COVERED BRIDGES HALF MARATHON A Scenic Course and a Great Cause BOOKSTOCK IS BACK! Bringing Authors and Community Together
44 Covered Bridges Half Marathon
By Pamela Brown
A scenic course and a great cause.
50 For Healthy, Vibrant Skin —Naturally
By Pamela Brown
Abigail Zsenai Skinc are focuses on nutrition and wellness.
68 Trout Challenge on the Wautaga River
By Lisa Ballard
A trip to remember with an expert guide.
Photo by Jenevra Wetmore.
21 Central St, Woodstock, VT
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As the first tender shoots begin to peek through the thawing soil, we find ourselves embracing the long-awaited arrival of spring. After enduring a winter filled with bitterly cold temperatures and seemingly endless snow and ice, the warm sun and the gentle breezes are a welcome reprieve. As it’s always been, this season brings a renewed sense of hope and vitality as nature awakens all around us, bringing gifts of colorful blossoms and returning wildlife. Welcome back!
If your favorite seasonal activities include heading outdoors to clean up your yard or plant a garden, consider volunteering for Sustainable Woodstock, a group dedicated to making a better community through promoting awareness, providing education, and taking action (page 60). Some members of their hardworking group grace our cover this issue, so read their story and decide how you can pitch in to help this important effort.
Another great way to take in the natural beauty of the area is to register to run in the Covered Bridges Half Marathon (page 44). The proceeds are donated to charity and also benefit local youth recreation programs in Woodstock, Hartford, Hartland, and Lebanon, so come out, lend your support, and join the fun on June 1.
It seems like everyone is excited over the return of Bookstock this year. Thanks to all the organizers who have made it possible. Read about the details beginning on page 32. And if your idea of a fabulous day outdoors involves fly-fishing, you don’t want to miss Lisa Ballard’s story of her outing on the Wautaga River in North Carolina with Dustin Coffey, 2024 Orvis-Endorsed Guide of the Year.
Whatever you love most about spring, we hope you’re able to spend all the time you want indulging in it. Keep in touch with local news and events at www.greater uppervalley.com. Enjoy!
A full-time freelance writer and photographer, Lisa is a graduate of Dartmouth College who resided in the Upper Valley for another 25 years. She is the author of 13 books, including Best Hikes with Dogs: New Hampshire and Vermont, Hiking the White Mountains, and Hiking the Green Mountains. She covers all types of travel, outdoor recreation, and conservation topics for over 25 magazines. www.LisaBallardOutdoors.com.
Pamela Brown
Pamela has been a journalist for over 20 years and is the founder of PMB Writing & Consulting, providing editorial and marketing services to small and large businesses. She is also the author of Faithful Love, a contemporary romance-adventure novel. In her free time, Pamela enjoys playing tennis, gardening, drawing, and spending time with her daughter Alexis and her dogs, mini Goldendoodle Rafa and Mal-Shi Andy.
Corey is a writer and a graduate of Mount Holyoke College who holds a WSET Level 2 certification from the Vermont Wine School. When she isn’t writing or cooking up something delicious with locally sourced foods, you can find her exploring hiking spots and testing out the best vegan treats she can find. Her work has appeared in Edible Green Mountains, Edible Capital District, The Burlington Free Press, and Local Banquet Magazine.
Stephen D’Agostino
Stephen is a freelance writer living in Reading, Vermont. His work has appeared in local publications in Boston and New York City, museum catalogs, Night Sky magazine, and weekly in the Vermont Standard. He’s always writing a novel and is working with an agent to get his first book published. When he’s not writing, he’s knitting, gardening, baking, or struggling with his ukulele.
Cassie is a writer, editor, and publisher and the author of a historical novel, Lucy E.—Road to Victory. Her roots in Vermont go back almost 200 years and inspire her love of the natural world and history. She lives in Plymouth, Vermont, with her husband and two dogs— an English Shepherd and a mini Dachshund.
Lisa Ballard
Cassie Horner
Corey Burdick
Learn More About Wine at Putnam’s Vine/Yard Wine School
If you want to expand your wine knowledge, learn more about why you like certain wines, or just have fun with some friends, Putnam’s Vine/Yard Wine School is the place to go.
Where to Do Karaoke in the Upper Valley
If you want to stretch your vocal cords, get your friends to embarrass themselves, or hear the next up-andcoming artist, there’s nothing better than a karaoke night.
Make New Friends and Try Something New with a Meet-Up Group
With individual or recurring events, there is something for everyone. Here are a few upcoming events to try out.
ONLINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY
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WOODSTOCK AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
WOODSTOCK INN & RESORT
AROUND & ABOUT
By Cassie Horner
Woodstock Garden Club
Beautifying and Educating the Community
Last July, the Woodstock Garden Club hosted a garden tour featuring four gardens on Galaxy Hill in North Pomfret. About 200 people attended, enjoying time outdoors admiring and learning about a variety of local gardens. This event fulfilled the mission of the group “to encourage an interest in gardening, to aid in the beautification of the town, and to help protect and conserve our natural resources.” It also raised funds for the club’s programs and projects.
It also built on the long history of the club. As far back as 1953, this group was active, as evidenced in a Vermont Standard article that described a successful garden tour event that summer in Woodstock and Pomfret.
“We don’t insist that people be great gardeners but simply have an eagerness to learn and an interest in gardens.”
— Jane Land, President
“We fulfill our mission in many different ways,” says President Jane Land. “Members are very welcoming. We don’t insist that people be great gardeners but simply have an eagerness to learn and an interest in gardens. I’ve been gardening a long time but am more involved now, with a larger piece of land and my kids grown. The more I do, the more I want to do. I learn from my failures. A garden is never finished.”
From top: A beautiful perennial border in Pomfret was seen on the 2024 Garden Tour. The Civic Beautification Committee provides seasonal plantings around town, such as the spring bulbs at Town Hall. Admiring a garden at the annual summer picnic.
The Woodstock Garden Club is very civic-minded. Beautification of the village by members includes planting and caring for the flower boxes on the bridge near the post office, the raised bed at the intersection of Central and Elm Streets, the urns at the library, the barrels at Middle Bridge, and the two large planters at Town Hall. Plantings are done seasonally in spring, summer, and fall, and decorations are added for the holiday season.
The group offers regular workshops and lectures. A sampling includes a pruning workshop, demos of flower arranging, a lecture on dahlias, and a field trip about growing hostas.
The Woodstock Garden Club brings members together socially with annual
events such as a summer picnic and a fall luncheon. “There are new people, and people who have known each other for decades,” Jane says.
The education/outreach work of the club emphasizes supporting various activities and projects in the community. Every year, a scholarship is awarded to a Woodstock Union High School graduate who is going into a field such as agriculture, botany, or conservation.
The group also gives community donations grants, for example to the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce for hanging baskets and to the Native Plant Trust to help care for the Eshqua Bog Natural Area in Hartland. Other beneficiaries include the Rainbow Playschool educational garden and the Woodstock History Center garden.
The community grants are funded by the annual Woodstock Garden Club Plant Sale, which is held in front of the Norman Williams Public Library the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend. The sale features annuals, perennials, and food from the Country Kitchen. People can also sign up for gardening advice— another way the group raises money.
People interested in joining the Woodstock Garden Club can contact Tracy Phillips, membership chair, at tpvt1192@gmail.com or Lois Deenihan at loisdeenihan@gmail.com.
Below left: The Garden Club’s annual plant sale is held on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend on the lawn in front of the Norman Williams Public Library.
Below right: Members enjoy a biophilic design flower-arranging workshop.
Garden Club members gathered for the joyous summer picnic.
