A Rower’s First Impressions of Craftsbury Winter
I’ve been rowing at Craftsbury in the summers since 2012, and I’ve fallen in love with the rhythm of summer in Vermont—hot, sunny rows followed by a dip in the cool lake, epic thunderstorms, ice cream on the dining hall deck. But I’ve never experienced winter at Craftsbury…until now!
Even though I’m from Colorado, I was warned that the winters are more extreme here, so I bought some muck boots and flannel-lined pants in anticipation. When I returned from being in Denver for Christmas, I immediately asked one of the GRP skiers, Hallie, to teach me and another GRP rower Liz the basics of skiing. All of Christmas break I’d been looking forward to learning a new sport and getting out in the snow!
Learning to ski is a humbling experience as an athlete, although I think my expectations of my abilities were sufficiently low to make me excited by my progress throughout my first attempt—and Hallie is a great teacher! It’s fun to share our sports between the two sides of the GRP team. Hallie had been a regular attendee of the community rowing program throughout the summer and had gotten pretty speedy out on the water, so it was great to turn the tables and try to learn her sport.
I had tried skate skiing once before Thanksgiving on the short loop of snow the Center made before snow started falling, and I had basically just pulled myself around with my poles, so Hallie made us start without our poles. It turned out this helped a ton, as I’m sure anyone who’s taught skiing before would know—those inside edges are actually super helpful!
Caution: Rowers loose on the trails! Maddie and Liz in a lesson with Hallie.
Craftsbury is such a different place when skiing is the focus. I had always heard about how much more crowded the Center is in the winter at the height of ski season, but it’s a different story to see it and realize how incredible it is to live in a place that’s a winter destination for people from all over. It’s so fun to see national team skiers, college skiers, and little kids zooming around with their parents in tow…and of course, tall, gangly rowers trying to stay upright! See you on the trails!