Fall Camp 2014

We left Bowdoin for Fall Camp 2014 on a bright October day.  Fueled by a stop at Georgio's Donuts in Auburn, we soon arrived at the base of the Sunday River alpine area.  We dodged crazed downhill mountain bikers and rambunctious 8-year-olds as we bounded up the mountain (keeping our heart rates at threshold, of course).  The mountain road proved longer than our workout - only a hardy few reached the highest chairlift, and only Captain DeAngelis summitted whichever peak we were climbing (always hard to tell at Sunday River).  Post-workout, Shelby led us to the Letter S swimming hole, a lovely picnic spot with a vast expanse of smooth, round rocks that were equally perfect for napping or collecting as Phlail prizes.  Afterward, we did a little technique work and a short recovery ski on pristine pavement out to the iconic Sunday River covered bridge.  The boys cooked up a bunch of ham/veggie burgers for dinner, and that was our day.

Waking at a leisurely hour the next day, we headed to Grafton Notch for a long run/hike through the mountains.  The boys parked at the base of Old Speck and immediately began their assault on the imposing mound of granite.  After a brief interlude on the fire tower atop the peak and a high-speed descent, they split up into several small groups, tackling Table Rock, West Baldpate, or (in the case of Tyler and Jackson), both West and East Baldpate.  Meanwhile, the women had fearlessly continued through the notch in search of the Appalachian Trail route up the north side of the Baldpates.  With Sarah at the helm and Shelby navigating, they soon found themselves in New Hampshire, far from their desired destination.  Apparently, Hannah Miller was not involved in the route-finding; however, given her past track record it seems logical to conclude that her very presence was enough to throw the group off course.  Undeterred, they returned to the notch and enjoyed a lovely jaunt up both Baldpates.  The afternoon was highlighted by napping, rock varnishing, and a series of spirited table tennis competitions dominated by Jackson.  After a top-quality meal of burritos courtesy of the ladies, another fine day had come to an end.

We finished off our camp with a nice long rollerski from Locke Mills to Rumford along the Androscoggin River (much thanks to Gould coach Jeremy Nellis for the route).  Pavement was nice (mostly), traffic was minimal (mostly), and the skiers glided down the road as gracefully as clouds floating on a summer breeze.  After a brief post-ski picnic in the parking lot of a local church, we were speeding home through the scenic byways of central Maine - another successful fall camp in the books!