Take A Leap: New RKMP director encourages students to step out of their comfort zones.

Bears at Play

Bears at Play

TAKE A LEAP New RKMP director encourages students to step out of their comfort zones.

By Megan Tady

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Lucy Krumsick ’20 woke up in her tent on a damp and chilly October morning in Vermont, and as she crawled out of her sleeping bag, she wondered, “What did I get myself into?”

Krumsick had joined the Ritt Kellogg Mountain Program’s (RKMP) Fall Watch squad in order to introduce herself to New England’s great outdoors. Along with hiking, canoeing, and trailblazing, the program included an overnight backpacking excursion covering eight miles of the Appalachian Trail. As Krumsick shivered and strapped on her 50-pound backpack, her back already aching, she worried that she might not be able to hack it.

“In the first mile, I kept thinking, ‘What am I doing? I’m taking a girl from the Midwest (Kansas) and putting her on a mountain? It’s not where I’m supposed to be,’” she said.

Mile after mile, Krumsick continued to surprise herself. “I just kept walking,” she said. “There was no rush to get anywhere. Everything else disappeared. I wasn’t focused on schoolwork. Everyone was talking and supporting each other.

I am not the most athletic person, but once I got to the top of the mountain, I felt like I could accomplish more than I thought I could. It was so rewarding to see how far I could push myself.”

Krumsick’s experience is music to Jim Norton’s ears. Norton became RKMP director last year and was tasked with leading the beloved program. Founded in 1994 by the Kellogg family to celebrate the life of their son Ritt Kellogg ’85—an avid climber, skier, and Outward Bound leader, who died in an avalanche in Alaska in 1992—RKMP offers afternoon alternatives to traditional athletic team pursuits. Norton has been trying to engage students like Krumsick, who are eager to learn outdoor skills and sports but have lacked the opportunity before arriving at Berkshire.

Will Goldthwaite ‘22 building a planter in RKMP’s woodworking class

Norton also serves as an English teacher, advisor, and assistant coach for the JV boys lacrosse team. Prior to Berkshire, he taught and coached at The White Mountain School in New Hampshire and Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont, where he also led outdoor education trips.

As Norton took the helm of RKMP, he saw an opportunity to introduce the program to students who don’t normally consider themselves “outdoorsy” or don’t typically play sports. He also noticed that many students weren’t aware of RKMP’s vast resources, and he decided to launch a “charm offensive” to raise awareness about RKMP and engage more students.

“I see the value of outdoor education in everybody’s life—in the health of your mind and soul, and in the health of the planet,” Norton said. “I’m working hard to make sure that all students know what is available to them through RKMP.” The program operates out of the Ritt Kellogg Mountain Center, dedicated in the fall of 2017, which serves as a space for pre-trip meetings and gatherings

“I see the value of outdoor education in everybody’s life—in the health of your mind and soul, and in the health of the planet.”

—Jim Norton

as well as a storage space for RKMP equipment, including mountain bikes and backpacking, skiing, fly fishing, and climbing gear. RKMP participants also have access to the School’s indoor climbing wall, canoes, and kayaks, as well as miles of trails on Mount Everett, the second highest mountain in Massachusetts.

Under Norton’s direction, RKMP now offers two options each season. In the fall, students can choose between Fall Watch and mountain biking; in the winter, woodworking and Nordic skiing;

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Bears at Play

and in the spring, Spring Watch and rock climbing. As part of his awareness campaign, Norton has made energetic announcements about RKMP during AllSchool Meetings, sometimes tossing water bottles filled with M&Ms into the crowd; enticed students to attend and cheer on a mountain biking race with the presence of a pizza truck; held an RKMParty with donuts, cider, and a fire pit; and doled out RKMP sunglasses and stickers.

Krumsick, who as a senior led RKMP’s Outdoor Club, says Norton’s efforts are working. “He’s so passionate about making us all aware of how special this place is, and that we should be taking advantage of it,” she said. “We are so lucky to have the RKMP and the incredible gear that we have.”

Megan Mokriski ’21 is another student who counts herself lucky to have discovered RKMP. This winter, she joined the Nordic skiing team, though she had never been on skis in her life. A member of the varsity soccer team in the fall, Mokriski had heard from classmates that Nordic skiing could provide great conditioning. She took a leap, embarking on the “hardest athletic challenge I’ve done so far.”

Nordic skiing includes both classic and skate skiing, and Mokriski found herself struggling with the motion required for classic skiing. “It wasn’t a natural movement for me,” Mokriski said. “It seemed like everyone was already so fast. I’m a really competitive person, and I wanted to be good right away.

My first day classic skiing, I was on the ground more than I was skiing. I had to experiment and figure out the best way to ski.”

Mokriski built up her tenacity and resilience—and her skill level— eventually competing in her first 5K classic race. Much to her relief, she found the race to be a collegial event, in

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Bears at Play

“I am not the most athletic person, but once I got to the top of the mountain, I felt like I could accomplish more than I thought I could. It was so rewarding to see how far I could push myself.”

—Lucy Krumsick ’20

which both teammates and competitors rooted for each other. “Everyone could tell that it was hard for me to do this, so there was a mutual respect,” she said.

