Mary “Badass” Anderson & The Catamount Trail

I was first introduced to Mary Anderson via a post in the Vermont Bikepackers Facebook Group in early October of 2021. At that time Mary had just finished solo hiking the 3100 mile long Continental Divide Trail (CDT), and was making plans to ride an electric cargo bike from her home in Bethel, VT  to visit all of Vermont’s 251 cities and towns in one go. 

Then this winter Mary’s name started popping up again. Our tours team had decided that for 2022 season the CTA Multi-Day Tours (MDTs) would visit all 31 sections of the Catamount Trail (CT), and Mary signed up for each and every one! 

Mary isn’t the type of person to say, “I can’t”… At least she’s trying not to be. In one of her pre-trip blog posts she wrote: I have become aware of how much my life was limited by messages I internalized telling me I can’t. I am trying to live from a place of I Can. It probably doesn’t need saying, but after 32 days and 1651 miles on her bike Mary finished visiting all 251 of Vermont’s cities and towns, and before the first day of spring arrived in 2022 Mary had skied all 31 sections and 300+ miles of the Catamount Trail. 

You might have noticed that backcountry conditions during the 2022 season were, more often than not, challenging. This led to some, or portions of, our MDTs getting canceled making Mary’s goal of skiing the entire CT more difficult. But there’s a reason she’s known as Mary Badass, and it’s not just because another group of hikers during her solo hike of the CDT decided she needed to replace her self-given trail name Old Lady Hiker. No, Mary proved she was dedicated to the task. With help from some new friends, and by taking full advantage of connections made via the new Catamount Trail Skiers Facebook Group, she made it happen. 

We caught up with Mary at the end of the season to learn more about her, and her experience on the CT this season. Below you will find our full Q&A.

Enjoy!

How old are you and where do you call home?
I’m 64 and live in Bethel, VT. 

What do you do?
I try to better myself and live from an open hearted place. But I assume you mean for work or money. I’ve been a jill of all trades. I have been an organic farmer, a weaver and knitter who did the craft fair circuit, a writer, who currently has a book on the way out, I also have my masters in psychology and worked in that field. I have been a teacher as well as a single mom who homeschooled my son.

Where did you grow up and how long have you been skiing? 
Not sure I have grown up yet. I was born in NJ, escaped to MA for college and have lived in lots of places. I settled in VT in 1990 and haven’t wanted to leave.

I started cross country skiing in college. I started lift-serve in my 30’s as my son wanted to go. I quickly got involved with VT adaptive ski and sports and for over 25 years have volunteered with them on the ski slopes teaching skiing to folks of all kinds of abilities. I specialize in folks on the autism spectrum, other developmental differences, and I do a lot of guiding for folks who can not see.

What types of skiing do you participate in… Nordic/Alpine/Telemark?
Soon after learning alpine I saw some folks on tele equipment and I started to ski lifts with my skinny Karhu skis and low leather NNN boots and bindings. Gradually I made a painful transition to almost every kind of ski and binding there was, getting heavier and heavier, until I landed in 3 buckle plastic boots and a full on tele binding. I love this gear for skinning up mountains and working at the resort with Vermont Adaptive. I love it for skiing on steep bumps and trees, but I also love going out in the unmaintained land around my house with lighter gear. And sometimes I like to take the really light stuff and go fast around places such as the golf course. I sometimes think about pulling out my old wooden skis because I really loved them the best.

When did you get into backcountry skiing? What drew you to this area of the sport? 
I love the wilderness, and I like the physicality of backcountry skiing and working to earn the downhill turns. I like the no cost aspect and that I can just go out my door.

What role has skiing played in your life? 
Skiing is really important to me. I was raised in a really abusive family and grew up with post traumatic stress and dissociation. It was while skiing in my 30’s that I first learned what it felt like to be fully present in my body. I had to stay focused when going downhill at fast speeds or I would fall. I love the personal challenge of always having room for improving and being able to keep pushing myself to new levels while tele skiing, especially in woods or on steep bumps. Skiing with Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports has really been a joy for me. I get to teach skiing to people whom others might give up on. I love it when families get to ski with a member whom they thought would never be able to join them. I get so much from those I teach. And the endorphins from the exercise as well as keeping my aging body in decent physical conditioning are big benefits to me as well.

