We’re all born with gifts. Some folks are natural athletes, while others are adept at music. I’ve met people who could rattle off a stream of mathematical equations, and I’ve met others who could lift up the back end of a Chevy. No matter who you are or what your place is in life,…

  In northern New England, acorns ripen in late summer and normally drop from oak trees from September through October. They may fall earlier, however, for a host of reasons, from eager squirrels getting a head start on gathering nuts for the winter to environmental stress, including excessively hot or rainy weather. Prematurely dropped acorns…

  Editor’s note: This is part 6 of a series by Margeurite Jill Dye.  Two days before my surgery, I was aware of more chirping in our yard. Birds have been scarcer than usual lately so I searched trees and shrubs for the source of the chirps. Then I remembered that groundhogs chirp, also grunt,…

Be stronger than the vines Vines, They crawl up walls, Covering everything, Soon the vines take over, Covering windows, Blocking the light, Darkness only remains. But don’t let the vines put you down, Don’t let them cover your window, Blocking your light. Push the vines away, Allow the light to come in, Hold on to…

  No matter how cold the winter, spring always comes. While this may not be true in the North, it is in the Southern Hemisphere. Regardless of your location onthe globe, the ethos remains the same — that time is circular, rather than linear. The seasons turn. The tide comes in and it goes out.…

Local business owner reflects on the early days of riding, growth of the sport and predictions for the future By Katy Savage Phil Black remembers back when there were no mountain bike trails in the early 1990s. Back then, mountain biking meant earning your downhill turns by traveling up old logging roads, carriage roads and…

By Katy Savage The FOX U.S. Open of Mountain Biking is bringing some of the best athletes around the world to Killington this weekend. It’s also giving a chance for amateurs to ride with some of the biggest names and some locals are taking advantage of the opportunity. Ashely Stearns, 27, of Mendon, is riding…

  By Katy Savage Althea Ostgaard is proving age is just a number. Althea, “Ally,” became the youngest female rider to ever podium the Fox US Open of Mountain Biking in Killington last year at just 14 years old.  Ally of Seattle, Washington got third place in downhill against some of the world’s top riders.…

  The flat Ramshead beginner ski area at Killington Resort has been transformed into a 45-foot mountain bike jump for the Fox U.S. Open of Mountain Biking competition, returning Sept. 22-24. Powder Horn Trail Company in New Hampshire has been building the jump since July. Owner William Conroy and his team used a 1,000-pound excavator…

The Killington Resort operations team have been building the Fox U.S. Open of mountain bike trails since July — fighting this summer’s record rainfall. The Mountain Times spoke with Taylor Zink, Killington Resort’s terrain park manager, about what goes into preparing the Enduro and Dual Slalom events. Enduro What specifically is involved in building the…

  Spectators will be able to watch six races when the Fox U.S. Open comes to Killington this weekend. The competitions, along with a vendor village and food will be held at Ramshead. Spectating is free or for $15, people can take a chairlift to get a better view of the competitors.  Open Downhill The…

  Lingo to help spectators understand common mountain bike terms Trail features Berm, noun, a banked corner that can be ridden faster than a flat corner. A common feature in any mountain bike park. Booter, noun, a large jump that requires a lot of commitment. Flow, adjective or noun, the way a trail is constructed,…

  Spectators are invited to watch the action all weekend at Killington Resort. All festivities and events are based at the Ramshead base area of Killington Resort.  All events are free to watch and hiking up the trails for better viewing is encouraged. A $15 spectator pass to ride the Ramshead Express quad uphill will…

The Fox U.S. Open(USO) of Mountain Biking returns to Killington Resort Friday, Sept. 22 with events through Sunday, Sept. 24.  It's the 20th anniversary of the event and it's expected to bring professional and amateur athletes from around the world to compete in Downhill, Enduro and Dual Slalom racing. The series offers one of the…

  By Don Keelan Editor’s note: Don Keelan of Arlington is a retired certified public accountant. The time is long overdue for the Republicans/conservatives, Democrats/Progressives to put away their hatchets and stop attacking each other. Instead, let’s deal with the Vermont crisis of losing young people at a rate that will soon devastate the state. …