's turn. If you're obsessed with your fantasy baseball team — or if you just watched Moneyball and find yourself suddenly interested in Sabermetric analysis — here's a flood relief fundraiser just for you.
ESPN baseball reporter, author and Vermont native Buster Olney is teaming up with his brother, Randolph farmer Sam Lincoln, to present Going to Bat for Vermont Farmers on November 12 at Vermont Technical College in Randolph. The event is a live roundtable on all things baseball with Olney, baseball reporter Peter Gammons, and three MLB general managers: Theo Epstein of the Boston Red Sox (at least for now), Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees, and Neal Huntington of the Pittsburgh Pirates (who's a New Hampshire native). Tickets are $20 for general admission, $50 for premier seating, or $250 for front row seats and access to a "V.I.P. Cocktail Hour" with the five panelists. So if you'd like to ask Epstein what the hell just happened with Terry Francona, now you can do it in person — for a good cause!
If you can't make it to Randolph for the event, you can still help by bidding in an online auction. Items up for bid include a round of golf with former major leaguer John Kruk, a jersey autographed by Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett, and an Olney-led tour of ESPN's Connecticut studio. Or you can just donate through Paypal. All proceeds from ticket sales, auction bids and donations will go to the Vermont Community Foundation's Farm Disaster Relief Fund.
Click here to read Dan Bolles' interview with Buster Olney from the January 19 issue of Seven Days.
What's hotter than West Texas pavement in late July? How about the new Burlington bike map. Oh, yes. This smoking hot ticket dropped about two weeks ago and can be yours for free. That's right — free.
The new map, which features bike routes in Burlington, South Burlington and parts of Winooski and Colchester, is a revamped version of a previous map. This newest iteration features information about mass transit, recreational areas, environmental sites and other "points of interest," such as my bedroom. I kid. But it is a pretty jazzy work of cartographic excellence.
I promise you if you pick one up, unless you're a Burlington-area geography junkie, you'll find something you never knew about this place. Like the fact that Rock Point is home to a geologic feature called the Champlain Thrust or that there's a biological waste water facility called the Living Machine in South Burlington. Learning new things — what fun!
On the map, you'll also learn tips for riding in traffic, how to use hand signals and where all the designated bike routes and lanes in the area are, as well as heavily trafficked roads, which you should avoid unless your idea of a good time is losing half of your adult teeth in some SUV's grill. Also included on the map are nifty diagrams on how to navigate various intersections, like the rotary at Shelburne and Ledge roads, and the nightmare that is the intersection at East Avenue, Spear Street and Main Street (Williston Road).
The map is the work of the Burlington Walk/Bike Council in partnership with the Burlington Department of Public Works. It will be available at the DPW on Pine and Lakeside streets, as well as Local Motion's Trailside Center, tourist kiosks and the local bike shops, among other places. Pick one up. Wear a helmet. Buy some bike lights (they're the law in Burlington for night cycling). And get your hot fanny pedaling.
Question: How many of you knew that the FIFA Women's World Cup began on Sunday?
I'm going to go out on a limb and say about three of you. And for two of you, it's because you saw the story about the Muslim female soccer players in the Sunday New York Times. If you're not one of those three, you can be excused for not knowing that this event was happening. I didn't know it was going on and I like to think I know a thing or two about women's sports. That said, I'm pretty embarrassed that the World Cup took me totally by surprise.
But why didn't we/I know the tournament — arguably one of the largest in the women's athletic calendar— was happening? During last year's men's World Cup, people were tripping over themselves to watch the games at bars around Burlington and talk about their mutual hatred of the South African vuvuzela. Seemingly everyone had an opinion on Cote d'Ivoirian player Didier Drogba's fearsomeness and Spaniard Carles Puyol's Weird Al-like hair. We collectively crossed our fingers that powerhouse Ghana would become the first African nation to win a World Cup (They didn't. They were routed by Uruguay in the quarterfinals.). And we all grimaced when the slick-rick U.S. team couldn't make it past their bracket. Again.