What makes skiing in VT or the Northeast special and unique? 
Vermont Adaptive has been special for me. But also the roughness of the East. We don’t have consistent powder so you have to be ready and willing to ski anything…even rocks at times! And while our mountains aren’t as big as those out west, we have plenty of steep drops.

What’s your relationship with the Catamount Trail… How did you discover it… How did skiing the whole thing become something you wanted/needed to do?
I think I first heard about the trail soon after it started, and from then on I wanted to ski it end to end. I have done over 10,000 miles of long distance hiking, including one winter thru hike of the Appalachian Trail,  and the idea of skiing Vermont really appealed to me.

I learned about the group tours from Sam Bartlett whom I met when I was riding my bike around Vermont. The idea of not having to carry my pack, not do all the trail breaking, and not camp in the snow solo sounded better and better to me as I rode through freezing rain and snow on my bike. I remembered how hard it was to camp out all winter when I was in my 20’s. Doing it in my 60’s was even less appealing. So, when I heard about the Multi-Day Tours I was sold.

What, if anything, made you want to complete the trail in a single season, and why was this season the year to do it?
I’ve always challenged myself by setting big goals. Initially I thought I would ski the trail end to end, carrying my pack and camping out.

Two years ago I arrived home to a house that looked like it had been robbed. Without telling me he was unhappy, my husband left, taking what he wanted, cleaning out our main bank account, moving in with another woman, leaving me with a pile of unpaid bills and a huge mess. As the whole divorce process became uglier and uglier I needed to do something to save myself. I was sliding back into childhood trauma and was on the verge of suicide. First I set out to hike the Continental Divide trail so I could get my triple crown of hiking. (I did AT and PCT in the 80’s). I solo hiked the CDT over two summers. When I finished this past fall I knew I wasn’t yet ready to settle in and face the disruptions which are still being battled out in court. So I rode my E-bike 1651 miles to all 251 cities and towns in Vermont and then skied the Catamount Trail. I’ve decided to focus on all the things that have been on my bucket list and make the most of what I can out of the life I now have.

Did you do any pre-season preparation to get ready to ski the CT this winter?
Not really. I figured I was in OK shape after hiking the second half of the CDT this summer and riding my ebike 1651 miles into early November. But really, even being in that kind of shape, keeping up with the folks on the group tours was humbling.

How did you approach skiing the entire CT in one season? Was there a particular strategy you employed, especially considering the challenging conditions?
I used the same mindset I use when long distance hiking. I knew I didn’t want to give up and I made it a priority to keep going. I simplified what else had to be done in my life. If I did a 4 day group tour I let myself eat and rest and focus on laundry and packing for the next tour. Because I didn’t have a lot of money to stay in places or eat out, I had to figure out food for those days, as well as directions, clothes, etc. At times I had to just think one section at a time. I couldn’t think too far ahead or it might have felt overwhelming. Sometimes I felt weary, but It wasn’t really too hard for me to keep going because I got to come home between tours and wasn’t carrying such a load on my back. For me, having just come off the hike and the bike trip, coming home to resupply, shower etc were such big luxuries.

Was there any info you wished you had before the trip that would have improved your experience?
I wish I had known that lighter skis were just fine for most of the trail. I started with Fischer S-Bound 112’s which were fine but they were mounted with a tele binding and I used a two buckle plastic boot. I quickly realized I was working a lot harder than most of the folks on the uphills. Having a quiver of skis is good, but otherwise I’d go with a medium weight ski and that all popular Alpina Alaska boot.

Of course it would have been nice to know exactly where the best place was to put skins on or off but really this can vary with conditions. I actually did all of Bolton to Trapps without skins because the snow was sticky enough going up. But I wished I had put skins on going over Elmore Mountain.

