Vermont99

Vermont99 for 2011 - Find us at Vermont Commons, our new Sponsor!

2010-11-17T03:06:00.000-08:00

Vermont99 has a new home for 2011 and beyond!

Find us at Vermont Commons: Voices of Independence news journal.

And join us in celebrating Vermont's winter Commons.

With 120 days of snow in Vermont, how many times can you get out?

Snow. Go. Mojo.

Wanna play?

Vermont99 - Gittin' Er Done 2010...

2010-03-10T17:14:00.000-08:00

The seven-year-olds and Coach Sean - my snowboarding posse this winter.

Three biggies this week.

I completed my winter 2010 personal goal of skiing three different 50 K nordic ski marathons - Craftsbury (January), Gatineau (February) and Rangeley (March).

I hit my 99th time on snow yesterday.

My personal VERMONT99 log book.

And I spent my last afternoon of the season today on the Sugarbush hill with my 7-year-old snowboard friends, pictured below.

It has been a beautiful winter, with still more to come.

But as the days turn warmer, the sap starts running, and the snow begins to disappear, I am feeling the inexorable tug of spring...

Time to begin thinking about soaking up as much spring snow as possible, AND making the transition.

Gracefully, I hope, without hurting any more of myself than I already have. True, my left knee is a bit sore, and my right shoulder aches from the spectacular tele-tumble I experienced at Saddleback the other day.

But I am mostly grateful at the time I have been able to spend on snow, the people I have met, and the adventures we have had.

I hope the idea of "Vermont99" catches on. There is no more fun way to get through a Vermont winter than pushing to get out on the snow as often as we can...in the company of family and friends, just because it is FUN.

A few scenes from a magnificent bluebird Sugarbush ski day today.

Utah Adventure part 2

2010-03-09T07:56:00.000-08:00

Here is another clip from my Utah Adventure. Here is Alex putting down a line on the jumps at the Canyons.

Alex Jump Line from Yea Right 22 on Vimeo.

Utah Adventure Part 1

2010-03-08T06:58:00.000-08:00

Here is a little clip from Wolf Mountain the other day (3/7/2010).

Joe Jump line at Wolf Mountain from Yea Right 22 on Vimeo.

Frosty the Dog Whisperer

2010-02-25T07:20:00.000-08:00

Well yesterday, Feburary 24, I got up at 5:30 AM to get ready to go to work. I work at Gullivers Doggie Daycare in Burlington. When I walked outside to my car I noticed how much snow had fallen and how heavy and sticky it was. When I go to work I opened the doors and got to work, but during some down time when there wasn't much to do, I decided to reminisce in my childhood with this amazing snow. So, I built a snowman that was about 8 1/2 feet tall.

I am about 6'1 and my head met up to the top of the chest piece. I used my gloves as his eyes, and a broken leash as the mouth. Then I used two pieces of wood I found as his stubby arms. He made quite an impression with the dogs.

Vermont99: Mad River Valley Bill Koch Ski League MARDI GRAS 2010!

2010-02-16T18:32:00.000-08:00

First Day at MadRiver

2010-02-16T18:26:00.000-08:00

I would have to say I am pretty much against the whole non-snowboarding mountains. I have been snowboarding for about 6 years now, but before that I skied for 13 years. This weekend I decided to bust out the old skies and try out this mountain that everyone has been talking about.
When I first arrived at the mountain I saw the main trail sign. It stated their no snowboarding policy, with the statement that they wanted to "keep the unique experience." Right away I felt like an outsider. Once I took the infamous single chair I changed my mind about Mad River Glen. I started to think that it might be one of the best mountains on the East Coast. There are cliff drops and wide open trees everywhere. All I could think of was how I want to come here on a pow day and slay the mountain.
That day changed my mind about Mad River so much, If you have the chance go check out and let the mountain change your mind.