I frequently found myself taking questionably long lunches to watch the men's games that I really didn't care one wit about, other than the fact that there was some buzz around them and they gave me a chance to get out of doing work. And they looked really cool in HD. I was able to take these hours-long lunches (really, those games last forever), because nearly every bar in Burlington that had a large screen TV was open for the games. Das Bierhaus, Nectar's, 156 Bistro, to name a few. I knew that they were open because they all had placards out front of their businesses trumpeting the fact. During the championship game between the Netherlands and Spain, there wasn't a free inch of floor space to be found in all of Das Bierhaus, so heavy was the crowd trying to catch a glimpse of the match.
This year, that's not the case. When I wanted to find a place to take in the U.S. team's first game of the tournament against North Korea (with their Kim Jong-Il-mandated short haircuts) today, I had to search hard. None of the places that opened early for the men's games were doing the same thing for the women's tournament. I get it. The interest isn't there. And business is business. If the early morning national senior citizen tiddly winks tournament was as popular as men's soccer, you can bet the bars would be open for that.
But what I keep coming back to is why isn't women's soccer as interesting to sports fans as the men's game? The answer might seem obvious — the majority of sports fans in this country are men and men aren't interested in watching women play anything but tennis and tonsil hockey. Increasingly, women are holding their own in the world of sports fandom. But they're not interested in watching their fellow ladies either.
That might be the end of the discussion except for the fact that in 1999, the final game of the Women's World Cup between the U.S. and its nemesis China sold out the Rose Bowl and drew more television viewers than the Stanley Cup, the World Series and the NBA Finals. In that nail-biter of a game that ended in a 5-4 overtime victory for the U.S., the American players, including soccer legends Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy and Kristine Lilly, were heroes. Brandi Chastain ripped her shirt off, exposing her jacked abs and Nike sports bra and promptly landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated. It was a glorious time to be a soccer fan in the U.S.
But the fan zeal for the women's game seems to have petered out, even as the U.S. team continues to be at the top of the heap — they entered this year's World Cup with a number one ranking. The women's game gets more exciting and the competition more fierce as more countries put money into their national programs. Yet the fans don't seem to be there. The last World Cup held in China barely registered as a blip on the country's collective sports radar. Does anyone remember who won the cup that year? I didn't think so. (It was Germany. They bested Brazil 2-0).
The same tired arguments get trotted out every time the question of why women's sports aren't as popular is raised: Yes, the talent pool in women's soccer isn't as deep, so the competition growth is limited. But worldwide, women don't have nearly the opportunities to play soccer, or sports in general, as men do. Yes, the women's game isn't as aggressive and fast as the men's. Fine. Biology. But have you ever seen Abby Wambach chase down a ball? I promise you don't want to meet her in a dark alley, which may be one of the reasons she and her teammates aren't so appealing to the average sports fan.
The accomplishment of consistently being one of the best in the world is nothing to sniff at. And the actual differences in the elite games of men and women seem academic. To its credit, ESPN is broadcasting all 32 of the women's games live and in high def. And the U.S. knocked down North Korea in its tournament opener, 2-0. (Take that, Kim Jong-Il!), so that might spur some interest.
I can't blame the media machine for my ignorance about the tournament. But now that I know it's happening I'll be taking long lunches for the next three weeks.
If you're interested in a wonkier take on the issue of the women's soccer audience, check out Sports Illustrated writer Richard Deitsch's blog post on the subject.
Photo via fifa.com.
Yesterday afternoon, a crowd of nearly a hundred eclectic Burlington characters gathered in the parking lot of an undisclosed location for a relatively hush-hush cycling event known as the "Decade Ride." The secrecy is just for thrills, but it also ensures that the event grows each year by word of mouth alone. Despite the lack of advertising, the countryside parking lot teemed with spokes and bodies.
The ride didn't start in Burlington itself, so folks filled their truck beds with bikes and made a caravan out of town. There was just one requirement for the ride: To come in costume, be it theatrical feathers and tutus, hipster plaid, or biker-geek Spandex.