Do any of the currently available resources stand out as being helpful? Was there anything that significantly aided your journey this season?
The online stuff is useful, though I have the book. I like seeing the map profiles and having some idea of the section I am about to ski, especially those I skied on my own when tours were canceled. Of course the tours made my job a LOT easier. I could be a bit lazy about arranging details or having to trail find etc.

I’d say what surprised me the most was the sense of community I felt among many of the CT skiers, and the generosity that was extended to me in so many ways. As a trip leader, David made sure to connect me to Julie, and Sam connected me to Alan so that I would not have to sleep in my car. And both Julie and Alan were so generous in allowing me to stay for multiple nights. Alan and Sam went out of their way to help me ski the sections I needed when tours were canceled, providing shuttles and skiing with me when I would otherwise have been alone. And Bob, Michelle, Sandra, Alan and Marissa all made my spike day special by making the effort to come with me so I would not be alone. Michelle even made some kick-ass cream puffs.

When I skied alone I used a garmin mini that I had from hiking solo in case I needed rescue. And I used the Trailforks app, which also was helpful.

How did you manage your time and stay motivated this winter? Did you listen to anything? Favorite Podcast? Book on Tape? Music? Mantra? Anything else?
I don’t hike or ski with ear buds as I like to hear what is happening in nature. I relied on VPR during the drives. As long as I focused on my goal it wasn’t hard for me to stay motivated. I was pretty weary at times, especially when I skied the southern 8 sections in 6 days, followed up one day later by section 19 then 17 and 18. My body was ready for a day off then! But I knew I wanted to do it so I kept at it. Having thru hiked many long trails, including the Long Trail, I knew about those moments of wanting to quit and how good it felt when I was able to push through them. Really though, being able to come home between tours and calorie load etc was such a luxury compared to what I had just done in my months on the CDT and biking that I never really considered giving up.

Did you have any favorite snacks, trail foods, or recipes that worked well for you while skiing the CT?
I discovered these high calorie but fairly lightweight tarts from a company called Hail Merry. I loved the chocolate and the lemon ones. Since I had been camping with lightweight food from May through November I was kind of tired of most of the power bars on the market by the time I started skiing. Just having real bread sandwiches with egg or chicken or even almond butter and jelly was a treat after living on crackers and foil tuna while hiking. I liked high calorie granola and yogurt for breakfast when I was on the road and always carried a thermos of hot tea. I started with a pretty healthy appetite, and toward the end I wanted to eat all the time. I upped my fat and meat intake a bit and I celebrated with a whole pint of ben and jerry’s along with a banana and whipped cream.

What ski equipment (skis/boots/bindings/poles) did you use on the trail? Did you use the same equipment for every section? Did everything work well? Would you change anything?
I started with the Fischer S-Bound 112’s and plastic boots. These worked great for icy sections like descending from Bolton south to the river, going Bolton to Trapp and skiing on 12 N when conditions got a bit dicey. But they were overkill for a lot of the trail. I had some Rossignol skis with NNNBC bindings that I hated because I could not get them to grip well when climbing anything, so I borrowed some Madshus Annum 68’s and Alaska boots. I found these to be the perfect in-between. I did use my 40 year old skinny Karhus on a number of sections. I think my technique has gotten a bit sloppy since I have been on heavier gear and have been relying on it to make the turns for me, so  it felt dicey to make quick enough turns on some icy downhills on the Karhus. They were perfect for the southern sections, especially when I did two in one day. The more weight you lug on your feet the more tired you get.

Do you have any favorite pieces of gear/clothing that worked well, improved your experience, or saved you?
I am a big fan of wool and layering. I use it even when backpacking. I used Smartwool underwear for my first shirt layer. I like Darn Tough wool socks. I used wool pants, a wool vest and a wool shirt all under my wind layer. I used glove liners and really warm mittens as well as a 50 year old wool balaclava. I love having mittens on strings and the balaclava because I could take them off or put them on without having to stop.

