Chris Pascone of Duluth greeting the sunrise at Winterer’s Gathering and firing up the wood stove for hot drinks after a night of winter camping with his family. North House’s three-day event attracts hardy folk excited to celebrate winter and all her offerings through traditional craft, films, dance, and stories. Photos courtesy of John Stember
Full of woodsmoke, high spirits, and scalding cauldrons of chili, North House Folk School celebrated the return of winter over the weekend at Winterer’s Gathering. In contrast to the bustle of summer tourism, the three-day festival beckons an eclectic and devoted bunch, not afraid to relish the life ways of the North through winter camping, polar expedition accounts, and diehard dinner on a stick.
Along with their three boys, Rebecca and Keith Hautala traveled the two hours from Thunder Bay to celebrate the approach of winter with a weekend getaway. When asked what they would take away from the gathering— besides a daybreak ski at Pincushion—Keith and his son recalled the featured presentation by Bill Hanlon. “I want a new cloak. Hmm… Got to go kill a blue whale, mountain goat, and 95 ground squirrels,”
Keith and his son chuckled in awe.
In 1999, while sheep hunting in the Yukon, Bill and two companions discovered the mummified remains of an ancient human revealed by a receding glacier. Radiocarbon dating placed the Tlingit man at 300 to 550 years old, making him the oldest mummy found in the Americas.
Traditional northern craft built by hand on display at Winterer’s Gathering. North House’s three-day event attracts hardy folk excited to celebrate winter and all her offerings through traditional craft, films, dance, and stories.
For Greg Wright, the executive director at North House, the local roots of the Grand Marais community stood tall. “Really enjoyed having Eric Brisson and Tyler Smith share their story of fishing on Lake Superior. Because one, I eat their fish. Kind of like it is good to know your farmer, well it is good to know your fisherman. And similarly, of course what I love—the hall was packed because everyone wanted to know their fisherman,” said Greg.
Another extraordinary tale came from Cook County local JD Lehr, who attempted to thru-hike the entire 2,650 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail at age 60. Following two battles with cancer and a lengthy list of growing health concerns, JD made up his mind to rewrite a chapter in his life. He wanted to walk north from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon, and Washington. With 1,600 miles walked in 2019, JD hopes to return and finish sections of the Sierra Nevada and Washington to complete the Pacific Crest Trail.
Other highlights over the weekend included an assortment of Arctic films, footrace for gear, folk dancing, and a plethora of quiet courses for skills and traditional craft. In some ways, little has changed since the hardy days of the Les Hivernants, or the voyageur over “winterers,” the source of inspiration for this gathering. The best source of entertainment during the long winter nights still involves cozying up to a fire, outbreaks of music and dance, and storytelling sessions into the wee hours.
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