Contact: Kingdom Trail Association FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tel: 802.626.0737
Email: info@kingdomtrails.org
Kingdom Trails Has Best Nordic Season Ever
Transitions into another banner summer season
The snowiest winter the Northeast Kingdom has seen in awhile provided just what the local Nordic Trails system needed to provide skiers with the best conditions in years. Since Kingdom Trail Association took control of Nordic operations from the old Burke Cross Country system back in 2006-07, never has the Association had such success with the sport of Nordic skiing. With two distinct systems, one 20K system on Darling Hill and the other a 40K trail network by Burke Mountain Ski Area, Kingdom Trails was able to offer a wide variety of terrain for skiers and snowshoers to explore.
This past Fall with help from a grant from the Vermont Recreational Trails Program, KTA’s trail crew was busy prepping the trails in anticipation of the winter season, building a few new trails, constructing new bridges, cutting back and widening certain trails, adding new signage, and purchasing new grooming equipment. This past winter they hosted the Northeast Kingdom Nordic Club’s Bill Koch Cross Country Ski League on Saturday afternoons for local area youths. This program was a huge success with over 55 kids participating in the sport of Nordic skiing. Other events included Moonlight Snowshoe Walks with candle lit trails, Fischer Skis/Tubbs Snowshoe Demo Day, high school Nordic races, and the 5th Annual Burke Mountain Dog Sled Dash.
The 60K of skate and classic ski trails that Kingdom Trails grooms were manicured to perfection throughout the winter as the snow kept pilling up. This past February was the snowiest on record and aided in creating some of the best conditions skiers have seen. The recent President’s Day Vacation week was the busiest winter vacation week the Association has seen, with over 300 skiers and snowshoers enjoying the trails.
The trails are not only used by vacationers and locals, but also serve as training grounds for future Olympic hopefuls at Burke Mountain Academy. Head Nordic Ski Coach Pete Phillips said, “Kingdom Trails helped make this a great winter for Burke Mountain Academy! We had a lot of success on the race circuit and having first class, well-groomed trails right across the street is a huge advantage.” Phillips also added, “The new additions to the trail system make it ski smoothly and add a lot of new terrain. The guys did a great job with the grooming. We always could find good skiing, and we are grateful for it.”
In preparation for the influx of riders, the interior of the Welcome Center in East Burke is getting remodeled to better accommodate the visitors and add a more professional look. The Association’s Welcome Center is the main hub of information for membership, day pass, merchandise sales, as well as the place to go to get customized route suggestions and the “low down” on all the new trails, re-routes, and improvements. From there riders can access the trails’ two systems, either on Darling Hill where the majority of the trails are located, or Burke Mountain where riders can enjoy both cross country riding and the more aggressive and advanced riding style known as downhill/freeride mountain biking.
This past summer mountain bikers from far and wide traveled to ride the extensive trail network in East Burke renowned for its smooth, flowing, and meticulously manicured trails. From the season opening in early May to the final weekend in October, the town of East Burke was inhabited by throngs of mountain bikers eager to get out and ride what has become known as “the Best Trail Network in North America” by Bike Magazine. The 2010 summer season saw visitor numbers grow to a record-breaking amount of riders. Memberships numbers totaled 3,241, and day pass sales totaled 17,860, both up 25% from 2009. It was determined through a survey done by Lyndon State College that members rode the trails an average of 12 times a year, with a majority of the riders coming from Vermont, Massachusetts, and Quebec. Based on these numbers it was estimated that well over 55,000 people came to ride the trails this past bike season.
This summer, KTA is anticipating constructing new trails, revamping many of the existing trails, as well as partnering with Burke Mountain and offering the much-anticipated lift serviced mountain biking on the lower portion of the mountain on weekends and holidays. KTA is also implementing a new fee structure for the 2011 season. Instead of separate membership seasons in which to join, users will now pay $75 for a full year round individual membership, and $150 for a family year membership. Day passes have been raised to $15 and youth’s ages 8-15 are now $7. The rate increases were adjusted to offset the growing operating costs and to provide a more superior product for the visitors, which will in turn create a better and more enjoyable experience for the user.
Kingdom Trails is also currently seeking individuals to fill multiple positions for the upcoming 2011 summer season. KTA has trail crew, bike patrol, and Welcome Center Information Specialist positions available. Anyone interested in applying for any of the positions is encouraged to send in resumes by April 4th. More information on all of these positions can be found by visiting their website www.kingdomtrails.org. Additional information on the summer or winter operations can be obtained by contacting the Kingdom Trails office at 802.626.0737, by email at info@kingdomtrails.org, or at www.kingdomtrails.org.
