Vets Take Part In VT Adaptive Bike Program
Special Bikes Available At Different VT Locations This Summer.
[Editor Note: This article first appeared in XCSkiResorts.com; we thank Roger Lohr, editor-in-chief, for sharing this with SeniorsSkiing.com readers.]
Adaptive bikes make it possible to get to the top of the trail. Each one is handmade.
The Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports organization’s new Adaptive Mountain Bike Program, which is one of the first in New England offers special dates for outings in various location and limited adaptive mountain bikes to use. All abilities are welcome and participants may bring their own equipment as well.
The program is scheduled at multiple locations with outings and events planned for all level mountain bikers who have their own equipment. In addition, four adaptive mountain bikes are available for participants on a first-come, reservations-based system.
These highly adjustable bikes are ideal for individuals with spinal cord injuries, amputations or limb differences, or balance and motor skill disabilities. Vermont Adaptive purchased the bikes last summer with funding from the US Dept. of Veterans Affairs grant and Phil Black, owner of Lookout Tavern who donated monies for Vermont Adaptive to purchase a trailer for hauling the bikes to various locations statewide.
“Participants gain a sense of accomplishment when reaching the top of the mountain and that is great to see,” said Kelly Walsh, Vermont Adaptive program coordinator, who is responsible for Vermont Adaptive’s veterans programs.
For 2017, the US Dept of Veterans Affairs again awarded Vermont Adaptive grant monies to help purchase 10 two-wheeled mountain bikes and 10 bicycles for use on recreation paths. These bikes will be added to the existing fleet, allowing participants who don’t need to use an adaptive bike to get outside, exercise and socialize with other veterans, to enjoy Vermont alongside their peers with physical disabilities.
The custom hand cycles are crafted specifically for rocky terrain with unique hand cycles that are designed for adaptive riders to cruise down the trails smoothly.
There is open enrollment for free to the mountain bike program this summer. Although Vermont Adaptive will have a limited number of adaptive mountain bikes for use, all adaptive riders are encouraged to bring their own bikes and participate in any of the summer events. Reservations are required for programming and equipment use.
The schedule will kick off with the Summer Solstice Bike Ride on June 21 at Blueberry Lake in Warren, VT followed by the Mountain Bike “Snowshed Session” on June 24 at Killington Resort. Other events include the Green Mountain Trails Bike Ride is July 9 in Pittsfield, the Blueberry Lake Bike Ride on July 9 in Warren, the Vermont Mountain Bike Association Festival on July 21-23 in Warren, the Killington Bike Ride on July 29 and the Pine Hill Park Bike Ride on August 13 in Rutland. This program is limited to Vermont but you can look for similar programs in other regions across the country by contacting organizations that resemble Vermont Adaptive.
This year’s Killington Resort Adaptive Event for Independent Riders will also have bike demos “encouraging adaptive awareness for proper use of hand cycles,” said Olivia Joseph, Vermont Adaptive program coordinator and organizer of the adaptive mountain bike program.
The program is seeking volunteers who have an interest in mountain biking and for further info, contact Olivia Joseph at north@vermontadaptive.org.
The custom hand cycles are crafted specifically for rocky terrain with unique hand cycles that are designed for adaptive riders to cruise down the trails smoothly.
There is open enrollment for free to the mountain bike program this summer. Although Vermont Adaptive will have a limited number of adaptive mountain bikes for use, all adaptive riders are encouraged to bring their own bikes and participate in any of the summer events. Reservations are required for programming and equipment use.
Adventures In Cycling Series: Happy Valley (PA) Cycle
Serious Cycling For This Senior Who Hangs With A Younger Crowd.
Trails at Rothrock require some technical skills.
Credit: Pat McCloskey
Nothing like a road trip with 23 of your mountain biking friends to State College, Pa. aka “Happy Valley”. Our merry band of warriors converged on the Hilton Garden Inn and prepared for three days of riding the challenging terrain of the Rothrock State Forest. As one of two “senior riders”, I was a little hesitant seeing that it was early spring, and my conditioning was not quite there yet. But as the first climbs of the first day ensued, it was eat or be eaten with this group of very accomplished riders. Rothrock has many ride options for different skill levels including gentle fire road climbs, but it also has some of the most challenging terrain in the east.
Our first day was spent near the Tussey Mountain Ski Area with a climb that led to the Tussey Mountain Trail which gave us great vistas looking over “Happy Valley” and the remote mountainsides of Central Pennsylvania. The rocks and boulders along the trail kept the full suspension bikes busy; most of the riders have gone with the new technology of mid-fat 3-inch wide tires with loads of suspension. Many of the riders used fat bikes to help absorb the punishing grind of the rocky terrain.
