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VPT's Outdoor
Journal #309
 SnowboardingSnowboarding has seen a 240% increase in participation in the last 10 years, making it the nation's fastest growing sport. And Vermont is "Snowboard Central" in the east. It's home to Burton Snowboards and the annual U.S. Open at Stratton. Equipment and teaching methods have changed drastically since Jake Carpenter started Burton in 1977, making learning to ride a much more enjoyable experience. The Burton "Learn to Ride" (LTR) program incorporates equipment designed for beginners. The LTR snowboards have a beveled edge and are designed to be very soft torsionally, which is the ability to twist them. Today's technique uses a lot of twists in teaching, too. The technique makes it easier for folks to get from their heel edge to their toe edge, and vice versa, without actually catching the edge. A number of snowboarding schools feature the LTR program. In a typical beginner lesson, riders learn to balance on the board, make turns, and stop before they are allowed to progress to the lift. Being able to load and unload a lift is an important part of a beginner snowboarding experience. But thanks to improved teaching methods, first-timers can expect to progress rapidly and get to the point where they are able to ride the lift on their first day. Host Marianne Eaton joins Ted Fleischer of the Stowe Snowboard School at Spruce Mountain for her first step in learning to ride.
RETURN TO TOP  Keeping
TrackBesides skiers and riders, Vermont's hills, valleys and woods are also home to lots of wildlife ... even in Chittenden County. There is a growing interest in protecting wildlife habitat in areas that are heavily trafficked by people. This involves such things as taking into consideration wildlife corridors when constructing a road. For example, what may be the shortest line between two points for people may also intersect with a moose, deer or bobcat corridor, creating a perilous journey for both the human and the animal. Working to create safe passage for wildlife is an effort that involves private citizens, planning commissions, conservation groups, land trusts and even the Agency of Transportation. Vermont's Agency of Transportation and the Department of Fish & Wildlife are working together to learn how to conserve critical habitat. Members of both organizations join Sue Morse of Keeping Track for a day in the wild tracking animals and learning the way they travel.
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VASTIn order to survive the long winters of New England, it helps to have a sport or hobby that gets you outdoors. For some it may be skiing or snowshoeing, for others it may be ice fishing. For a growing number of people, there's nothing more enjoyable than riding VAST trails on their snowmobile to enjoy a winter's day. The Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST) is one of the oldest snowmobiling organizations in the United States. There are VAST clubs in 14 counties in Vermont totaling some 45,000 members. Eighty percent of Vermont's snowmobile trail system is on private land. The association works hard to maintain good relationships with the landowners who allow snowmobiling on their property. Only licensed VAST members may use the extensive trail system that runs through virtually the entire state of Vermont. Host Lawrence Pyne joins members of the Woodford SnoBusters for a day riding the VAST trails of southern Vermont.
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