Tel: 802.626.0737
Email: info@kingdomtrails.org
Kingdom Trails Has Best Nordic Season Ever
Transitions into another banner summer season
The snowiest winter the Northeast Kingdom has seen in awhile provided just what the local Nordic Trails system needed to provide skiers with the best conditions in years. Since Kingdom Trail Association took control of Nordic operations from the old Burke Cross Country system back in 2006-07, never has the Association had such success with the sport of Nordic skiing. With two distinct systems, one 20K system on Darling Hill and the other a 40K trail network by Burke Mountain Ski Area, Kingdom Trails was able to offer a wide variety of terrain for skiers and snowshoers to explore.
This past Fall with help from a grant from the Vermont Recreational Trails Program, KTA’s trail crew was busy prepping the trails in anticipation of the winter season, building a few new trails, constructing new bridges, cutting back and widening certain trails, adding new signage, and purchasing new grooming equipment. This past winter they hosted the Northeast Kingdom Nordic Club’s Bill Koch Cross Country Ski League on Saturday afternoons for local area youths. This program was a huge success with over 55 kids participating in the sport of Nordic skiing. Other events included Moonlight Snowshoe Walks with candle lit trails, Fischer Skis/Tubbs Snowshoe Demo Day, high school Nordic races, and the 5th Annual Burke Mountain Dog Sled Dash.
The 60K of skate and classic ski trails that Kingdom Trails grooms were manicured to perfection throughout the winter as the snow kept pilling up. This past February was the snowiest on record and aided in creating some of the best conditions skiers have seen. The recent President’s Day Vacation week was the busiest winter vacation week the Association has seen, with over 300 skiers and snowshoers enjoying the trails.
The trails are not only used by vacationers and locals, but also serve as training grounds for future Olympic hopefuls at Burke Mountain Academy. Head Nordic Ski Coach Pete Phillips said, “Kingdom Trails helped make this a great winter for Burke Mountain Academy! We had a lot of success on the race circuit and having first class, well-groomed trails right across the street is a huge advantage.” Phillips also added, “The new additions to the trail system make it ski smoothly and add a lot of new terrain. The guys did a great job with the grooming. We always could find good skiing, and we are grateful for it.”
In preparation for the influx of riders, the interior of the Welcome Center in East Burke is getting remodeled to better accommodate the visitors and add a more professional look. The Association’s Welcome Center is the main hub of information for membership, day pass, merchandise sales, as well as the place to go to get customized route suggestions and the “low down” on all the new trails, re-routes, and improvements. From there riders can access the trails’ two systems, either on Darling Hill where the majority of the trails are located, or Burke Mountain where riders can enjoy both cross country riding and the more aggressive and advanced riding style known as downhill/freeride mountain biking.
This past summer mountain bikers from far and wide traveled to ride the extensive trail network in East Burke renowned for its smooth, flowing, and meticulously manicured trails. From the season opening in early May to the final weekend in October, the town of East Burke was inhabited by throngs of mountain bikers eager to get out and ride what has become known as “the Best Trail Network in North America” by Bike Magazine. The 2010 summer season saw visitor numbers grow to a record-breaking amount of riders. Memberships numbers totaled 3,241, and day pass sales totaled 17,860, both up 25% from 2009. It was determined through a survey done by Lyndon State College that members rode the trails an average of 12 times a year, with a majority of the riders coming from Vermont, Massachusetts, and Quebec. Based on these numbers it was estimated that well over 55,000 people came to ride the trails this past bike season.
This summer, KTA is anticipating constructing new trails, revamping many of the existing trails, as well as partnering with Burke Mountain and offering the much-anticipated lift serviced mountain biking on the lower portion of the mountain on weekends and holidays. KTA is also implementing a new fee structure for the 2011 season. Instead of separate membership seasons in which to join, users will now pay $75 for a full year round individual membership, and $150 for a family year membership. Day passes have been raised to $15 and youth’s ages 8-15 are now $7. The rate increases were adjusted to offset the growing operating costs and to provide a more superior product for the visitors, which will in turn create a better and more enjoyable experience for the user.
Kingdom Trails is also currently seeking individuals to fill multiple positions for the upcoming 2011 summer season. KTA has trail crew, bike patrol, and Welcome Center Information Specialist positions available. Anyone interested in applying for any of the positions is encouraged to send in resumes by April 4th. More information on all of these positions can be found by visiting their website www.kingdomtrails.org. Additional information on the summer or winter operations can be obtained by contacting the Kingdom Trails office at 802.626.0737, by email at info@kingdomtrails.org, or at www.kingdomtrails.org.