Fundays at Sugarbush

2010-02-16T16:58:00.000-08:00

Most students don't have the opportunity of having only one class day a week and the other 6 days to try to get in as much on snow time as possible. Although I try to go as much as I can, Mondays and Fridays are definite Sugarbush fun days. Here are some photos from last Friday's wonderful Sugarbush adventures...

VT 100 spreading the local 802 love...

(This picture looks like it was from the '70s. Must have been right before my camera decided to break. Luckily all photos were saved! All VT 99 stickers were removed after photo op in most of the above spots)

99 Problems, But Fun in VT Ain't One!

2010-02-16T16:06:00.000-08:00

Caila's Winter Dew Tour Story (Mount Snow, VT.)

(Jackie S., Ellery, Jackie K., Caila)

VT99 Mount Snow VT.

What is the Winter Dew Tour? Well, the Winter Dew Tour is a competition series that showcases top winter athletes from around the world competing in freeskiing (slopestyle and superpipe) and snowboarding (slopestyle and superpipe) for both men and women.

The Winter Dew Tour on February 4-7 showcased some of the most progressive and innovative ski and snowboard athletes seen in VT since last year's Dew Tour debut at Mount Snow. This year- Mount Snow's Carinthia peak housed thousands of professional athletes, amateur athletes, spectators, judges, and everyone that is involved with or just has love for these top winter sports. Skiing and snowboarding events endured from Thursday until Sunday, when the Dew Tour ended it's stay at Southern Vermont's favorite mountain. Not only were the competitions entertaining, but there were plenty of night life adventures to be had, from bar to bar throughout the usually dead-beat town, there were live performers, local bands, etc. playing to welcome and satisfy all guests of the event. Corinthia is a typically quier-local driven mountain (so I found out) as opposed to Mount Snow's main base, where there are more tourists and unwelcoming vibes- especially to the snowboard kiddos who usually post up at one of Corinthia's many terrain parks.

The Winter Dew Tour was insane, there was a giant sponsor village housing several snowboard companies from Ride to Signal snowboards, as well as Mountain Dew Amp tent and a Jack's Links Matador tent, home to the instantly popular mechanical bull. A few girls from Champlain College (Caila Burke, Jackie Stickly & Jackie Kelley) have for the past year been volunteers/student ambassadors for B4BC - a non-pr

ofit organization promoting youth outreach & education about breast cancer awareness and the importance of early detection.

The girls at the B4BC tent were busy for two days talking to random girls, and guys about the organization and taking down names to win a raffle consisting of a B4BC inspired snowboard, signed by all female athletes who support and believe in the organization. We have done many events here on the east coast, but it was great to see Blair Young of B4BC make the journey from SoCal to the icy, freezing east coast way of life.

The night life was amazing too. There were several bars open at a time and all seemed to be 'popping off'. There were local live bands, local DJ's, cover bands, etc. There wasn't a slow bar in town! People were in great spirits, excited to be out on the slopes, but also seemed to be having a great time indoors because of the positive energy that surrounded every bar, restaurant, hotel, etc.

The event site was set up so amazing. The superpipe was lit up by neon lights, resembling lazers beams shooting up and down the icy walls.

Below is a photo of the superpipe course- before (during practice) and after (in the middle of the competition finals

I wonder how many of these folks above got their Snow Go Mojo on?

Get them up. Get the idea out.

Check out all of the news and results from the Dew Tour online at Alli Sports.com

“Mount Snow was thrilled to welcome the Winter Dew Tour back after a first year that exceeded our expectations,” said Kelly Pawlak, Mount Snow General Manager. “We were confident that our freestyle terrain parks at Carinthia would furnish athletes with a premier venue, while the Winter Dew Tour helps us to introduce our Carinthia Parks to a very large audience.”

“It was amazing to compete in my hometown and on my favorite mountain last year,” said Kelly Clark, 2008-09 Snowboard Superpipe Dew Cup champion. “It is great that the Winter Dew Tour came back to Mount Snow.”

