Join us to kick off the biathlon winter race season in the northeast! Biathlon Eastern Regional Cups are great race opportunities for experienced biathletes of all ages.
Friday, December 15, join us at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center (COC) for an evening of the Canadian Ski Marathon (CSM). Mark Isselhardt of Elmore, Vermont has participated in the CSM nine times since 2014. Mark will share some basic information about the event as well as his own experiences traversing the special 160k trail that is only open once a year.
The Canadian Ski Marathon (CSM) is a ski tour, not a race: participants challenge not each other, but themselves by choosing a level of difficulty and trying to accomplish that goal. Since its inception in 1967 the event has taken place annually just north of the Ottawa River between the regions of Montreal and Ottawa, capital of Canada. The tour happens on the second weekend of February and usually covers a distance of 160 km (99 mi). There are many levels of participation in the CSM from “tasters” who ski one or two sections a day to "Coureur des bois" who attempt to ski all ten sections over the two days. Far more people take part in some but not all of the ten sections during the weekend and the event attracts participants of all ages and ski abilities.
This free event runs from 7:00-8:00pm in the COC Activity Center. Hope you'll join us!
We’re excited to host US Biathlon’s International Team Trials, December 14-17. These trials races are intended for senior level racers hoping to qualify to race for Team USA in Europe.
We are excited to invite racers to the open the 2023 race season with us at the Outdoor Center. Whether you are a sprinter, a distance skier, or both, you can open your season with a fun, low-key race at the Outdoor Center. Freestyle “knock-in” sprints kick off the weekend on Saturday in honor of our friend and mentor Jim Rodrigues, while Sunday brings freestyle mass starts in memorial of longtime ski timer and friend Tom Kendall. A portion of Sunday’s race fees will be donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Saturday's format will be a repeat of last year’s popular Royal Court format (though we are referring to them as “knock-in” rounds now). After racing a qualifier on our updated FIS homologated sprint course just like a standard sprint, ALL competitors, regardless of age class or gender, will be seeded into 6-person heats based on their times. Qualifiers 1-6 will be in the first round, 7-12 in the second, and so on. Heats will go off every 3 minutes and competitors will be “knocked in” to different heats depending on their performance. If you finish top 2 in your heat, you move “up” to the next fastest heat. Middle two positions (3rd and 4th) will remain in the same heat, while finishers 5 and 6 will move down to the heat below. This way the heats are constantly reseeded based on how competitors are performing. Everyone will race three rounds. Prizes will be given to the top 3 skiers of each gender and then the top U18/20, U16, and BKL skiers of each gender. The qualifier will be scored to both the FIS and NRL points lists.
Note: Because a sprint day requires a qualifier followed by heats, setting the schedule requires knowing how many competitors we have racing in advance of race day. Thus, we cannot allow day-of-race registration for the sprint.
Sunday brings 10km and 5km freestyle mass starts in honor of the late Tom Kendall. The open (10km) races will be scored to the FIS and NRL points lists as well.
The Craftsbury Winter Duathlon has been canceled due to adverse course conditions and lack of interest.
For our multisport enthusiasts, we will also be offering a winter duathlon, part of USA Triathlon’s push to bring winter in the multisport fold. Racers will contest a 3km run, followed by a 5km ski, and finishing up with a 3km run. For more details, please head over to the 2023 Kendall Memorial Online Registration page on skireg.com.
Questions? Email race director Ollie Burruss.
The annual industry demo day is back! Join us on Saturday, December 2nd to check out the latest in ski product from industry leaders like Fischer, Salomon, Atomic, Rossignol, and Madshus, along with retailers like SkiRack and Caldwell Sport. Skis, boots, and poles will be available to demo on our snowmaking loop (and whatever natural snow might be available).
Hope to see you there!
Participants will get two days on snow (three if you get to campus early enough on Friday) full of instruction.
Coaching staff will include former Olympian Trina Hosmer, Craftsbury Ski Club's Rick Costanza, and more.
