Expedition Alaska 2015 Update March 27 Only 92 days to go, ladies and gentlemen! Here are some updates for the race logistics and a couple of apologies… Flights: We’re very sorry to announce that despite our best efforts, we were not able to conclude a deal with jet Blue as of this date. The group flights were only from Seattle or Portland at specific times. We are continuing to pursue other options, but don’t have anything to offer at this time. Weather: The average temperatures range between 64 & 48 degrees, and you should have PLENTY of daylight… Sunset will be around 11:15 pm and full on sunrise is before 4:00 am, but it never gets fully dark. Usually partly cloudy, some chance of light precipitation somewhere on the course, and about 63% humidity… only about 8 mph average wind, so almost perfect weather for racing. Transportation and Lodging: We are asking all racers to arrive on June 24, if possible, into ANC. If you come in earlier on the 24th, or the 23rd, we may be able to arrange local transportation for you to do any errands or last minute shopping in Anchorage. One we leave Anchorage, we will have little or no access to stores! All other transfers required during the race including transportation back to ANC on July 5 are included. If you cannot join us for this transportation on the 24th, you will be responsible for your own way to the lodge! On the evening of the 24th, we will be busing to the pre-‐race headquarters at the Princess McKinley Lodge near Denali National Park. We have had to adjust our pre-‐race preparations slightly due to having to modify our final course and starting point, necessitated by changes given to us in the final permit approval process, but we are actually VERY excited about the possibility. This is a new and outstanding opportunity that became available to us within the past few weeks, and one that we feel is going to be hugely appreciated by all the racers, and ultimately is making the race, and most importantly, the race experience for you, the racers, even better. Again, this is a change from our original plan, and we hope we will have your understanding: The McKinley Princess Lodge is an OUTSTANDING property, with (truly!) first class lodging and amenities, including hot tubs, restaurants, beverage establishments and more, set within sight of North America’s highest peak! It is beautiful AND just that right amount of Alaskan Luxury to get the race off to the best start possible. It also allows us to do ALL of our pre-‐race training, checks, registration, briefings, banquet and opening ceremonies at the same location now, between June 25 – 27, and we will depart from here to the start on the morning of June 28. ** Having found out about this opportunity after we had posted the cost and figured our budget, we have found that it exceeds what we had budgeted for lodging by a fair amount, as well as adding one additional night, leaving us with a couple of options: If teams wish to join us to stay at the Princess McKinley Lodge, it will require an upgrade of $142/racer (tax included) for the 3 nights (as included in the race info) or $180 for all 4 nights (tax included). If you choose the 3 days, you would be responsible for your 4th day on your own. Our first scheduled activity will be at 9:00 am on June 25. We are SO blessed to have this opportunity, and even though it does require an additional expense, we feel it will be WAY worth it, and appreciated by all! We don’t have any other “add ons” as far as cost for you once you are here, and other than your own meals before the race (minus the pre-‐race banquet!) and any other personal rentals such as drysuits, bikes etc, everything will be covered, including our famous “Hot Food TAs” and more. We apologize for the inconvenience and understand if teams wish to make their own arrangements somewhere else in lieu of joining us prior to the race and paying this upgrade. If that is the case, we will contribute $113.50 dollars/racer to their rooming costs by a refund, or taking it off any remaining race fees. Other possible lodging opportunities include Talkeetna, Wasilla, camping or possibly some other area lodging, though we cannot speak to availability or price. As stated in the race info, the rooms we are providing are based on quad occupancy, in other words, one room/night/team, for a total of 4 nights per team. We will have secure space provided for your gear, as it will NOT be allowed in the rooms! The accommodation in Seward on July 4th is included in the race entry as stated, and are included in the 4 nights we are providing. If you want a bit more space, upgrades to double occupancy are also available at a cost of $54/night/racer + tax in McKinley, or $47/night + tax for Seward (if there are rooms available!) If families or additional guests wish to stay with us, the costs are $200/night/room + tax at McKinley, or $179/room + tax in Seward (If there are rooms available!) This is an excellent property for families to visit, so if you were ever going to plan on a trip to Alaska, this could be it! All upgrades and additional rooms are on a space available basis – we are using prime real estate on perhaps the busiest week of the year, in 2 of the most popular places in Alaska (especially Seward!)