FasterSkier

Tag: summer ski camp

  • A GMVS Retrospective: Summer Camp 2 Day 1

    It’s time to look back at some photos and thoughts from our second GMVS Summer camp, which was a ton of fun from the very beginning. The whole camp was held under sunny summer skies, with roller skiing, running, hiking, and more… and of course plenty of trips to the Valley’s various swimming holes! Day 1 was a long hike starting in Huntington.

    We climbed to the top of Camels Hump–no small feat in itself–then traversed some eight miles across the spine of the Green Mountains before descending off of Burnt Rock to Fayston. A pretty remarkable jaunt for sure! Most of the boys and some of the girls were determined to put the hammer down from the beginning, so I only have photos of them from the beginning of the hike and on the summit, but we had a fantastic day the whole way through.

    Our friend Jacob Myerson from CSU at the tip-top.

    Hans just summited Kilimanjaro but he came up Camels Hump anyway, helping to guide the top group with our camp stalwart Dylan Grald. Here Hans stands at the summit with some strong Ford Sayre boys, George Voigt and Sam Merrens.

    The whole gang at the top: skiers from Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and of course Vermont.

    We are lucky to have such an amazing hike right in our backyard, with views to the Champlain Valley and Lake Champlain, to the White Mountains, and to our own Mad River Valley just below.

  • Summer Camp Starts With Fresh Weather

     As we head into our camp season we are grateful for our beautiful valley and humbled by the dynamic nature of recent summer weather systems.  Today we watched the radar closely and managed to have two safe and quality sessions on roller skis.  Yesterday the kids got to escape the heat of the valley as they ascended to the Green Mt Ridge to experience elevational cooling and a strong breeze.
     Afternoon session for Fast and Female gals: four miles gradual uphill.  First two miles on pavement and the finish on smooth dirt.  Cool temps and uplifting clouds.

     A few of the boys stepped it up to a 15km ski.  Dylan Grald led the boys over a cool loop: pavement, dirt, pavement, dirt.  Here is Ford Sayre skier, Adam Glueck, striding over the Mad River.

     Looking down over Phen Basin from Castlerock.
     Engulfed by the grass and experience: Mad River Glen.

     Very proud of our local skiers: Noah Eckstein, Elliot Ketchel, Maddy Strasser and Anneka Williams.  Noah and Elliot are learning amazing orienteering skills of their local hills — combining winter and  summer travels and learning a deep sense of place.
     Heading down Antelope.  
    More travels to come.  Don’t forget the APP GAP CHALLENGE.  July 3rd.  Cash Prize for setting new course record — ice cream party and awards for all!!
  • MBSEF: Fire and Ice Summer On-Snow XC Ski Camp

    MBSEF: Fire and Ice Summer On-Snow XC Ski Camp

    Fire and Ice, the latest cross country ski camp on groomed trails in the US will take place from June 16 to 20 on the trails of Mt. Bachelor. Run by the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation Fire and Ice is the only camp in the US offering the opportunity for skiers to ski on World Class trails with impeccable grooming that late in the year.

    “Skiers around the world are looking for high quality on-snow skiing opportunities in June,” said Lars Flora, two-time Olympian and Head Coach of  MBSEF’s Fire and Ice. “But unless you’re on the trails of Mt. Bachelor, there isn’t a better place in the world with deep snow, on real ski trails, with high quality grooming at a reasonable altitude.”

    According to Dan Simoneau, MBSEF Nordic Program Director who organizes the camp, “Fire and Ice is the latest evolution of camps that have been on the trails and slopes of Mt. Bachelor for over 30 year.  In the weeks and days leading up to Fire and Ice, the US and Canadian National teams and some of the best clubs in the US will be using the same trails. If these trails are the best training for Canada’s new World Champions Alex Harvey and Devon Kershaw and US World Cup star Kikkan Randall, then this is clearly great skiing.”

    “When Lars joined the staff of Fire and Ice a year ago, I fully expected to function as head coach, but once we got on snow, it was obvious Lars would function as head coach because he just had so much to offer the skiers,” said Simoneau. “He’s been skiing these trails from November till June since he was a kid and when he got in front of skiers he just wanted to share all that he has learned.  Lars is a natural and gifted coach that we’re all lucky to be able to work with.”

    New to Fire and Ice is the American Summer Cross Country Championships a sprint relay held on the last day of camp.

    “After a few days of skiing the campers just want to go fast so we added fun race with a fun Championship format this year,” said Simoneau. “We just don’t know if this is the last race of last year, or the first race of the coming year.”

    The 2011 Fire and Ice Summer Cross Country Ski Camp will feature:

    • 15 kilometers of groomed skiing on the trails of Mt. Bachelor.
    • Five on-snow training sessions (2 Classic and 3 Skating)
    • Five dryland training sessions
    • Daily video technique analysis
    • Whitewater raft trip on the Deschutes River
    • Camp t-shirt
    • The American Summer Cross Country Skiing Championships
    • A BBQ with beach volleyball, awards, and prizes.

    Fire and Ice, Bend Camp 2010 will have the following options:

    • 3 day on snow only camp for skiers 8-11 for $325.
    • 5 day Junior Camp for skiers 12-18 for $325.
    • 5 day Masters Camp for $325.

    For more information Fire and Ice 2011 contact Dan Simoneau at dansimoneau@bendcable.com or 541-350-9126.  Registration forms for the Fire and Ice camp are available at  www.mbsef.org/programs/crosscountry/ or visit BendCamp on Facebook.

     

    MBSEF: 563 SW 13th, Suite 201 – Bend, OR 97701. Tel: 541-388-0002 – www.mbsef.org