An RKMP convert, Mokriski urges other students to step out of their comfort zones. “To get your full experience at Berkshire, you have to try something new,” she said. “If I stuck with what was safe, I wouldn’t have met all my teammates or had the experience that I had. Most of the sports I play I’ve been doing my entire life. Nordic skiing was different. It showed me I can persevere through these challenges, and now I have that skill for life.”

Along with skills for life, RKMP is hoping to instill environmental stewardship in participants. “I don’t think that you could be involved in doing things outdoors in a responsible way without having environmental

conservation be part of your consideration,” Norton said. “To be like, ‘I really love the outdoors, so therefore we should still have them.’”

Students are introduced to the unique tension of preserving the environment while playing, competing, and hiking in it. “Some people say that the best way to preserve the wilderness is to never, ever go there,” Norton said. “We’re saying, let’s destroy this small amount of hiking trail so that the rest of it is preserved and people don’t just crash through the woods.” Last fall, students in Fall Watch and mountain biking re-blazed all the trails on the Mountain.

Ben Cabot ’22 was new to mountain biking and trail clearing when he joined the mountain biking team last fall. “I learned that this is a new passion for me. It changed my perspective on outdoor, in-thewoods sports,” he said. “It’s a ton of fun.”

“Nordic skiing was different. It showed me I can persevere through these challenges, and now I have that skill for life.”

—Megan Mokriski ’21

Team members helped clear trails and learned about the protected areas around the School. Cabot says he now has a deeper appreciation for the work and maintenance required to make a

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Bears at Play

Bears at Play

“It takes two people one hour to make one minute of single-track trails in the woods.

I got to see the behind-the-scenes work of how these trails are made, and now I will always appreciate them when I’m riding on them.”

—Ben Cabot ’22

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Photo by Gregory Cherin Photography

Ben Cabot ‘22 traverses the mountain bike course at Berkshire during a race in October.

trail. “It takes two people one hour to make one minute of single-track trails in the woods,” he said. “I got to see the behindthe-scenes work of how these trails are made, and now I will always appreciate them when I’m riding on them.”

Norton is thrilled to see that more students are taking advantage of RKMP’s offerings. “I hear a lot of alums say, ‘I wish I’d spent more time doing stuff on the Mountain.’ Rhetorically, the Mountain is definitely part of the Berkshire experience and the culture historically. We’re hoping to make it more a part of the everyday, lived culture.”

Krumsick encourages her fellow classmates to join RKMP for one simple reason: “Being outside just makes you happier.” She continued, “Why not take the chance to be outside when you can? When are you going to get another chance to take a hike in the afternoon with some of your new best friends? For a lot of people, RKMP becomes the program they should have been doing all along.” berkshireschool.org/RKMP

For more information and updates on all of our teams, go to berkshireschool.org/ athletics and follow @BerkshireBears on Twitter.

#GoBears!

Berkshire boys cross country captain Harrison Chapin ‘20 placed 12th in the NEPSTA All-Star Cross Country race in November. He also earned AllNEPSAC Division II honors.

Field Hockey After finishing the regular season 8–8 and securing the No. 7 seed in the NEPSAC Class B playoffs, the Bears upset No. 2 Cushing Academy 2–1 in the quarterfinals before falling 2–0 to The Governor’s Academy in the semifinals. Goalkeeper Annie Hauser ’20 and midfielder Catherine Appleyard ’20 were named to the All-NEPSAC Class B team.

Boys Soccer The Bears finished the regular season 10–4–6 to earn the No. 6 seed in the NEPSAC Class A playoffs, but the team was defeated 1–0 by Taft School in the quarterfinals. Tyler Gransbury ’20 and Manny Roldan-Lezcano ’20 were named WNEPSSA All-Stars.

Girls Soccer The Bears earned a spot in the NEPSAC Class B playoffs after finishing the regular season with 12 wins against 5 losses. Despite a 4–1 loss to a strong Suffield Academy team in the quarterfinals, the Bears celebrated a successful season.

Rylie Griffith ’20 and Danni Watson ’22 were chosen to play in the WWNEPSSA All-Star game. Griffith and Chioma Okafor ’22 also earned a spot on the All-NEPSAC Class B team.

Zakiy Manigo ’20 (No. 55) was named to the All-NEPSAC Class B team, while teammate Bobby Searight III earned Honorable Mention.

Photo: Risley Sports Photography

Boys Hockey Berkshire finished the regular season with an 18–7–2 record and earned the No. 8 seed in the Stuart/Corkery NEPSAC Elite Eight tournament. In the first round of the playoffs, the Bears won a dramatic 3–2 overtime game versus No. 1 seed Lawrence Academy. Berkshire lost to Dexter Southfield School 3–0 in the semifinals. Briggs Gammill ’20 and Aidan Thompson ’20 were selected to the All-NEPSAC First Team.

Girls Hockey The Bears won 10 games on the season, including a 3–win, 1–loss stretch in December that helped the team win the Edward G. Watkins Girls Invitational Hockey Tournament (Cushing Tournament). Catherine Appleyard ’20 was named to the All-NEPSAC First Team.

Samantha Takacs ’23 won the Grand Pony Hunter Championship at the 61st annual Washington International Horse Show in October. Takacs, who trains at New Hope Farm in Ohio, earned the title riding Brighton. Photo: Shawn McMillen Photography

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