Upper Valley Apple Corps
Join in the Fun
Last year was such a banner season for fruit trees that Upper Valley Apple Corps volunteers relieved some of the burden by thinning out pears and apples whose weight was causing branches to sag. By dropping pears on a big tarp under a tree, the premature fruit could be easily salvaged. Some of it was composted and some of it went to the Kilham Bear Sanctuary in Lyme, New Hampshire.
“Bears like pears,” jokes Rachel Kent, “core-dinator” of Upper Valley Apple Corps. The group works hard to bring fruit and nut trees and fruit bushes to public spaces but has a good time doing these joyful and delicious tasks.
accessible places for people to enjoy.”
The goal is to plant and care for edible fruit and nut trees. “The fruit and nuts of everything we plant are free for the picking at libraries, town halls, and other
“The fruit and nuts of everything we plant are free for the picking at libraries, town halls, and other public spaces.”
— Rachel Kent, “core-dinator” of Upper Valley Apple Corps
Upper Valley Apple Corps is part of the Hartford Hub, a collective focused on grassroots food systems resilience. Apple Corps got its start in 2010 with the Raspberry Revolution. “On 10/10/10, there was a big outpouring of climate resilience activity across the Upper Valley,” Rachel says. “The Raspberry Revolution saw about 70 people coming together to plant a bunch of berry bushes in publicly
public spaces,” Rachel says. For example, a librarian may pick a bowl of apples and put it on a desk for patrons to enjoy. “We teach people how to grow food. One of our goals is community building. We empower people to grow food and get to know their neighbors.”
The group offers workshops on topics such as pruning and planting trees. Another effort is the Tree Care Brigade
of nine volunteers who manage the trees, pruning in the winter, conducting health checks in summer, and identifying when the fruit is ready to harvest in the fall.
Upper Valley Apple Corps volunteers also maintain guilds around the trees. Guilds are composed of beneficial plants, such as mint or yarrow, that increase biodiversity and may also serve as medicine or food, attract pollinators that help the trees, or provide beauty.
Upper Valley Apple Corps is open to collaborating with community partners. To learn more about the group and join in the fun and work, visit uvapplecorps .org and hartfordhub.org.
UPPER VALLEY APPLE CORPS uvapplecorps.org hartfordhub.org MORE
Apple Corps volunteers plant a fruit tree at Hazelwood Forest Garden and River Walk.
from
Apple Corps volunteers pose for a photo at the annual winter pruning workshop. Volunteers thin out overladen pear trees at the Hartford Town Hall. Community members share pie made from Apple Corps fruits after a work party. Apple Corps volunteers pass around pizza after a tree planting.
Clockwise
top:
Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society Gala
Support the Care and Adoption of Animals
Good food and a good time in one great event are coming on Friday, May 9, all for the benefit of our four-legged friends. For the second year, the Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society annual Benefit Gala & Auction is taking place at Billings Farm & Museum. The evening features a cocktail hour, silent and live auctions, and a delectable vegetarian dinner.
“Billings Farm is a beautiful facility and we are thrilled to be back there again,” says Jackie Stanley, executive director of the humane society. “This is our largest fundraiser of the year and makes our work possible. We have a really good support base.”
The humane society’s mission is dedicated to providing “the highest level of care and best placement of adoptable animals. . . .”
Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society is celebrating 110 years since its founding in 1915 in Woodstock by businessman Frank Mackenzie in memory of his wife Lucy. At that time, its mission was to care for “abused (and neglected)
Top: Executive Director Jackie Stanley addresses a packed crowd of supporters at the 2024 Gala & Auction.
Above: Yankee Doodle, a previous resident at Lucy Mackenzie, reflects upon her stay.
children as well as animals including horses.” She was known as a practical and caring woman with a commitment to humane work in social and religious activities. Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society was first located in Woodstock Village in a large Victorian-era building, providing shelter for children, cats, dogs, and horses. Fifty years later, the society moved to another location in Woodstock, with a focus solely on animal care.
Today, Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society is located in West Windsor on 12 semiwooded acres. It bears the distinction of being one of the oldest continuously operating no-kill humane societies in the United States.
Milo and Ty, a bonded pair of senior Pugs, enjoy the beautiful grounds at Lucy Mackenzie before being adopted together.
The picturesque location of Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society in West Windsor, Vermont.
AROUND & ABOUT
“We are celebrating the past as we look toward the future,” Jackie says of the 110th anniversary. The humane society’s mission is dedicated to providing “the highest level of care and best placement of adoptable animals. . . .” An important goal is “enhancing the bonds between animals and people through services and education.”
The team of staff, board, and volunteers works hard to ensure that the hundreds of homeless, neglected, and mistreated cats and dogs that come to the shelter each year are taken care of so they can be matched with good, loving homes.
Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society also supports animals and people with a variety of programs such as low-cost spay and neuter clinics, dog training classes, and the Lucy Mackenzie Pet Pantry. Jake’s Friends Fund helps fund necessary medical treatment for animals with owners who are struggling financially. All of these initiatives are designed to ensure that companion animals stay in caring, loving homes.
Tickets to the gala are $150 per person. People can visit lucymac.org or call (802) 484-LUCY for details on how to purchase tickets.
LUCY MACKENZIE HUMANE SOCIETY
West Windsor (802) 484-LUCY lucymac.org
Billings Farm & Museum is the ideal setting for Lucy Mackenzie to celebrate 110 years of serving animals and people in the community.
When it comes to living a longer life, staying physically active may matter more than the number on the scale. According to the largest study yet on fitness, bodyweight, and longevity published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, people who are aerobically fit significantly reduce their risk of premature death—even if they are obese. (Aerobic fitness is determined by how well your heart, lungs, and muscles work together to supply oxygen during exercise.) Being fit reduced the risk of premature death by half for people with obesity, compared to those of normal weight who were unfit.
“This tells us that it’s much more important, all things considered, to focus on the fitness aspect [of health and longevity] rather than the fatness aspect,” says study author Siddhartha Angadi. For most of us, achieving better fitness could mean brisk walks. Walking at a pace where you can talk but not sing is enough to boost fitness, says Angadi.
Your Morning Brew May Benefit Heart Health
DDID YOU KNOW?
Drinking coffee only in the morning reduces risk of dying fromdiseasecardiovascular by 31%.
o you start your day with a cup of coffee? A recent study finds that drinking coffee only in the morning (from 4am until noon) is linked to a 16 percent lower risk of premature death and a 31 percent reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared to people who don’t drink coffee. “This is the first study testing coffee drinking timing patters and health outcomes,” says Dr. Lu Qi. “We don’t typically give advice about timing in our dietary guidance, but perhaps we should be thinking about this in the future.” Experts agree that the timing of coffee intake may influence your circadian rhythm and hormone levels, and the anti-inflammatory effects of coffee may be more effective when consumed in the morning, when some inflammatory markers in the blood tend to peak.
Mud Season Tip: The Proper Footwear Is Key!
Just because it’s mud season in Woodstock doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the outdoors. Whether you’re planning a hike on one of Mount Tom’s many trails or a stroll along the Ottauquechee River Trail, the proper footwear is essential for tackling that slippery mix of mud and ice. Opt for sturdy, waterproof, above-the-ankle hiking boots with excellent traction. Wearing gaiters will help prevent mud and moisture from getting into your boots. When buying gaiters, look at how closely they fit around your boots—there shouldn’t be any loose areas or openings that will let in moisture. They should not be too tight around your legs and calves. Wipe the outer surface of your gaiters with a clean cloth and warm water to clean them after each use. Waterproofing spray will help maintain and reproof the surface.
A Sign of Spring
Fresh asparagus at the market is a sign that spring has finally arrived. When choosing asparagus, select those that are firm with closed tips. In general, the darker the stalk, the higher the concentration of nutrients like vitamins A, C, and K, folic acid, and potassium. To maintain its freshness, store asparagus in the fridge with the ends wrapped in a damp paper towel. Use within a day or two of purchasing.
