The Bolton to the Barns 11-mile Backcountry Tour is this Saturday, March 6! We’ll ski our hearts out and then head to the West Monitor Barn for an après ski party featuring food by the Skinny Pancake, the Spot, and Great Harvest Bread!

Update: 17-Mile Route Cancelled
Last night the Bolton to the Barns planning group decided to cancel the 17-mile route option. In the morning, before the sun and March temperatures have a chance to warm the snowpack, the upper sections of the Bolton terrain are bullet proof. Ordinarily, it would be a hard decision to scrap a portion of the route that many of us wanted to include – given the conditions, this was not a hard decision. This will mean that all skiers will start from the Bolton Nordic Center at 9:30. Because skiers will start at 9:30, this will allow the snow to soften before tackling the steeper descents on the course.

Registration and Fees
If you haven’t already registered, please do so now. This will really help with our planning. For those who have yet to send in the $50 registration fee, you may pay with a check (or cash) on Saturday. We will have extra waiver forms on hand, but it will speed things up if you arrive with your form filled out. Remember, if you raise $125 in sponsorships, we will waive your registration fees. Thanks to all those who have already done such great work on this front!

Shuttles
We will be shuttling people from the West Monitor Barn (directions to barn here) up to the Bolton Nordic Center. Vans will be leaving the Barn at 8:45. Please plan on arriving a few minutes before the van departure time. For those not needing a shuttle, please arrive at the Bolton Nordic Center at 9:15. This will give you time to check in, etc.

Current Snow Conditions
For all but the last approach to the barn, the coverage is very good. As is the case with spring skiing, there may be a bare spot or two, but nothing one can’t step around. Volunteers have worked hard to mark the trail over the past few days and they have all been encouraged with the amount of snow in the hills. In the morning, the snow might be a bit hard, but by 11:00 or so it really begins to soften up. Skiers may need to walk the final hundred yards or so to the barn, but if this is the hand mother nature deals in early March, so be it. We are figuring Vermonters are a hardy bunch and won’t be too fazed by a short walk.

A small amount of Maxi Glide might help gain a bit of traction on the trail. If you don’t have Maxi Glide, the Bolton Nordic Center sells tins for $12. We’ll also have a communal tin available on Saturday morning.

Rental Equipment
The Bolton Nordic Center (434-6876) has a bit of rental equipment left. Also, the Catamount Trail Association (864-5794) also rents gear. If you rent from Bolton, you will be able to return your gear here at the barn, saving you a trip back up to Bolton.

Après Ski
• The Skinny Pancake and the Spot are catering our Après Ski party. The Great Harvest Bread Company has also donated rolls. Entry fees include a crepe, a bowl of chili (and roll), and a cold brew or non-alcoholic beverage. If you’re still hungry, you’ll be able to purchase crepes for $6.50. We will not be taking credit cards – cash or checks only.
• We will begin serving food at 1:30.
• Friends and family who don’t ski are also welcome. $15 for adults and kids under 12 are free – spread the word!
• After a bonfire, a ski movie, a slide show from the day, and a raffle drawing, we’ll wrap things up around 5:30 – 6:00.

Raffle Prizes
All skiers are automatically entered into a raffle drawing which will be held around 3:45. Prizes include a pair of Asnes Sondre Nordheim X-C skis, 3 Black Diamond Headlamps, a framed picture from Ember photography, a snow shoe tour from Umiak Outfitters, t-shirts, pint glasses from Outdoor Gear Exchange and more!!

Additional raffle tickets can be purchased for $5.

For additional information, email Breck at breck.knauft@vycc.org or give him a call at 802.434.3969 ext. 110.

Join the VYCC and Maple Wind Farm on March 11 from 6-7 pm for an informational session about the Monitor Barns Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. This dynamic partnership combines the conservation and education mission of the VYCC with the experience and high-quality food production of Maple Wind Farm. Together, we are passionate about bringing good, healthy, delicious food to every table in our community – regardless of one’s income.

How our CSA Works:

• 20 weeks of farm-fresh vegetables, June through October
• Vegetables are grown and harvested at the VYCC’s Monitor Barns
• Pick-up every Thursday, 3-6:30 pm at the West Monitor Barn in Richmond, Maple Wind Farm in Huntington, or Healthy Living Market in South Burlington
• Flowers and Herbs are included for members in our Pick-Your-Own gardens
• Weekly add-on’s will include Vermont cheese, artisan bread, pasture-raised eggs, and delicious baked goods from local sources
• Pasture-Raised Poultry share of six whole chickens throughout summer is also available
• Members enjoy weekly E-newsletters, recipes, and stories from partner farms
• Encourage sustainable farming by eating chemical-free vegetables and pasture-raised meat
• Proceeds support conservation programs and efforts to provide local produce to area schools and food shelves

Purchasing a CSA share supports the Monitor Barns Farm mission to produce food for local families, area schools, and food shelves. Thank you!

