PICTURES!

Hi All,
Sorry for the delay! Here are a lot more photos from the camp. If we come across anymore we'll be sure to upload them. Enjoy!

LAST DAY!

There is something very serene about the last day of camp. The kids are calm, the staff laid back, and the house more quiet than it has been in a two week span. No 5:30 AM jog to dread, no skis to be tuned. No thinking about skiing tactics or what should be demoed the next day. Just new found friends, spending their last few hours together and hoping that they meet again, sometime soon. Reminiscing about the adventures of the last two weeks and confident they will find more adventures like this in the future.
We the staff are all so happy with how things have turned out these past couple weeks. With 44 kids in all we thought we may be a little over whelmed but the camp ran smoothly the whole way through without any major mishaps. We coached on the hill, played while not skiing, and laughed over dinner. Needless to say, I think all of us had just as much fun as the kids.
It was a great experience for all and we look forward to seeing you next year!

Sincerely,
The GMVS Mt. Hood Staff

(Pictures will be posted ASAP!)

Winding Down...

Another great day up on the hill today, this is where the mileage counts for the upcoming winter season!
After returning home this afternoon, we hopped in the van and drove to Portland. We were met with some heavy traffic, which cut our excursion to the Lloyd Center a little short. The kids got to watch a movie and do a little shopping.

The days are winding down here at Mt Hood! So far it has been exciting to see everyone's skills improving. Looks like another sunny day tomorrow!

July 4th!

Happy fourth everyone!
Today was another awesome day on the hill as usual. We got up to perfect blue skies and blazing sunlight and it stayed like that for the rest of the day. We progressed more into our GS skiing with some gate drill's and finally a short full gate course. Tomorrow we will be doing a longer course with timing.
After skiing we played some games at Welches grade school and then went back to our houses and got ready for an all camp dinner followed by an all camp dance! After the kids had their fill of dancing, we stepped outside to set off some small fireworks as is the tradition. Its been a great 4th and we all hope you had one too!

Mt. Biking

Answering the wishes of camp staff today, sunny weather permitted a bike trip to Timothy Lake! Victor, Alex, Christian, Patrick, Casey, Katie, Annika, Eve, Rebecca, Eli, Justin, David, Jimmy, Tarrah, and Malcolm were all fitted with wheels and a helmet before taking off. The trails were fast, dry, with many technical sections that challenged even the most experienced of the group. With the natural beauty of the area occupying the minds of our riders, there wasn't a single complaint (or technical issue) to be heard! All in all, the group rolled over 15 miles around the lake that lasted 3 hours. Lunch was prepared back at the vans, promptly inducing deep naps from everyone! We are resting heavily and early tonight in preparation for our final stretch of training!

Charlie Powell

Indoor Soccer

For our second day off, a third of the camp went to an indoor soccer arena. We split in to two teams and played a ninety minute indoor soccer game. The facility is a converted hockey rink, so we adjusted the rules to allow play off the walls, nets and no off sides. It was a fast paced and fun game! Afterward, we picnicked in the parking lot and headed home.

Mikki & Megan

Rock Climbing

Today was another great day here in Mt. Hood. A group of us went rock climbing at French's Dome. We climbed for hours and everyone had a blast. Everyone was a little nervous for their first decent from the peak but then realized how much fun it was to be hanging from a rope laying backwards. Some Mac and Cheese and "dodgeball" then movie tonight and getting ready for another great day on the hill tomorrow. Happy 4th everyone!

Thanks
Worm

Day 5

Perfect weather and awesome training! Today we spent the last day on slalom skis training paneled slalom, brush and stubby drills, and one tall pole slalom course. After changing in to shorts and t-shirts, we piled into the vans and headed out for a hike along the Hood River. After that we had an all camp steak dinner followed by an all camp meeting in which we had a question and answer session between the coaches and athletes about ski racing rules and preparation. After a long day we headed back home to go over some video of the kids skiing and some sleep! GS skis tomorrow!

Day 4

Hi all,
Today did not work exactly as planned. We woke up to gray skies and some rain. Rock climbing was out and we didn't think biking would be a great idea with the cold rain. In lieu of those activities we went bowling. The kids and coaches had a great time! There was also a group that played soccer for the day which was just as fun.
Tomorrow we are back up on the hill and working into gates! All exciting! Keep checking back and check out our ever updating pictures.

Day 3

Another great day on the hill today!
We added some brushes and stubbies to the training and we are seeing improvement across the board from all the athletes.
After skiing we all headed to the Wildwood rec park for a BBQ and some games of football, basketball, and whiffleball. Tomorrow we sleep in and then head out in small groups for some indoor soccer, rock climbing, and Mt biking.
Thanks for following!

Camp so far from Sara Kikut

After a warm welcome to Oregon with a pizza picnic outside the airport’s baggage claim, the crew split into their assigned houses and headed to Welches (our home for the next ten days). Upon arrival to our new homes, the kids quickly settled in before dozing to sleep exhausted from the long travel day.

Monday, the kids were woken up at 6:00am for their first day back on snow. The weather could not have been more perfect…well, at least for those of us who wore sunscreen. The beautiful morning was spent getting our feeling back with several drills including “one-skiing.” Tuesday’s skiing had a similar focus. The drills however were assigned more specifically after the coaches had a night to evaluate their athlete’s weaknesses.

