Wabanaki Land | Bar Harbor, ME
Phone: N/A
Join us for four days and three nights of running, dining, and relaxing in and around Acadia National Park. Our adventures will take us through the eastern deciduous and northern boreal forests of the park, on trails carpeted with moss and pine needles, and up bald peaks with sweeping views of the surrounding islands and ocean. All runs throughout the retreat will be designed to accommodate various paces and abilities with multiple distance/elevation options offered (runs are also no drop, meaning we will stop and regroup as needed at various points along the trail). We will get the most out of the lovely weather by heading out into the heart of the park for runs each morning after breakfast. Post lunch, we will have time to rest, enjoy a yoga session or a workshop discussion, and go for a lake swim. Our retreat's educational workshops are offered to enhance your running knowledge and experience on the trails. Before dinner we will embark on a relaxed recovery run through the nearby network of carriage trails, and in the evening we can walk downtown for a cone of delicious ice cream or sit around a campfire by the ocean with s'mores and celebrate the day's big adventures. Your hosts will be on site throughout the entire weekend, to lead runs and workshops, provide local knowledge of the area, be an open book for any questions or discussions regarding trail running, and to enjoy the magical experience of sharing in the special community created through the simple and beautiful act of movement outdoors. We are so excited to meet you all! The Landscape: Nestled into the coastline on Wabanaki land, Acadia is home to rugged granite mountains, verdant forests, and pristine lakes. With 158 miles of running and hiking trails and 45 miles of scenic, crushed stone carriage roads, you can connect and access the island's 26 major peaks and their special views. Standing tallest among these peaks is Cadillac Mountain, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, surrounding islands, and on many days of the year, the first sight of sunrise in the United States, which earned the mountain its Indigenous name “Wapuwoc” or "white mountain of the first light." Running on Native lands gives us all the opportunity to connect with and reflect on the history of the land and the communities who have lived here for centuries. The Wabanaki are a confederacy of tribes that include the Abenaki, Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Nations. The Wabanaki have been here, in their homeland, for thousands of generations. This includes Pesamkuk, this place we now call Mount Desert Island and Frenchman Bay. You can read our land acknowledgment as well as find additional resources about the indigenous history and connections of the region here. This retreat is for the adventurous athlete who is excited to spend quality time on the trails and connecting with peers while having everything else taken care of for them! We aim to accommodate different running backgrounds and experience levels, and all runs are, of course, optional, although we hope you’ll be as thrilled as we are to explore all that Acadia National Park has to offer! Participants should be prepared to run up to three hours on rugged terrain, with breaks as needed (covering up to 12 miles). We will be guiding all runs and will allow for the possibility of splitting into two to three groups on our morning runs to accommodate different paces. If we split into groups, we will regroup at the summits and make sure to share the views together! Our priority is to have fun and, in the process, to maybe help push the barriers of what we think we are capable of!
Trail Running
movefreedesigns@gmail.com