“Mount Snow was a fantastic host resort last season, and it only made sense to return this year,” said Chris Prybylo, Vice President of Events for Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports. “It’s a great fit for the Winter Dew Tour, and we looked forward to giving fans and athletes another great experience at Mount Snow this year.”

Vermont99: New SNOW-GO-MOJO Personal Best - FIVE in one day!

2010-02-16T07:36:00.000-08:00

I had President's Day off from work yesterday.

So I decided to see if I could break my previous personal best of FOUR "Vermont99" snow experiences in one day, and go for five.

Mission accomplished. And I've included two video clips of some of the mayhem.

1. 90 minutes of skate skiing at Ole's.

2. 2 hours of snowboarding at Sugarbush North.

3. One run with T-Bone down the BIG SLED HILL.

4. Afternoon ice skating with T-Bone at the Skatium.

5. Broomball with Team Jamieson Insurance last night.

I love winter.

Let it snow!

"Skin to Win" - Randonee 2010 with Team Jamieson!

2010-02-09T18:20:00.000-08:00

Loosely translated, from the French, "randonee" means "strapping skins onto your skis and running uphill."

Or something like that.

Jon and Amy Jamieson, our neighbors, are ferociously fun winter companions. They were kind enough to take us skinning up one side of Mad River Glen several weeks back, as they trained for one of Mad River Valley's most intense winter races.

And here they are finishing the Mountain Hardwear Ski Mountaineering randonee race just a few days ago.

BIG SHOUT OUT!

Getting some POW at Stowe 2/8/10

2010-02-09T06:40:00.000-08:00

We were able to make it to Stowe yesterday for 2nd chair before we all had our 12:30 class. It was good out with about 6 inches of fresh snow. Here are two shoots filmed during out short trip.

A little fallow cam through Toll Road Woods:

Double fallow Cam from Yea Right 22 on Vimeo.

"My Gap(doug)"

"My Gap (doug)" from Yea Right 22 on Vimeo.

STOWEboarding w/ The Battle For Burlington & B4BC

2010-02-01T11:31:00.000-08:00

A group of local Burlington girls (and some guys) set out on an adventure Saturday morning to hit the snow at Stowe Mountain Resort. The Battle For Burlington's Stowe College Throwdown took place at Mount Mansfield and although there wasn't a huge turnout of competitors, it was still a great time. Champlain College was slacking, only one student came out to support the Beavers, Tom Rykr. Hopefully Camp Champ will dominate in the next two battle comps! The B4BC (Boarding For Breast Cancer) Burlington girls headed up to do their thing also, partnering with the Battle and teaching young women (and men) the importance of early detection & living an active, healthy lifestyle! Below are some photos taken at the event on Saturday, check em out!

Veronia & Zach passing some stickers around the lodge. VT99!

The Battle For Burlington event site! Top of the course...

Josh & Jackie hangin up the B4BC banner, and VT99 too..

CAUTION! Vt99..

Mt. Mansfield's quad lift line...

Snow Go Mojo

Jackie loves the VT 99!

Bottom of the Battle For Burlington competition course...

A very excited Jackie about to hit the slopes!

YES 2010 Vans Boarding For Breast Cancer boots!

Welp, it was definitely a fun filled day at Stowe. Spread the VT 99 love around, and got some people asking... What's Snow Go Mojo?!

Vermont99: Windsurfing Lake Champlain - In January!

2010-01-29T09:10:00.000-08:00

Some day, when the Vermont99 SNOW. GO. MOJO. awards are given, John DeBrosse of Colchester will win the MOST TENACIOUS VERMONT WINTER WINDSURFER award.

Hands down.

Here he is on his board the other day, dragging it OVER the lake ice to find some open water.

VERMONT99: Hitting the Halfway Point for 2010!

2010-01-29T09:02:00.000-08:00

Like you, I've been weeping at the BIG RAIN this week that stole our snow away from us.

The good news? More snow is blowing in on some very cold weather, and the mountains and the floors (almost) of Mad River Valley are once again open for skiing.