The curriculum consists of technique drills, pre-race interval sessions, video review to reinforce technical points, plus presentations by the coaching staff on a range of topics including making a race plan, mid-season strength training, and pre-race nutrition. The weekend won't be all work though: there'll be plenty of time for relaxing with your fellow campers and staff, enjoying sumptuous meals in our Vermont Fresh Network Dining Hall (included in the full price camp), trying some biathlon, and free-skiing.
The details...
Camp with lodging & all meals: $470 + tax
Registration will open online the week of October 23. Will link registration here, OR call now - 802.586.7767. (Note that voicemail is not currently functional, so calling during open office hours is best. These vary during shoulder season, but generally mid-day Monday thru Saturday works).
Lodging quoted in the camp price above is in our dorm-style accommodations, double occupancy. Upgrades are available for an additional charge, subject to the 9% State of Vermont Rooms and Meals tax. Talk with the front office for more details.
We're eager to welcome the masters' community to Craftsbury for an excellent early-season tuneup. Sign up today to reserve your spot. Have a question about the program? Drop a line to ollie.burruss@craftsbury.com. Questions about lodging, dietary needs or similar? Shoot the office an email.
Hope to see everyone for a big weekend of on-snow time in December!
Below is info from the 2023 Ski & Bike Swap. Craftsbury’s swap is a biennial event; the next one won’t be until fall 2025!
The biennial Ski & Bike Swap is here! Put on by the Craftsbury Ski Club, join us in the Event Barn & Activities Center to gear up for winter, snag a bike for next season, or get your equipment to a new home.
Selling gently used Outdoor Center mountain bikes and XC skis
Accepting bikes, XC ski equipment, clothing/outerwear for skiing & biking
Drop off consignment gear (pro tip: fill out your consignment form ahead of time):
Friday, Oct. 20, 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Saturday, Oct. 21, 10:00am - 2:00pm
Swap happens Sunday, Oct. 22, 10:00am - 2:00pm
Note: COC bikes can be purchased at the swap but CANNOT be taken home on Sunday - they must be picked up after Friday, Oct. 27. We know this is a hassle but we need to use these bikes for another week of school programming!
Pickup unsold items: Sunday, Oct. 22, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
30% of consigned item sales benefits the club’s youth programming and scholarship fund. Any unsold items left after 4:00 pm on Sunday, October 22 will be donated to the Craftsbury Ski Club.
We take credit cards or cash.
Other auestions? First check out our FAQs here. Still stumped? jrskiing@craftsbury.com
More than a trail race, the Footprints Trail Running Festival gathers runners together who are committed to climate action and connects them for more effective change. We’ll start the day off with a trail race, winding through singletrack, double track and dirt road on either a 5 or 10-mile course. Our post-race celebrations will center around a send-off for Footprint’s newest climate leaders. Each Footprints camper will give a brief presentation on the climate action project that they developed over the past week at Footprints Running Camp . Proceeds from the race will go into a fund to help them implement those projects in their home communities.
A young Greta Kilburn races through the woods at the Outdoor Center.
The Vermont Youth Cycling league again opens its fall season at the Outdoor Center. Join us for a fun day of cross country mountain bike racing.
For more details, including seeding information, head over to the VTYC page.
An event-specific registration link will go up shortly. The race is open to any Vermont youth, whether they are part of a VTYC team or not.
Schedule: Please note that start times may be delayed slightly but will not begin ahead of the time below.
8:30-9:45 Course open to pre-ride
9:00-9:45 Chip Pick-up and Day-of Registration
9:30 Mandatory Coaches Meeting at VTYC Tent (including parents of independent riders)
10:00 Cat C Race Start
10:15 Grade 5/6 Race Start
10:30-11:15 Chip Pick-up and Day-of Registration for Cat A/B
*10:45 Pre-riding for Cat A and B allowed
~11:00 Cat C/Grade 5/6 Podium
11:30 Cat B Race Start
12:30 Cat A Race Start
~1:30 Cat A/B Podium
Registration is live for the second Singletrack Shootout of the summer - September 9. Come give biathlon a try, no matter your experience level! It’ll be a fun morning of biathlon racing - running or mountain biking, your choice. A novice clinic will teach you everything you need to know to complete the four stage race. Club rifles will be provided.
