The tour began the last Thursday in January with 23 skiers. The next day there were 30. That Saturday, 40 were out on skis.

But the Manchester backcountry skier had duct tape with him, so after he pulled himself out of the snow, dug out his wooden skis and discovered a broken tip on one of them, he found the splintered tip and MacGuyvered it back together to finish the 15 mile day.

The Catamount Trail was the brainchild of three Vermonters: Steve Bushey, Paul Jarris and Ben Rose. While Bushey was a University of Vermont geography student, he researched the route and obtained landowner permission for access. That was his thesis project. In 1984, the trio skied it end to end and a new trail was born.

The non-profit CTA manages the trail, which is about ninety-five percent complete as various land issues present frequent hurdles, and also publishes "The Catamount Trail Guidebook".

Open to snowshoers as well, the blue-blazed markers with the paw print line the trail from the Massachusetts to the Quebec border. Much of it is on snowmobile corridors, but the volunteer-fueled organization is working to reroute the trail.

The last time the CTA offered the end-to-end tour was in 1990. The idea is to give skiers a chance to ski the country’s longest nordic ski trail in total during one season. Skiers can still sign up for day tours at the organization’s web site (www.catamounttrail.org) and also get advice on trip planning. End-to-enders spend the night at various inns, B&Bs or locals’ homes. A support van carries their gear and the skiers are responsible for their own food, lodging and other expenses. They ski 29 days - with two rest days - ending up at the Canadian border March 1.

"This is not for beginners," said Milks. "This is for seasoned skiers with experience."

Officially, 17 skiers have completed the Catamount Trail end-to-end. Along the way, they ski along rivers, through fields and over dramatic ridges. One of the most popular sections is the nine-mile ski from the Bolton Valley Nordic Center over a shoulder of Bolton Mountain and down into Moscow’s Nebraska Valley. That’s for advanced skiers on February 19. Another popular section is the February 22 leg from Stowe’s Edson Hill Manor with Mount Mansfield views to Morrisville.

On average skiers go about 10 to 11 miles per day, skiing for about six and a half hours.

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Here is one skier's account on this adventure: 

About 10 miles into a ski tour that is to take one month and cover about 300 miles, Frank Wootten was skiing over a series of sharp dips, hit a rock and did a face plant.

That’s not exactly how day one is supposed to be.

But the Manchester backcountry skier had duct tape with him, so after he pulled himself out of the snow, dug out his wooden skis and discovered a broken tip on one of them, he found the splintered tip and MacGuyvered it back together to finish the 15 mile day.

"I take one day at a time," he said. "Am I going to make it? Yes."

Not on those 220 centimeter wooden skis though. In the support van, he had a back-up pair of shorter, metal edged skis.

"Everything is sharp," he said of cross-country skiing in the woods. "It is good for the heart and soul."

Wootten was drawn to the ski for the challenge. He also felt he needed to stay in shape. Last September, he completed hiking the entire Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine and felt it was time for another journey.

"People consider staying in shape by going to health clubs or riding their bikes in the cellar while watching the news," he said. "That’s not the same."

After the CT, Wootten may try hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.

He also sees parallels between the Catamount and the Appalachian Trail: the people.

"There are the people you meet, the social experience," he says. "There is the same thing on the AT. There are trail angels everywhere. They feed you, take you home. It reinforces your faith in human nature."

Even during the cold days on the trails of winter.