Even more exciting? I've hit 50 plus times on snow for the 2010 season.

And it is not quite February yet. Mojo!

Here's a look at my Vermont99 journal. Messy, yes. But readable. At least, to me.

Classic skiing, followed by skate skiing, dominates - with some SNOWBOARDING (new for me this year), TELE SKIING, and some serious ZIPFY sledding thrown in.

I've even tried out some "randonee" "skin to win" Mad River Glen ascents. More on that later.

My point?

Getting to 99 times on Vermont snow ain't that hard - if you hit the snow most every day, and HAVE FUN doing it.

Vermont99. Snow. Go. Mojo.

Fund-Raiser: BOLTON TO THE BARNS Ski Tour (From Roger Murphy) - Update!

2010-01-29T08:38:00.000-08:00

The Organization: www.vycc.org
The Tour: www.vycc.org/ski
My fundraising page: www.firstgiving.com/rogermurphy

Hello all,

This year I have been one of the primary organizers of a backcountry ski tour designed to raise money and friends for the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps--if you've ever hiked in the Green Mountain State, you've benefitted from their work. Its a great organization dedicated to giving teenagers a meaningful experience in the outdoors, building trails and huts, doing environmental work, and giving them learning and leadership opportunities. As a teacher here in Stowe, I've seen many kids go through their program, working on a crew during the summer months, and can attest to the fine leadership skills and confidence the students develop from working for the VYCC. In many ways, it's similar to an Outward Bound experience without the cost and the travel. These kids work hard, and it costs a lot of money to run the programs (consider this--the state of VT charges them for camping when they stay in state parks to work for free for the state!)

So, some friends and I have organized this tour (there is an 11 mile and a 17 mile option). There are similar events in the state for other organizations, but ours is unique because it ends at the VYCC's headquarters in Richmond at the iconic "monitor" style barn you can see from the interstate, and we will be having a real party (chili and beer, mmmmmm).

My primary hope is that some of you would be able to come join me for the tour (I will be "sweeping" the 17-mile course), or if you cannot ski, throw a little something in the kitty. Any contribution is most appreciated, and you can donate easily through the second link.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see some of you on March 6th for the tour. Feel free to call me (802-730-7619) with any questions about the event. We hope it will become one of Vermont's annual fundraising outdoor events, like the Vermont 50 miler at Ascutney and the Camels Hump Challenge. If you're from out of town, there's plenty of room to crash at my house for the event. Bring a friend!

Thanks, and be well,

Roger

2010-01-27T09:53:00.000-08:00

As quoted in The Week - "TV can kill you - watching too much television may shorten your life by years! Australian researchers tracked the medical conditions of 8,800 healthy adults for several years; the more television they watched, the more likely they were to have died during the years examined. On average, for every hour per day spent watching TV, a subject was 18 percent more likely to die of cardiovascular disease, 9 percent more likely to succumb to cancer, and 11 percent more likely to die of any cause."

So............

Snow, go, mojo! Get out there.

This morning a group of ladies from Sugarbush hit the trails and to our surprise - YEEHAW! - the conditions were incredible!

As for the 95th day of getting to school by my son's own power - we viewed the most incredible passages made by moles. These are pretty incredible creatures. Each morning one would pop out of his home and run back in. Trying to capture a photo is challenging. On day 95 - we think due to flooding of his home, one was dead on the trail. We took a moment to cover him! Here is a picture of the snow all through the field with the tunnels. Very cool!!!!

Let's hope for more snow!

Ski Cross - Vermont's Next XTREME Winter Sport?

2010-01-25T17:38:00.000-08:00

I heard this radio interview about "Ski Cross" on my drive home from Camp Champ home today to Mad River...

Never heard of it until today.

So here's how it works...

Get a bunch of ski racers, stick 'em at the top of a race course AT THE SAME TIME, and unleash them to duke it out...

Bone-crushing fun for everyone.

