Monday, January 30, 2006

January 27 Update

The weather gods were not on our side this past weekend and the snow we received last week has melted. The anticipated Noreaster is going out to sea and the next week may be difficult with temps above freezing and rain in the forecast for next weekend. Please stay off the trails until we get some much needed cold weather and snow.

Thursday, January 26, 2006

January 26 Grooming Report

We have some excellent news to report this evening. The Mad River Valley received steady snow showers all week long and the snow has piled up 12" or more at higher elevations in the mountains.

Doug Wilson went out grooming earlier today in the Log Job and reports that conditions were much better than he had expected. The groomed trails at higher elevations are powdery with a firm base underneath. Doug plans on going out again during the next couple of days and grooming the trails through Camel's Hump State Park.

Keep in mind that the snow is still too thin to groom in town and that getting up to the groomers may be a challenge. Be very careful as early season conditions do exist and you should expect open waterbars, exposed rocks, and icy corners.

There are rumors of a possible coastal storm early next week so keep thinking snow. The season is still young and if all goes well we will have a banner February and March.

Saturday, January 21, 2006

January Thaw Comes To An End

Hopefully the January Thaw has finally come to an end. Earlier today the air temperatures were in the 50's with sunny skies. Later in the day a front came thru with thunder, lightning and hail. The temperatures dropped 20 degrees in less than an hour and we received a dusting of snow.

The forecast for next week is for a return to cold temps and possibly some snow. Don't forget to check the weather links on this page for the latest forecasts.


Fletcher checks out Helen's Bridge on Saturday 1/21.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

St. Johnsbury Trip Canceled

It is with deep regret we report that this years overnight trip to St Johnsbury has been canceled. The hotel in St J contacted club officials earlier today and asked that we commit to our reservations. Given the fact that VAST trails are closed across the state and no big storms are in sight, the decision was made to cancel the overnight trip for this year. Hopefully the current weather will change and we will get a big dump next week. If everything goes well we might even be able to put together a club ride on Saturday January 28th. We will keep you posted.

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Trails Closed

The unseasonably warm weather last week followed by heavy rains on Saturday devastated our trail system.

The trails are closed until we get some more snow.

Think Snow!

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

January Thaw

Wednesday 1/11/06 Mid-Afternoon Report.

We wish we had better news to report today. The current air temperatures are in the mid 40's and the snowpack is melting rapidly. There is more rain, above freezing temperatures and strong southerly winds in the forecast. The next few days are going to take their toll on our trails. Please do not ride until it gets cold again and we receive more snow. You will only wreck your sled and wipe out what remaining snow we may have.

There is the possibility of snow this weekend so cross your fingers.

The national weather service has an excellent site for those that are interested in a detailed look at the weather.
http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/vt/vt.html.

Club supporters, Mad River Glen have a weather page with specific forecasts for on our local mountains.
http://madriverglen.com/?Page=weatherx.php

We will keep you posted.
Think Snow!!!!

Sunday, January 08, 2006

Hot Dog Roast & Ride




The club's annual Hot Dog Roast and Ride was held today on the trail above Beaver Meadows. Club members rode in from various parts of the valley and met in the parking lot near the gravel pit. We then rode up past the top of Paul's Trail, thru the Log Job and up to Beaver Meadows. Riding conditions up above the gravel pit were excellent. Club members did a fine job of finishing off several packs of hot dogs and other assorted goodies.

Saturday, January 07, 2006

Huntington Trail

Our trail crew was out early this morning clearing the last section of trail damaged by the heavy wet snowstorm in late October.
Special thanks to Reggie, Nicholas, Skip, Franz, and Paul for giving up a day of riding in order to make the riding better for the rest of us. Thanks to their hard work, trail 17 is now open to the top of the Huntington ridge.



The 4-8" of snow we received early in the week made a huge difference and our trails have recovered considerably from the rain and warm temps during Christmas week. Lower elevation trails still have open waterbars and other wet sections. Conditions up top in the Log Job and Camel's Hump Park are good to excellent.

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Hot Dog Roast (Sunday January 8)

Our annual Hot Dog Roast and Ride is scheduled for this Sunday (1/8). We plan on meeting at the gravel pit at the top of Sharpshooters Road (near intersection #55) at 11AM. We will ride as a group from there.

Everyone is encouraged to bring something tasty to grill over a crackling wood fire.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

January Newsletter

Happy New Year everyone. 2006 is upon us and the trails are open. We need snow badly, so please, PRAY FOR SNOW !!!

We had our January meeting at the Fayston Town Hall on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2006. Fourteen members attended. Please join us at the next meeting. We love to see new faces.

MRRR blog site is http://madriverridgerunners.blogspot.com. Please contact Tony at vastridgerunner@gmail.com if you have anything to be posted. This site is updated regularly and provides current information about club happenings.

Turner’s property is still closed. Please abide by the CLOSED TRAIL signs.

The St. Johnsbury Overnight Ride is scheduled for January 28th and 29th. All rooms are presently booked. The trip is subject to weather and trail conditions. A final decision about the trip will be made on January 24th.

The Canada trip is scheduled for March 10, 11 and 12th. More information will be provided in the next newsletter.

Our annual Progressive Dinner is scheduled for February 25th. We still need volunteers for our three stops; Appetizers, Dinner and Dessert. We also need volunteers for food for the stops. Please let us know if you are interested in hosting a stop or helping out with the food. More information next month.

2006 VAST maps are now out. They can be purchased at Kenyons or the Duxbury Store. You can also buy one at our monthly meeting at a discounted price.

A big thank you goes out to the Albin Family Foundation for their generous donation to the Ridge Runners Club for trail and bridge maintenance. The check was sent to us by Barclay and Josh Rappeport.

There are two VAST Scholarships available in the amount of $1,500 each. These are limited to VAST members, spouses and/or dependents. Please contact Art Dages for an application. Must be submitted by March 1, 2006.

Next meeting: February 7th, 7:00 PM at the Fayston Town Hall.