Just say "yes"!

NEW BIKE $300
SAFETY PAD RENTAL $15
STEPPED-ON GLASSES $90
LOST BACKPACK $40
W/ CROCS AND H20 BOTTLE $30

RIPPING THRU THE TERRAIN PARK WITH THE BIG BOYS...PRICELESS!!

My little guy is 7, and though he's burly and strong, he can be intimidated by new experiences.  Needless to say the three weeks leading up to the Sugarbush Mt. Bike Adventure Camp was fairly frought with anxiety.   As his growth seemed to be keeping up with the corn growing all around us, it became apparent that a new bike was over-due, so the shopping for, and talking about, the new ride went far in distracting him from his worries.   Nevertheless..... "It'll all be big kids, Mom! "  "No, kiddo.  Charlie's doing it, and Bryn, they're both 7."  "I can't get air in the park, Mom!"  "That's ok.  Everyone's going there to learn."  Though we had these conversations often and with vaying degrees of hysteria, my answers never really seemed to help.   Finally the day arrived.   Boy, backpack, and bike, on-time and ready to ride.  Tentative smiles, nervous bike-riding in circles.  Jitters.  6 hours later I picked up a boy who was all smiles, and  couln't even leave his bike behind for the eveining, but needed to take it home for more driveway trick riding.  And that was only day one.  The rest is history.  Check out this great John Atkinson video for your own inspiration.

As I prepare for our upcoming W's Wrench & Ride Mt. Bike Camp, it occurs to me that many women signing up for, or thinking about signing up for, our program are plagued with the same anxieties that kept my son from being excited about his camp choice.   Is this right for me?  Am I good enough?  Am I too old, young, scared, in-experienced?    Well, I can tell you that 37 year olds are not that different from 7 year olds in this aspect.  Whatever anxiety you might bring to the table, you'll ride away smiling. 

For more infortation and to register for  Wrench and Ride please see side-bar and contact Mary Simmons at msimmons@Sugarbush.com or 802-583-6529.

Blueberries for all!

For all things there is a season, and the season for blueberries is now!  A good dry spring, plenty of warm weather and some drenching rainstorms have added up to a banner blueberry season in the Mad River Valley.  I recently headed up to the Knoll Farm, perched above the valley half way up Bragg hill.  Knoll Farm is the home of the Center For Whole Communities which offers workshops ranging from "Making the Most of Compost" to "Transformational Leadership".  And they grow berries.  Lots and lots of berries of which you can  pick your own, or buy a pint at the farm stand.   With my ten year old in tow, we headed up to the berry patch, past the neatly kept farm stand and white farmhouse, past the swing on the tree and the big beautiful barn, up to the left past the Adirondack chairs sitting empty but inviting all to take a moment and soak up the view. 

The immediate draw of the juicy blue clusters makes it hard to walk past the first bush which is absolutely laden and practically groaning under the weight of the ripe fruit. But I like to hunt out the big ones, so I yank myself away from grazing at the entrance and head up to the back of the patch where traffic has been lighter.  There, too, I find an abundance, and have to steel myself not to flit from bush to bush   Once I get started, the quart containers fill fast, though I lose quite a few to my daughters swift hands.  She could graze happily off the bushes, but she can't resist the fist full that my efforts afford.  She eventually abandons me to the inviting Adirondacks and the  company of her book and the friendly farm cats who show up for an ear scratch.  I don't mind that she's not industrious because every time I look up to check on her I am treated to the view of this amazing place and the valley beyond.  In less than an hour we could drive to any number of commercial berry farms that would offer many more bushes and varieties, not doubt.  But the setting of this particular berry patch is what has drawn me here, and I'm 2 minutes from Waitsfield.  It doesn't get better, or more local, or more lovely than this.

Where to go for blueberries in the MRV:

Knoll Farm - Traveling south on Rt. 100, turn right onto Bragg Hill Rd. just before the the intersection of Rt. 100 and Rt. 17.  +/-1 mile up the hill, Knoll Farm is on the right. 

Open 9-3 Mon. - Sat., 9-12 on Sundays.

Pre-Picked -   $5.00/pint
                     $9.00/quart

Pick-Your-Own -    $3.50/pint
                           $7.00/quart
                           $4.00 per pound if you bring your own container. 
                           *(1 quart is approx 1.5 lbs, this is a really good deal!)

Check out Blueberry Sundays starting August 1st.  Bring your Sunday brunch pick-nick, and enjoy fresh bread from the outdoor oven, and ....of course...the berries. 

Hartshorn Farm Stand - Traveling north on Rt. 100, _ miles from the VG, just past the 1824 House Inn, on the left.  To find the bushes follow the road behind the farm stand.  Bushes are on both sides of road.

Pre-picked -$5.00/pint
Pick-Your-Own - $3.50/pint