Thank You!

         Fourteen teenagers, 4 adults on a three day nordic ski camp.  Can you imagine finding a date for the camp, a place, forecasting the weather and organizing food/people/timing/cars/equipment/movies/chores/entertainment/workouts?  The fact of the matter is that Susan, Jennifer, Jason and John did a fantastic job in every category.  We managed to get in a winter hike, two VERY LONG ski workouts (both skate and classic) and a VERY EARLY morning run, fueled by restaurant-grade food.  We would like to thank all of the parents who contributed to the food.  We would also like to thank all four adults who came on the trip for donating their energy and time towards making a detailed and very fun camp for our ski team.  We all had a killer time and we have you to thank for it!

                                                                                 -The Merriconeag Nordic Ski Team

Coming home from Christmas Camp

Greetings all!

You will be glad to hear that all skiers are with us and intact - we haven't left anyone behind.  We are stopping for dinner on the way home today and expect to hit Freeport around 7:00 PM.  See everyone at Desert Rd!

Craftsbury, VT

Christmas Camp

Hi All,

Due to the weather in the next 12-18 hours we will wait till the departure from Desert Rd at 8 am to decide the destination for Wednesday.  If Black Mt is open for Nordic we will go there directly, then continue to NH after skiing.  If Black is not open we will go direct to NH and look for a good hike, Pinkham Notch or Crawford Notch makes sense but we can sort this out en route.  We can also check the Alpine hills near North Conway/Mt.Washington Valley to see if we can do a late afternoon ski after the lifts close. Thursday we may have to travel to ski, I think Craftsbury in VT could work as they have a solid man made track.  We could then travel to Rumford, another man made track at Black Mt. on Friday and return from there.  This sounds like lots of driving so if we get the right set up closer to the lodging we could stay put. Please try to remain flexible as we work around the conditions. I am confident we will have a great camp regardless of the conditions, think positive!

Thanks,

John

WEATHER UPDATE...

It will be very cold and windy on Thursday. One site predicts negative 17 with the windchill factor. Bring neckwarmers, dermatone or other skin protector if you have it, and plenty of layers for top and bottom.

See you in the morning!

CHRISTMAS CAMP UPDATE...

Departure: From MWS Desert Rd. parking lot 8 am on Wednesday. Please arrive 10 minutes early to pack cars. (We will take 1 school van, the Neveu's truck, and 1 Subaru.)

Wear ski gear just in case we get lucky enough to be able to ski on the way. Have your water bottle, AM snack, and lunch in the car with you and not deep in a duffle bag. Have your skate boots in a dedicated bag, if possible, to expedite the gear-up if we do get to ski on the way.

Gear:

• Check the more complete list, posted on the blog on Friday, December 23 (titled Christmas Camp Update).
• You won't need roller skis.

• Your skis should be ready to ski on other than needing kick wax.

• If you have them, please bring your own kick wax and cork for classic skiing. This will save a lot of time.

• Bring your Pineland Pass. If we ski at Black Mtn. it will come in handy - free skiing!

• Don't forget to bring some good boots for a walk/hike in the woods.

• It will be mild and then VERY COLD on Thursday. Pack appropriately.

• Please pack your gear efficiently. You may be holding it on your lap!

• Leave your phones, laptops, electronic games, etc. at home. iPods are welcome.

• Please remember to bring your contribution towards meals at the camp.

Return: We'll post an ETA on the blog by mid-day Friday. If all goes well we'll ski until dark and return home after dinner.

Contact Info:

We do have wi-fi at the house, so feel free to email if you need to get in touch. If it is an emergency, call one of the numbers below. We have each skier's emergency contact and health information form. If you have a new cell phone number you would like us to have, let one of the chaperones know.

• Jen: 208-9822

• Susan: 749-8680

• Jason : 400-9290 (don't leave a message)

• John: 807-1919

Please check the blog Tuesday night and one last time before you leave in Wednesday AM.

Monday Practice

Hi,

Lets meet for practice on Monday 12/26 at Val Halla Golf Course in Cumberland at 10:30, bring skate skis.  I skied there today and it was good early season conditions, very thin cover but it works.

Thanks,

John T

Local Skiing

I thought I would report on what I found for local skiing. I skied on the Val Hala golf course and it was good for skate skiing. There is only about an inch of snow (maybe more by now) but that is enough as long as the temperature stays low.  The fairways were very good, not the pathways and rough.  All in all worth checking out.


Have a great Christmas everyone.

John T

CHRISTMAS CAMP UPDATE...

Jackson is grooming!

