2/28 Grooming Report
February 28, 2020
This will be a great late winter weekend to head out for some Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and fat biking!
The past week has been challenging to keep the trails in top shape with the above normal temps and wet precipitation. Heading into the weekend we received about 4-5" of snow and returning to more seasonable temps to help set the trails up for much better conditions! This will be a great late winter weekend to head out for some Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and fat biking! As the calendar turns to March, the sun gets higher in the sky and daytime temps often trend to above the freezing mark, which means the best times to ride are early in the morning after the trails have had the time to set up after the groomers have been out the evening before. If you find yourself compromising the trails on your ride, consider turning back. Please remember to keep an eye out for where fat bikes are restricted. There are signs on the trails in the appropriate locations and if you have any questions please stop in to the Winter Welcome Center.
GROOMING
The past week has seen temps well above freezing, slightly reducing our snowpack and making for challenging grooming conditions. Yesterday's high winds caused many blowdowns are debris that the groomers will be tending too while they are out grooming. Please be aware that conditions may be variable after yesterday's wind and warm temps with mixed precipitation. The trails should set up nicely with the frigid night temps and will be in great shape for the weekend and the crew will be out getting the trails in prime shape for the next day.
WEATHER REPORT by Nor'Easter Weather Consulting
Today:
Snow showers likely with gusty wind. Temperatures in the low 20’s. West-southwest wind 10-20 mph gusting to 35 mph. Snow accumulation of 1-3” possible, though it will be blowing and drifting.
Tonight:
Snow showers possible. Otherwise mostly cloudy. Lows in the low teens. Southwest wind 10-15 mph.
Saturday:
An early snow shower or two, then mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper teens with a southwest to northwest breeze at 10-15 mph.
Saturday night:
Mostly cloudy. Northwest breeze at 5-10 mph.
Sunday:
Partly sunny and warmer. Highs in the low to mid 20’s. Light west wind.
Sunday night:
Partly cloudy. Lows in the single digits. Calm wind.
CHECK CONDITIONS
If you would like to get the most up to date trail condition alerts sent directly to your smart phone, just download the app and create an account with TrailHub and set KT fat biking, Nordic, snowshoe, and MTB trails as your "favorites" and you will get a notification each time we update conditions and push out an alert. Otherwise you can always check out the latest trail status and updates here via TrailHub from our KT website.
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Dear KT Community, I write to you today as I begin a transition in my relationship with Kingdom Trails. I have made the difficult decision to take the next step in my professional journey and step away from my role as Executive Director. Serving Kingdom Trails and this incredible community over the past eight years has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I am deeply proud of the work I’ve led and supported, from navigating immense global challenges and natural disasters, to forging incredible relationships, with our landowners and community. And throughout this journey, the Northeast Kingdom has become not just where I live, but truly my home. It’s the place I chose to become a mother and where my family has put down roots. That said, I am ready to explore new ways to serve this community, ways that will allow me to continue growing as a leader. I’ve accepted the role of Interim Executive Director for the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative, where I will carry forward the work I fell in love with through Kingdom Trails: strengthening our communities and supporting thoughtful economic development. In this new role, I’ll have the opportunity to advocate not only for outdoor recreation, which is so essential to the heart of our region, but also for the many sectors that make the Northeast Kingdom such a unique and vibrant place. Please know I remain deeply committed to Kingdom Trails. This is my home, and it will remain my home. I wish to always be an ambassador for KT, including playing a role in ensuring a graceful, responsible transition with care. The Board of Directors and I have committed to this, to ensure continuity, stability, and the trust you hold in this organization. I am grateful beyond words for the opportunity to have served my community through this role, and I look forward to closing this chapter with the same heart and good intention with which I began it. Georgia Gould is stepping in as interim Executive Director to lead the organization through this transition. Georgia has served on the KT Board of Directors since 2021, leading both the Landowner and Trail Advisory Committees. She is a KT Landowner with an impressive mountain biking and cyclocross resume - including a bronze medal in one of her two Olympic bids on Team USA and five career national championships in cross-country and short track mountain biking. Georgia, her husband Dusty, and their two young children are engaged members of the Burke community and the KT team. Her deep ties to the sport of cycling, dedication to providing great trails for all skill levels, and her love of this community make her the perfect choice to lead KT in its next phase. The Board and I are thrilled that Georgia has agreed to lead KT and feel confident that she will hold the mission of the organization at the center as she has throughout her Board service. You can reach Georgia directly and welcome her to this new role at ED@kingdomtrails.org . With deep gratitude, Abby ### Kingdom Trail Association The mission of the Kingdom Trail Association is to provide recreation and education opportunities by managing, maintaining, and building trails to foster the health of our community, surrounding environment, and regional economy. Kingdom Trails strives to accomplish this mission by offering a 100+ mile network of quality, non-motorized, multi-use trails for all levels of ability, incorporating the best of our local scenery and natural diversity. The Kingdom Trails are made possible through the generosity of 106 private landowners. Northeast Kingdom Collaborativ e The mission of the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative is to improve the quality of life for all residents of the NEK through coordinated economic and community development as the vision is a strong, vibrant Northeast Kingdom where we all thrive. The NEKC brings people together to spark positive change in our communities, creating structures that bring partners together across service areas, sectors, municipal and political boundaries to provide solutions for the renewal of the Kingdom. The NEK Collaborative serves as the backbone organization for the federally designated NEK REAP Zone and community partner for USDA Rural Development.
Cannondale Dirt Party a Success
KT is taking action—on the trails and in the Statehouse!
This 2025 Legislative Session, KT is teaming up with other amazing trail organizations through the Vermont Trails & Greenway Council, to advocate for H.147 a bill to establish the Recreational Trails Compensation Study.
Why does this matter?
Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy generates $2.1B annually, nearly 5% of the state’s GDP, that's 2nd in the nation after Hawaii (Go VT!) KT alone drives $10M in economic impact annually. Therefore, the state must recognize and incentivize these generous private landowners, including the 106 who make KT possible and allow public access to trails.