There is also an unspoken preference for fixed-gear bicycles, unusual contraptions or retro models. I have never seen so many fixies, tandems, unicycles, penny farthings and tall bikes in one place. The crowd was equally varied and unusual, composed of cycling enthusiasts, acrobats, train hoppers, musicians, artists, bus drivers and retired businessmen.
The ride is more social than athletic, and in truth we spent more time eating and laying about in fields than pedaling. Everybody made sure to strap baskets, crates and even mailboxes to their frames to contain an overflowing store of edibles.
Only a few miles after a very dramatic and slow start, we gathered by the lake's edge for our first picnic break. People popped champagne corks and munched on sandwiches. A few brave souls stripped and dove into the lake. We hopped back on our bikes after it began to rain, and rode on for a ways over a few slight inclines and shaded bends in the road.
Sunlight always seems more beautiful after a brief storm, and the crowd let out a colletive sigh as the clouds parted. No sooner had the sun appeared than we came upon a creemee stand, which we assaulted like a swarm of bees. At this pit stop, a small cone will get you two hefty scoops, and a large creemee is nearly the size of a hog thigh.
We took our frozen treats to the lawn and unloaded the rest of our picnics. I wandered and sampled from the generous spreads of the crowd: blueberries, cured meats, honey wine, grapes, cupcakes, sushi. I watched as one large man unwrapped a package on his lap. It contained an entire steak and one piece of wilted romaine lettuce. Whatever calories we had burned during the 10 miles to this spot were soon balanced out by our indulgent lunch.
We eventually rolled back onto the road, but not for long. The next gas station we passed provided a perfect opportunity for picnic #3. I heard somebody say, "My happiness levels have dropped to euphoric, I need something quick!" During this rest, people broke out their juggling balls and ukuleles, and performed somersaults, cartwheels and handstands. We played an extensive game of leapfrog and attempted balancing acrobatics in the grass, snacking on chocolate-covered espresso beans and plums.
There are two more "Decade Rides" this year, and I'm sure people will be exercising their appetites more than their biking muscles in preparation. If you want to join the festivities, dust off your ugliest bicycle — the rustier the better — and ask around. Chances are, if you see somebody in Burlington riding a bicycle with food in their basket, they will know something about the next location.
Attention, Burlington Marathon relay teams: Prepare to eat our dust!
That's right. Seven Days is no longer just an awesome source for Vermont news and entertainment. With the debut of our relay team at this Sunday's KeyBank Vermont City Marathon, we are now officially an unbridled athletic juggernaut. And we're gonna waste your pathetic relay team.
Our five-member squad is stacked with elite athletes who've spent months training for this awesome challenge. While the rest of you spent your winters on treadmills with TVs at some cushy, heated health club, the 7D runners were training deep in the Siberian wilderness — sawing logs, lifting bags of rocks and mushing on all fours like freakin' sled dogs.
It's that kind of intensity that's going to propel us to an easy-breezy, chest-slapping finish at Waterfront Park this Sunday. When you're done puking and nursing your sore hammys, come find us. We'll be the ones in the blue 7D T-shirts (designed by our own Don Eggert) kicking back with Gatorade martinis.
Now, let's meet the Seven Days runners.
1st Leg — Downtown (Distance: 3.1 miles)
Staff Writer Ken Picard
Staff writer Ken Picard began walking at the tender age of 1 and has been running for his life ever since. His sprinting career included several record-setting mad dashes from the Nassau County (NY) Police Department during underage drinking parties, unauthorized campfires and Halloween egging episodes (NOTE: No chickens were harmed in said egging incidents, though, sadly, one pine tree was lost in a poorly extinguished blaze.)
Ken quit the high school track team after discovering that it required actual physical exertion and moderate stretching. He then made a second attempt to resurrect his running regimen by joining Northwestern University's crew team, where he consistently arrived back at the dock dead last, the rest of the team having already returned, showered, shaved and eaten dinner. Ken expects to finish his leg of the marathon, the shortest of them all, sometime before the record lake levels subside.