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Qigong for Pain Relief
The Chinese mind-body movement exercise known as qigong, which uses slow-flowing exercises and meditative postures to ease tension and increase flexibility, may help low back pain. After eight weeks, the practice brought pain relief and better sleep to a small group of military veterans with back pain. (Between 40 and 70 percent of veterans suffer from chronic pain, with back pain the most commonly reported.) Participants also had lower levels of biological markers associated with pain, like proinflammatory chemicals. “Stretching, loosening, strengthening, and balancing techniques of qigong may release back tension, ease pain, and improve flexibility and alignment,” says researcher Cheryl KrauseParello. “This holistic approach addresses the complex challenges faced by veterans with chronic low back pain without relying on medications.”
Stock Your Freezer
Frozen produce is usually just as nutritious as fresh—and sometimes it’s higher in nutrients. While you wait for fresh fruits and veggies to become more abundant at the Woodstock Farmers’ Market, frozen produce can be a great option. Here are a few things to consider:
FRESH PRODUCE
• Picked before ripe, can lose nutrients in transit
• Some fresh produce tastes better than frozen
• May be easier to find local varieties
• Spoils quicker
• Great for quick snacks
FROZEN PRODUCE
• Picked and frozen at the peak of ripeness, retains nutrient value
• Freezing affects the texture of some produce
• More difficult to find locally sourced
• Lasts longer
• Great for smoothies
Attention Gardeners: Don’t Be Too Eager!
ODYK?
Delaying garden cleanup will give beneficial insects a chance to wake up.
nce the days start to get a bit warmer, you may be tempted to get out in the garden. But if your garden is like a soupy mud pie, let it dry out before you step foot in it. Soupy soil is easily compacted, so wait until later in the spring when it’s had a chance to dry out some. If you just can’t wait, start by picking up sticks and branches that have fallen over the winter. Delay a major cleanup until we’ve had several days of 50 degrees or higher— this will give beneficial insects a chance to wake up and give them a higher chance of survival.
Gynecology services closer to home.
Mt. Ascutney Hospital is now pleased to offer comprehensive gynecology services to support you with holistic care, helping you from adolescence through menopause and beyond. From annual exams and pap smears to contraceptive management, we are here for you.
For more information and to schedule an appointment, call 802-674-7217 or discuss a referral with your primary care provider.
Bookstock: Festival of Words
Bringing authors and community together in the heart of Woodstock
By Corey Burdick
Bookstock, Woodstock’s free literary festival and community event, has been in existence since 2009. Bookstock celebrates the written word and fosters community engagement, highlighting a shared love for reading and learning for people of all ages. After a brief pause during the height of COVID and a pivot last year to a poetry only festival led by current Poetry Director Chard deNiord, Bookstock is back for 2025 and will take place May 16 to 18 (rain or shine) around the Woodstock Green and at various partner spaces throughout the village including Pentangle Arts, Artistree, and the Norman Williams Public Library.
Coexecutive Director Jen Belton, one of the original Bookstock planners, explains, “We are scaling back this year to create an experience that will truly delight and thrill all participants, including attendees, volunteers, authors, poets, and workshop leaders.”
Director of Marketing Michael Stoner notes that the festival is “focused on our
community and others in the Upper Valley who love reading, literature, and are curious about life and what’s going on in the world and want an opportunity to engage firsthand with authors, poets, and others who have similar interests.”
BOOKSTOCK’S POST-PANDEMIC REVIVAL
According to Michael, “during the pandemic, Bookstock closed down, but Peter Rousmaniere was determined to bring it
Bookstock has featured writing workshops hosted by professional writers and other experts, such as this one in 2023 led by Joni Cole at Soulfully Good. Photo by Carla Kimball.
Right: Woodstock's Village Green is filled with many activities for all ages, including a used book sale, music, tables set up by small publishers, the festival book tent managed by The Yankee Bookshop, and activities for children. Photo by Carla Kimball.
“We are scaling back this year to create an experience that will truly delight and thrill all participants, including attendees, volunteers, authors, poets, and workshop leaders.”
— Jen Belton, Bookstock Coexecutive Director
back and gathered some dedicated volunteers to help him do so. Bookstock was held in 2022 and 2023, but Peter and the board decided that it would be too difficult for the event to go forward in 2024.”
Michael noted that last year’s cancellation of Bookstock, although the right
decision to make, revealed that a lot of people in Woodstock loved the festival and were disappointed to hear it was not taking place. “Jon Spector, who, as head
of the Woodstock Economic Development Commission, had helped to fund Bookstock 2022 and 2023 and brought together a group of residents to see if
At Bookstock 2019, Benjamin Aleshire, the Poet For Hire, is surrounded by notes while creating one of many poems by request on Saturday afternoon. Benjamin allows people to pay based on what they think the poem is worth.
Photo by Robert Shumskis.
we could bring it back. That group has evolved into the current board and planning team. The new board either lives in or spends lots of time in Woodstock, which makes a difference in terms of recruiting neighbors and volunteers.”
BOOKSTOCK 2025: WHAT TO EXPECT
From a book sale to author talks and workshops to food trucks, there truly is something for everyone at Bookstock. As of early February, there were 10 authors and poets confirmed. “We’re still planning events on Woodstock’s Village Green and around it for Saturday with author talks, music, our famous book sale, exhibitors of various kinds, the festival bookshop tent (powered by our friends at The Yankee Bookshop), and activities for children,” Michael reports. “Artistree is planning
“We’re planning some really interesting workshops, which will take place on Friday and Saturday. All of these have traditionally been part of the festival, and while there have been changes year to year, most attendees wouldn’t notice them changing radically this year.”
— Michael Stoner, Bookstock Director of Marketing
to mount its Unbound art exhibit in conjunction with Bookstock. We’ll have some great poets reading their work on Sunday. We’re planning some really interesting workshops, which will take place on Friday and Saturday. All of these have traditionally been part of the festival, and while there have been changes year to year, most attendees wouldn’t notice them changing radically this year.”
The changes that have been implemented this year largely have to do with organization and efficiency. Some past feedback from audiences and partners included that the program was too large and overwhelming and that there were too many events happening at the same time. “On one hand, a strong program is a good problem to have. But, on the other hand, it meant that some events were crowded and others were too sparsely attended,” Michael says. Therefore, this year, attendees are being asked to preregister for events; that way, the spaces can be tailored to the number of attendees. This
Humorist Andy Borowitz headlined Bookstock 2023 where he was interviewed by VPR's Mitch Wertlieb. Photo by Robert Shumskis.
Left: The Unbound exhibit at Artistree, an integral part of Bookstock for years, features book-related art. Photo by Carla Kimball.
new system had a trial run in mid January for the talk with author Lisa Genova and neuroscientist Melodie Winawer, and all went as planned.
MUST-SEES AND DOS
Michael Stoner, who was one of the original Bookstock planners and has been a friend of the festival and helped in various ways since its inception, says that the book sale, as well as the author talks, is not to be missed. He says, “I love to browse and I’ve found some great bargains in the past, including one of my favorite cookbooks. This year, I’d say that I am most interested in some of the author talks. I know that a lot of people are excited to hear Kevin Fedarko speak. And I think some of the poets will be great!”
Coexecutive Director Julie Moncton adds that this year’s book sale will look a little different. “There were usually 10,000 to 12,000 books on the Green like a rummage sale, but this year, there will be a curated selection. . . . Books were scanned ahead of time to evaluate their worth, so it will be more like going into an antique store rather than a Goodwill
where you just dig and hope you will find a treasure.”
