2021 Preseason XC Camp

Tent City

After a Covid year off, August 2021 found the MVXC team back in the White Mountains for their 17th annual preseason camp. What a special trip - the only one like it in the district and we are so lucky to be able to do it year after year! We returned to our most often used site, Osceola View Campground just outside of Waterville Valley. With few other campers (none this year until the last night), lots of running and hiking nearby, it is the perfect destination (besides the stinky toilets!).

Tuesday

We were somehow able to leave school in record time, arriving at camp before noon. After setting up tent city (26 tents or so!), we were advised of a very frisky bear in the area, who enjoyed human food (though not humans AS food). It had even been implicated in an attempted grand theft auto. After hearing that, we left our fearless chaperone Tracy in charge of bear deterrent and departed on our first run. Up, up, up…the theme of the weeks runs. Swimming upward through the humidity, we lost no one to wrong turns for a change and found an icy mountain stream to cool off in. After lowering our core body temperatures back within reason, we finished the run at the top of Snow’s Mountain, where we all played the downhill 18 hole disc golf course. Once back at camp, we got the ever-present nuke-em game going, ate a big dinner of chicken alfredo, and TRIED to go to sleep. Put a bunch of people who have never been tent camping alone in a tent with an active bear in the area…not much sleep was had!

Wednesday

After a bright and early start with pancakes, we decided to modify the planned 12-13 mile hike over Osceola, hiking the closer 4,000 footer (barely), Tecumseh. Due to tired bodies from lack of sleep, and 100% humidity, this turned out to be a very good idea! It was the first time up Tecumseh since the first MVXC camp, way back in 2004. Apparently and to our disappointment, Tecumseh seemed to have shrunk in his old age, and now was listed as “only” 3997 ft…not even a 4,000 footer any more! No worries, great views of the inside of a cloud were had. After previewing the following days run by descending Waterville Valley Ski Area, the athletes ate fajitas and continued playing all sorts of games, including many rounds of the XC classic, mafia (“I'M NOT THE MAFIA!”). With many board games present, this was easily the most game-playing camp ever. Bears long forgotten, everyone enjoyed a good night sleep.

Thursday

A Break In The Clouds

A new meal, breakfast burritos, got us going in the morning; and what a good meal! The classic run up Waterville was a blast, with a nice gentle tropical rain cooling us off. Sophia flew up the mountain first, followed by Ryan as the first boy. Most runners made it all the way to the top before the turn-around time, even when given the option to turn around early! By Endurance We Conquer! Back at the bottom it was only 1.5 “Irving Miles” (so maybe a touch more than that…) back to Town Square and…ice-skating! No concussions, but lots of entertainment! Ryan in particular, inventor of several soon to be classic figure skating moves. While we were skating the worst of Hurricane Fred’s rain passed, and we warmed up with some Ramen cooked behind the ice arena next to a big pile of Bear doo-doo, the only sign of this so-called bear yet, and it was right in town. Pizza for dinner, lots more games, and a nighttime “bear hike” led to another (damp for some) good nights sle—”what’s that noise?”…

Friday

Awoken by a tumbled over drink cooler of water at 4:30, Coach Irving and Mrs. Irving discovered there really was a curious bear in the area! After touring the perimeter of the camp for a half hour or so, devouring a Reynolds brownie (who can resist?), and discovering a curious new smell besides Alyssa’s tent, the bear finally wandered off to find less-annoying friends. Blissfully unaware, the runners kept sleeping while the Irving’s got an early jump on the day. All good! One last run was in the books for the day, with Ryan and Gage joining Coach Walker on an easy morning stroll back up Waterville (yowzers!), while the rest of the crew ran yet another up/down run of 2-3 miles.

It was a great camp, one of the best yet in my opinion. Great stories, great team building, and a great start to the summer!