Fall Camp 2015

Fall Camp 2015 was one of the best camps we've ever had - three perfect days in the Sugarloaf area.  The location was perfect, the fall colors were stunning, and the team crushed the workouts - good energy and good times.

We started off our break with a pre-camp trip to Morse Mountain for some beach skiing intervals - a warmup for the rugged workouts to come.

 The next morning, we drove to the mountains for the Sugarloaf Uphill Climb - the first time we've done this race since 2008.  About half the team raced while the other half did a tough bounding workout.  After years of finishing second in this event, Tim finally broke through and took the win, adding to a proud Bowdoin Nordic history of coach victories in the Uphill Climb.  Ellie rocked it for a third place women's finish, with Sam as our top man in seventh.  We closed out the day with an recovery jog on the nordic ski trails with the late afternoon sun lighting up the fall colors - perfect.  The men made a nice pasta dinner, volunteer assistant coach Tara Whiton gave a talk about sports nutrition, and everyone went to bed tired and happy.

On Monday the team got a little crazy.  I had planned to have the crew do a long hike/run on a section of the Bigelows, but a few people decided that they wanted to do the whole range - 18+ miles over one of the most rugged ranges in the northeast.  Next thing I knew, nearly the whole team was on board.  This was a bit scary for me, but I love it when our skiers want to challenge themselves, so I wasn't going to say no.  We worked out a plan with multiple bailout points, and the team started hiking from the Stratton trailhead early in the morning.  Old friends Tyler DeAngelis and Jackson Bloch joined the group and set a brisk pace at the front, while Tim and Tara served as sweepers.  I hiked up Firewarden's Trail to meet the group halfway through with water refills - I met the men on top of West Bigelow, and I couldn't believe how fast they were moving.  The women were a bit behind, having stopped for a swim in Horns Pond, but they were making good time as well.  After refilling everyone's bottles, I absolutely hauled down the Horns Pond Trail and back to the van so I could drive to the finish at Flagstaff Lake to meet the boys - despite my best efforts, they beat me to the end, completing the whole traverse in under 5 1/2 hours.  The women finished in about 7 1/2 hours and still had enough energy to go for a swim, go grocery shopping, and cook a tasty dinner of huevos rancheros and apple crisp that evening.  Overall, a day to be proud of - a very impressive effort by everyone.

 Our final camp workout on Tuesday was pretty tame by comparison - we did a classic OD ski on the Long Falls Dam Rd, a Fall Camp staple.  Traffic was minimal, the pavement was perfect almost everywhere, and the overcast sky made the colors pop.  The group was chatty and having fun, but they were still locked in and skiing well.  Tim and I chased them around in the van, filming and giving technique feedback - we were very happy with how the group was skiing.  Overall, a perfect ending to a really successful camp.  Many thanks to Alison Welch '85 and Bob Bass '79 for letting us use their respective condos - this camp would not have been possible without their help!