Registration closes at 8:00pm. 100 total entries, across all categories. NO day-of-race registration. (While not a requirement to participate, Craftsbury Annual Members save on their registration! Read more about membership.)
8:00-9:00am - Bib pick-up
9:00-9:45am - Novice safety talk and clinic (required if using a club rifle)
9:30am - Zero (for the experienced category - those bringing a rifle: points 13-15)
9:45 - Short Demo Race by GRP Biathletes
10:00am - Bike start (15 sec intervals)
10:30 - Noon - Running waves will start (both novice and experienced category)
NOTE: The exact start schedule is TBD, based on number of entries. Check your pre-race email for more info, but be prepared that your wave's scheduled start can vary greatly depending on registration numbers.
All categories will complete a four stage biathlon race: lap, shoot, lap, shoot, lap, shoot, lap, shoot, lap. So that’s starting with a lap, four shooting stages, and ending with a lap. For each miss, there will be a short penalty lap to complete before returning to the course. This will be an interval start for bikes, and a wave start for runners.
For anyone not bringing their own rifle. Club rifles and ammo will be provided. All shooting will be in the prone (lying down) position, using a support block for the rifle. Targets will be set to standing (bigger) targets.
Anyone bringing their own rifle. Zero period before race as stated in schedule. Will shoot two prone stages on prone targets and then two standing stages on standing targets.
Running: 1k lap, ~5k total.
Mountain Biking: 1.5k lap, ~7.5k total.
You betcha.
Questions? Please email us at biathlon@craftsbury.com.
Interested in eating at the dining hall for lunch? Call our office at 802-586-7767 to reserve your spot. Reservations can only be made within 48 hours of the meal (so call starting Thursday lunch time!).
Heather Short holds a PhD in Earth Sciences, and has been teaching college and university students geology and Earth systems science for 25 years, focusing on the present climate crisis for the last 15. Now teaching at Sterling College, she will be speaking on the current and projected state of our climate, covering some of the action steps that Vermonters can take to better prepare ourselves and our communities for the changing world we face. She will touch on the importance of our daily actions along with the opportunities for collective action to create and maintain lasting change.
All our 2023 talks are free and meet in the Outdoor Center’s Activity Center. Read more about the rest of the 2023 series.
Annual members and houseguests can test their running or cycling fitness every week over the summer with a 3/5k run and 5/10k bike race every Tuesday. Details
Annual members and houseguests can test their running or cycling fitness every week over the summer with a 3/5k run and 5/10k bike race every Tuesday. Details
This camp provides a fun-oriented stepping stone both for kids who already have shooting experience or for skiers who want to jump right in to biathlon in a safe way.
Annual members and houseguests can test their running or cycling fitness every week over the summer with a 3/5k run and 5/10k bike race every Tuesday. Details
Claire Polfus will be leading a panel discussion with a group of local outdoor experts who will discuss how they interact with the natural world through recreation. This panel will be made up of speakers involved in summer athletics, winter athletics and hunting and angling. Our speakers will touch on how the Vermont economy is shifting from an agriculture focused economy to an outdoor recreation focused one, and how this change will bring different stressors to our local environment.
All our 2023 talks are free and meet in the Outdoor Center’s Activity Center. Read more about the rest of the 2023 series.
Tuesday Night Races (TNRs) draw all ages and abilities of runners and cyclists.
Annual members and houseguests can test their running or cycling fitness every week over the summer with a 3/5k run and 5/10k bike race every Tuesday. Details
Annual members and houseguests can test their running or cycling fitness every week over the summer with a 3/5k run and 5/10k bike race every Tuesday. Details
New this summer: This mini-camp for 13 and 14 year olds is a great way for budding biathletes and interested skiers to go all in for three days on biathlon training. A shorter intensive yet fun style of camp like this can not only solidify what athletes have learned at weekly practices but can also rapidly advance their skills in a way that weekly practices cannot.
