New Trail Would Connect Profile School to Town Centers

Angela Figallo McShane, a Profile School teacher spearheading an effort to build a multi-use trail from the centers of Franconia and Bethlehem to the school, share information about the effort at the Bode Fest at Cannon Mountain.

One of the things that drew Angela Figallo McShane to the area north of Franconia Notch about a decade ago was the vast opportunity to get outdoors and explore the mountains, streams and forests of the region. When she stepped into the role of physical education teacher at the Profile School, a regional middle and high school, she couldn’t wait to share her love of the outdoors and of exploring it with her students.

Only that outdoor exploration wasn’t as easy as she expected it to be.

Read Meghan McCarthy McPhaul’s story in the Union Leader here.

China Tour de Ski at Changbaishan Luneng Resort

While those of us in the US were ramping up our New Year’s Eve celebrations, the first race of the China Tour de Ski (CTDS) was underway at the new Changbaishan Luneng four-season resort. Located in the rolling hills of Jilin Province – less than 50km from the North Korean border – the resort offers Alpine skiing, a nature park, and a Manchurian cultural village. It also enjoys cold winter temperatures and reliable snow. Maybe most impressively, it also boasts cross-country skiing courses designed to FIS homologation standards, as well as a 30-point biathlon range (under construction) and IBU racing trails. The site currently serves as the Chinese National Team training site, and has hosted the opening races of the CTDS since it opened in January 2017.

Read the rest of the story in the January issue of Faster Skier Magazine here. 

Trail designer sets his sights on Franconia

A local grassroots group in Franconia, NH called the Friends of Profile Trails has enticed Morton to help develop a master trails plan for the region, extending from Franconia to several neighboring towns and tying together existing trails and newly developed paths.

Read Meghan McCarthy McPhaul's November 16, 2017 story in the Union Leader here. 

USA Today taps John Morton to nominate Best Nordic Ski Resorts

USA Today asked John Morton to be one of five experts to nominate 20 Nordic Ski Resorts for their "USA Today 10 Best - Readers' Choice 2017 - Best Cross-Country Ski Resort" contest.

Click here to see the winners.

Morton Trails to Design XC Trails for Albany, NY Golf Course

The 300-acre Capital Hills course outside Albany, NY, has teamed up with the nonprofit Capital Region Nordic Alliance to enhance the trail system this winter. Organizers are particularly eager to lay out options for veterans and those in the Capital Region with special needs or disabilities.

Read the full story from the Albany Times Union here. 

Aerial Video from the 2017 Nor Am Biathlon Championships

Aerial video clips from the 2016 US Biathlon and North American Championships held in Fort Kent, Maine March 24 to 26

Footage from Fort Kent Outdoor Center in Maine, host to this year's North American Biathlon Championships (video courtesy of Max and Tim Cobb). Learn more about the trails at Fort Kent Outdoor Center and the 10th Mountain Ski Club here. 

Trail Building 101

A Question & Answer session with Noah Brautigam, professional trail designer and a former member of the Far West Nordic Elite Team. Noah has moved on from his time in Far West Nordic as ASC Comp/Devo Team Coach and Royal Gorge Ski School Director, and is now a Trail Designer and GIS Analyst for Morton Trails. Noah has designed trails from here in the Far West all the way to China.

Read Spencer Eusden's full conversation with Noah on page 11 of Far West Nordic Magazine's 2017 edition here. 

Dublin Prep School Homologates Trails

Does a secondary school need an International Ski Federation (FIS)-sanctioned race course? Perhaps not, but that’s what skiers can expect when they go to New Hampshire’s Dublin School for the 2016/2017 ski season.

The Dublin School, a private high school in southern New Hampshire, has a brand-new, FIS-homologated 5-kilometer loop, designed by John Morton, and it claims it’s the first high school in the world to receive the FIS homologation distinction.

Read the full story, "Dublin Prep School Homologates Trails for the Love of XC"  at Faster Skier. 

Former Olympian Comes Out of Retirement to Race at Seeley Lake

Seeley Lake ROCKS is pleased to announce that John Morton, former Olympic Nordic Skier, will participate in the Peter Hale Memorial Race to be held on Saturday, February 4, 2017, in Seeley Lake, MT.   Morton is very familiar with Seeley’s ski trails.  He knows the existing Seeley Creek Nordic Trails system well, and worked on the proposed Fawn Creek trail system that is bringing such excitement to the regional ski community.

 “We are looking forward to John’s participation in the race,” stated Noah Brautigam, Race Director.  Morton’s involvement is expected to attract other notable skiers to the race, and the Seeley Lake Regional Outdoor Center for Kinetic Sports [ROCKS] is excited to expand the excellence and availability of the local Nordic experience. 

Read the full story at Nordic Skier. 

Grand Avenue Nordic Center Makes Progress

Duluth—John Morton, founder of Morton Trails, and Noah Brautigam, trail designer and GIS analyst with Morton Trails, visited Duluth, MN in October to continue design work on the proposed Grand Avenue Nordic Center cross country ski trail. Morton made a previous visit to Duluth in May 2015 when he laid out an initial “first draft” for this 3.3 km trail working with Gary Larson, of Gary Larson Sports LLC.

Read the full story on page 15 of Northern Wilds Magazine's December 2016 issue here.