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Or if you're super patient and don't even know what TLDR means, here's the full story…
Ever since the very first years of our Orcas races James has dreamt of the fun that could be had if the races were based out of Doe Bay Resort. In 20 years of visiting Orcas and staying at all of the different hostels, hotels, inns, cabins and resorts the island has to offer, none have felt more aligned with the Rainshadow way of doing things than Doe Bay Resort. From the support of the arts, support of the community and support of the planet all while doing it with style and creativity, Doe Bay sets a high standard for providing quality experiences.
We've loved having our Orcas 50K and 25K races based out of Camp Moran and our 100 miler and the brand new Orcas Island Stage Race & Retreat will continue to be hosted from there. But the 50K and 25K have outgrown the available parking available there at Camp Moran and when we went looking for a new home Doe Bay was naturally our first choice! And thanks to the staff there at the resort, some of their neighbors and the staff at the park we have been able to figure out how to make the logistics work, most importantly the route to/from Doe Bay and the trails at Moran. After trying various routes we've been able to secure permissions to run from Doe Bay to the South East Boundary Trail via a mix of dirt and paved low-traffic backroads. From the shores of Doe Bay to the park boundary it's only 1 mile via our route with only half of that paved. This route was key to being able to make the move out of the park and we think all the pros outweigh any of the cons.
Another essential ingredient in reimaging how we do these races is the race course itself. Fortunately we've been able to come up with routes that still hit all the highlights: Cascade Falls, Cascade Lake, the North Boundary Trail, Mt Constitution, Mountain Lake and of course the Powerline! The 50K will also get to visit Mt Pickett, "the shack", Twin Lakes, the Lagoon and "Gnome Village" too! The 50K will be a little "easier" than past versions with "only" 7,200ft of gain and but don't worry the 25K will be just as hard as ever with 4,300ft of gain. Four aid stations for the 50 and 2 aid stations for the 25. And with the move to June, snow is unlikely (though with our track record we're not gonna rule it out! haha) and the days are warmer and longer so we'll be able to give folks more time to complete the courses: 12 hours for the 50K and 8 hours for the 25K! For the past few years we've been trying to give folks more time so more folks can have a shot at finishing. No one likes DNFs!
With all the changes things will be different. But we think it's a lot better than not. And we truly believe that this will carry on the traditions these races started where our events are "parties with a little running thrown in" where folks can unwind, unplug, and connect with their trail family. We encourage you to sign up, grab one of the cabins or yurts or camp sites and make your plans to come out and join us at Doe Bay! There is a three night minimum for the accommodations at Doe Bay during their busy season and we think that's great! We actually encourage you to take them up on their offer to give you 50% off on any extra nights you book and really make this a vacation. And as awesome as Doe Bay is Orcas is an amazing place, especially in June, and we hope you'll join us there!
Ok all the other details you need are on the website and in the registration page. So what are you waiting for? :)
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