It’s Not Over Til It’s Over – Spring Skiing in Vermont

By Brian Mohr & Emily Johnson

Are you ready for corn o’clock? One of the many wonderful things (albeit frustrating to some) about a ski season in Vermont is that spring skiing conditions can play out any time between November and April. Be it the Christmas Curse, January Thaw or simply a random kink in the late-February jet stream, we’ve learned to embrace these balmy episodes as a comfortable break from the cold, a good chance to catch up on chores, and ultimately, just really fun skiing. They also remind us that there’s more to winter than bluebird powder days, and with some luck, we will eventually get to enjoy a few good weeks of delectable spring skiing before it all melts away. READ MORE

Lake Placid Hosting World Cup Cross-Country Finals – And a Festival of Nordic Sport

By Olympic Regional Development Authority

In a village where Olympic history lives on nearly every street corner, the world’s best cross-country skiers are preparing to write another chapter.

The Stifel Lake Placid World Cup Finals, March 19-22, will bring the FIS Cross-Country World Cup season to a dramatic close at Mt Van Hoevenberg. Crystal Globes will be awarded. Overall titles may be decided by seconds. And some of the sport’s biggest names – including American icon Jessie Diggins – are expected to take their final World Cup laps. READ MORE

Jack Jumping – Vermont’s Homemade Adrenaline Sport

By Riley Momenee

People’s reactions when they first see someone on a jackjumper are often the same. “What the heck is that?” and then shortly after, “How can I get on one?”

Jack jumping is often referred to as “Vermont’s newest old pastime” or a “Vermont secret tradition.” In reality though, any jumper would happily share with you the best spot to shred or the very humble makeup of their rig. That’s what’s special about the sport – it’s scrappy, homespun, and community-driven. READ MORE

Early Spring Races

By Mona Kulkarni Caron

Vermont’s early spring races feature a mix of trail and road events that offer scenic, challenging courses for runners, joggers, and walkers looking to kick off the season. They symbolize the beginning of the outdoor racing season. Whether you’ve been training all winter or just getting started, there’s a variety of distances and locations to choose from to get you out there this spring. READ MORE

Seven Bowen, Taylor Carlson, and Virginia Cobb – Competing at the Biathlon Junior World Championships

By Phyl Newbeck

Seven Bowen, Taylor Carlson and Virginia Cobb are all members of the US Junior Biathlon team, but they have more than that in common. All three athletes are also members of the Ethan Allen Biathlon Club and all three are from Chittenden County. Bowen lives in Huntington, Carlson is a Jericho native, and Cobb hails from Westford. The Vermont trio attend different colleges, but they have trained together at the Ethan Allen Firing Range and will make up almost half of the US Junior biathletes at the World Championships in Arber, Germany in February 25-March 8.  READ MORE

Vermont’s Mountain Battalion – Norwegian Ski Badge and Stowe Heritage Race

By Nathan Fry

This winter, Vermont’s 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Mountain Infantry Regiment (aka the “Mountain Battalion”) is earning their turns and solidifying their reputation as the US Army’s oldest and most capable mountain operations unit. READ MORE

A Healthy Diet and the New Food Pyramid

By Paul E. Lemanski, MD, MS, FACP

Recently, the US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Health and Human Services released a new edition of “Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” This 10 page document can be summarized pictorially as an inverted food pyramid with the “base” suggesting foods to consume proportionately more of and the “peak” proportionately less of. Some of the recommendations in the pyramid would seem to contradict our recommendations and the recommendations of previous editions of the guidelines. The purpose of this month’s column is to examine the apparent contradictions as well as the available medical evidence, so as to encourage you to make the best health choices. READ MORE