Speedy Snowshoeing Takes Woodford State Park on December 26th!

A leisurely walk in the park is not what participants of the annual Woodford State Park Snowshoe Race anticipate. This fast-paced 3.3-mile race has drawn over seventy-five athletes in years past who compete for respect as well as good Vermont eats, such as a loaf of bread from Vermont Bread, Green Mountain Coffee, bagels from Works Cafe & Bakery, donuts from Mrs. Murphy's Donuts, and locally made bean soup, which they get to dig into after crossing the finish line. Last year, competitors ages ranged from twelve to seventy-plus and all of the athletes finished the race under an hour (the winning time was an amazing twenty-four-minutes!)

Jack Quinn and John Pelton started the snowshoe race in Woodford State Park on December 30, 2001, and they have been having one there each year ever since! Jack continues to be the race director and prepares for the day's event by making sure the course is free from fallen trees or overgrown bushes. This year, Jack's job was surprisingly easy. Woodford State Park volunteers, Hamilton Topping and Lorna Cherlton, put in great energy and enthusiasm to improve the trail. They added planks in low areas, filled in gaps with boulders, and trimmed back vegetation. The trail work has already been much appreciated - even in the off season! Another helping hand, Dave Dunham of Northfield, MA, goes out pre-race and prepares the course for runners by marking the 3.3-mile trail with flags to ensure no gets lost.

With everything cleared and marked, the course just needs the runners. This year the race day is scheduled for Sunday, December 26th at 10:00am. Jack and John will have help from Michael Rosenthal and the Mount Anthony Nordic Ski Team during the day. Together they will set up a registration tent and refreshment area where they put the official clock, finish chute, water, and the prized loaves of Vermont Bread.

For more information on snowshoe racing or to see more photos, visit Western Massachusetts Athletic Club online. You will notice in the photos that the athletes tend to be smiling more at the finish line than any other place.

Good luck to all snowshoe racing competitors this year!

The Art and Beauty of Winter in Vermont

UVM Student and VT State Park Photography Intern Olympia Bowker: "Sense of Place - Winter in Vermont". Now on Display at La Brioche Bakery & Cafe in Montepelier

For the next several weeks, Olympia Bowker's photographs will be on display in the popular NECI cafe, La Brioche, at the corner of Main Street and East State Street in Montpelier.

Olympia completed an internship with Vermont State Parks as part of her Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Science at the University of Vermont. Her work on "sense of place" and how photography can capture the beauty we all see and interpret, can be found in her photographic documentation project entitled, Vermont in Winter: The Season of Subtle Splendor. It is Olympia’s hope that her images and captions illustrate “sense of place” as well as help to promote recreational enjoyment of the outdoors for Vermont State Parks.

Abstract from Olympia’s work:

For humans to have an ethical relation to land, there must be love, respect, admiration and a high regard for its value. This relationship is created by interaction between humans and a natural environment. By connecting with one’s own surroundings, an individual bridges the gap that exists in today’s modern society between man and nature. This connection results in a range of benefits; there is a greater and more intimate awareness of human impacts on the environment—thus leading to the implementation of more ecologically beneficial land-use practices and effective land conservation, and for humans there are mental health benefits, such as hindering the onset of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) in children.

The Vermont State Parks are parcels of land that are exempt from commercial and residential development, preserving their acreage for human recreation and ecological preservation. Through a photography internship with the Vermont State Parks, I visited six of the fifty-two state parks found within Vermont to photograph the land and visitors. When finished, a photographic display of 14 images, illustrating place and people connecting with it, was exhibited in both the Vermont State House in Montpelier and the Environmental Building (the Bittersweet) at the University of Vermont.

Stop in to enjoy her work as well as fresh pastries and a coffee!

Learn more about Vermont State Parks Internships

PS - Another of Olympia's photos is featured on our facebook and twitter pages.