Registration is open for the 2013 MVP Health Care Bitter Pill!

It's hard to believe, but we've been hosting the Bitter Pill Adventure Race for ten years now. Thankfully, losing you in the woods just doesn't get old. Read on for details, or go directly to the registration page to sign up.

To celebrate this tenth anniversary milestone, we're happy to announce some goodness for this year's race:

• Lower costs! Entry fees are lower than last year, especially for early registrants.
• Teams of two or three! Top prizes still go to three-person teams, but if you only have one awesome friend, you should still sign up.
• Paddling is back! Tandem kayaks for two, and canoes for three.
• Multiple new (and old) sponsors lined up! Details coming next week, including some good discounts.
• We're moving the race north again, basing it out of the Catamount Outdoor Family Center in Williston.

Boats are limited in both divisions, and early registration rates are definitely cheaper, so sign up soon to reserve a properly-sized boat and lock in your spot. More details, as always, on the site: gmara.org/bitter

From all of us at GMARA, we're looking forward to an amazing race and hearing about all your trials, successes, perseverance, and how you've grown as a result of what your team overcomes in the 2013 Bitter Pill.

Special thanks to MVP Health Care for being our title sponsor for more than half of our ten years. Some tremendous things have come together with their support, and we're thrilled to have them back.

Cheers,
The GMARA crew

The 2013 MVP Health Care Frigid Infliction wrapped up nicely on Saturday, March 2nd. Everyone had a great day in the snow, competing against the gorgeous Bolton Valley backcountry.


The full writeup is here with stories, pictures, results, and thanks to everyone who made it happen.

Registration is open for the MVP Health Care Frigid Infliction 2013!

What: 10 hours of winter adventure racing. Navigate, XC ski, snowshoe, post-hole, maybe a little rope work. Some racers even got to “swim” through the deep stuff last year.

When: Saturday, March 2nd. Race starts at 5 a.m.

Where: Bolton Valley Resort, the best place in Vermont to get three feet of new snow in late February every year.

Who: You and your friends, in teams of two or three.

Why: You love the challenge of skiing uphill, in the dark, in the cold, not quite knowing where you’re heading, and making new friends and great memories in the process.

Why, reason two: This will be one of the first USARA qualifying events for 2013, so if you’re trying to get to nationals, this could be your ticket. Top 3-person coed team gets a $400 sponsorship!

Why, reason three: This year’s Frigid Infliction is dedicated to helping raise awareness of and funds for the Bolton campaign by the Vermont Land Trust – they’re trying to purchase (and conserve) the backcountry land that we’ll be racing on. They need a final push to raise money, and we’re excited to be helping out. So excited, in fact, that we’ve cut costs compared to last year. With a few dollars back in your pocket, we’re hoping you’ll contribute to a good cause.

Sign up now for early registration pricing! Bring your friends, bring your family, bring that co-worker who needs a new challenge!

More information, as always, on the website.

GMARA, the Green Mountain Adventure Racing Association, seeks a volunteer Social Media Manager to build and maintain our online identity, including relationships with like-minded organizations, local and national sponsors and potential sponsors, and interested individuals. This position is ideal for an intelligent candidate with enthusiasm but little experience.

About the Position

As GMARA is a small non-profit entirely run by volunteers, the Social Media Manager will be expected to take the initiative in establishing and growing the organization’s online presence. Specifically, the position involves the following tasks and duties:

• Regularly update the GMARA website and social media profiles with news, events, sponsor information, and photos.
• Promote GMARA sponsors and sponsors’ events on GMARA’s online properties.
• Identify and establish online relationships with related organizations, current and potential local and national sponsor companies, and former and potential GMARA event participants.
• Promote GMARA events and initiatives on appropriate third-party websites.

The following skills are necessary:

• Solid grasp of online marketing strategies and event promotion on a nonexistent budget.
• Thorough understanding of the capabilities and limitations of Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Pinterest, Quora, and other popular social media websites.
• Strong command of the English language, including solid grammar, spelling, punctuation, and editing.
• Ability to use Google Analytics to perform content optimization, research incoming links, etc. to more effectively promote GMARA.
• Must be a self-starter, eager to take the initiative and help a small organization grow.

Additionally, skill or interest in the following is desirable:

• Outdoor activities including hiking, biking, paddling, climbing, skiing, snowshoeing, navigation and orienteering, and wilderness survival.
• A good sense of the organizations, businesses, and facilities related to outdoor activities in Vermont, New England, New York, and Quebec.
• Web and graphic design.
• Advertising design and copywriting.

Compensation

Since GMARA is non-profit, this is a volunteer position without financial compensation. We treat our volunteers well: you’ll receive GMARA swag including race T-shirts; at GMARA events you’ll be entitled to make use of donated or rented facilities or gear; you’ll be fed alongside our racers; and you’ll be invited to take part in any GMARA-run event at a discounted rate.

Further, as a GMARA member you’ll be eligible for member benefits at local sponsor businesses such as Eastern Mountain Sports, as well as national brand sponsors such as Julbo USA and TrailRunner Magazine.

