We're Back!

By Lisa Cook

I don't know about you, but coming into the Budd Visitor Center yesterday and seeing folks I haven't seen since last ski season ended, felt really nice. The lingering smell of wood smoke, rosy-cheeked children coming and going, and people happily chatting with old friends and new - that's what Notchview is in winter, and I, for one, love it. I'm glad it's finally Bill Koch season once again.

So far no snow. Kind of a bummer, but in the true spirit of our Bill Koch club we made the most of it. Yesterday we got the low down on all things club related and then the kiddos and their coaches set out for the field to play some games. We have over 90 children enrolled this year! And even though many families couldn't make it to our meeting yesterday there were still a BUNCH of people of all ages running around out there. Here's a look at some of the fun..

Hopefully by our next meeting there will be snow covering the ground. But even if there isn't our group is sure to have a great time - we always do!

 I don't know anything about other Bill Koch groups around New England, but I do know that our group is pretty special. A big thank you to our wonderful group of coaches who are committed each week to helping our kids learn to ski and making sure they have fun doing it. And thank you to all the amazing parents who are willing to lend a hand whenever and wherever needed. And let's not forget the tireless crew who has dedicated countless hours to pulling everything together to make this season happen. THANK YOU!

 If you're new to our club, welcome. I know it won't take long for you to see what a good thing we have going here. Jump right in, sign up to help, get involved. You'll be glad you did. There really is no community quite like the Nordic ski community at Notchview. :)

Until next time, THINK SNOW!

Changing Perspectives

By: Lisa Cook

It used to be that winter seemed SO long. Countless snowstorms meant hazardous driving, snow days with no school, and a virtual eternity until spring. That perspective completely changed when our family became Nordic skiers. This year all the snow meant something much different to us. Every storm meant more snow to add to the picturesque trails of Notchview. Every flake meant more time toenjoy skiing as a family. And now as I sit here in the Budd Visitors lodge I feel disappointed at the talk of forty degree temps and rain. This year's Nordic season is coming to an end. BOO! It's already time for Bill Kochers to turn in our leased skis or hang up our owned skis. Nothing fun ever lasts long enough - does it.
As we wrap up this Bill Koch season remember that Notchview isn't just for skiing. The snow will melt away to reveal a different kind of beauty. The perfectly groomed trails we've enjoyed all winter will be transformed into grassy pathways. Ice coated branches will become green leafy canopies. And instead of skiing we can be hiking.
Orienteering was a new venture for many of us this year, but it isn't something that can only be done on skis! I'm thinking we may try to hike to some of the boxes we didn't get to this winter. Maybe pack a picnic lunch and make a day of it. If your interested, a template of the the orienteering cards can be e-mailed to you so you can fill it up this summer.
I've also been told that there are some geocaches located at Notchview. Check out this site to see if it's something your family may enjoy.
So get out there and have some family fun until the snow flies next year! It won't be long until we are back out there skiing once again. This year's new skiers will be veterans, just itching for the chance to learn more. The veteran skiers will have that much more confidence and will be ready to improve their skills even further. I know I'm looking forward to it already. And as of this post there are only 291 days until the first day of winter 2011!
Until then here are a few pictures that haven't been posted yet. Enjoy...

Silver Fox Trot 2011

Berkshire Trails Bill Koch skiers showed their stuff at the Silver Fox Trot up in Hanover, NH, yesterday. Arden, Oscar, Clarissa, Isabella, Maggie, Lily Z., Lily H., and Amelia all had great races battling the cold and very windy conditions. I've attached a few photos for the flavor of it.

The Ski Jump

Our Bill Koch skiers continue to amaze me each week and last Sunday was no different. A ski jump appeared in the field and quickly became popular among the timid skiers and the adventurous skiers  alike. Check out these pictures!
One more thing before you admire our amazing athletes. Two of our Bill Koch coaches, Curran Doyle and Katie Cook, made the J2 Massachusetts State Nordic Team and will be competing in Jackson, NH in March! Congratulations and Good Luck!

Orienteering

We are certainly getting more than enough snow to keep us skiing for awhile! As yet another storm pulls out the weather people are already calling for more snow for the weekend. Remember those 'dry land' sessions we had in December? We won't be seeing dry land for awhile, that's for sure! All this snow will give us plenty of time to punch all of the squares on our Orienteering cards!
I hope that by now everyone has received a punch card for each of their children. Orienteering adds a different element to Nordic skiing.While my children and I were at Notchview on Monday after school we met up with two other Bill Koch families who were Orienteering too! So what exactly is Orienteering? Basically, it is an adventure that requires using a map to locate different 'control points' which are placed along different trails. Nordic Orienteering competitions combine the challenges of Nordic skiing, reading a map, and reaching the finish line first. In these competitions, the control points are often set in remote, off trail areas. The racers aren't required to stay on a particular course, but rather they take the risks involved with finding the many control points. While the Bill Koch skiers aren't racing to punch each box on their card and cross a finish line, the challenge of finding the boxes is still alot of fun.
This red and white box is the International Orienteering symbol...
                                                  
I'm sure you've seen these boxes located along the different trails at Notchview. Some of them are on the easier trails, like Circuit or Whitestone. Others are on more difficult trails. Whether you have young or new skiers that are more comfortable on the easier trails, or if you have advanced skiers who enjoy the challenge of the more difficult trails, there are orienteering boxes for you to find. Our first time out we sort just 'found' the two boxes on our trail, but the second time we consulted our trusty map and set out with several boxes in mind. What a great way to teach our kids some important map reading skills! Who knew that Nordic skiing could be educational too!

