Genesis Adventures

Team ATP Wins Winter Adventure Race at Grafton
Teams run, ski and snowshoe through historic town

Southbury, CT – Team ATP crossed the finish line first in 2 hours 45 minutes, beating the course estimate of 3 hours. Michelle Barnes and Scott Pleban traveled from New York to compete against a field of 30 teams in the Genesis Winter Adventure Race in Grafton, Vermont.

The course took teams of two through the town of Grafton before heading into the mountains on foot. The first of three sections included running on roads and snowmobile trails, followed by a climb through the backcountry with snowshoes. The first section culminated with a steep bushwhack down the face of a mountain in three feet of untracked snow. “That section alone was worth the price of admission,” commented a racer, “I want to do it again!”

Next the teams switched to their cross-country skis to complete a course set on the Grafton Ponds Nordic Ski Center. Some competitors chose classic-style skiing, while others skate skied. Finally, competitors changed into their snowshoes for a five-mile run through the woods. To cross the finish line, teams raced down the Grafton Ponds snow tube course.

Team ATP lead the way from the start. Two team sponsored by Wheelworks Multi-sport of Massachusetts filled out the Co-Ed division podium. David Darby and Anna van Huystee took second place while Jennifer Shultis and Mo Moadeli grabbed third.

“I knew ATP would be a strong contender having raced against them several times in summer events,” said Brian Duncanson, Genesis Adventures President, “But they really showed their versatility here crossing over to winter sports.”

The Male Division was won by Excel Racing consisting of Eric Scheffler and Jim Eagen. Sam Scaturro and Brian Loeffler raced as Team Animals and took second, while the only Vermont natives, Ron Houser & AJ Lafleur of Team Mountain Goat took third.

Pattie Dalconzo and Della Jennings (Victorious Vipers) captured first place in the female division, followed by Jennifer Kaflin and Gina Koprowski (Heat Misers).

Finally, John Lee and Pam Alexander (Harvard’s Finest) cruised to victory in the Master’s division.

After the race, Duncanson reflected on the experience. “This race really shows off the versatility of the sport of adventure racing. You can combine any sports you can think of in any setting and you have a new event. The possibilities are endless.”

“Adventure racing also appeals to a wide rage of athletes. We had some first-time racers here this weekend that were able to line up with some of the top teams in the sport. All of them have a great story to tell when they get back to work this week.”

The Genesis Winter Adventure Race was sponsored by; Yaktrak, Red Bull, Adventure Sport Magazine, Lava Gear, Green Mountain Gringo, Swix, The Grafton Cheese Company, and Hammer Nutrition.

The Genesis Adventures Summer series will kick off on April 26th and include eight races that combine kayak paddling, mountain biking, trail running, and navigation. Registration is now open for all eight summer races at www.genesisadventures.com.

Genesis Adventures produces events combining athletic pursuits with problem- and puzzle-solving challenges. The company specializes in adventuring racing and skills’ clinics for adventure enthusiasts. For more information, visit www.genesisadventures.com.

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Disciplines

Disciplines include Cross-Country Skiing, Snowshoeing, Trekking, Navigation, and of course, some wintertime Special Tests. If you do not own your own skis or snowshoes, you can rent them directly from Grafton Ponds. Call (802) 843-2400 to reserve your equipment. They have plenty of skis but only a limited number of snowshoes. If they run out, have no fear, your local Eastern Mountain Sports also rents snowshoes.

Event Schedule

Saturday, Feb. 8th
2:00pm Snowshoe Lesson at Grafton Ponds
3:00pm Ski Lesson at Grafton Ponds
5:00pm Registration, Pre-Race Dinner & Meeting

Sunday, Feb. 9th
10:00am Race Start
2:00 PM: Awards

Directions

Take Exit 5 off of Rt. 91N in Vermont. Follow Rt. 121 West to Grafton. The Old Tavern Inn is right in town. Turn left on Townshend Rd and proceed 1/2 mile to Grafton Ponds Ski Area on your left.

Accomodations

Grafton, VT is 2 hours from Hartford and 2.5 hours from Boston. The Old Tavern in Grafton has 47 charming rooms. We have a rate of $135, double occupancy, which includes a full breakfast Sunday morning. Call 1-800-843-1801. You may also find rooms in Bellows Falls which is 12 miles from Grafton. See: Bellows Falls Hotels.

Gear List

· Cross-Country Skis
· Snowshoes
· Space Blanket
· Food & Water (Adventure Races are 100% Self-Sufficient)

Race Updates

Race Update #1 - We've completed our preliminary course design and scouted most of it on foot a few weeks ago. We're targeting 3-4 hours for the lead teams. There was already some snow in the shadows and they received four full inches after we left. We will return in December to run through the full course. We're average skiers and have never snowshoed so we'll have a good feel for the middle of the pack!

Race Update #2 - We completed our testing of the Winter course, the course measures 12-14 miles total, but will still take ~3 hours for the first teams to complete. Here are some tidbits from each section:

Ski - The trails at Grafton Ponds are groomed for both skate skiing and classic cross-country. There is one small section of the course that was not groomed, but experienced skate skiiers shouldn't have too much trouble. If you're a beginner, we'd recommend the cross-country skis.

Snow Shoe - Our first time ever on snow shoes and we loved it! Some of the snow shoe course was traveled already, some was fresh snow. Lead teams may find themselves breaking new ground depending on the snowfall. We used gigantic sized shoes during the test. On pre-traveled paths you could definitely use smaller shoes, but there was three feet of new snow on some parts of the trail and it was nice to have the extra support.

Trek - You will need to take your snowshoes with you on the trek! The first part is on roads and packed snow, so you should be able to wear running shoes. Then there will be some back country trekking in fresh powder.

REMINDER!!! Grafton Ponds has plenty of skis to rent, but only a limited number of snowshoes. Please call ahead to reserve a pair or make arrangements to bring your own! Call (802) 843-2400 to make reservations.

Also, as of Jan. 13th there were only 10 rooms left at the Old Tavern Inn, please reserve your room soon if you would like to stay there. The Genesis rate is $135, double occupancy, includes full breakfast. Call 800-843-1801 for reservations.

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