About GMARA

GMARA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization devoted to encouraging appreciation of Vermont’s natural resources and the enjoyment of healthy outdoor activities. Volunteer-run since its founding in 2003, GMARA typically runs at least two adventure races annually in Vermont: the winter Frigid Infliction (the largest winter adventure race in the United States), and the summer Bitter Pill, both of which are regional qualifiers for the United States Adventure Racing Association’s National Championship.

Learn more about GMARA and adventure racing at http://gmara.org.

How to Apply

Please email a cover letter and résumé to volunteers@gmara.org before December 31, 2012. All applications will receive a response.

We are happy to announce that Julbo, makers of some of the best adventure-ready eyewear available, have joined us as sponsors of this year’s MVP Health Care Bitter Pill!

Julbo makes eyewear of remarkable durability, so you don’t need to worry about breakage on the trail. Full-coverage photochromic lenses protect your eyes from sun and stray branches, and from morning to night.

Julbo USA is based is Williston, VT, and they will be providing some of their high-end gear as prizes to our racers.

We’re excited to announce that Ski Vermont has joined the list of sponsors for this year’s MVP Health Care Bitter Pill. You might expect them to sponsor the Frigid Infliction (and perhaps they will), but Ski VT works year round to support the nordic and alpine ski resorts in Vermont – many of which have fabulous programs all summer. Case in point, the Blueberry Hill Inn is a nordic ski center when there’s snow on the ground… but in the summer, they host events like our adventure race and the Goshen Gallop.

In addition to our usual prize pool (including gear from EMS and that $500 sponsorship to USARA nationals) you can expect things like lift tickets to VT ski areas, fischer nordic ski bags, and backpacks from Burton!

We all have friends who would race if they just had a little motivation. Now, you’ve got a reason to motivate them:

For every team you refer that signs up (and pays) by July 4th, we’ll knock $150 off your team’s entry fee! (Or if you prefer, $75 for you and $75 for your friends.)

We’ve still got six weeks until this year’s MVP Health Care “Bitter Pill” and we want to get a few more teams signed up, and hopefully a few new racers. The Moosalamoo is absolutely gorgeous, first time racers will have a lovely day in the woods no matter how competitive they are.

If you’re a long-time GMARA racer who can’t make it to this year’s Bitter Pill, don’t let that stop you from talking your friends into it. We’ll do our best to give you a decent discount on one of our 2013 races.

Fine print: This is not a complicated promotional program, just have your friends mention you in the comments when they sign up. If you refer ten new teams, we’re not going to hand you a pile of cash, but you will get to race for free. We really do need teams to pay us promptly, too – money for shirts (and permits, maps, food, prizes, insurance, massage therapists) has to come from somewhere!

We’re excited to have BEVO catering for the Bitter Pill again this year. Here’s our tentative menu – subject to change, but you can see how awesome it’s likely to be:

Appetizers:

• Artisan Vermont Cheeses, Roasted Garlic, Grilled Bread, Olives and Crackers
• Freshly made Salsas with Crunchy Corn Chips
• Coconut Marinated Chicken Skewers with Cilantro and Mint

Entrees:

• Vermont Cheese Tortellini with Garlicky Mushrooms, Peas and Cream
• Slow Smoked Pork Shoulder with Bevo’s Tangy Sauce and Soft Rolls
• Classic Potato Salad with Hard Boiled Eggs, Parsley & Scallions
• Baby Greens with Carrots, Celery & Ginger Vinaigrette

We’ll have something sweet for dessert, and a decent bar. Kathleen has promised Vermont favorite Switchback beer will be available, too!

Registration is now open for this year’s MVP Health Care Bitter Pill!

The registration form can be found here and there are more details as well.

We’ll be back at the Blueberry Hill Inn in the middle of the gorgeous Moosalamoo National Recreation Area. If you haven’t seen this part of Vermont, you’re missing out – and those who joined us last year know just how picturesque (and challenging) the terrain can be. You may want to check out their promotional video of the area – if you raced last year, you might see yourself in a couple shots.

Blueberry Hill is giving racers a great discount on rooms, and they’re offering camping on their property again. We (the race directors and volunteers) loved staying there – the pre-race breakfast was an awesome way to start the day. They do require a two-night stay, but anyone who stays at the inn gets breakfast the next morning, and a chance to hang out with course designers discussing all the fun we put you through. (And if 12 hours of racing isn’t enough for you, after breakfast on Sunday we all go out to retrieve flags from checkpoints!)

We’re planning to have Bevo catering the post-race party again, so you can look forward to another fantastic locally-sourced meal. When we finalize our menu we’ll post it here.

Sign up soon to reserve your spot and take advantage of the early registration rates!

Those of you who are frequent visitors will notice a marked improvement in the structure and layout of the entire GMARA website. Shawn Freebern and David Coutu have put in numerous hours to update pretty much everything. In addition to what you can see, there are several key changes behind the scenes to make facilitating the site more straightforward as well.

Please let us know your thoughts or any issues; we would love feedback on the updates. Thanks again to Shawn and David for all their efforts!