Julie echoed her excitement for Steve Kemp. An event will be held at the Billings Farm & Museum, with Kemp, author of An Exaltation of Parks: John D. Rockefeller Jr.’s Crusade to Save America’s Wonderlands. Kemp will be introduced by Rolf Diamant, followed by a talk and then a walk along the property’s carriage trails.
“There were usually 10,000 to 12,000 books on the Green like a rummage sale, but this year, there will be a curated selection. . . . Books were scanned ahead of time to evaluate their worth, so it will be more like going into an antique store rather than a Goodwill where you just dig and hope you will find a treasure.”
— Julie Moncton, Bookstock
Coexecutive Director
WHAT MAKES BOOKSTOCK UNIQUE
Michael notes that as far as he knows, there are only two other literary events in Vermont. One takes place in Brattleboro and another in Burlington and they are held at different times of the year than Bookstock. “I’d say what differentiates Bookstock is that it’s a real Woodstock event. The town itself is a draw and we’re at the heart of it for a weekend; we’ve got a great used book sale and, of course, a cool name!” For updates and the full program list, go to bookstockvt.org.
BOOKSTOCK
May 16‒18 (rain or shine) Woodstock, VT bookstockvt.org
Poet Chard deNiord reading some of his work at the North Universalist Chapel at Bookstock 2019. Photo by Robert Shumskis.
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From Church to Masonic Lodge and Community Center
Village architecture adapts
By Cassie Horner
courtesy of the Woodstock History Center
On August 3, 1949, a big change took place on Pleasant Street in Woodstock Village when the bittersweet day came for the Christian Church congregation to turn over its building, complete with a Revere bell, to the local chapter of the Masons, a centuries-old fraternal order, for a Masonic Lodge. The brick church with its beautiful stained-glass windows was built in 1827 to serve a growing membership. With a peak of 400 members in 1843, the number of congregants gradually diminished to a low of 76 in 1949, too few to sustain a church intended for 600 people.
The history of the Christian Church Society dates back to 1806 when it was founded in Woodstock with a membership of 36. In August 1826, church elder Hazen purchased a lot on Pleasant Street “for the purpose and that only of erecting a meeting house thereon.”
“It is tragic that a church which had been so influential, so large and flourishing should be compelled to close its doors,” writes Edward Williams, III, secretary of Woodstock Lodge #31, in his A History of the Christian Church, Woodstock, Vermont.
Photos
Top: View of the Christian Church from Mount Peg, late 19th century.
Above: Revere bell in the church steeple.
RENOVATING THE SPACE
By the November 3, 1949, article in the Vermont Standard, work was already progressing nicely on renovating the build-
Alumni dinners, Glad Rags rummage sales, weddings, receptions, community dinners, the Firemen’s Ball, and holiday craft shows all have found a home in the space renovated so many decades ago.
ing, as was fundraising to remodel the interior to its new uses. While the brick exterior remained the same, as mandated by the church, necessary improvements were underway, ranging from excavating the cellar and pouring pier foundations to repairing the framing.
The plan called for creating a second floor within the high-ceilinged former church. This space would serve as the Lodge Room and other space for the Masons. The two main entrances at the front of the structure would open into a vestibule with a stairway leading to the second floor. The vestibule would also access a ladies’ room and a men’s room. The vesti-
bule would open into a “Lounge Room” and small coat room. Beyond the Lounge, a large dining room was served by an “adequate kitchen” in a small frame addition at the rear of the original building. The building gained a zoned automatic heating and ventilating system to properly adapt to summer and winter conditions.
The downstairs of the locally known Masonic Temple is still recognizable in the words written over 75 years ago.
EXTENDING HOSPITALITY
On January 12, 1954, the Masonic Temple was dedicated. Significantly, this date also marked the 100th anniversary of the
Top: View of the church on Pleasant Street. Above: Clockworks.
forming of Woodstock Lodge No. 31, F. & A.M. After a meeting and a supper, the Grand Lodge of Vermont conducted the dedication ceremony. “Since that time (1949), lodge members have done a great deal of remodeling of the interior—so that the temple is now an outstanding structure for the organization.”
Even before the dedication, the Masonic Temple was in use by the public, as mandated by the Masons’ agreement with the church. “In time,” the 1949 article stated, “the building will be opened for public inspection, and from time to time thereafter there will be functions to which the public will be cordially invited,” the Vermont Standard writer opined.
A long litany of organizational uses reflects that commitment. Alumni dinners, Glad Rags rummage sales, weddings, receptions, community dinners, the Firemen’s Ball, and holiday craft shows all have found a home in the space renovated so many decades ago. For example, a Parent-Scout banquet was held there in
Interior of the first floor before renovations.
February 1956. Another news item in the local newspaper that year reported that a duplicate bridge party was held.
That same year, in December, the Woodstock Chapter No. 46, OES (Order of the Eastern Star, an auxiliary group of the Masons), met there. On the agenda was collecting Christmas gifts for the Eastern Star Home. The Ladies’ Aid of the Christian Church had remained active even though the church had closed. The women held their Christmas party at the Masonic Temple in December 1958.
Importantly for Woodstock as a tourist town, the Masonic Temple became home to the Woodstock information office that summer of 1956. More than 5,000 visitors stopped by, representing 39 states, 13 foreign countries, and nine Canadian provinces.
The local Masonic organization has maintained the former church all these years, including restoring the tower, the clock, and the bell. Today, the Masonic Temple retains the architecturally beautiful 1827 exterior, honoring the Christian Church building that is almost 200 years old. The interior continues to extend its hospitality to an active community.
Woodstock Lodge No. 31. F. & A.M.
caption
Covered Bridges Half Marathon
A scenic course and a great cause
By Pamela Brown
(unless noted)
by Nancy Nutile McMenemy
Lace up your running shoes for the best 13.1 miles in New England. The 33rd Covered Bridges Half Marathon (CBHM) is taking place on June 1. “I’ve been involved with Covered Bridges Half Marathon for 25 years, so I’m excited we’ll be celebrating our 33rd anniversary. The community has embraced our event with their support and economic benefit,” says Mike Silverman, race codirector along with Nancy Nutile McMenemy.
Established in 1992, the race is sponsored by CBHM, Inc., a nonprofit that organizes running events and donates the proceeds to charity in addition to four local youth recreation programs in Woodstock, Hartford, Hartland, and Lebanon. This year, CBHM is partnering with other organizations, including David’s House, The Family Place, Positive Tracks, Upper Valley Haven, and WISE. “Their runners pledge to raise a minimum dollar amount, so we have the opportunity to raise money for their individual causes,” explains Mike, noting last year the five nonprofits combined raised $125,000. “We’re proud to have them work together to help each other’s missions.”
Photography
Left: Runners are greeted along Quechee Main Street in Hartford, Vermont. Below: Runners cheer along River Road in Woodstock, Vermont.
“There are many other half marathons these days, but not many take place on such an amazing scenic course. It’s probably the flattest course in Vermont with a few little hills along the way, so it can be fast and challenging.”
— Mike Silverman, race codirector
BEAUTIFUL BUT CHALLENGING
The award-winning Point-to-Point race, covering the best running routes around Woodstock, begins at 8:15am at Saskadena Six Ski Area in Pomfret, meanders through Woodstock Village, and finishes at Dewey Mills Field in Quechee. A new course record was set last year by Adam Martin Caldwell at 1:06:28. The course was uniquely designed around four covered bridges, with runners passing through two of them. “With live bands along the course and community members cheering them on, runners are inspired by them and the wonderful landscape of farmlands, New England homes, dirt roads, and the river,” says Mike. “There are many other half marathons these days, but not many take place on such an amazing scenic course. It’s probably the flattest course in Vermont with a few little hills along the way, so it can be fast and challenging,”
he adds, noting it’s a competitive race that also draws runners not only from Vermont but also from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut, among others. “The race brings in over 3,500 individuals to the area who are introduced to Woodstock and surrounding towns. Many are tourists who come back, and some even buy homes here.”
