VPT Online: VOJ #408


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VPT's Outdoor Journal #408

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Telemark Skiing
Fish and Wildlife Management for Educators

Brook Trout Fishing
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Telemark Skiing
Telemarking is a graceful sport. It's not as rigid as regular alpine skiing; there's a freedom in Telemarking that you don't find with hard boots and stiff bindings. It's not about speed, though you can go fast if you want to. And you can do it anywhere. It doesn't require a groomed mountain or a lift — you can hike up into the backcountry, strap on your skis and go. Because Telemarking incorporates different types of turns, it allows you to tackle a variety of diverse terrain. It's easier in the bumps. It's easier in the trees to turn. And there's no right or wrong. There are a variety of techniques you can adapt to fit your style.

The first thing you notice about a Telemark skier is that they appear to kneel as they ski. This is due to the fact that the heel is free and not locked into the boot, much like it is in cross-country skiing. This kneeling position gives the skier more stability and contributes to the turns. If you look at ski jumpers in the Olympics, you'll notice that they finish in the Telemark drop. That's because it's so stable. With a more flexible boot, the turn actually strengthens and there is less pressure on the knee. Also, because the shins aren't straining against a boot, there is more comfort. Telemark skis are side cut, which helps to increase their turning ability. This allows the skier to bend more, move more and participate in the run, interact more with the terrain.

Telemarking becomes a personal expression of how you move. And it's addictive. Dick Hall is the founder of the North American Telemark Organization (NATO). He calls Telemark skiing "pure physical pleasure." Dick says, "I've met thousands who used to alpine, but never one who used to Telemark."

In this segment, host Marianne Eaton joins Dick Hall for a Telemark lesson. Then we visit the 30th Annual NATO Telemark Festival in Mad River Glen.

Links of Interest:
Mad River Glen New England Telemark North American Telemark Organization (NATO)	30th Annual NATO Telemark Festival U.S. Telemark Ski Association (USTSA)

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Fish and Wildlife Management for Educators

Fish and Wildlife
Management for
Educators
Usually Conservation Camp at Buck Lake in Woodbury is filled with kids ages 12 to 14 getting hands-on experience in things such as fishery and wildlife management, hunter firearms safety, fishing techniques and wetland investigation. But for one week in July, it's the teachers who are at camp learning.

It's a program called "Wildlife Management for Educators." For one week, teachers learn firsthand about fish and wildlife management issues, ecology, conservation and forestry. Combining classroom studies and field trips into the woods, wetlands, lakes and streams of Vermont, the aim of the program is to infuse fish and wildlife conservation messages into teachers' classroom curricula.

In this segment, Outdoor Journal spends a day with a group of teachers as they venture into forests and streams to measure fish populations, examine insects, visit deer wintering yards and collect various plant and animal specimens.

Links of Interest:
Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept.: Green Mountain Conservation Camps

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Brook Trout Fishing
The brook trout is the official cold water fish of Vermont. It is the only native trout in Vermont streams. Their body is a dark olive color and their sides are pale with small red spots surrounded by light blue halos. Their backs have wavy lines that aid in camouflaging the fish.

Brookies like cold, clear water. They are one of the most cold tolerant of trout. And with Vermont's small spring-fed brooks providing thousands of miles of habitat, they are often found in densities rarely seen on larger mainstream rivers. These very waters are collectively the last stronghold of wild trout in the state.

Fishing for brook trout can take you deep into the woods for a solitary nature experience. Sometimes there is a lot of hiking and exploration involved. It's not uncommon to park your car and hike a couple of miles through dense woods to find your spot. Once you find the cold, clear water that they love, the rest is up to you. Brookies can be forgiving as far as bait presentation goes. You can fish for them with a spinning reel and worms, but flies are probably the bait of choice.

The brook trout's love of cold, clear water is also a good indicator of habitat conditions. Their populations are relatively stable compared to fifty years ago. However, the streams where they live are endangered by development and land use practices that threaten to degrade habitat and take away one of the Vermont angler's favorite fish.

In this segment, host Lawrence Pyne joins avid fly fisherman Peter Burton for a day of fishing for brook trout in the Green Mountain National Forest.

Links of Interest:
All About Fishing: Trout Fishing in Vermont Island Pond Vermont: Fishing in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont Trout Streams of Vermont Trout Unlimited: Trout 101	Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept.: Vermont's Sportfish Line-Up Vermont Fishing Guide Home Page Vermont Living: Fishing

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