What could possess 4,000 skiers, snowshoers and hikers to traipse out on the ice of Lake Superior a few kilometers from shore — at night? Guided by candles?
The answer is a good cause, or several of them, going back to 1996. Now one of the region’s largest winter events, the annual Book Across the Bay race coming Saturday in Ashland began as a fundraiser for the Washburn Public Library and the Tri-County Medical Society.
“There were several local folks that were really getting into fitness at the time and who really wanted to get other people off the couch and outside in the dead of winter,” said Mary McPhetridge of the Ashland Chamber of Commerce, recalling the event’s origins.
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“Someone suggested holding a cross country ski race in February,” she continued. “Then, someone else suggested: ‘Let’s do it on the frozen bay.’ And someone else said: ‘At night — and let’s light it with luminaries.’ And that’s how it started.”
McPhetridge joined WPR’s Robin Washington on “Morning Edition” to talk about concerns over the ice, how the race has evolved since its origins and the community causes it supports.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Robin Washington: Are you concerned about the ice? The Birkebeiner and the Beargrease have had challenges with the weather in recent years and have had to postpone or cancel. Have you ever had to cancel it because of a lack of ice on the bay?
Mary McPhetridge: We have not, but it’s been a roller coaster. There was one year a coworker and I were out on the ice a few days before the race and there was slush probably up to our knees. I was on the phone with the fire chief, who was telling me there’s no way we’re going to allow you to do this. And then I talked to the race director who said it’ll be fine. And sure enough, the temperature dropped significantly, and we had perfect conditions by race day.
RW: Let’s go back to the book part. Is it still a fundraiser?
MM: It was for the Washburn Public Library and the Tri-County Medical Society for many years. And then they changed it from a charity race to one where they offered stipends for the volunteers. So, for example, the Marengo Valley PTA furnishes the luminaries, with 100 people out there on the ice working on that. They get the stipend money for their PTA organization. Another group will work on the finish line and another on the start line. So they’re giving stipends to all sorts of nonprofit organizations.
RW: You’ve got a lot more going on in town than just the race on race day.
MM: The whole day and evening is full of events in Ashland. There’s a big winter carnival at the marina in Ashland. There’s going to be a sledding hill, snow sculpting, a sauna you can rent space in, food trucks, music and the downtown merchants are having a giveaway where you get a sticker at their stores and you can win prizes.
RW: Is this race on a circuit, like the Birkebeiner and the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon or Grandma’s Marathon, which attract top racers in each of those sports from around the world?
MM: This event is really for everyone, so it’s not a part of a circuit.
It is a race for everyone. We have people that are really interested in racing the 10 kilometers. We also have snowshoers. And then we have those folks who just want to get out on the ice and walk, but they’re not really interested in breaking any kind of a record.
If you have an idea about something in northern Wisconsin you think we should talk about on “Morning Edition,” send it to us at northern@wpr.org.