Here's Becky punching her card at one of the boxes on Circuit Trail...

The Youngest Bill Koch Skiers

By: Lisa Cook

Personally, I haven't seen Notchview as busy as it was this weekend. Snowshoers and skiers alike enjoyed the freshly groomed trails. With a 10" - 30" base and 20k tracked, 24k groomed, and 12k set for skating, conditions were pretty great. While I was out on the trails I heard many mention being first timers! Isn't it wonderful that Nordic skiing is something you can learn to do at any age, and continue to do at any age? We saw babies being pulled in sleds while mom or dad tugged them along, as well as folks in their sixties (or seventies? or older?) chugging through the woods! The Bill Koch league does have age requirements, however, and on Sunday I was with our youngest group.

These kiddos are ages 5 - 7ish and there are two groups of them: The Monadnocks, led by Gus and Alex; and Judges Hill, led by Lizzie and Jessica. The thing that impressed me the most about these young skiers is their willingness to TRY anything their coaches asked them too. Whether it was conquering a small hill or learning to ski in the tracks, the positive attitude coming from the children was inspiring.

Gus and Alex brought their skiers to a stretch of track in the field to practice skiing in the tracks. For some this was a brand new concept. They caught right on and were getting the hang of pushing off and gliding, without poles I might add. There were lots of smiles as each skier realized they could do it!

Lizzie and Jessica had their group work on skiing in the tracks over on the Kinder Loop. If you've never skied the Kinder Loop you should check it out. It's a flat, figure eight shaped trail with a nice track. Perfect skiing for a beginner, or anyone looking for the peacefulness of the quiet trail. I admired the independence of these children as they made their way through the trail. You could almost see their confidence growing as they skied.

Whether you've just discovered the fun of Nordic skiing or have been skiing for years, I hope this youngest group of skiers is an inspiration to you. Their stick to it, go get 'em attitude is something we can all learn from!


                                    

The Katahdin Group

By: Lisa Cook

Notchview was beautiful yesterday with a fresh coating of fluffy snow. Skiing the trails after a fresh snow, while the branches are still covered, is like skiing in a winter photograph. Sometimes the muffled quiet that a fresh snow brings makes you feel like you're the only one out there. But, that is certainly not the case on a Sunday afternoon when Bill Koch skiers take over Notchview! There was a great turnout yesterday for our first real session on snow and everyone seemed excited to get out there and SKI!

I caught up with the Katahdin group at the beginning and end of the afternoon. This group is comprised of beginning skiers who are roughly 10 or 11 years old. Some of them got on skis for the first time ever yesterday. Some of them have a little bit more experience, but are benefiting from learning the basics of Nordic skiing. Things like, how to get up when you fall, or how to get your poles on properly with wrist straps tightened are a couple of examples of things this group covered. After making sure everyone's equipment was on properly they set out towards Circuit Trail. I was impressed to see how well they chugged along!

I saw the Katahdins again on the Kinder Loop. They were smiling and laughing as they made their way through the woods. Coach Jennie Wolf had her group skiing the short trail without poles, and the kids did great! It looked like lots of good progress was made in getting them comfortable and confident on their skis!

The wind was bitterly cold and the temperature was dropping, but the kids didn't seem to mind.  They came into the lodge at the end of their ski time with rosy pink cheeks, cold fingers, and smiles on their faces. On our way home I heard both of my skiers say, "I had fun!" and "I love skiing!"  That's what it's all about.

No Snow? No Problem!

By: Lisa Cook

The warm temperatures from the past few days have melted most of the wonderful snow we received right after Christmas. Disappointing for sure. However, that didn't get in the way of the fun and learning this week. Coaches were ready for anything; dry land games and activities, hiking the trails, or skiing on whatever snow could be found.
This week I spent a little time observing the Greylock and Rainier skiers. These kids are full of energy and eager to learn. The children were divided into two groups - one for skate skiing and one for classic - depending on the skis they were wearing. They set up along the snow fence and created a track for classic skiing. The skate group also found a long enough stretch of snow in the same area where they practiced. The classic group was lead by Tod Niedeck. Elliot Beirtrand took charge of the skaters. It was great to see the progress these young skiers were making!

I think one of the nicest parts of belonging to our league is the interaction of all ages. The end of this week's session found a group of various ages playing fishy-fishy together. We may not have been able to ski as much as we'd like, but everyone had a great time! No snow really was no problem!

*Note - My apologies for misspelling names or mixing up facts! I'm still getting to know folks and the way things work around here.