Only two seniors in this group of mountain bikers for this early season rally.
Credit: Pat McCloskey
The second day was spent with our guide Craig Matthews, at the Coopers Gap area which is directly over the mountain from where we rode on Friday. This area is remote, but the trails are superbly maintained by the local hiking and mountain bike clubs of the State College area. One of the highlights of Day Two was the “Beautiful Trail” which lived up to its moniker with rhododendrons in bloom lining the relatively level ridge top terrain.
Our last day was back at the Tussey Trails with a side trip to Lemont, PA to hike Mt. Nittany. A beautiful early morning hike that was welcomed by a smaller contingent of the group with a stop at the quaint and peaceful Café Lemont. Here you can rest on a relaxing outdoor patio or beautifully appointed living room with a freshly brewed coffee of your choice accompanied by homemade pastries and granola cereals.
As the “senior guy”, I made it through and am looking forward to another trip in October where the leaves will be ablaze and the Central Mountains of Pennsylvania will be vibrant with the fall colors. Just have to maintain the fitness level for that one over the summer.
If you go, the Hilton Garden Inn in State College is very accommodating to mountain bikers.
Ride Support is available from two very good bike shops:
Freeze Thaw Cycles: Rentals and all mountain bike related clothing and accessories available.
The Bicycle Shop: Specialized dealer with rentals and all bike related clothing, and accessories.
Buy the Purple Lizard Map of the local trails. Available at both shops. And ask the shop guys for a ride or rides that fit your needs.
From the top of Mt. Nittany, Penn State’s namesake.
Credit: Pat McCloskey
This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (May 12)
More Ticks, More Storage Ideas, Sharks That Swim Under Snow, Oh Boy.
Don’t go near the…snow. Avalanche Sharks are out there.
Thanks to all our readers who responded to our SeniorsSkiing.com Spring Subscriber Survey 2017. We had an incredible 28 percent response rate. If you are familiar with surveys, you will instantly see that is an extraordinary number. Our readers—you guys—are definitely engaged in our online magazine/community. And the comments and advice you offered were wise, humbling and most encouraging. We are very grateful for your input. More on what we learned later.
One thing we learned immediately from scanning the responses is that many readers looking for other people to ski or travel with. There are at least two avenues to pursue:
- Check out the 70+ Ski Club, a group of seniors who ski together on trips around North America and Europe. [You don’t have to be 70+ to join, by the way.]
- Find a ski club near you. We have partnered with the National Ski Council Federation—an umbrella group of ski clubs across the US—and have posted a link to their map of clubs. Just go to the map, click on your city and you will get names of ski clubs and the email addresses of club officers.
As for this week, we continue some themes from last week. Correspondent Val E., a specialist in retail and ski industry products, adds tips for the careful storage of gear over the summer. A few simple steps now can avoid complex steps later.
Steve Hines, our outdoorsman and Wilderness First Responder, offers Part 2 on the tick infestation we are experiencing. This time he discusses treatment and prevention. This is serious business folks; he also reminds us to pay attention to the Powassan virus, another tick-carried disease that is serious and even deadly. If you spend any time in the woods this summer, this is important stuff.
Finally, we have a movie review to share. Avalanche Sharks is a modern monster movie featuring an avalanche, a bikini contest at a ski resort, and sharks that swim under the snow. Seriously, that’s the plot. Check out review and see the trailer here.
Finally, finally, here’s why you may be asked to enter your email address when you come to SeniorsSkiing.com. It’s the most common comment/complaint we get here at SeniorsSkiing.com World Headquarters.
If you are being asked to re-enter your email to confirm your subscription to SeniorsSkiing.com, you might be a bit annoyed. We don’t blame you, but there is an explanation.
- You are accessing SeniorsSkiing.com through a device that is different from the one you originally signed up on. Subscribing to SeniorsSkiing.com puts a “cookie” on your device. If you use a different device, no cookie, so you are viewed as a non-subscriber. If you re-enter name and password, you’ll be okay with the new device.
- You have disabled cookies or cleared browser history on your device. Turn cookies back on, and you’ll not have to re-enter again, or leave it disabled and realize you have to re-enter each time. Your call.
- You are trying to access our Subscriber-Only Content. Instead of building a firewall that requires usernames and passwords, we elected a much simpler way of getting to our exclusive content: Just confirm your name and email. You will have to do that each time you want to get to that information, which, by the way, is under the Community tab at the top.
Next week, we’ll get into more summer activities. For now, we are experiencing a cool and wet mid-Spring here in New England.
Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com. And remember, folks, there are more of us every day and we aren’t going away.
[authors_page role=contributor]