Zoinks!

Adventures to School - Day #94

2010-01-25T05:25:00.000-08:00

Walking in the winter is always an adventure. Exciting tracks too!

Vermont99 - Chris is at #70 (estimated) since we started counting late!

the goal - to get to school every day by his own power!

Vermont99 Remembers: The Life of Guy Amundsen

2010-01-24T17:47:00.000-08:00

Guy Amundsen died last week at the age of 72 at Ole's Cross-Country touring center while finishing up a ski clinic.

He was well-known around Mad River for his exuberance, sense of humor, love for kids, and never-ending interest in obtaining just the right ski wax to hit the snow fast and furiously.

Today, 100 of his friends and family members gathered at Ole's for a memorial - a sort of "Norwegian nordic ski tour meets New Orleans style wake" extravaganza.

Old skiers never die.

They just glide away.

We miss you, Guy!

Vermont99 Discovers...the ZIPFY Caribou! (Be vewy vewy quiet...)

2010-01-21T15:56:00.001-08:00

...that rarest and strangest of creatures, whose horns and hide provides the materials for making the new Zipfy mini-luge sled.

Don't startle him. Don't run.

Just back away slowly.

Vermont99: Get On Your Knees!

2010-01-15T12:33:00.001-08:00

Sure, sledding is fun.

But on your knees?

Vermont99 celebrates the Mad River Rocketeers!

Vermont99: Nordic Skiing, um, Stunts?

2010-01-08T13:15:00.001-08:00

Who says downhillers and snowboarders have ALL the fun?

I'm waiting for the ice fishing bloopers video. I know it is out there...somewhere.

Snow. Go. Mojo!

Vermont99.

Vermont99 Says: Thank You, Ember Photo!

2010-01-08T04:56:00.000-08:00

We here at Vermont99 would like to thank Brian Mohr and Emily Johnson of Ember Photography for their Vermont99 blog post. Thanks a lot guys. We appreciate you spreading the word and we love that you share the same passion for snow in Vermont as we do.

If you didn't read our earlier blog post about these incredibly talented individuals then you can do so here or check out their website emberphoto.com.

Here is a sampling of some of their photos:

The Single Chair

Fresh Tracks

Now tell us that these images don't make you want to go out and enjoy the snow.

It's just another reason why Vermonters ROCK!

Snow. Go. Mojo.

Vermont99: Lake Champlain Wind Surfing...On Ice?

2010-01-07T17:41:00.001-08:00

I know what you're thinking. No way. Not in Vermont.

Sure, Vermonters do some nutty things in winter. But...wind surfing? On ice?

It's true. In a state renowned for its self-reliance, independence of mind, and frontier spirit, some Vermonters, do, in fact, wind surf...on ice. One of our Vermont99 heroes is John DeBrosse - he is one radical dude. He lives in Colchester, and is an avid windsurfer and kitesurfer during the summer months, stocking his garage full of surfing gear for anyone who shows up.

And, during the winter, he figures - why stop? That's him up top there - pulling son Geoffrey and friend last January - on the ice of Shelburne Pond.

And here - looking for the big wave, buried somewhere under the ice, on the sixth largest freshwater lake in the United States - Champlain, that is.

And here - sporting his waterproof "helmet cam" on his windsurfing rig as he preps for winter.

Ethan Allen, eat your heart out. Lake Champlain ultimately claimed your life.

But not John DeBrosse's.

Snow. Go. Mojo!

Get ready for Bolton to the Barn 2010

2010-01-04T07:14:00.000-08:00

Save the date 99ers and random interlopers. VYCC is planning a new tour to raise friends and funds for their mission. This past weekend we completed a tentative 17.3 mile route, starting with a loop at Bolton's Touring center and then completing an end to end along the Catamount, VAST, and VYCC land ending at the monitor barn on RT 2. You know the one...

We've set the date for March 6th, and while we're still in the planning stages, its never too soon to save the date and get psyched. Bolton has some sweet BC trails!

