ADDISON COUNTY — Winter in Vermont is unique. From the frequent snowstorms to the long days spent on the slopes, people travel from all over New England just to get a taste of the wonder that exists here in Vermont’s simple landscape. Between the Vermont towns of Middlebury and Winooski, however, there lies a special sort of winter magic that exists nowhere else in the state. The magic comes in the form of a bond, created between young girls and young women, a magic rooted in the simple act of playing sports. That magic is Stride.
MIDDLEBURY — Some know him from the ski slopes, some know him from the pool, I met him at the ACTR bus stop downtown. Dressed in worn jeans, a brown jacket and a black ski mask pulled up over his entire face, Herb Gingrich was the typical Vermont skier, or so I thought.
Little did I know that beneath that ski mask was no common man; underneath those layers was a resilient hero.
SHOREHAM — I hear the howls before I can even see Lissy Heminway’s house in Shoreham. Their loud cries reverberate off the trees and into my ears, making me think I’m entering into some kind of coyote reserve.
As my car pulls up to the house on Shacksboro Road and I see the huge pen of 12 or so dogs hugging the fence, I remember where I am. Today I’m going dog sledding.