2nd Leg — The Beltline (Distance: 5.8 miles)
Staff Writer Andy Bromage
Don't let this photo lull you into a false sense of complacency. When Andy's not vegging out patriotically, watching Bill O'Reilly on Fox News, he's reliving his days as a varsity cross-country runner at Kingswood-Oxford School — with light jogs on the Burlington bike path. Besides setting a slip-and-slide distance record on field day during his senior year in high school, Andy won gold at the elite and exclusive 2011 Maple Corner biathlon in Calais, VT.
3rd Leg — The South End (Distance: 6.4 miles)
Account Executive Michelle Brown
Michelle writes, "I've been running for about 4 years now. It started when some other moms at my daughter's soccer practices invited me to join them on their bi-weekly runs. I've never run competitively before, but I do coach cheerleading competitively! My proudest coaching moment was this winter watching my middle school team improve their skill and going from 3rd, to 2nd to 1st place at competitions. My oldest daughter is on that team.
I've been training hard this spring in preparation of my leg, running, rowing, biking and then seeing my physical therapist weekly. My game plan is to run, then run some more. Hopefully that will be enough! I'm looking forward to running up Battery St. to the Taiko Drummers! That should be a trip."
4th Leg — New North End (Distance: 5.4 miles)
Office Manager Cheryl Brownell
Cheryl writes, "I mean... I don't want to say I was born to run, but as my coworkers, who have seen me repeatedly trip on my way from my desk to the printer, know, I'm pretty much gonna rock this relay. My proudest running moment was when I was stretching on the sidewalk in front of my house, post-run, and some elderly gentleman pulled over to ask if I needed medical assistance. Apparently, I just emanate athleticism. "
5th Leg — The Bike Path (Distance: 5.5 miles)
Associate Publisher Colby Roberts
Colby writes, "I have never run in a race like this before. My proudest athletic accomplishments are 20 years old, so I have attached a picture from my most recent competition — a wiffle ball tournament."
***UPDATED BELOW*** at 1:06 p.m.
A proposed land deal that would have reduced the Bolton Valley Nordic Ski Center from 100k to 6k of trails has fallen through. In an email dated March 17, Larry Williams, owner of Redstone, the commercial real estate development company that owns Bolton Valley, indicated that the potential buyer is no longer interested in the 1000-acre parcel.
As reported in Seven Days last week, Bolton Valley is on the market and could be sold piecemeal or in its entirety. An unnamed buyer expressed interest in purchasing 1000 acres of property owned by Redstone and its partners that would include the Nordic ski area and considerable backcountry terrain. The provisional sale agreement did not require the new owners to create an easement for the ski trails, thus substantially limiting the resort's Nordic skiing options.
While this particular deal has collapsed, Williams confirmed in his email that the land is still up for sale without easements. Williams, an avid skier, said Redstone would prefer to sell the property to someone who would maintain access to the ski trails. The price has been set at $2000 an acre and the development company is currently reaching out to potential buyers who had expressed interest in the parcel in the past.
Friends of Bolton Valley Nordic, a group of concerned skiers, has begun mobilizing to preserve access to skiing. They have reached out to Vermont Land Trust, Green Mountain Club, the Nature Conservancy and other land conservation organizations to explore ways to keep the land open for recreation. With the collapse of the pending land sale, the group now has time to figure out a strategy. There may yet be ample Nordic skiing next year at Bolton Valley.
UPDATE: According to Redstone owner Larry Williams, the potential buyer of the 1,000-acre parcel is reconsidering his interest in the property. Initially, Williams wrote in an e-mail that the buyer they had lined up had pulled out. Now that buyer is indicating that he might still be interested in the land deal. Williams noted in a recent phone interview that this "might be an opportunity to marry what [the Friends of Bolton Valley Nordic's] goals are with [the potential buyer's] goals."
Photo courtesy of Bolton Valley