I'll update y'all on this event as plans solidify. Its gonna be memorable, and you can say you competed the tour the 1st year!

FLIPPIN' FUN! Vermont99's Christmas 2009 Driveway Sledding Wingding...

2009-12-27T07:47:00.000-08:00

There are some Christmases in Vermont I'll remember more than others.

Getting 3 generations of Williams out for a Wallis drive road sledding party on Christmas morning - including Grandma Babs - is right up there on the list of highlights that'll stay with me.

We assembled the entire fleet of sleds, including the old blue round saucer, one of our Mad River Rockets, and several brand-new Zipfys, billed as "a free-style mini luge."

The Zipfys are huge fun.

Big thanks to Mr. Claus for dropping off a few on his way by with the reindeer.

We sledded pretty hard, and one of the Zipfys took a bit of a beating.

I got to try out the new Flip 200 HD, as well - a nice little video machine.

Watch until the very end of the video for details. Medic!

Merry Christmas!

Vermont99 count?

21 snow experiences under the belt. 78 to go.

The Stone Hut Experience

2009-12-21T21:34:00.000-08:00

Sunday night I had the pleasure of staying in the Stone Hut at the top of Stowe. A friend of mine, Meg, had 5 nights in The Hut, and invited my boyfriend Mike and I up for a night. We arrived early afternoon Sunday with our backpacks filled with the essentials: warm clothes, sleeping bags, snacks, water, some beer, and of course a fresh batch of bloody mary mix.

The hut consists of bunk beds, a large center table surrounded by benches, and a woodstove. When we arrived at The Hut, the wind was whipping and temperatures were far below freezing. We opted for the hanging by the fire instead of hitting the trails.

As the sun started to set, Mike and I decided to head outside. We watched as the lifts stopped, the lodge closed down, and ski patrol headed home for the night. It was an amazing feeling knowing that we were the only ones left on the mountain.

The sky was gorgeous; beautiful shades of pink and blue.

After sunset, Mike and I played cards by candlelight and headlamps, while enjoying a lovely meal of pasta and tomato sauce compliments of the Coleman gas stove.

One of Mike's friends drives a Snow Cat for the mountain and happened to be out grooming trails that night. We decided that a post-dinner adventure was in order. Mike got into his skis and I strapped into my board, and with only a headlamp and small flashlight between us, we rode down to meet his friend at the base.

There is only one word that fully describes a Snow Cat: Badass. Neither of us had ever been inside one before.

Mike's friend was nice enough to give us a ride back to the top of the mountain. We ended the night with cards, bloody marys, and great conversation with a few others who were also staying in The Hut.

We started Monday morning with some coffee and oatmeal. The wind was still howling outside and we soon found out that the quad that got us to the Stone Hut the day before was not running, which meant that skiing and getting back to The Hut was going to be an issue. We weren't ready to go home yet, so we decided to hike up to the top of Mount Mansfield.

I've been to the top of Mansfield in the past, but I never thought I would be up there in the middle of winter. The closer we got to the top, the more it felt like we were on a different planet. Everything was covered in snow and ice, and the sky had a strange coloring to it. The wind was intense, as were the temperatures. Clouds were blowing over the summit at an incredible speed. Every once in a while it would clear up enough so we could see the Champlain Valley. The wind was so strong, I literally could not fall into it and it was difficult to breathe when I was facing it. The experience was absolutely amazing.

After our hike we headed back to The Hut to warm up, packed up our enormous backpacks, and headed down the mountain.

I have never had an experience quite like the one provided by The Hut. We had an amazing time, and hopefully we will be lucky enough to stay there again in the future. The Hut is just one more reason why winter in VT is AWESOME.

Vermont99 Gets Nekkid With Ember Photo - Feel the Heat!

2009-12-19T20:14:00.000-08:00

In our Vermont99 quest to tell the stories of Vermonters who love snow, and embody the "SnowGoMojo" spirit, we'd be hard-pressed to find two Vermonters more inspiring than the duo from Ember Photo.

