Skiing from the Trapp Family Lodge to Bolton
Skiing from the Trapp Family Lodge to Bolton
There are some things we just need to be pushed to do, that we would never do on our own. Skiing from the Trapp Family Lodge to Bolton in under two hours is one of those. With the creation of the Trapps-Bolton race three years ago, athletes started to push themselves through this challenging section of the Catamount Trail at speeds never seen before in those narrow, spruce shrouded passes. The event has a friendlier side as well- the touring division, with an hour-and-a-half head start on the racers so they can leisurely make the 17 kilometer ski up over the shoulder of Bolton Mountain. Camraderie, lunch stops, and relaxed conversation are all part of the tour. Racers, on the other hand, dress as lightly as possible (I would never go into the backcountry with so little gear!) They also spend days agonizing over which skis to use- too light could sink in the soft snow or be unstable up top; metal edges can provide extra purchase on hard snow, but be painfully slow on the groomed sections. And whether or not to use climbing skins, and what length of skin, and where to put them on and take them off? With former Olympians and top level collegiate racers competing, the tourers have the opportunity to watch these athletes ski by (yes, they close the 1 1/2 hour gap pretty quickly!)
This section of the Catamount Trail is one of the most popular- especially going from Bolton to Stowe, because of the 2,300 foot descent which offers unbelievable powder opportunities. It was quickly determined that the race would need to go the other direction, it would just not be safe to have the competitive juices pushing people to take major risks on the way down. Not that it's easy in the other direction. Typical challenges include: bare sections that must be delicately navigated (or jumped over) while descending the Old County Road at high speed; a bare swampy section that racers can run right through, no rocks!; a small creek crossing whose mossy rock provides a perfect platform from with to jump; the 2,300 foot climb to the top followed by a harrowing descent through switch-backs (well marked at least- thanks Bolton Ski Patrol!) This year the age range was from 16 to around 60, so it doesn't need to be an extreme event. I can't believe that a few days ago I was actually considering not racing (shame on me...) The best thing is, I managed to beat the really fit looking guy from Minnesota- then I found out he raced a 50 kilometer race the day before, and got lost in the high spruce near Bolton mountain- oh well, at least I had more time to inspect the course than he did. One more little interesting tidbit- after skiing this section a few times I found out that my father, Johannes, laid out the trail from our side to Bolton Mountain, and now we get to race it. Thanks, Pop!
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