To maintain its small-town feel, CBHM works with local groups, including the Upper Valley Running Club, and limits the number of entrants to 2,300 general public and 250 nonprofits. “But we expect about 2,000 at the start line,” says Mike, noting that registration is closed, but people can sign up with a nonprofit and contact them directly. “Although we could handle more runners, we don’t want to disrupt the local population and roadways with our spectator traffic.”
Above: Runners head out of Pomfret, Vermont, along the Pomfret Road.
Left : Former race director Bill Blaiklock fires the starting gun at Saskadena Six Ski Area in Pomfret, Vermont, to start a previous year’s race.
Right: Some of the nonproft partner runners pose for a group photo. Photo by Laura Gillespie.
“Being an annual event, the marathon offers many community members something to look forward to, to gather along the sidewalks in the towns we pass through and cheer on the runners. It’s a community race that supports all the communities we travel through and represents the best of what a Vermont community is.”
— Mike Silverman, race codirector
FOOD, MUSIC, AND FUN
The night before, the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce hosts a prerace pasta supper prepared by Woodstock Inn & Resort and local restaurants at Saskadena Six Ski Area. The community food event is serviced by local volunteers from Change the World Kids, a local nonprofit in Woodstock comprised of middle- and high school–age youth undertaking humanitarian and environmental efforts.
To add to the festivities, local bands from the Upper Valley will be playing live at the pasta supper and along the racecourse and at the finish line. An awards ceremony will be held at the finish line and will feature free beer from Harpoon Brewery of Windsor and ice cream from The Lazy Cow of Baltimore. Medals and
prizes along with commemorative Tshirts and hats will be distributed by the Hartland Boy Scouts.
“Being an annual event, the marathon offers many community members something to look forward to, to gather along the sidewalks in the towns we pass through and cheer on the runners,” says Mike. “It’s a community race that supports all the communities we travel through and represents the best of what a Vermont community is.” For more information, visit cbhm.com.
BRIDGES
MARATHON (CBHM) cbhm.com
Above: The pack of runners slowly spreads out along Pomfret Road, heading to the first water stop, which is hosted by the Woodstock Alumni Association at Mile 2.
Bottom: A runner gets some encouragement from her kids at the finish line.
Right: Some of the many school group volunteers pose for a photo before helping out at the race finish line.
For Healthy, Vibrant Skin— Naturally
By Pamela Brown | Photography by Lynn Bohannon Abigail Zsenai Skincare focuses on nutrition and wellness
Taking care of our skin and treating it gently with mindfulness is important. It’s the largest organ in our body and a precious commodity that needs to be kept healthy and vibrant. “Caring for our skin improves its resilience and reflects internal well-being, making skin care an essential aspect of overall health. Taking the time to nourish your skin is one of the most relaxing self-care disciplines you can enjoy,” says Abigail Zsenai, a nationally certified master esthetician and founder and CEO of Abigail Zsenai Skincare & Wellness. Her tranquil atelier is located in a beautifully restored 1800s’ federal-style homestead on the historic Woodstock Green.
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With 25 years of nutrition studies and 15 years in skin care, Abigail redefines the skin care experience, combining science and holistic nutrition to promote beauty from the inside out. “I tailor each treatment to individual skin needs, incorporating clinical expertise, holistic methods, and state-of-the-art technology for a luxurious, transformative experience you would only find in Paris, Milan, Los Angeles, or New York City,” she says. Abigail offers a private, serene, one-onone approach that merges luxury, science, and holistic healing.
A HOLISTIC APPROACH
Her exclusive Red Carpet Facial, incorporating six state-of-the-art modalities,
“Every client’s skin tells a unique story, so I take into account lifestyle, environment, and systemic health when crafting treatments and I prioritize clean, clinical-grade options that are both scientifically supported and ethically sourced.”
— Abigail Zsenai
has earned her a reputation as the go-to esthetician for celebrity-level care. “Every client’s skin tells a unique story, so I take into account lifestyle, environment, and systemic health when crafting treatments and I prioritize clean, clinical-grade options that are both scientifically supported and ethically sourced.” Abigail’s
menu of personalized treatments combines advanced technology, botanical skin care products, nutritional support, and an intuitive healing touch. “I use skin care solutions like ENVIRON, Hale & Hush, and Kypris, which are known for a commitment to sustainability, transparency, and delivering results. All of the product
The atelier is a reflection of refined style that provides a serene setting for luxurious private skin care treatments.
lines balance hydration, protection, and repair while combining the best of nature with scientifically proven ingredients,” she says.
The products Abigail uses in her practice complement her holistic approach to skin care. “Each year, I dedicate myself to earning new education certifications to stay at the forefront of skin care, health, and wellness. This ongoing education allows me to deepen my expertise and offer a broader range of services, addressing not only surface-level concerns but also the underlying causes of health issues,” she says. “By integrating certifications in areas like craniosacral therapy, Ayurveda, aromatherapy, sound therapy, and healing touch modalities, I’ve built a practice centered on efficacy and wholeperson healing. My focus is always on delivering evidence-based solutions that empower clients to thrive both inside
Left: Instantly lift and tighten with microcurrent technology.
Below: Abigail meets with a client to discuss skin concerns and overall wellness using a holistic approach.
Originally developed by NASA, LED therapy has become a revolutionary noninvasive skin care treatment that rejuvenates skin and targets acne, hyperpigmentation, and fine lines.
and out.” With an impressive 3,000-plus hours of scientific skin care education, Abigail stands out as a leader in her field. In contrast, most estheticians complete only 200 hours of training, while cosmetologists receive 15 hours. Her extensive expertise sets a new standard in skin care, allowing her to provide advanced treatments that go beyond conventional practices.
RADIANT SKIN FROM THE INSIDE OUT
Abigail’s clients, many have been with her for over 10 years and who Abigail embraces as family, include women seeking noninvasive alternatives to Botox and fillers and healthy, clear skin. “They desire holistic, personalized treatments to support healthy, radiant, and resilient skin from the inside out,” says Abigail. Her hyper-customized, results-driven treatments and facials use clinical-
Services by Abigail Zsenai Skincare
Hyper-customized, results-driven facials using clean, clinical-strength products
Advanced facials with a combination of one or more of the following:
• Diamond microdermabrasion for gentle exfoliation
• Lymphatic cleansing to detoxify and boost circulation
• Cryo-Therapeutic high-pressure oxygen spray for hydration and rejuvenation
• Biosonic ultrasonic (iontophoresis) to enhance serum penetration
• LED light therapy for targeted skin concerns
• Microcurrent lifting and sculpting to tone and tighten skin
Signature facials
• Signature Sonic Glow Facial with Sound Healing
• Signature Harmonizing Facial with Craniosacral Therapy
• Signature Radiance Facial with Reiki
Massage therapy
Craniosacral therapy
Intuitive life coaching, meditation instruction, and intuitive hypnotherapy
Health and wellness coaching:
• GI map testing: Identifying imbalances in gut health that may contribute to skin issues
• Food sensitivity and gut barrier testing: Proven methods to detect antibody and immune complexes to determine reactivity and inflammation to remove antigens that may be causing sensitivity
• Hormone testing: Identifying foundational support needs in hormones including sleep hormones, stress hormones, and sex hormones
“My mission is to empower women with education about their options for skin care and self-care and to celebrate individuality.”
— Abigail Zsenai
strength products as well as noninvasive technologies such as professionalstrength microcurrent, LED light therapy, dermaplaning, and microneedling.
