NOTES FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
 
Dear Members of the GMVS Community,
 
It was quiet in the Hobart building as I looked up from my computer to see snowflakes falling - and settling - onto the picnic tables in front of the Library. The brief squall surprised us by sticking around through the afternoon and dropping enough snow to blanket campus. It was a welcomed reminder that Thanksgiving - the holiday that marks the start of our ski season here at GMVS - has arrived.
 
With Thanksgiving comes the natural tendency to take stock, and to reflect upon what we have to be grateful for. We'll undoubtedly express gratitude towards our families, our mentors, and the opportunities afforded to us this weekend at the Thanksgiving table.
 
Equally as important is the act of slowing down enough to see what's right in front of us, to see the silver lining in that dark grey cloud, and to be grateful for the surprises - even ones that produce the unexpected snow storms and make for treacherous drives home.
 
Thanksgiving affords us a unique opportunity to focus on gratitude. Enjoy the upcoming holiday and we'll see many of you at Killington this weekend for the World Cup.
 
Think Snow!
Tracy Keller
Head of School
 
 
SUCCESSFUL COLORADO CAMP KICKS OFF THE NOR AM SEASON

Copper and Loveland were great hosts for this camp. Cooler autumn temperatures meant better and more expanded camp options, and kids took full advantage of the opportunities presented to them.  
 
As we closed out our Colorado Camp, the NorAm season kicked off. Last weekend Loveland and Copper hosted technical events for both the men and women. Snow conditions were excellent and the fields were very competitive with several World Cup athletes in attendance. With nearly 30 GMVS alums and current students on the start list, the Gumbies were well represented.
 
Brian McLaughlin, GMVS Class of 2012, was 
on fire posting two top-10 GS finishes
which earned him a World Cup GS start at Beaver Creek on December 3rd. Huge congrats to Brian! 
 
Other Gumbies in the Top 30 Included:
 
Drew Duffy
Charlie Raposo
Thomas Woolson
Sandy Vietze
Ben Richie
Tucker Marshall
Alexa Dlouhy
Abi Jewett
Ellie Curtis
Sydney Mason 
 
   
NORDIC TRAINING IN SUN VALLEY AND WEST YELLOWSTONE 
 
Nordic Team travels and training have been on point here in the Intermountain West! We are so fortunate to have this opportunity to condition our bodies at altitude for three full weeks and the on snow training has been great since day one in Sun Valley.  
 
The kids are not only getting in solid training, but also learning to live together and stay healthy while traveling on the road for an extended period of time. This is an important skill that most young athletes are not able to experience at such a young age. Long travel days, nightly team dinners, group shopping escapades, interval training, technique work, study hall, hot springs and digging ourselves out of the winter's first legit snow storm all help to teach the kids what it means to be a part of a well functioning, cohesive team. What a way to prepare for the race season!
 
The race bibs go on Saturday November 25. We will be ready! Thanks to everyone for the support back home.
 
Inverness Before and After
INVERNESS: READY FOR ACTION

Snowmaking began on Inverness November 10th and the recent cold temperatures have provided us with several nights of ideal snowmaking conditions. The Sugarbush snowmaking team did an excellent job taking full advantage of these cold snaps to cover the entire trail utilizing all 40 hydrants and several million gallons of water. The recent snowmaking improvements have provided us with the infrastructure needed to open a trail the length of
Inverness this early in the season.  
Swiss World Cup women train at Sugarbush in preparation for the Killington World Cup 
 
Sugarbush matched their snowmaking efforts on Inverness over on Lincoln Peak. Yesterday, the Swiss National Team took advantage of great conditions on Spring Fling for full length slalom training in preparation for this weekend's World Cup at Killington. Sugarbush delayed their public opening until 10:00am to accommodate a two-hour block for the Swiss. Thank you Sugarbush for supporting not only GMVS, but also ski racing at large! 
 
 
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Each week we select a "Photo of the Week" to share throughout GMVS communications. Anyone can submit images! Email images to: photos@gmvs.org.
This week's Photo of the Week from Senior Hunter Kendig:
 "Sunrise in CO as morning training gets going"
 
A FEW SNAPS FROM OUR RECENT ADVENTURES

Check out great photos of GMVS activities on SmugMug, a photo-sharing website where we post pictures from races, games, camps, theater and other weekly campus events.
The website is gmvs.smugmug.com and the password is: GMVScommunity (it is case sensitive).Visit GMVS SmugMug now!
U14s on a hike before heading out West
Nordies taking a dip in Frenchman's Hot Springs
U16 boys enjoying the sunny weather and great conditions
Good healthy food choices for the Nordic boys!
U19 girls enjoying a day off in Frisco
Great weather for training on and off the snow

Jimmy Krupka, Jack Despres, Tim Gavett and Ben Ritchie still training together 

 
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