… Again, we are VERY lucky to have this opportunity, and have been working for many months to secure the spaces we have! Please email me directly and let us know your team’s preferences so we can assign rooms as needed, as follows by cutting and pasting the following into an email: Team Name: Contact person: Do you wish to join us at the Princess McKinley Lodge with the required upgrade? If so, for 3 or 4 nights? Do you wish to upgrade to Double Occupancy with an additional room? Do you need additional rooms for family or friends joining you? If so, please provide us names and which nights. If so, how many rooms will you need? (Payment can be made for these rooms upon arrival, but cancellations MUST be made no later than June 1 or you will be responsible for these rooms!) Do you wish to take advantage of the transportation to the Lodge from ANC to the Princess McKinley Lodge or will you have your own transportation? Please give us your intended arrival dates and times: We have just heard that our transportation back to ANC from Seward after the race on July 5 will arrive at ANC by 8:00 pm! Please make your departure after that!! More updates and information: Dark Zones: During the race: they will only be as needed for our equipment (such as kayaks/rafts etc) or inclement conditions. If these situations occur, we will take teams “off the clock.” July 4: We will have a MANDATORY Dark Zone in Seward beginning at 1800 hours on July 4! Teams MUST be in Seward by then! The final race activity, finish and awards banquet will take place in Seward on July 5th! Conference call with your team: If you would like more detailed answers to your specific questions, we would be happy to arrange a Skype or conference call with your team to answer any questions! Please email Dave at [email protected] to schedule your time! Extra Racers: If you are looking for an additional racer, please let us know asap! Payments: Final payments must be made by May 1. You can use Paypal to [email protected] PLEASE use “Sending money to friends” option rather than “paying for goods or services option,” please! Emergency evacuation Insurance: Please provide us with a copy of your Evac insurance by May 15, please. Volunteers: If any of your family or friends would like to be a part of the race crew for some or all of the race, please email [email protected] available dates and contact info! We guarantee not much sleep, cool shirts, bad food and one of the best times they will ever have! Cameras: We have partnered with EdgePro Camera as our official and exclusive camera provider for the race! Each team will be provided with TWO of the personalized cameras for the race, and they are to be used to take on course video as well as record your arrivals at the various CPs – THEY WILL BE YOUR PASSPORT! www.edgeprocamera.com We will have charging stations and back up memory cards for them at each TA. These cameras will be available for sale to the teams following the race for only $125 each! (Retail $300). We can also pre-‐order additional cameras for only $150 for anyone else who wants one! There will be a VERY limited number available, so please pre-‐order by email! Because of the exclusive nature of their partnership, NO other video or “pro” style cameras will be allowed on the course or accepted as passports for the race! Please leave your other cameras in the gear box once the race starts! You will be given all of your footage after the race. All cell phones will now be sealed at the start and teams will be penalized for their use during the race. Awards: We have TERRIFIC, original awards for the top teams, as well as great medals, gear and several other “unique” awards, and fantastic swag. Tentative Race Schedule: closer! July 24: The following is the TENTATIVE schedule. Some changes may be required as we get 11:00 pm Depart ANC for Princess McKinley Lodge July 25: 9:00 am Begin Check in, media interviews and gear check. 12:30 pm Dryland crevasse rescue training, pack raft practice and Kayak deepwater rescue testing July 26: 7:00 am Crevasse rescue practice on glacier 5:00 pm Continue check in and gear check 8:00 pm Map distribution and initial briefing July 27: 8:00 am Finish check in and gear check 2:00 pm Welcome banquet, briefing, Q&A, communal map time 7:00 pm Parade of Nations Opening ceremonies 12:00 am (Midnight) All bins, bikes etc must be packed and loaded on trucks except for Segment 1 gear!!! June 28: 7:00 am Depart Princess McKinley Lodge for the start! 10:00 am START!! July 4: 6:00 pm Begin Dark Zone! 9:00 pm Celebration! July 5: 8:00 am Racers must have all gear loaded on trucks except change of clothes and toiletries, as well as running gear… 9:00 am Last Challenge and Finish! 1:30 pm Awards banquet 5:00 pm Buses depart Seward for ANC 8:00 pm Arrive ANC TAs: Teams will have access to their bins at all TAs, with the exception of TA 2/3. We will be providing each team with one additional bin to put in dry clothes, food etc for these TAs (before and after ocean paddle). This is besides your normal paddle bag. Bike Rentals: If you would like a bike rental, please let us know, or you can arrange on your own. We cannot guarantee a rental for you, but the earlier you let us know size, desired bike etc, the better chance we can help. Drysuits: There are a limited number of drysuits for rental from the kayak provider for approximately $50/day. The kayaks do come with skirts and paddles, if desired. Climbing gear: Climbing gear may be available from local mountaineering groups or from REI or other retailers. Boots WILL NOT be required. Skis/Snowshoes: With the lack of snow this year, we do not think that skis or snowshoes will be required! Helmets: We will allow biking helmets for glacier legs and for personal packrafting legs. For whitewater rafting leg, helmets will be provided. Hopefully this answers many of your questions! We look forward seeing you in June! If you have any additional questions, please contact us. We wish you good training and a successful spring season!