“My mission is to empower women with education about their options for skin care and self-care and to celebrate individuality. My wellness-centered perspective of ‘pro-aging’ embraces the natural process of growing older as an opportunity for holistic wellness and self-empowerment, rather than conforming to societal pressures that often stigmatize aging,” says Abigail, who notes this perspective celebrates the physical, emotional, and mental growth that comes with age.
After leaving the impersonal corporate world, Abigail sought a career that aligned with her passion for deep
Experience
The Pull of The Current.
At the Woodstock Inn & Resort, creating true connection is at the heart of everything we do. Make your own connection to nature when you experience it with our Orvis® Endorsed Fly Fishing Program.
The Oxylight Facial is a celebrity favorite for events like the Oscars and the Met Gala.
Abigail’s Signature
Bespoke Facial Experience
Step into a serene oasis where mind, body, and spirit align in perfect harmony. As you relax under a warm weighted blanket, the journey begins with a few deep, calming breaths enhanced by your choice of a locally crafted aromatherapy essential oil blend. Abigail’s intuitive healing hands tune into your body’s needs, using subtle energetic techniques to ease stress, support lymphatic flow, and improve microcirculation in the skin. A smooth Gua Sha stone is used to gently smooth and lift the skin while enhancing detoxification. Following an in-depth skin analysis, Abigail selects innovative techniques and highly concentrated, clinical-strength botanical skin care products to deeply cleanse, exfoliate, brighten, hydrate, and rebalance your skin. Emerge with radiant skin, a peaceful mind, and a renewed sense of inner harmony. Abigail’s Signature Bespoke Facial is more than a treatment—it’s a holistic journey of self-care, healing, and transformation.
personal connection and helping others improve their lives in meaningful ways and making a difference. “My passion for health and wellness guided me toward the spa business, where I could combine my knowledge with my desire to create real transformations starting with skin care and integrating systemic health solutions,” she explains. “Leaving the corporate world gave the autonomy to pursue my vision and follow a path that brings me joy and purpose every day.”
UNCOVERING THE ROOT CAUSES OF SKIN ISSUES
Currently, Abigail is expanding her practice to address systemic causes of skin concerns. Her latest offerings include GI map testing, food sensitivity analysis, hormone testing, and personalized nutritional support, allowing her to treat skin issues from the inside out. She also offers intuitive life coaching, meditation instruction, and intuitive hypnotherapy. “By combining advanced skin care treatments with nutritional guidance, I can uncover the root causes of skin issues and support the body from the inside, bringing out the vibrant, healthy skin clients deserve,” says Abigail, who is becoming a certified health and wellness coach to allow her to treat the whole body.
“My practice is about creating a sanctuary where science, intuition, and care converge to transform lives. I love empowering my clients, witnessing their transformations, and building lasting relationships,” she says. “I see how important it is to hold space for my clients to completely let go and relax to allow the mind and body the rest it needs to help balance their nervous system and affect overall health. My work aligns with my values of kindness, compassion, and selflessness, honed through personal experiences.”
Sustainable Woodstock believes in the power of local awareness, education, and action
By Stephen D’Agostino
The best way to introduce Sustainable Woodstock is through its mission statement, which states that the organization exists “to lead our communities through the climate emergency, empowering Woodstock and the rest of the Upper Valley to meet climate commitments and live sustainably through advocacy, education, and collaboration.”
“The part I love,” says Jenevra Wetmore, the organization’s executive director, “is ‘lead our communities through the climate emergency.’ You hear a lot about climate action on a global or statewide level, but local, on-the-ground, community-centered climate action and sustainability work is really what we’re focused on.” Founded in 2009, Sustainable Woodstock continues to focus on climate action, but the organization does so much more to make Woodstock sustainable.
Photos courtesy of Sustainable Woodstock
Volunteers with rhubarb harvested from the community garden, to be donated to the Woodstock Community Food Shelf.
SUSTAINABLE MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS
Sustainable Woodstock spearheaded an effort to maximize the efficiency of six municipal buildings through updated ventilation, heat pumps, LED lighting, weatherization, and all-electric heating. These upgrades reduced the amount of energy the town uses, resulting in savings for taxpayers and a 12.5 percent decrease in emissions.
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION
Have you seen those three blue-bumpered school buses around town? They’re electric and part of the solution, too. Sustainable Woodstock worked with Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission and the Mountain Views Supervisory Union to acquire a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to purchase those buses. Of the nearly $1.25 million in project costs, the only expenditure to taxpayers through the Supervisory Union was $63,000 for charging stations, less than six percent of the total cost.
Because it won’t be purchasing diesel, the Supervisory Union will save as much as $8,000 per bus annually. Less diesel use will result in a reduction in emissions of 11 million tons per bus per year.
SUSTAINABLE IN THE WINTER
At the risk of stating the obvious, windows are drafty. Jenevra notes that the widely accepted view is that “30 percent of the heat lost from a home is through the windows.” Despite this, there are few grants available to people for window replacement. “You’re kind of on your own for your windows,” Jenevra says, “and they’re expensive if you try to replace them.”
But Sustainable Woodstock has a community-powered solution that is free for income-qualifying residents and families. The organization partners with a nonprofit in Maine called Window Dressers. During the summer, volunteers visit the houses of people in our area who want to reduce their energy bills and be warmer in the winter.
The volunteers measure the windows
Top: Sustainable Woodstock's Community Garden coordinator and her daughter cultivate a food security plot.
Above: A student is dropped off by one of three new all-electric school buses obtained with an EPA grant by Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, Sustainable Woodstock, and Mountain Views Supervisory Union.
and those specifications are sent to Window Dressers. That organization cuts wood for frames to the measurements supplied and ships them, the plastic that forms the barrier against the cold, and foam applied to the outside of the frame to ensure a snug fit. The materials arrive in the fall. “We spend a week assembling all the windows with the volunteers,” Jenevra says, adding, “It’s fun.”
Jenevra notes that for 2024, Sustainable Woodstock made 240 inserts for 28 families. Over the three years Sustainable Woodstock has participated in this program, the people and families who received inserts used 7,400 fewer gallons of heating fuel annually. While this partnership with Window Dressers can help sustain people in the winter, Sustainable Woodstock has another program to sustain people in the warmer weather.
Above: Volunteers at Sustainable Woodstock's Window Dressers Community Build hold inserts in various stages of completion.
Right: Window Dressers volunteers add foam to a window insert, the last step in the process.
SUSTAINABLE IN SUMMER
Maybe during a visit to Billings Farm & Museum or a walk along River Road, you’ve seen garden plots and wondered whose they are. These plots, as well as plots at King Farm in West Woodstock, are the Community Gardens, which are maintained by Sustainable Woodstock
BY THE NUMBERS
bles for more than 30 families and organizations. “If you can’t pay for a plot, it’s free,” Jenevra says. “Otherwise, it’s $30 or $40 for a plot. It’s a lovely community space, and it brings all incomes together, which is beautiful.”
In the Community Gardens, Sustainable Woodstock maintains plots for the Woodstock Community Food Shelf.
“We call those our food security plots,” Jenevra says. Last year the organization,
9 years of monthly Green Drinks events, reaching a growing audience with educational community presentations and discussions on sustainability.
8,500 attendees of Sustainable Woodstock and Pentangle Arts' Climate Change & Sustainability Film Series since its inception in 2018.
7,400 gallons of heating fuel saved this winter by residents who have participated in the three annual Window Dressers builds.
305 people growing their own produce this year thanks to the Grow Your Own Garden Program.