Moretown, Vermont's Brian Mohr and Emily Johnson live a remarkable life.

Photographers and outdoor enthusiasts, they travel the world in search of beautiful and remote spots - to experience and capture the beauty of the land and the people of this diverse and remarkable planet on which we live.

Their work is embodied in their web site - Ember Photo - where you can get a taste for their work and passion for travel.

And their love for Vermont snow is boundless. Here they are at Mad River Glen enjoying some "foliage skiing" - the first snowfall of the year each season, they head on up to the Glen to ski on the snow and leaves.

Now that's Vermont99 dedication.

We spent a quiet Friday night this week-end with Brian, Emily, and some mutual Mad River Valley friends - stripped down to nothing but our birthday suits in a Jotul wood stove-fired sauna, swapping stories about snow travel and other adventures.

After sweating out the week's work and digging into a Localvore dinner of lamb stew, simple salad, and du vin rouge, we screened a slide show of Ember Photo's adventures to Iceland last spring, including some of the most stunning glacier skiing I've ever seen.

And the best thing about their work?

Perhaps it is this: coming home from a month in central America to find greens growing in their Moretown, Vermont raised bed mini-greenhouses.

Feel the heat - even in a Vermont winter.

Don't miss Brian and Emily's OFF PISTE IN THE NORTHEAST photo exhibit touring around central Vermont in the next few weeks.

And follow their adventures through their Ember Photo blog.

Cross Country Snowboarding: A New Vermont99 Winter Gig?

2009-12-17T17:53:00.001-08:00

Vermont99 - How to Count 'Em?

2009-12-17T17:15:00.001-08:00

First, get a pencil and a notebook.

Second, make a bunch of columns.

Consider every snow-related activity that moves you.

Sledding? Ice Fishing? Snowshoeing? Add 'em to the list.

Then stash the notebook and pencil somewhere handy.

I stick 'em in my car.

And you are off...

Ten so far - 89 to go.

Minus Two Degrees (Vermont99 #10)

2009-12-17T10:32:00.000-08:00

The snow at Ole's around 8:00 o'clock this morning wasn't squeaky.

It was "shriek-y."

Loudest snow I've heard in some time.

Groaning. Moaning.

At minus two degrees, with a thin layer of super-cold surface, this morning's skate skiing was, at best, hard work.

It didn't help that I forgot to pull the skis from the car on Tuesday after our first Bill Koch League practice, when it was 36 degrees and raining.

Water does have this predictable habit of freezing when the temperature drops.

To minus two degrees.

The bindings were not happy with me this morning, and the pole hand straps, damp on Tuesday, were frozen into a twisted and misshapen pretzel-like shapes.

But the groomer was out (the snow gods look fondly upon all groomers, as do I, who get out before 8:00 am), and the trail was newly packed.

And I warmed up by the end of my fifty minutes...enough to smile in the parking lot.

Vermont99 - #10.

What is Vermont99?

2009-12-16T10:08:00.000-08:00

Are you a Vermonter who loves snow?

Remember the first snow fall of every season?

The one that makes you grin, involuntarily, at the thought of what has happened on snow, for you, and what is to come?

Here's a rough back-of-the envelope calculation.

In Vermont it snows, reliably, between December 1 and April 1.

More or less.

That's four months of snow.

120 days.

Give or take.

Now...Vermonters work hard.

We've got lives. Jobs. Families. Lovers. Businesses. Friends.

And we love snow.

Vermont99 is about trying to get out on snow in Vermont 99 times over the course of the winter season.

Any way we can.

Ski. Ride. Sled. Skate. Snowshoe. Run. Walk.

Not all day every day.

Just get out on snow.

And then share your experiences.

(Hint: "Mojo" = "mobile journalism.")

Tell your stories.

The good. The bad. The ugly. The funny. The profound.

Snow. Go. Mojo.

Wanna play?