Vermont Ski + Ride Magazine

02/27/2026

It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that John Caldwell has died at the age of 97.

Olympian, U.S. Ski Team coach, and author of eight editions of The Cross Country Ski Book, John is widely considered the father of U.S. cross-country skiing, and indisputably the founding father of NENSA.

This weekend, more than 630 children and their families, alongside so many coaches and members of our community, will gather for the Bill Koch League Festival, named for one of the many Olympians John coached. There may be no more fitting expression of John’s legacy than a field full of young skiers discovering the joy and excitement of cross-country skiing.

As we gather, we carry John’s principles and spirit with us. We’ll be sharing more in the days ahead; for now, we hold his family and all who loved him close, and offer our deepest gratitude for a life that shaped our sport and our community.

If John touched your life, whether through coaching, mentorship, a conversation in the wax room, a passage in a book, or simply the culture he helped create, we invite you to share a memory or photo in the comments.

02/27/2026

RIP John Caldwell, who passed away at age 97. In 2018 we had the chance to visit with the godfather of Nordic ski competition in the U.S. at his home in Putney. Caldwell's stories of the early days of skiing in Vermont, tales from the 1952 Olympics (he was drafted from his post on a Naval warship to go ski train in Sun Valley), coaching the likes of Bill Koch, Bob Dunklee and others and hiking the Long Trail with the U.S. Team, plus adventurer Ned Gillette, are timeless.

In 2018 I sat down with John Caldwell at his home in Putney to hear his fascinating tales of the early days of Nordic competition in the U.S., his Olympic ex...

02/23/2024

A tragic story. Pick up a copy of the current issue of Vermont Ski + Ride Magazine to read an interview with Vermont's Search and Rescue Coordinator and a former Stowe Mountain Rescue member, Drew Clymer. The words here and the words he spoke there we hope can save others.

02/17/2024

Born in Stowe, she became a legend as a skier and a mountaineer. Our hearts go out to all whose lives Kasha touched.

Catherine “Kasha Rigbby” was born in Stowe, Vt in 1970. She became the star of multiple extreme skiing films, and

01/26/2024

Sending Mikaela Shiffrin love and prayers for a speedy recovery.

🚨 Mikaela Shiffrin was taken by ambulance to the clinic in Cortina and is being evaluated for a left leg injury. Initial analysis shows the ACL and PCL seem intact. Further details to come.

01/14/2024

We are excited to welcome Victoria Gaither as our latest contributing editor. Her column, "Perspective" debuts in the current issue and it's something everyone should read, especially this Martin Luther King Day weekend.

Eds. note: Victoria Gaither, pictured above, is a contributing editor. This is her personal essay. January 15 is a holiday

01/08/2024

12/04/2023

All that precip? Well, in the mountains we call that snow and it's still coming down. Here's what was reported in the last 24 hours, according to Ski Vermont
Bolton Valley: 7-10" in the last 24 hrs
Burke: 10" in the last 24 hrs
Jay Peak: 7-9” in the last 24 hrs
Killington: 7" in the last 24 hrs
Mount Snow: 5" in the last 24 hrs
Smugglers' Notch: 6" in the last 24 hrs
Stowe: 6" in the last 24 hrs
Stratton: 4" in the last 24 hrs
Sugarbush: 11" in the last 24 hrs

12/03/2023

What a weekend at Mont Tremblant. Mikaela Shiffrin earned third places in each of the two GS races, held on Saturday and Sunday. Italy's Federica Brignone won both with Petra Vhlova and Lara Gut-Behrami coming in second. US Ski Teamer AJ Hurt skied to a career-best 9th overall in today's race and Moltzan finished 13th and 15th.