As many of you may know, there used to be an x-c ski trail that went from Smugglers Notch to Underhill State Park (and from there link up with the Nebraska Notch Trail -> Trapps Family Lodge Trails -> Stowe Trails -> Rt 108 to make a 26 mile round trip). It was called the Madonna Vasa Trail, and was made by, and maintained by the local community. The original trailblazers have now either passed on, or (as one put it) are in their 'joint-replacement' years, and it hasn't been maintained for a number of years now.

I, and several other people, are interested in trying to resurrect the trail, and get it on a firmer footing in the future, and we would like to invite anyone who might be interested (or who has been involved in the past) to come to a pot-luck dinner on Friday. It will be held at Duane and Muffy Howard's house at 3238 Lower Pleasant Vally Road, Cambridge (close to the end where Lower and Upper Pleasant Valley Roads join), at 6pm.

If possible, I am hoping that we can do some trail clearing the next day, Saturday 16th.

Please let me know if you might be able to come to either / both events, or if you can't but would like to be kept in the loop (sara.lourie@mail.mcgill.ca, tel: (802) 585 0223).

Hope to see some of you on Friday / Saturday. Please feel free to extend this invitation to others who you think might be interested.

Stay warm, Sara