I’m a Vermonter who doesn’t ski and has never really wanted to do so. Growing up in New Jersey, I never learned to ski, nor did anyone in my immediate family. I attempted (once) to learn how as a freshman in college, but with rental snowboots cutting off my circulation, I determined quickly that skiing was not for me.

After college, I went to the Middlebury Snow Bowl thinking maybe I could learn how to snowboard. Two feet + one board = less of a chance of a broken leg (or so I reasoned with myself). Although I did better screaming down the bunny hill goofy on a board than skis, I came to terms with the fact that I’ll never be flying down steep, icy mountains, at least on my two feet. (I’m still thinking about tubing…) Nevertheless, I have learned to embrace winter and snow in Vermont through snowshoeing, which offers me ample fresh air, peace of mind and a killer full-body workout.

Oh just a snowshoe selfie on the Trail Around Middlebury…

A few years ago, I bought a pair of rugged Atlas Elektra snowshoes and some Black Diamond Traverse ski poles and have been exploring trails in the Middlebury area since. With our recent snow of 16 plus inches, we headed to the Ralph Myre Golf Course at Middlebury College to pick up part of the Trail Around Middlebury, fondly known as the TAM, for a leisurely Sunday morning snowshoe.

The TAM, a project by the Middlebury Area Land Trust (MALT) that recently celebrated its 25th anniversary in September 2014, is an 18-mile marked loop around the town of Middlebury. The trail is open all year-round and parts of the TAM make for a nice snowshoe or cross-country ski in the woods, as well as hiking and mountain biking in the warmer months.

Snowshoeing on the TAM
We picked up the TAM from the golf course close to the entrance to the TAM’s Middlebury College Trails off of South Street near Porter Hospital. This section of the TAM known as the Blue Kelly Trail, which is roughly 1.8 miles and marked by blue ribbons, skirts around the southern perimeter of the golf course and takes you past the 10th hole before dropping you at Route 30 when you follow the O’Neil Trail toward Route 125 in Cornwall.

The portion of the TAM around Middlebury College

The Kelly Blue Trail snowshoe we did today had some gradual ups and downs with a relatively narrow trail winding through the woods. Due to the recent storm, there was extensive tree damage, which added some adventure to our hike. We were doing the limbo under trees and climbing over others, adding to the full-body workout. Many of the trees in this section of the TAM were small growth but every once in a while we’d pass a massive beautiful old oak. We were hoping to catch some wildlife but there was none to be seen, except for one red squirrel, and lots of rabbit tracks.

This portion of the TAM is well-travelled by cross-country skies and snowshoers, making it quite packed, which was a well-needed respite from the deep snow on the golf course. During our 30 minutes or so on the trail, we passed two cross-country skiers with their well-trained pups who were leading the way and loving life darting through the woods. The full loop we snowshoed was three-and-a-half miles in roughly an hour and enough of a workout to get my wool hat wicking the sweat off my brow.

If you’re visiting the Middlebury area this winter and don’t want to venture to (or pay for) the groomed trails at the Rikert Nordic Center for a cross-country ski or snowshoe, the TAM certainly is a family- and pet-friendly winter activity in and around the town of Middlebury. I guarantee you’ll leave with ample Vermont air in your lungs, mental clarity and a slight physical burn to make you feel accomplished.

Frost-covered trees

A snowy view from the Ralph Myre Golf Course

Trips for Travelling the TAM Like a Local:

• As with most hiking in Vermont, treat the TAM with respect and stay on the trail itself. The trail passes through private property, and volunteers and workers spend many hours a year maintaining the trails for our enjoyment
• Dogs are supposed to be leashed on the TAM. The few we met were not but obviously knew the trail and carried on their merry way without even a sniff of us.
• If you’re interested in a winter hike rather than a snowshoe or cross-country ski, this part of the TAM could be fun for an easy hike without many steep or very deep sections, since most of the snow was packed.