For more information, download the Monitor Barns CSA Brochure.

To order a Monitor Barns CSA Share, fill out our Membership Form or contact Beth at (802) 434 – 7257. Meat shares are also available from Maple Wind Farm.

Monitor Barns CSA Informational Session
March 11, 6-7 pm
Meet at the VYCC’s West Monitor Barn in Richmond, VT
*Refreshments will be provided.

Join the VYCC and Bolton Nordic Center for our First Annual Bolton to the Barns Backcountry Ski Tour! On Saturday, March 6th, ski enthusiasts will have the opportunity to spend a day in the hills of Vermont and to help the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps create opportunities for young Vermonters wishing to play an active role in conserving the Vermont landscape.

What: EPIC Backcountry Ski Tour

Where: Bolton Valley Nordic Center to the VYCC’s Monitor Barns

When: Saturday March 6, 2010

Transportation: Participants will meet at the West Monitor Barn in Richmond, VT. From there, the VYCC will provide a shuttle to the trail head at the Bolton Valley Nordic Center. Shuttles will leave at 7:15 am and 8:45 am.

Route: Skiers will have two options: a 17-mile route (the Crew Leader Route) or an 11-mile route (the Crew Member Route). Both routes will begin at the Bolton Nordic Center and finish at the Monitor Barns.

Start Time: Shuttles will leave from the VYCC West Monitor Barn 45 minutes before each tour’s starting time. For the Crew Leader tour, the shuttle will leave at 7:15 am. For the Crew Member tour, the shuttle will leave at 8:45 am.

Après Ski: Upon arrival at the Monitor Barns, warm food will await hungry, triumphant, and deserving skiers. Other festivities will include the showing of classic ski movies, a warm bonfire, and libations. Spend a day skiing new terrain and then relax amongst friends, new and old!

Poster: Help make our First Annual Bolton to the Barns Backcountry Ski Tour a success! Spread the word by printing out a Bolton to the Barns Ski Poster and posting it at your office, local grocery store, favorite diner…wherever!

For additional information, email Breck at breck.knauft@vycc.org or give him a call at 802.434.3969 ext. 110.

The VYCC’s annual Online Holiday Auction is quickly approaching and we need your help! The VYCC is poised to receive $400,000 in stimulus funding. However, to receive the funding, we must first provide a matching $100,000. Without the matching funds, the VYCC will not receive the stimulus funding. You can help us achieve this goal by making a donation to the VYCC’s statewide Online Holiday Auction.

Donations can be as simple or creative as you want. Here are some examples of great past gifts:
• Gift certificates
• Artwork
• Gift baskets
• Oil changes
• Financial or legal services
• Cooking classes
• Weekend getaways
• Ski passes…and everything in between!

We are partnering with the Vermont Mountain Bike Association,the Catamount Trail Association, and the Moosalamoo Association to create our largest auction yet. Combined, our mailing lists have over 10,000 names. Making a donation is simple, it’s tax deductible, and it’s a great way to get your business’s name in front of thousands of eyes as they do their holiday shopping.

Your donation will support the VYCC’s efforts to create jobs and change lives. Each year, we complete priority conservation projects in nearly every county in Vermont. In 2009, we enrolled over 540 Crew Members and provided them with meaningful jobs during a time when employment opportunities are scarce. With your help, we can continue this important work.

For more information or to make a donation, contact Kristin Smith at kristin.smith@vycc.org or 802.434.3969 x122.

Thank you, from all of us at the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps!

On Friday, September 18th the VYCC invites you to a showing of Ken Burns’ “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” at the West Monitor Barn. The film will begin at 7:00pm, it is free of charge, and light refreshments will be served. Please join us as we watch and celebrate the breathtaking scenes from America’s National Parks in Ken Burns’ newest film.

Filmed over the course of more than six years at some of nature’s most spectacular locales — from Acadia to Yosemite, Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, the Everglades of Florida to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska — The National Parks: America’s Best Idea is nonetheless a story of people: people from every conceivable background — rich and poor; famous and unknown; soldiers and scientists; natives and newcomers; idealists, artists and entrepreneurs; people who were willing to devote themselves to saving some precious portion of the land they loved, and in doing so reminded their fellow citizens of the full meaning of democracy. (Text taken from PBS website)

This event is an extension of the VYCC’s and Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Park’s on-going partnership which now includes traditional trail crews, a summer camp for local youth, internships, and of course the VermontFutures school program in Woodstock. The only thing more extraordinary than Vermont’s only national park is the staff who work there – I hope you can join us!