On the hill we have adopted to a comfortable schedule to allow limited decreases in energy levels. We get on the hill by 7:30, have a 10:00 snack break, 12:00 lunch, and several water breaks. We have also had the privilege of sharing hill space with the GMVS J1/J2 ski camp of the academy’s top athletes.

Off the hill…we start our off snow time by spending about an hour at Government Camp, the town at the base of Mt. Hood. Here, we are either meeting ski reps and choosing skis to demo, playing basketball, hanging out and meeting new friends, or gaining ten pounds at the world famous Huckleberry diner. After this we head back to our houses for about two hours of down time before dry-land at Welches Elementary School.

Monday, dry-land consisted of a workout circuit with 6 stations of agility, core, balance, plyometrics, and speed. Tuesday, the kids rotated between football, kickball, an agility station, and a core workout.

Monday night the crew met up at Tracy’s house for a camp special, cesar wraps and watermelon. After dinner we had a camp meeting in which we all got to know a little bit about one another. Following the meeting, Tucker Marshall provided the campers with a tuning clinic. Tonight’s agenda is spaghetti and meatballs cooked by our gourmet chefs (each houses dorm parents).

Day 1

Great first day up on the hill! We split up into groups and progressed into drills and got back into the feeling of things. All in all it was a successful first day of skiing. Tomorrow will be much the same plan with the following day getting more into stubbies and gates. So far so good! Click the picture below for a slide show of some pictures we got today!

Mt Hood 2011

Safe and Sound!

Hey Everyone!
After a long day of travel we are all getting settled in. Happy to be here and exited for a good night sleep, as well as a great first day up on the hill tomorrow! Good to be back

GMVS Mt Hood JR Devo camp Begins in 2 days!!

I have put some reminders in bullet points below:

Please e-mail me or call anytime if you have any questions.

802-793-1745

ajulius@gmvs.org

* Vans leave GMVS at 7:15am (be there no later then 7 for loading at the art center)

* If you are meeting us at Manchester (MHT) be at the airport at 10:15am

* Make sure you go over packing list again

* I have attached our camp schedule. I will send out rooming list Sunday evening.

* Please remember we want the kids to have the best experience possible and my experience with this camp is communication home is important but needs to be limited. At most once a day, at best every few days. This really does keep homesickness at bay and encourages kids to make new friends and not feel isolated. We do allow cell phones but never on the hill or at dryland.

We discourage bringing computers.

* We are really excited to work with you kids; they are going to have the time of their lives!!

Here are a few things your kids should all remember!

What to bring and packing hints:

Keep it light and simple. If you can't carry it yourself, don't pack it (the airline will charge for heavy bags or too many bags, you are allowed 2 checked bags each weighing 50 pounds, campers will be responsible for any extra charges). You need a ski bag (which can be stuffed with clothes), one large cargo bag and one back pack. Your back pack will be used as a carry-on bag. This pack will serve as your camp back pack for the entire two weeks. Ski boots should be packed in your travel bags or carried on the plane. Try not to duplicate your clothes, except for items like socks, underwear, t-shirts, shorts. Please be reasonable and bring only what you can comfortably carry. The weather in town is typically summer-like, so bring summer sport clothing for afternoon activities. Ski clothing should be fairly lightweight and roomy enough to allow for extra layers underneath when necessary. It is typically cold in the early morning up on the hill, like winter, but then warms up as the day progresses. Keep in mind that we have laundry machines in each house so pack accordingly.

What to Bring:

1 pair GS skis and 1 pair of SL skis (you will be able to test ski and boots more info on this to come)

GS Suit
ski boots
poles (GS and SL)
ski helmet

Back Protector
SL gear (shin/face guards
back pack
water bottle (camel back)
sunglasses
goggles
sun block
lip balm
running shoes / (dryland workout clothes)
small tuning kit (file guide, file, stone, small amount of wax, scraper)
spring jacket
wind jacket
warm-ups
bathing suit
camera
spring gloves/2 pr.
bike helmet
towel - toiletries
fleece
sweatshirt
summer clothes
Tevas/Flip Flops

Spending Money:

The only things you will need to spend money on are snacks, souvenirs, movies, ice cream, ski equipment you may want to buy...

Laptop computers; There is no need for campers to bring laptop computer including:

(I pads and the like)

Cell phone/computer policy; We do allow campers to bring cell phones, but we will strictly monitor their use. We believe athletes can the most out of their experience by using phones as little as possible.

Cell phones may not be used during any training activities, including ski training, dryland training or off day activities. We will give athletes some time in the early evening to touch base with parents and friends

Phone Card:
We suggest that each camper have a phone card or calling card number. Each house we are staying in has a phone and we do encourage campers to phone home,
however if they call direct we are charged a $15.00 service charge plus the call. Please send your child prepared to call home at your expense.

Again, please feel free to call if you have any questions: 802-793-1745

or e-mail us at ajulius@gmvs.org

Enjoy the remainder of spring and we look forward to seeing you very soon.

Sincerely,
Adam

Welcome!

We are excited to be getting back to Mt. Hood and we are all hoping your kids are too!

This year we have a great staff who are all committed to making this camp one of the best out there! So sit back, relax, and be sure to check up on us daily for updates.