Ski VT Starts Nordic Treasure Hunt
Kids and families who cross-country ski or snowshoe can now join the Nordic Quest on-snow treasure hunt.
Jan 23, 2007
A treasure hunt on cross-country skis or snowshoes. Now, that’s an innovative concept. They call it Nordic Quest.
Ski Vermont and Cabot Creamery have partnered to create this new program. Similar to a treasure hunt, Nordic Quests are offered at participating Vermont cross country centers.
How’s it work?
Traveling on Nordic skis or snowshoes, Nordic Questers follow clues in search for the hidden Nordic Quest box. The box holds a Nordic Quest stamp. Along the way, Nordic Questers learn fun and interesting facts.
Although anyone can go on a Nordic Quest, the program is geared toward 8-12 year olds and their family and friends.
The Nordic Quests available this year were created by staff members at participating Vermont cross country ski areas, including:
- Hazen’s Notch Association
- Highland Lodge and Ski Touring Center
- Morse Farm Ski Touring Center
- Okemo Valley Nordic Center
- Smugglers’ Notch Nordic Center
- Trapp Family Lodge XC Ski Center
- Woodstock Ski Touring Center
As the program develops more cross country centers will develop routes.
School groups can create their own Nordic Quest under the direction of the cross country center for inclusion in the program.
Participants must pay a trail fee, But, otherwise the Nordic Quest program is free.
Nordic Questers should bring a grown-up along for safety.
Clues for each Nordic Quest can be printed from the Nordic Quest section of Skivermont.com’s Kidzone page. Clues are also available at participating cross country ski areas.
To track their Nordic Quests, children create a personalized log book that functions as a diary in which they can take notes on each Nordic Quest they complete, and mark their books with the hidden Nordic Quest stamps from each Nordic Quest.
Nordic Quest Log Book Starter Kits are available from Ski Vermont and participating areas, which include some cool stickers to decorate the notebook. However, a Nordic Quest outing can be undertaken with only a small notebook, or some blank paper.
The Ski Vermont Nordic Quest is based on Vital Communities’ Valley Quest program, an award-winning place-based education program that uses treasure hunts to celebrate community, natural history, cultural sites, stories and special places. Vital Communities is a regional nonprofit organization based in White River Junction, Vermont, that works to engage citizens in community life and to foster the long-term balance of cultural, economic, environmental and social well being in their region.
Steven Glazer of Vital Communities developed Valley Quest based on "Letterboxing," a 150-year old tradition surrounding the Dartmoor National Park in southwest England. "Letterboxing," as this tradition is called, has become a hugely popular pastime, with thousands of boxes hidden in both natural and cultural locations.