Plan to bring skiing, roller skiing, hiking, and running gear. John will give a few more specifics soon, but this will give you an idea of what to pack.

• Bedding and towels, etc are provided. However, boys should each bring a sleeping bag.

• Work out clothes for 3 days for the activities listed above. Multiple pairs of socks. Layers.

• Remember hats, gloves, etc.

• Apres-ski clothes for evenings

• Sleepwear

• Toiletries

• Books, games, etc.

• Skis, poles, boots - packed as compactly as possible. Hopefully Santa will bring you a ski bag if you don't have one already!

• Water-bottle holder with a water bottle - ideally the kind that you can wear around your waist that also has a pocket for a snack.

• Snacks for the three days that can be brought along skiing for the day. Bars are ideal.

• Lunch for the first day.

• $51 for trail passes and $20 for dinner out on Friday. $51 for trail passes is probably more than you'll spend, but good to have in case we go to Bretton Woods 3 days in a row. Jackson is more likely and also less expensive. We'll stop for dinner on the way home on Friday depending on how long we are able to ski for, how long it takes to drive, etc. We'll let parents know that afternoon what our ETA will be.

• Remember: Please do not bring any candy, sweets, etc. and leave the electronics other than ipods at home. There will be multiple adult cell phone numbers, which we will give to parents before we leave.

Friday Practice

Note from John:

The weather for Friday AM should not be much of a problem, maybe 1-2 " of snow forecast.  My schedule in the morning may prevent me from being at practice, if I can get away I will likely be late.  For any who can make it I suggest bringing skate skis and skiing the man made section at the Visitor Center. It is a very short stretch but not bad to start the ski year.  Try a few up and backs without poles then w/poles and try the different skate techniques, especially V-2 and V-2 alt.  I will be at practice Monday and Tuesday next week and will send out a plan for Monday on Sunday.
Best wishes for a Happy Holiday to you all and your families. Think snow!
John T
P.S.  If we get more snow than predicted, you may be able to ski on the trails.

CHRISTMAS CAMP FOOD PLAN

The food list is finalized:

Chace-Donahue (3) – 2+ jars each of natural pb+j and 2 batches of cornbread

Burgess - lasagna

McCurdy - large green salad and dressing

Neveu - large green salad and dressing

Pierce (2) - Chili (2)

Roeber - bananas, apples, clementines

Saffier - 4 dozen cookies

Tindall (2) - sliced turkey and 4 dozen eggs

Tupper - tuna salad for 12

Wu - lasagna and a surprise dessert

Breakfast food, condiments, cocoa and tea, etc. will be purchased by me and the cost will be split after the camp.

PLEASE ALSO BRING:

1. energy bars to take skiing each day - at least 6 total

2. lunch for the first day

3. filled water bottle for the first day

PLEASE DON'T BRING: Candy or other sweets. If you'd like to bring a special dessert to share, let me know.

Christmas Camp is coming!

Stay tuned for news on what gear to bring and what food you can make ahead to contribute...

Team Fee

Ski Team Parents --

The Team Fee for this year is $175. You will get a bill from Merriconeag, which can be paid directly to the business office.

We decided not to rent a bus for transportation to races, which helped to keep the cost down. More information on transportation will be posted in the next couple of weeks.

Pineland Pass paperwork

By Monday, December 12, bring in completed Pineland Ski Pass paperwork and give to Susan.

Pineland Pass Application

In order to get a Pineland Ski Pass, which is included as part of the ski team fee, all skiers need to complete a Season Pass Application.  The application includes pass holder information, as well as a liability waiver.  All skiers were given a pass application today and an electronic version was mailed to skiers and parents as well.  Please complete this form and return to the high school office by next Monday, December 12.

*Also note*
If you have one or more ski team members in your family and you also purchase a family pass to Pineland, tell Pineland when you are purchasing your pass and you will receive a $45 reduced pass fee.  Even if you have 2 or more kids on the ski team,  you will only receive $45 off the family pass price.

News for Parents

Parents -

This week your skier was given a ski team discount card to L.L. Bean.  This card is active until the end of February and entitles the card holder to a 20% discount on ski gear, apparel and wax.  Feel free to use their card if you are purchasing something on their behalf.  Also, the cardholder gets 2 free hotbox treatments at L.L. Bean, to be used at any time during the season.  When you shop at L.L. Bean, please thank them for their generosity.

Merriconeag nordic ski ties are available for purchase at both the high school and the grade school offices.  Cost is $5 for one and $8 for a pair.  Please see Lisa or Susan.

Wednesday, December 7 - Ski practice followed by Assembly at FPAC.  See Practice Schedule tab for more information.