UPCOMING SUSTAINABLE WOODSTOCK EVENTS
Fixing Food Film Screening
Streaming April 16–18
Earth Day Celebration:
An Evening with Rev. Mariama White-Hammond
April 23, 6–7:30pm
Sonic Sea Film Screening
Streaming May 28–30
Windshipped Film Screening
Streaming June 25–27
For more information, visit sustainablewoodstock.org /events.
Wheeler, grew about 300 pounds of produce for the food shelf to distribute to its clients.
SUSTAINABLE FOR THE FUTURE
Some of the Community Gardens sit along the Barnard Brook. Though erosion began to undermine the brook’s banks as far back as Tropical Storm Irene, the flooding of 2023 dealt another severe blow. Jenevra shared a photo showing the fence that once surrounded the gardens now dangling over the edge of the chewed-away bank. Two of the plots were also lost. “If the bank continues to erode,” Jenvera notes, “it’ll erode up to the road or the bridge [on River Road].”
Sustainable Woodstock procured a Water Infrastructure Sponsorship Program, or WISPr, grant to combat the erosion. Starting this year, engineers will make the bank’s slope less steep and, hopefully, less susceptible to future erosion. To do this work will require sacrificing even more Community Gardens plots.
Jenevra also shared a photo of the garden taken from the side away from the river. Large, colorful panels formed
Volunteers sort seedlings for Sustainable Woodstock Grow Your Own Garden kit distribution day.
an L shape on the ground around the plots. Jenevra explained these panels are discarded billboards that Sustainable Woodstock acquired to cover the grass as the first step in converting lawn to garden. This year, the ground beneath the billboards will be available for new plots, yielding more fresh produce. This adaptability to climate change is another way Sustainable Woodstock leads in the face of this crisis.
SUSTAINABLE FOR
EVERYONE
Sustainable Woodstock’s efforts and resources are beneficial to everyone. “A lot of our work is to empower the community,” says Program Coordinator Heather Knoll. “So we create opportunities where we’re either providing tools or knowledge for the people in the Upper Valley.”
Above: A Sustainable Woodstock volunteer helps his son put together a Grow Your Own Garden kit of seedlings ready to be given to a local family.
Right: Participants in the free E-Bike Lending Library take the bikes out for a spin.
Every month for nine years, Sustainable Woodstock has held a gathering called Green Drinks, a forum to educate attendees on a specific topic. For example, a recent Green Drinks featured a program by Efficiency Vermont to explain new programs and funding options for weatherization projects and the transition to green energy sources.
“Sustainable Woodstock had a really fun event last year,” Heather says, “where a bunch of our volunteers brought their favorite electric lawn care tools to the Woodstock Green so that people coming to the event could try them out and see which type they liked.” Other Green Drinks topics include recycling, composting, purchasing electric or hybrid vehicles, pee-cycling (yes, it means what you think), and an e-bike demo day.
Sustainable Woodstock also presents its Climate Change and Sustainability Film Series, which fosters a broader understanding of issues that affect the planet. Future film topics include the threats to sea life from human-made ocean noise, sail freight, and rethinking how we eat as a way to preserve the planet.
SUSTAINABLE FOR WOODSTOCK
The issues with the climate are serious. Sustainable Woodstock refers to it as a climate emergency for a reason. News of stronger hurricanes, more wildfires, excessive heatwaves, and repeated flooding could crush even the most optimistic person.
But when you see those electric school buses, when you happen upon the Community Gardens and see residents working side by side growing nutritious vegetables, when you volunteer at a Sustainable Woodstock program or attend Green Drinks or a film screening, you’ll realize you have the power to build a sustainable Woodstock and Sustainable Woodstock can empower you to make a difference right here at home.
It’s Happening in the Mad River Valley
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A Destination of Graciousness in the Mad River Valley
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Exceptional Lodging, Memorable Dining
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Clearwater Sports
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Celebrating 50 years!
Trout Challenge on the Wautaga River
A trip to remember with an expert guide
Iwasn’t planning to fish the Watauga River in western North Carolina, then I got an invitation to go with Dustin Coffey. Last spring, Orvis dubbed Dustin the 2024 Orvis-Endorsed Fly-Fishing Guide of the Year. To get endorsed by Orvis, a guide obviously needs to know his or her way around a fly rod and have a reputation for helping clients reel in fish. What’s more, they need to be personable, encourage conservation, and help newbies get hooked on the sport. Guide of the Year meant the best of the best at all of these attributes.
“It’s like being crowned the heavyweight champion of the world for fly-fishing guides,” said Dustin, who not only won based on receiving the best customer ratings but also the most ratings of any other Orvis-endorsed guide. I wanted to learn his story, and I’m always happy for the chance to catch fish.
Story by Lisa Ballard
Photography by Jack and Lisa Ballard
The author casts for trout under the Dustin's encouraging tutelage.
Dustin Coffey, 2024 Orvis-Endorsed Guide of the Year, helps land a fish on the Wautaga River in western North Carolina.
A large brown trout fins the shallows near the shore.
The author shows off one of the large brown trout she hooked in the Wautaga River.
BACK CAST
Angling, and sharing his passion for it, is in Dustin’s DNA. He didn’t aspire to global prominence among fly-fishing guides, but ironically, he grew up in a place called Globe, a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains with a river in his front yard and numerous streams flowing through nearby Pisgah National Forest. His grandfather was the mentor of his mend.
“We would spend countless days fishing miles of untouched trout waters,” writes Dustin on Orvis’ website. “I learned the simple pleasures of how to find huckleberries and drink spring water through moss . . . somewhere along the way, Grandpa taught me how to entice a trout into eating a chicken feather.”
When I asked Dustin, now in his mid 40s, the obvious question (how he got into fishing), I got more details. He started tagging along with Grandpa when he was six years old. “We called it dabbling, not much more than a cotton string with a little monofilament on the end,” he recalled in what sounded like a homemade version of Tenkara.
“All I got to do at first was carry his stuff, but he would ask me, ‘How would
“Nothing in fishing is reactive. You are a predator catching a predator. Bent rod tips set hooks. Straight rod tips lose hooks. Lift to cast. Thumb up. Set the hook at 85 degrees to 90 degrees. After hooking a fish, assume the ‘fight position’ and be sure to play it on the reel. Trout move from zero to 22 miles per hour in 0.1 seconds.”
— Dustin Coffey, fly-fishing guide
you approach this pool?’” Dustin continued. “When I was eight, he handed me his pole. I almost cried.”
He has fished ever since and has done it professionally for half of his life. Along the journey, he figured out the nuances of his local waters, traveled to other trout streams to get more educated, and developed a slew of Dustin-isms that he spews with an encouraging smile in his friendly Southern drawl. The guy is all confidence with a fly rod—any rod—and he has his opinions about them, too.
THE LESSON
Dustin met Jack and me at the Chetola Resort, a 78-acre outdoorsy getaway in the town of Blowing Rock. Dustin
was the resort’s fishing manager and head guide. Chetola is one of only two Orvis-endorsed fishing lodges in North Carolina.
“Why do you want to fish here when you have a place in Montana?” he inquired as we drove from the lodge to the nearby Watauga River. Dustin had fished many times in Montana. It was his angler’s Eden. He hoped to move there one day. “To fish with you,” I replied. “Well, let’s catch some fish,” he declared as we pulled into a small parking lot behind an old church. We put on our waders
Jack and guide Dustin take a moment to admire a sizable rainbow trout before releasing it.
and strung the rods, but surprisingly, we didn’t go to the river.
“If you can cast in the Appalachians, you can cast anywhere,” he said, handing me a 10-foot, 7-weight rod. “Think of fishing the Watauga as a par five. When I go to the Bob Marshall Wilderness [in Montana], the cutthroats are ravenous. . . . We’ve got big fish, too, browns and rainbows. There’s a lot of them, and they’ve all got PhDs, but you can catch ’em if you know the angles. That’s why we call it angling.”