Additional information about the evening can be found online at www.vycc.org or by contacting Cailie Burns at 802.434.3969 x113.

Second Session Crew Closure is Sunday, August 23rd! All VYCC Corps Members will need to be picked up from the VYCC Headquarters in Richmond, VT. Parents, friends, and family members should plan to arrive at the West Monitor Barn at 12:30 p.m. to pick up Corps Members. We will do a final Circle Up and Crew activity from 1-2pm, after which Corps Members will be free to head home.

If you have any questions about Crew Closure, please call the VYCC Headquarters at 802.434.3969 x200.

See you Sunday, August 23rd at 12:30!

Directions to the VYCC Headquarters in Richmond, VT:

From I-89 Southbound, take Exit 11 (Richmond). From the exit ramp, turn right no Rte. 2 East towards Richmond. The West Monitor Barn is located on the left side of Rte. 2, two miles after the light in the town of Richmond.

The VYCC is excited to partner with Vermont Public Television to promote the premiere of Ken Burns’ new series, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, on September 18, 2009. The idea of creating a National Park system is as uniquely American as the Declaration of Independence and just as radical: that the most special places in the nation should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone. Accompanying this 12-hour television event is a community engagement campaign intended to raise awareness and stewardship of Vermont’s public lands and to increase public use of these unique areas.

For more information, visit the Vermont Parks & Public Lands website: http://parks.vpt.org/

Where can you find Corps Members, delicious food, and a great VYCC celebration? At our Second Session Crew Open Houses! Each Crew will host its own potluck meal to celebrate its efforts, achievements, and completed work projects. Come experience the life of a VYCC Corps Member and see the fruits of their hard work. If you plan on attending, please bring a dish to share! For questions or to RSVP, contact Kris at 802.434.3969 x122.

Roving 1: August 22, VYCC West Monitor Barn, 5:30 pm

Roving 2: August 12, August 12, Campsite in Chittenden, 5 pm *Call 802.434.3969 x122 for directions

Roving 3: August 19, VYCC West Monitor Barn, 5-7 pm

Roving 4: August 19, VYCC West Monitor Barn, 5 pm

Roving 5: August 19, Lakewood Campground in Swanton, 6 pm

Roving 6: August 19, Manchester Forest Service, 12-2 pm

Roving 7: August 19, tentatively the Pittsfield Town Green, 5-7:30 pm

Roving 8: August 19, Campsite behind Millstone Hill Lodge in East Barre, 5 pm

Wilderness 1: August 16, Killawatt Park Ballfields in Hartford, 5 pm

Wilderness 2: August 16, Gifford Woods State Park near Killington, 12-4 pm

Woodstock Community Crew: August 12, Forest Center at the Marsh- Billings National Historical Park, 4-7 pm

St. Albans Community Crew: August 12, Milton, 6  pm

Montpelier Community Crew: August 12, Hubbard Park in Montpelier, 5 pm

Richmond Community Crew: August 19, VYCC West Monitor Barn in the Hay Mow, 5pm, featuring Nepalese cuisine!
**Please check back periodically for updates.**

Contributing to a comprehensive and ongoing effort to clean-up the newly purchased East Monitor Barn (EMB) property, 30 volunteers arrived with work gloves and tools on Saturday morning, November 8th, continuing the work of other volunteer groups and some of our school crews. This work is critical as we prepare to dive into the initial stages of the EMB revitalization, which depending on funding, could begin as early as this spring! The group helped with deconstruction in the Quonset hut, cleaned the interior of the EMB, and cleared brush and trees which were encroaching on the buildings.
If you have a group that is interested in contributing to our continued efforts to cleanup and revitalize the East Monitor Barn site, please contact Keegan Tierney, Lands and Facility Manager, at keegan@vycc.org or 434-3969 x141.

The third annual Denim and Diamonds was a huge success!  Over 130 people turned out for a great party, and raised almost $41,000 in support of the VYCC’s programs for youth and the environment.  Many thanks to our Event Sponsors, including:

Vermont Tent Company

Bolton Valley Resort

Chittenden Bank

Fairpoint Communications

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If you weren’t able to attend  the event, you can still support the VYCC by donating an item or service to our Holiday Online Auction … and save the date of November 15 to check out vycc.cmarket.com and purchase some of the amazing items we have, including a family season pass from Bolton Valley Resort, a season pass to Sugarbush, restaurant and spa certificates, and much more!  For more information, please contact Kate Villa at (802) 434 – 3969 ext. 100 or kate@vycc.org.