Kitesurfing from Delta Park, Colchester. Provided | | WINGFOILING & KITESURFING | | Emily Pelo Kitesurfing at Delta Park, Colchester. Caroline Patten | |
Surfing Lake Champlain
By Caroline Patten
It’s 5:05am, and the WhatsApp group dings with a message from Gary K of South Hero: “It's blowing solid. Dawn patrol or miss it.” A quick swipe to Sailflow confirms his report – the breeze is up, reading 19 gusting to 24 knots at the Colchester Reef meter, and wind enthusiasts all around Lake Champlain are starting to chatter about where they are going to link up for a session that morning.
After loading up the car and making the trip up to Whites Beach, everyone's ready to start rigging & hitting the water for what looks to be a stellar morning on the lake. The normal crew is here and getting their gear rigged up. Gary has already logged a 20 mile sunrise session. “Nicely lit seven meter kitefoil session” (kites come in a variety of sizes ranging from 4-17 meters). Wings, foil boards, and kites quickly start to come together and inflate along the beach.
Off in the distance, a few brightly colored specs appear on the water. It looks like three or four wingfoilers heading downwind from the Burlington Surf Club. They are near the end of a downwinder, a point-to-point route surfed with the wind at your back. With a powerful southerly that’s been blowing overnight, the waves are likely six foot swells out in the broad lake, though they stay much smaller inside the bay.
| | | Robin Miller With Her Dog, Millie. Provided | |
Vermont's Dog Hiking Challenge
By Alena Hunt
With Vermont's Green Mountains and sparkling lakes, hiking just about anywhere offers gorgeous views, fresh air, and a feeling of peace. But many Vermonters never venture beyond their counties to explore the rest of the state's trails and mountains.
Robin Miller has set out to change this. In January of 2024, she launched the Vermont Dog Hiking Challenge, a statewide competition aimed at getting more people and their dogs out on Vermont's trails. Why? Because there's no better hiking companion than your trusty pup.
While hiking in the Adirondacks last year, Miller discovered the ADK-9 Challenge. The challenge is to hike nine Adirondack peaks with your pup. These trails are not the "High Peaks" but range from a 1.3-mile roundtrip jaunt up Bartonville Mountain near Brant Lake (elev. 1,380') to an 8-mile hike up Jay Mountain (elev. 3,600').
The goal: get people out into the lesser known mountains, exploring and appreciating nature with their dogs. Complete all nine and you get a sticker.
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| | “Nobody wins, unless everybody wins.” –Bruce Springsteen | |
Friday, July 3
Montpelier Mile. 6pm. Kick off Montpelier’s Independence Day parade with Vermont’s fastest mile! This classic one-mile race runs through historic downtown Montpelier in front of thousands of spectators. Stick around after the race for the parade and fireworks! Runners, joggers, walkers, and all abilities welcome. All ages welcome – kids encouraged to run! Starts on State Street in front of M&T Bank and Vermont History Museum, and goes through downtown to the Main Street rotary and back. Dash for Cash: The first runners that make it to the corner of Main and State get $50! Top three finishers in adult categories (male, female, non-binary) get cash prizes, junior, youth, and kids top three get Onion River Outdoors gift cards. State Street, Montpelier, VT. onionriver.com.
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Saturday, July 4
42nd Annual Clarence DeMar Road Race. 8:30am. 5K. Folsom Elementary School, South Hero, VT. gmaa.run.
1st Ottauquechee River Trail: Firecracker 5K. 9am. ORT Kiosk, Woodstock, VT. runsignup.com.
The Great Race Triathlon. 9am. Canoe triathlon and duathlon. Saint Albans Bay, VT. runsignup.com.
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Sunday, July 5
Willard Hanmer Memorial Races & Tours. Guideboat, canoe, kayak & SUP welcome. Each race/tour is 3-4M depending on class w/one short carry near the start. Juniors paddle free. All ages & experience levels encouraged: perfect for kids, beginners & seasoned paddlers. Post-paddle celebration with awards, food, drink, music, riverside fun. A tradition on the water since 1963. Lake Flower to Saranac River, Riverside Park, Saranac Lake, NY. saranaclake.com.
Running of the Bears 5K. 8:30am. Family-friendly run/walk. Stratton Mountain Village, Stratton, VT. stratton.com.
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Saturday, July 11
46th Annual Bear Swamp Run. 9am. 5.7M dirt road loop. Rumney Memorial School, Middlesex, VT. cvrunners.org.
Missisquoi Paddle-Pedal. 6.5M paddling down Missisquoi River & 5M biking on Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail. 9:30am. Race and tour paced paddlers and bikers welcome. Food, music, awards. Davis Park, Richford, VT. northernforestcanoetrail.org.
Goshen Gallop. 4pm. High elevation, rugged terrain 10k & 5K. Blueberry Hill Outdoor Center, Goshen, VT. blueberryhilltrails.com.
BIPOC Outdoor Festival. 12pm-5pm. Mountain biking, kayaking, yoga, SUP, biathlon, canoeing, nature walks, community building, and food. Craftsbury Outdoor Center, Craftsbury Common, VT. craftsbury.com.
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Saturday-Sunday, July 11-12
Ride for the River. Sat, 3pm: Tailgater 20M casual small group ride. Sun: 40M & 20M rides w/BBQ, music. Benefits Ausable Freshwater Center. Wilmington, NY. bikeadirondacks.com.
Maxxis Eastern States Cup: Thule Showdown. All day. Downhill & Enduro racing for all age groups and abilities. Killington Resort, Killington, VT. killington.com.
