Catamount Trail Association

The length of Vermont on skis

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  • Backcountry Show & Tell Video Series

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    Greg Maino

    Ok Everyone… We’re going to try something a bit different. Starting on November 17th we will be hosting a series of videos on YouTube talking about backcountry gear! The format is super informal. We will have 4-5 guests showing off their personal gear and discussing why they made the choices they made, what they like,…

  • Patagonia Raffle – Win Over $600 Of Gear!

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    Greg Maino

    The CTA and Patagonia have teamed up to raise money for the Catamount Ski Cubs Program, an educational program focused on introducing underserved youth to cross-country skiing as a means to promote healthy lifestyles for Vermont families and communities. The Catamount Ski Cubs Program is free for participants and served over 500 kids last season, many of which having never skied…

  • The Way Up: A Ski Movie About Chasing Pow While Chasing Kids

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    Greg Maino

    This is a great time of year. The colors are starting to go, people are starting to think about skiing, and there are all kinds of new ski films being released! But, what’s really awesome is the increase in the number of high quality movies being released by small groups of enthusiasts. These movies might not…

  • CTA Welcomes a New Americorps Member!

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    CTA_STAFF

    With the inevitable shift from summer to fall – when we all start to dream of deep powder turns and frost on our eyelashes – comes a change here in the CTA office. We send off Andy Wood, who has been the Americorps member with us for the past year and welcome in Laura Koloski.…

  • New Catamount Trail Topo Maps

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    Greg Maino

    We’ve got some exciting news!  We been working hard all summer in conjunction with the Center For Community GIS to update our map files and design two topographical maps covering the entire 300+ miles of the Catamount Trail. Just this week we approved the final proofs and our printer should be gearing up and getting ready…

  • More Catamount Trail Love from UVM Service TREK

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    CTA_STAFF

    Every August, for over a decade, the CTA has had the pleasure of sharing 4 days on the trail with UVM Service TREK. Working in small groups of 8 TREKKIES and 2 TREK Leaders (experienced students), Service TREK participants engage in direct service while learning about the value of community involvement, leadership skills, developing great friendships, and…

  • Andy says "Ski Ya Later!"

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    CTA_STAFF

    Not long ago as I was driving along Forest Road 71 telling my friend Jessie how cool the Catamount Trail is, a black bear barreled across the road in front of us. The Trail, it seemed, wanted to add an exclamation point to my statement. As my Americorps year with the CTA draws to a close, I am more excited…

  • Dealer.com Spiffs Up Section 18

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    CTA_STAFF

    What happens when you liberate thirteen Dealer.com employees from their desks and turn them loose on the Catamount Trail? Trail work gets done! Last week Dealer.com sent out a team of employees to volunteer with the CTA on a trail work project in Lincoln, VT. We had the best weather of the summer, a tangible project to…

  • RASTA Glade & Cabin Project: Your Support Needed

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    Greg Maino

    Rochester Area Sports Trail Alliance (RASTA) was founded in 2013 with a mission to provide safe and sustainable multiple use trails and glades for the enjoyment of area residents and visitors. During the fall of 2013 RASTA approached Paul Kendall, Sharon Rives and the New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF) to see if they would be interested in…

  • Trip Report: 5th Annual Pemi Traverse

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    CTA_STAFF

    The 5th Annual Pemi Traverse took place February 28-March 1, 2015. Tour participant Julie T. Higgins wrote this trip report.   Five years ago, Pete Lane got the idea to lead a trip across the Pemi. This is a 21 mile, 2 day ski though the Pemigewasset (Pemi) Wilderness of the White Mountain National Forest, (#23…

  • Upcoming Trail Work: New RASTA Backcountry Zone

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    CTA_STAFF

    The VTBC and the Catamount Trail Association (CTA), our parent organization, work closely with the Rochester Areas Sports Trails Alliance (RASTA), which is also a pilot chapter of the CTA/VTBC. RASTA is managing several new backcountry skiing and riding zones in the Rochester, VT region, and is seeking volunteer help with the development and management…

  • Skiing: A Poem by Brianna

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    CTA_STAFF

      This poem was written by a 2015 Ski Cubs participant in Bennington, Vermont.   