A seven-weight rod seemed like a big stick for the smallish Watauga River. The waters of the Watauga began on the western side of nearby Linville Gap and tumbled 78 miles to its confluence with the South Fork of the Holston River in Tennessee. It was a freestone waterway where we stood, about the width of a healthy cast if your back-cast stayed clear of the lush, tree-framed riverbanks. Within a quarter-mile of the pickup, there were boulders, riffles, overhangs,
and deep pools. A trout could certainly be happy there.
I considered myself a respectable angler. Since learning to cast a fly rod four decades ago, I had netted trout across the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. Jack was even more experienced. We thought we knew what we were doing, but Dustin didn’t trust our history and proceeded with his lesson.
“Nothing in fishing is reactive,” he began, showing us the Watauga way. “You are a predator catching a predator. Bent rod tips set hooks. Straight rod tips lose hooks. Lift to cast. Thumb up. Set the hook at 85 degrees to 90 degrees. After hooking a fish, assume the ‘fight position’ and be sure to play it on the reel. Trout move from zero to 22 miles per hour in 0.1 seconds.”
The fight position involved placing the butt of the rod along the arm below the elbow, and then wedging the elbow against the body if you needed additional support. We dry-cast over and over, with
Dustin schools the author in how to cast and fight the trout she hopes to catch.
Dustin lifts a 20-inch rainbow trout from his net.
Dustin sometimes grabbing the end of the line as if a fish had nabbed the fly. After a half hour, he thought we were ready.
THE PLAYGROUND
According to Dustin, watauga meant “shimmering water” in Cherokee. Others translated it to “beautiful water.” It’s both. The surface of the river glistened like fine cut crystal as sunlight bounced off its glassy surface. Just below the surface, we could see a hundred sizeable trout! Watching them fin the clear water made my heart thump so loudly I thought they might hear it and swim away, but they simply tread water against the steady current.
I followed Dustin to a spot littered with half-submerged rocks below a lazy riffle. He called it The Playground. Some of the rainbows and browns were over 20 inches long. A few were poking the surface, so he tied a dry fly with a worm dropper on the end of my tippet, both barbless.
“Now don’t go T-rex on me if you hook one,” he said. It took quite a few casts. For such big fish, they sure had soft mouths. I couldn’t feel the strike and lost
a few. Then a fat 21-inch rainbow trout took the worm. It tugged, ran, tugged some more, then jumped with such a jiggle that I had to hold on with two hands.
Normally when fishing, for me the thrill comes from hooking the fish. Landing it mainly serves to see what it looks like before releasing it. Not so on the Watauga. Setting the hook was merely a prelude. The fish fought for so long that I wasn’t sure who was going to tire first. Luckily the fish did.
“It’s a wild one,” claimed Dustin. “You can tell because its fins aren’t worn like the hatchery trout’s are.” According to Dustin, this stretch of the river holds 8,000 trout per mile, a mix of wild and stocked monsters. I had to catch my breath and rest my arm for a moment after we let the rainbow go.
THE CRESCENT
After catching a couple more rainbows and an equally big brown trout, Dustin thought we should move upstream a short way to The Crescent where he promised a chance at even bigger browns. The Crescent was a tight oxbow with a deep pool on the outside of the arc below an overhung bank. We approached from the shallower inside of the curve. Caddis were hatching off the surface, so we naturally put a caddis fly on with the same worm dropper.
With each cast and drift, the trout looked at my caddis but didn’t take it. It was both maddening and entertaining. To the human eye, the natural ones looked
Releasing a trophy brown trout back to the
waters.
Watauga's
Dustin instructs Jack on how to brace his rod to fight a powerful trout.
the same. Finally, a curious brown trout took the worm. Suddenly all of Dustin’s prefishing lessons gelled. Rod snug to my forearm, I played the fish from the reel. It eventually tired. When I finally held that beautiful brown trout, my cheeks started cramping from smiling so broadly. I won’t forget that one.
HUMBLE POOL
As I basked in the pleasure of landing such a trout, Dustin turned his attention to Jack, who had also landed several sizeable trout on his own. Dustin led him to Humble Pool, a section of calm water above The Crescent that ended at a riffle. Countless 20-plus-inch trout finned calmly in the shallow water. Periodically one rose to nab a caddis fly as it hatched off the glassy surface. They looked ready to pounce on whatever we floated by them, but looks can be deceptive, hence the name, Humble Pool. These were the PhDs that Dustin had referred to.
For about a half hour, they were true to their reputation. Then, as often happens, the aquatic dinner bell rang. Jack hooked one, then another and another. What a grand finale to a fantastic day on the water! It was exhilarating and exhausting at the same time.
Back at Dustin’s truck, he offered us each a shot of whiskey to celebrate. We had landed titanic trout in a place where we hadn’t expected to see so many fish and certainly not ones that big. It was a day on the water that we will never forget, thanks to Dustin, who checked all the boxes as the Orvis Guide of the Year. Perhaps that’s the essence of that honor, making other anglers, like Jack and me, feel at home on his home water.
FIND OUT MORE
For information about Dustin Coffey and fly-fishing on the Watauga River, visit chetola .com.
HAPPENINGS SPRING
APRIL 26–27
Baby Farm Animal Celebration 2025
A weekend of fun,andeducation, adorable farm animals!
Animal ambassadors will give guests a chance to interact with animals up close. Rangers from the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park will talk about baby animals in the wild and show their cuteness captured on trail cameras. Children will enjoy story time with a farm friend and interactive activities including yard games and a touch table. Billings Farm & Museum billingsfarm.org
PENTANGLE ARTS
31 The Green Woodstock, VT (802) 457-3981 pentanglearts.org
APRIL, MAY, TUESDAYS
Needlepoint Get-Togethers
Norman Williams Public Library, 10am normanwilliams.org
APRIL 5
Special Screening: Vanish: Disappearing Icons of a Rural America
Billings Farm & Museum, 3–5pm billingsfarm.org
◄ APRIL 4
Cold Chocolate
Cold Chocolate is a genre-bending Americana band that fuses folk, funk, and bluegrass to create a unique sound all their own.
Featuring Ethan Robbins on guitar/ mandolin and Ariel Bernstein on drums/banjo, this power duo from Boston is impressing audiences throughout New England and beyond.
Town Hall Theater, 7:30pm
APRIL, MAY, TUESDAYS
Baby Story Time
Norman Williams Public Library, 10:30am normanwilliams.org
APRIL 4
Opening Day
Billings Farm & Museum billingsfarm.org
APRIL 4, MAY 2
Teen Studio Artistree, 6pm artistreevt.org
APRIL 4
Sean Rowe
Live in the Hayloft Artistree, 7pm artistreevt.org
APRIL 4–13
Sylvia The Grange Theatre artistreevt.org
APRIL 5–6
Cook It, Speak It: Japanese Is on the Menu: Temari-zushi Artistree, 11am artistreevt.org
APRIL 8
Jim Yeager: Identity Crisis
Norman Williams Public Library, 6pm normanwilliams.org
Anything Printed 38 Arborscape 55 Art in the Village 66 Artistree 26
BB’s Bagels 67
BF Southgate & Company 58
Barnard Inn Restaurant 37
Barrie Fisher Photo Studio 66
Bethel Mills 39
Billings Farm & Museum 14
Blue Waters Fireplace & Chimney 29
Boss Yoga & Pilates 38
Carpet Mill 8
Clearwater Sports 67
Clover Gift Shop 38
Collective–The Art of Craft 36
Crown Point 6
Donald J. Neely, DMD, MSD – Hanover Orthodontics 29
Dr. Randy Schaetzke, DC,
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