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Sunday, July 12
Farm to Fork: Champlain Islands Fondo. Community cycling event. A taste of the Champlain islands with route options for beginner to experienced cyclists. Distances: Ramble Ride 10-20M, Piccolo Fondo 25-35M, Medio Fondo 35-45M, AND Gran Fondo 55-65M in the Champlain islands and NY coastline with Farm Stops to refuel and meet the farmers. Post-ride BBQ lunch with grass-fed burgers from South Hero Farms. Named one of the top three grand fondo events in the US by USA Today. Sat: Farm to Table Benefit Dinner at Snow Farm Vineyard to benefit the host community farms and programs. Snow Farm Vineyards, South Hero, VT. farmtoforkfitness.com.
Mad Marathon, Mad Half, Relays, 10K & 5K. 7am. Beautiful races in the Mad River Valley. Waitsfield, VT. madmarathon.com.
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Friday, July 17
Friday Night Gravel Ride Series. 6-8pm. Ride starts at Porcupine Bikes, please come early and be ready for kickstands up at 6pm, all abilities welcome. Porcupine Bikes, Poultney, VT. slatevalleytrails.org.
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Saturday, July 18
Slate Valley Epic. 7:20am. MTB race of ~40M & 5000ft of climbing. Relay option available. SVT Fairgrounds Trailhead, Poultney, VT. slatevalleytrails.org.
Aliza Lapierre Fan Club Trail Race. 50K at 7am. 26K at 10am. Volunteer organized run benefitting Cochran’s Ski Area non-profit. Cochran’s Ski Area, Richmond, VT. richmondtrailrunningclub.com.
Raid Lamoille. 7am. Challenging gravel 25M & 55M. Post-ride party. Craftsbury Outdoor Center, Craftsbury, VT. grvl.net.
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Saturday-Sunday, July 18-19
Vermont Senior Games: Tennis Tournament. New outdoor tennis courts. Singles and doubles for men, women, and mixed. Open to age 50+. Qualifier for 2027 National Senior Games. Middlebury College, Middlebury. vermontseniorgames.org.
Vermont 100 Endurance Race. 100M (4am) & 100K (9am). Benefits Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports. Windsor, VT. vermont100.com.
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Sunday, July 19
Bike Hub Sunday Epic V4. 8am. Full-day, 61.2M mixed-terrain ride w/ cookout to follow. Wicked Waystation, Wardsboro, VT. bikereg.com.
Ironman Lake Placid. 2.4M swim, 112M bike, 26.2M run. 7am. Olympic Speedskating Oval, Lake Placid, NY. ironman.com.
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Wednesday, July 22
“Best Day Ever” Movie Screening. 6:30pm. Community screening of the award-winning film. Stowe Cider, Stowe, VT. greenmtnadaptive.org.
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Sunday-Friday, July 19-24
Make Waves Overnight Retreat: Empowered & Standing Up. Girls empowerment program: learn skills to live a happy, healthy life. Build self-confidence, positive self-talk, emotional intelligence, mental toughness. Implemented during a fun week of paddleboarding, yoga, hiking, more. No experience necessary. Scholarships available. Fern Lake, Au Sable Forks. makewavesretreat.org.
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Friday-Sunday, July 24-26
Flow State: Vermont Mountain Bike Festival. Rides, demos, food. Brownsville, VT. flowstatemtbfestival.com.
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Saturday, July 25
Round Church Women’s Run. 7:30am. 5K & 10K. Benefits Girls on the Run VT. Round Church, Richmond, VT. gmaa.run.
Mad River Riders: Grateful Gravel. 21, 46 & 64 mile bike ride options with music fest to follow. Sugarbush Resort, Warren, VT. gratefulgravel.com.
Dad Guild x Local Motion Family Bike Rides. 10am-12pm. Family-friendly ride to Oakledge Park with music and bubbles. Local Motion Trailside Center, Burlington, VT. localmotion.org.
Kingdom Swim. A celebration of open water swimming. 1M: 2pm, 5K: 9am, 10K: 8:30am, 10M: 8am, 25K 5am. Prouty Beach, Newport, VT. kingdomgames.co.
The Magnificent Bastard’s Challenge. 8am. A last runner standing event on a 1M course. Northeast Slopes, Corinth, VT. racemozey.com.
Barre Heritage Festival 5K Trail Race. Fun & scenic trail run/walk through Barre’s Granite Historical site. Barre Town Forest Trails, Websterville, VT. cvrunners.org.
Stowe Mountain Resort: EpicPromise. 10am. 5K trail run/walk. Stowe Mountain Resort XC Center, Stowe, VT. runsignup.com.
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Sunday, July 26
Tour de Frost. 9am. Gravel bike rides of 19, 30, and 45 miles. Supports Bicycle Express Racing. Frost Beer Works, Hinesburg, VT. bikereg.com.
15th Annual Caspian Challenge. 8:30am. 5K run/walk & 6.8M loop around Caspian Lake. Benefits Greensboro Community Meals program. Tolman Corner Ballfield, Greensboro, VT. webscorer.com.
CLTA 5K Run/Walk. 10am. In memory of Major General KO Sanborn. Post-race tubing & swimming in river post-race. Chris Lewit Tennis Academy, Manchester, VT. runsignup.com.
49th Escarpment 30K Trail Run. Wave starts: 9-10:25am. The race across the wall of Manitou. For mountain goats only. Windham to Haines Falls, NY. escarpmenttrail.com.
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