September 21, 2006 – Dear Campers! Lots of news but I will keep this short, as always.

SNOW REPORT: The first snow of the season has fallen on Silver Star Mountain! A big cold front came down (from Alaska) and it snowed on SSM Tuesday night. No accumulation and nothing stayed around long as it is back to clear and warm weather. However, this was merely the first warning that winter is not far off. For the staff at SSM, it is time to get things finished up. For XC Campers, it is time to register for the XC Camps!! You can do this via the on-line registration form on the camp web site www.xccamps.ca

We are moving! The camps will have a new home for 2006. We are moving to the Silver Lode Inn, the Swiss Hotel right on the main street of Silver Star Mountain Resort. This hotel has played host to many visits of the Swedish XC Ski Team, the Swiss XC Ski Team, the German Biathlon Team as well as many others. Heidi and Issi, owners of the hotel, will be our hosts. Heidi looks after the front end of the house while Issi is the internationally certified chef busy in the kitchen. Both are XC skiers and Issi promises to put lots of chocolate chips in the cookies.

XC Trails Work has started on clean-up and rerouting XC trails. There is a lot of construction going on at The Star (check it out on the webcam at www.skisilverstar.com) and there will be new entrances and exits to some of the standard trails. Work is also being done on the link from the Silver Star Village to the Sovereign lake trail system.

Magnar Dalen Magnar is the former national team coach of the
Norwegian and Swedish ski teams and is a member of the faculty of the XC Camps. He has just taken on the job of head coach of the Finnish XC ski team. Magnar will now commute between his coaching duties with a school in Sweden, his wax company (google Magnar Wax) and Finland. Magnar is working on trying to get a couple of his athlets to come and coach on the LSD camps this year. More about this in later updates.

Pre season training. If you have not started on some kind of fitness training, now woud be a good time to do it. Remember, the biggest failing we find in all our “campers” is a lack of upper body strength.

That is all for the moment. If you have cross country sking friends, send this on to them. Encourage them to add their names to our distribution list and come join us at the camps this year. All camp options and prices can be found on the camp web site www.xccamps.com

November 10, 2005 – Dear campers! I can’t tell you how much snow we have had but it is enough that the groomers are having trouble keeping up. All of our trails are open and being groomed with our heavy groomers, something that doesn’t usually happen till the end of november. Skiing is GREAT!!! Check out the Main Street of Silver Star Mountain on the web cam at www.skisilverstar.com {http://www.skisilverstar.com}.

Some of our former campers have called expressing a concern that with all of the World Cup action, things are going to be too busy, too crowded. I want to assure everyone that there is room for all. Between the 65km trail system at Silver Star Mountain and 55km at Sovereign Lake, there are 120km of room for everyone. And the greatest thing of all, you will be skiing in the same place and at the same time as the top XC skiers in the world. Just think, you may be able to pass a Norwegian! (Something I have always wanted to do but could only do so if they were stopped at the top of a hill having a drink).

There is a bit of a pinch on for hotel rooms but still some available as many teams are being booked into the many rental homes here at SSM. However, I would encourage you to book now. There is an on-line registration form on the camp web site www.xccamps.ca {http://www.xccamps.ca}

Mike Mandli, one of our guest coaches, is preparing a presentation and will be hosting a forum on Women and Loppets. The research he has been doing leads him to believe this is a subject that can use some talking about. Mike will be making his presentations during the LSD camps. The folks at the Technique Camps on at the same time will also be able to take part in this discussion.

These camps are for you. Sign up now.

I’m going skiing!

Norm Crear

October 25, 2005 Dear Campers, just a short update that I hope finds you in good health and ready for the XC season.

It is a bit warm in the west but a big weather change is due this
week-end. Everything seems to be right on time. All the trails have
been brushed and mowed and are ready for the snow. We have had the
first few organizing meetings for the Silver Star Mountain Night
Sprints Dec 6. This is going to be an event not to be missed.

The camps this year are going to give all of us the greatest
opportunity of a lifetime. Living and skiing with the world’s best is
not an opportunity that comes along very often. Only at Silver Star
Mountain! Join the 500 or so athletes and coaches from around the
world.

There are a number of events that coincide with the XC Camps. The
annual banquet and auction for the benefit of our National XC Team
will be held the evening of November 26th. Big turkey dinner to allow
us to help our southern neighbors celebrate their Thanksgiving. If you
are on a camp that night, your ticket to the dinner and auction is
included in your package. The next event will be the night sprints
December 6th right in the Silver Star vllage and then the World Cup
races at Sovereign December 10 and 11.

As mentioned in earlier updates, Mr. Magnar Dalen will be joing the
LSD camps and will be available for the Technique Camps from Dec 2 to
Dec 7. Magnar is a former coach of the Swedish and the Norwegian
national XC Teams. He is also an international TD and will be the
Chief of Race for the Night Sprints. Magnar knows and works with the
international teams and coaches so may be able to bring a coach or
two to some of the evening presentations. You can ask him why his new
wax company is producing kick wax at $100 a tube!

The ATOMIC XC Camps are now part of two very exciting XC web sites.
You will see our flag ads on both www.fasterskier.com
{http://www.fasterskier.com} and www.skifaster.net
{http://www.skifaster.net} Click on to both of these sites for the
latest on XC happenings around the world. One site is headquartered
in the USA and one in Canada. If you click on the ATOMIC XC Camps
ads, you will be on the home page of the Camp web site. Once there,
you can pick up the latest updates. Check the weather at Silver Star
mountain on their web site www.skisilverstar.com
{http://www.skisilverstar.com}

If you have not done so already, register on-line for the XC Camps at
www.xccamps.ca {http://www.xccamps.ca} Hotel rooms are going to be
tight so please book as soon as you can.Bring a friend!

Keep the pointy ends forward.

Norm Crear