I always carry a stainless thermos in winter. The other thing I love is called a P-Style. It saved me from having to drop trou when 20 below and made peeing easy enough that I had no qualms about drinking all I needed to stay hydrated. 

What about gear and/or clothing that sucked? Did you have anything that just didn’t live up to your expectations? What would you replace it with?
I’ve been hiking and skiing for so long that I’ve gotten rid of what mostly sucks. On this trip I finally ditched the Rossignol skis that just would not grip. I did start out with my favorite lightweight ULA backpack but discovered that since I wasn’t carrying much weight overall my even lighter Hyperlite pack worked better. Doing the tours made it easy for me to be a bit lazy about what I carried for safety etc.

What were some of the challenges you faced on the trail?
I’d say having just come off of solo hiking 3100 miles and then biking by myself for a month, adjusting to being in a group was my biggest challenge. I had to not compare myself to others and I had to work to not feel bad if I was sleeping in my car and they were going to a B&B. Luckily after the first tour I no longer had most of those issues.

Sometimes it was difficult for me to see happy couples and be reminded that I was now alone. Sometimes the groups felt too big to me and I felt hindered in my ability to go my own pace or stop when I wanted to because I did not want to slow the group down. On the other hand the group kept me going when the going was tough.

Figuring out how to get the missed sections when the tours were canceled was a bit of a challenge, as was having the snow disappear. And coming home from a tour only to have to bring in wood and shovel snow for hours was always an effort. But really my biggest challenge was figuring out what to do once the ski ended.

What were some of your favorite experiences from the trail? Do you have a favorite section, or sections, of the CT?
Wow, this is a hard one. I loved the kindness of the people. Of course I loved the downhills, especially where there was great powder like coming down from Jay or Bolton or on some of the Ludlow sections. I loved it when I got through a gnarly section and found a way to make it fun, like skiing down to the river from Bolton and 12 N when they were icy. I loved the simplicity on the days I went out with just one other person, and I was honored by the folks who skied my spike section with me. I loved seeing a single set of tracks in fresh powder, I liked it when folks allowed me to give them pointers and thus improved their tele turns. (I like it when people enjoy a good run down.) I loved the southern sections going through the rock cuts and along the water. Really I think I found a way to love most of it because I decided a long time ago if I wasn’t liking it there was no point in doing it.

How did you find the overall experience of skiing the trail? Was it a fairly social experience, or more of a solitary one?
Again this is hard for me to answer. In many ways it was very social for me in that I was not doing it alone like I had been when I had been hiking all summer and biking all fall. Yet because I am still in a bit of a hard, painful emotional place I sometimes found it difficult in the groups and pulled inside myself while skiing. I think overall I was allowed to be where I needed to be internally while having opportunities for social connection as well.. And truly I was touched by the people who came to ski my last section with me.

How did it feel to finish? What was that last day like?
The conditions were perfect. After skiing section 18 on rocks in the rain it was great to have fresh powder on a bluebird day. I was glad to accomplish my goal, and felt I had accomplished something tough. In some ways it was harder than hiking! But I was also aware that it was the last of the big goals I had set for myself and I was afraid of crashing. There is something called post hike grief (some call it post hike depression) and I knew it could set in, especially as the endorphin rush ended.

I really worked to take in all the ways people went out of their way to support me, and to focus on what might come next. I figure since I have now hiked, biked and skied Vermont, maybe I could try paddling and then swimming the length of the state. And I still contemplate skiing the CT from end to end with a pack. Hopefully, at my age, I can save myself from that crazy idea, but one never knows…

Congratulations again to Mary for completing the entire Catamount Trail in a single season, and for sharing her experience. You can find more musings and accounts of her other adventures over at Korongobooks.com/marybadass. Below is a poem Mary shared with us at the end of the season, which we feel does an amazing job of capturing the Catamount Trail Experience.

Happy Winter!

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How To Get The Most Out Of Winter
By Mary Anderson