Low On Snow But Not On Smiles

Sparse snow conditions didn’t stop over 110 enthusiastic women from making the most out of the Catamount Trail Association’s 3rd Annual Ladies Nordic Ski Expo.  By 9am Saturday, January 8th, the Trapp Family Lodge meadow was a buzz with skiers of all abilities practicing skate, classic and back-country skills. It was a pied-piper atmosphere with participants performing drills in unison as they honed their nordic ski technique.  Eleven expert instructors offered tips and support during this sold-out event. Words of congratulations were a common echo heard between the women for tasks well done, and for spectacular falls and recoveries.

After an exhausting, but rewarding morning of skiing, the red-cheeked and smiling women were treated to a hearty lunch at the Trapp Family Lodge.  Lunch was followed by a short break to digest and enjoy an inspirational slide presentation by author Dave Goodman.  Goodman presented his new book, Best Backcountry Skiing in the Northeast.  Sights and stories of these back-country adventures were food-for-thought for many of the participants who aspire to explore more backcountry ski destinations.

The day’s moderate temperatures were inviting and participants were eager to start another instructional session in the afternoon.  After some short tours on the trails, the women returned to the new Trapp Family Lodge Yurt to review and critique video footage taken earlier in the day.  These video-aided sessions were helpful in pointing out the good, the bad and the ugly in regard to technique.  Participants were eager to get back on the snow to put the video tips into practice. 

Emotions in the lodge during the après-ski party ran the gamut from smiles of sheer delight to tears of joy for a personally rewarding day of exercise, camaraderie and learning.  It was a relaxing atmosphere with cheese provided by Cabot, smoked meats by Vermont Smoke and Cure, wine by Redwood Creek and some great Trapp Lager from the new brewery at the Trapp Family Lodge.  It was a very successful fundraiser to help protect the 300-mile Catamount Trail, and a wonderful opportunity for women Nordic skiers to learn new skills, make new friends and prepare themselves to enjoy the ski trails and back-country of Vermont.

If you missed the Ladies Nordic Ski Expo, you might want to consider the Get Out and Backcountry Ski Festival at Bolton Valley on January 23. If you are looking for a women's only event, check out the 2nd Annual Intro to Backcountry Skiing for Women on Feb 5th and 6th, organized by Girls Move Mountains.