Open to experienced biathletes and interested skiers with no biathlon experience alike!
Annual members and houseguests can test their running or cycling fitness every week over the summer with a 3/5k run and 5/10k bike race every Tuesday. Details
Annual members and houseguests can test their running or cycling fitness every week over the summer with a 3/5k run and 5/10k bike race every Tuesday. Details
Our 2023 Women’s Mountain Bike Clinic dates have been set: Thursday, June 15 and Thursday, July 13 at 4-5:30pm. These introductory/beginner mountain bike clinics will focus on learning and honing mountain bike skills in a safe, supportive environment. Participants must be at least 18 years old. No previous mountain bike experience is necessary, but participants must be able to ride a bicycle competently and safely. Registration and rental bike info here. We look forward to riding with you!
CANCELLED due to flooding. Stay home and stay safe.
Jon Ramsey, local Black Angus cattle farmer, and most recently Director of the Center for an Agricultural Economy, will be leading a panel discussion with a group of local farmers. These farmers are local produce, livestock and maple farmers who will discuss their farming practices and how they maintain their land with the environment in mind.
*all of our forestry talks will meet in the Outdoor Center’s Activity Center and are free to attend
Tuesday Night Races (TNRs) draw all ages and abilities of runners and cyclists.
CANCELLED due to flooding. Stay home and stay safe.
It’s back: the Singletrack Shootout! Come give biathlon a try, no matter your experience level! It’ll be a fun morning of biathlon racing - running or mountain biking, your choice.
Rollerski racing is back! Join us on July 1, 2023 for the 3rd running of the Lost Nation Roll, presented in conjunction with our friends at NENSA. Come test yourself against the region’s fastest racers on the Outdoor Center’s paved rollerski loop. Athletes can choose to race either 2 laps (just over 5km) or 4 laps (just over 10km). We are expecting a stacked field, with squads from the region’s top clubs.
The race will be a standard 30 second interval start for each distance without separation by gender.
Top 10 ranked open skiers of each gender will race on NENSA’s new fleet of Swenor Skate Long skis.
Register for the 2023 Lost Nation Roll over at SkiReg.
The race will be contested on the Outdoor Center’s paved rollerski loop. The loop has a figure 8 layout, meaning that the middle portion including Dino Hill will be skied twice per “lap.”
The race course includes the challenging Dennis's Nemesis downhill once per lap. If you are not comfortable on rollerskis, this may not be the right event for you. This downhill is high speed and includes an S-turn (or chicane) at the bottom. Please arrive early enough to preview the course.
A course map is available for preview here.
Link to 2020 Lost Nation Roll video recap.
8:30AM - Bib pick up and day-of-race registration opens (if numbers allow); course opens for warmup
9:25AM - Course closes to all racers.
9:30AM - 5km races start. 1 skier every 30 seconds, mixed gender. Two 2.5km figure 8 laps plus the field start/finish for a total of 5.2km.
10:00AM - Open races start. 1 skier every 30 seconds, mixed gender. Four 2.5km figure 8 laps plus the field start/finish for a total of 10.2km.
12:00PM - Podium ceremony
2022 Lost Nation Roll - All results
Annual members and houseguests can test their running or cycling fitness every week over the summer with a 3/5k run and 5/10k bike race every Tuesday. Details
Annual members and houseguests can test their running or cycling fitness every week over the summer with a 3/5k run and 5/10k bike race every Tuesday. Details
This camp gives U17 athletes a chance to develop their biathlon skills in the summer while simultaneously progressing their ski training.
BKL Summer Day Camp is when skiers work hard but play even harder! There will be lots of fun games, a variety of ski workouts, tons of opportunities to learn or improve skills like roller skiing, shooting with a real biathlon rifle, and canoeing, all capped by the traditional adventure race.
