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Skaters circle Lake Morey’s 4.5-mile track. Photo courtesy Marathon Skating International.
caption Skaters circle Lake Morey's 4.5-mile track. Photo courtesy Marathon Skating International.
Long-distance skating at Lake Morey

By Marc Chalufour

AMC Outdoors, February 2011

LEARN MORE
To learn more about long-distance skating in North America, read the AMC Outdoors feature "Journeys on Ice."

Tight circles and day-glow orange. Those are my associations with ice skating. The circles come from the only skating I've done: dizzying laps of ice rinks and tiny New England ponds. The orange comes from the kind of skating I wish I'd tried. Orange, you see, is the color of the Netherlands Olympic uniforms, and every fourth winter Dutch skaters dominate the long-distance speed skating events.

Skating plays a role in Dutch life that most Americans can hardly imagine. Their winter brings the chance to commute and run errands, take multi-town tours, and race in marathons, all on the frozen network of their canal system. Such skating is also popular in Canada, where frozen rivers create miles of skating possibilities.

New England's undulating terrain offers no such opportunities. However, we need not be limited to endlessly circling the neighborhood rink. Some of the region's larger lakes allow for at least an approximation of the Dutch skate touring experience. Lake Morey in particular is a spot where long-distance skating has caught on.

Located in Fairlee, Vt., Lake Morey is just across the border from New Hampshire, about 20 miles north of Hanover. A 4.5-mile track around the lake is maintained for skating. It's the longest skating trail in the Northeastern United States.

Skaters can enjoy the smooth, uninterrupted ice trail all winter long. An orange spandex bodysuit isn't required, but you might want to rent Nordic skates. Like a cross-country ski boot, your toe will be attached but the heel is free (in fact, some skates are simply a ski boot and binding attached to a blade). If you're traveling from the south, Nordic Skater [http://www.nordicskater.com/] outside of Hanover offers rentals.

The Lake Morey Resort hosts an annual skating celebration, Skate Vermont, with a weekend of workshops and races (the 2011 event is scheduled for February 11-13).

Distance: 4.5 miles
Info: www.lakemoreyresort.com/Skating.html