  • Vermont Backcountry Ethics Finalized

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    CTA_STAFF

    We are excited to report that the Vermont Backcountry Alliance, a program of the CTA, has finalized a new set of Leave No Trace guidelines for backcountry users in Vermont. Close partnerships with the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, Green Mountain Club, Green Mountain National Forest, Winter Wildlands Alliance, and the Leave No Trace…

  • Kroka Expedition Tackles the CT….And Much More

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    CTA_STAFF

    On a bright and chilly March morning I skied up to Bryant Camp in Bolton Valley to meet the Kroka Expeditions Vermont Semester group on one day of their semester long expedition. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I was led to the group’s pavilion-shaped canvas tent tucked back in the woods, but as I…

  • Trip Report: Maine Huts in March

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    CTA_STAFF

        Maine Huts & Trails has built four state-of-the-art huts which are connected by groomed ski trails in northwestern Maine. Meals are provided and overnight gear shuttled between the huts. They provide a level of accommodation that is unmatched elsewhere in the United States. For the last three years the Catamount Trail Association’s groups…

  • Windekind Farm: Life, Livelihood, and Community on the Catamount Trail

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    CTA_STAFF

      In talking to several solo through skiers this year about their journey on the Catamount Trail, I’ve been somewhat surprised to hear what a social experience it has been. Amidst long solitary days on the trail, all of them have commented on the good people they have met and enjoyed along the way. Mark…

  • Weekend In Review: Splitboarding & Fundraising & Skiing… Oh My!

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    Greg Maino

    First Annual Bolton Valley Splitboarding Festival This past Saturday we were fortunate enough to be invited to participate in the first ever splitboard festival in Vermont. If you’re not familiar with splitboarding it’s just like snowboarding, only the board splits apart into two skis so you can skin (climb) up the mountain/slope before snowboarding back…

  • Gaspé? Not Too Far Away

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    CTA_STAFF

    Looking to get out of Dodge? Tired of skiing the endless powder of Vermont? Don’t forget that our friends to the north in Québec know how to do it right when it comes to skiing. This February CTA members Pat Sabalis and Tif Crowell traveled north to participate in the Traversée De La Gaspésie, a weeklong…

  • Vermont Backcountry Ethics Released – Press Release

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    Greg Maino

    Vermont Backcountry Ethics ReleasedEthics to Promote Backcountry Safety and Responsible Use of Vermont’s Winter Mountain Environment Vermont Backcountry Ethics (Short Version)To be posted at trailheads, shops, events and other venues Vermont Backcountry Ethics (Long Version)For online viewing, primarily   For Immediate Release: March 11, 2015 Green Mountains, VT – In an ongoing effort to promote…

  • Vermont Backcountry Ethics Released – "Leave Only Tracks"

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    CTA_STAFF

    In an ongoing effort to promote the safe and responsible use of Vermont’s winter backcountry environment, the Vermont Backcountry Alliance (VTBC), a new program of the Catamount Trail Association(CTA), in close partnership with the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (DFPR), Green Mountain Club (GMC), Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF), the Winter Wildlands Alliance,…

  • Sharing The Love North Of The Border

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    Greg Maino

    Sixteen CTA ambassadors including 5 board members, 10 end-to-enders, 10 day and multi-day tour leaders and 6 trail chiefs spent the week of 2/21 – 2/28 in Quebec spreading the word about great backcountry skiing in Vermont. Paul Demers was the star ambassador pitching (en Francais) the CTA with any Quebecois skier on or off…

  • Thru-Skiing The Catamount Trail

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    Greg Maino

    The Catamount Trail is unique to Vermont and the Vermont winter of 2014-2015 has offered skiers on the Catamount Trail the equally unique opportunity to thru-ski the entire 300 miles. The quality as well as abundance of snow during this very cold winter has provided coverage and unlimited possibilities. The following story was authored by…

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