If you are like my friend Jane, who is beginning to despair that winter will never end—stop reading now. If you think we have had more than enough snow or you think it has been too cold for too long, turn the page. Because I am going to wax poetic about snow again.
I am so very happy that a little bit of snow has been falling nearly every day for the last week. Just a teeny bit at a time is wonderful. It cleans things up and makes everything look like a Christmas card again. I love it. Sorry, Jane.
However, I really am happy that there is ice and snow for two final winter events—the Mush for a Cure, the fabulously funny fundraiser to fight breast cancer and the traditional Ridge Riders Trout Derby.
We need ice so the fishermen at the trout derby can spread out in their quest for the best fish of the day. There needs to be a solid sheet of ice so Harley Toftey can set up the grill for fishburgers. The trout derby is on Sunday, March 13 at Gunflint Lake. Register at 9:00 a.m. and pick your spot for fishing.
We also need the snow so the mushers who take part in the fun run sled dog race from Gunflint Pines Resort on Gunflint Lake to Trail Center on Poplar Lake can actually glide along the trail. Last year rain fell before the Mush for the Cure event and trails were a muddy, impassable mess. Organizers regrouped and created snow-free contests for mushers while the dogs rested in their boxes. It was fun, but not as much fun as it could have been with snow.
The year before was wonderful, with just enough snow for the race. I remember sitting in the snowbank along the trail at Iron Lake under cloudless blue skies. I remember having to take off my winter coat because it was so warm. I hope we have those perfect conditions again for this year’s event!
In case you’ve been living in a closet and haven’t heard about Mush for a Cure, it’s a fundraiser for the National Breast Cancer Foundation, taking place on Friday and Saturday, March 11 and 12. On Friday, there is an incredibly silly party at Trail Center. This year it is called the Pink Masquerade Ball. Attendees are encouraged to dress up in brightest pink attire again—and add masks, if you wish. There will be a delicious pasta dinner starting at 5:00 p.m., dancing, and the coronation of a King and Queen at 8:00 p.m.
The party continues the next day with some invigorating outdoor action. You can watch skijoring starting at Cross River or wait for the skijorers to arrive at Gunflint Pines just before the mushing starts from the same location. Snow is absolutely needed for this event—mushers and their dogs decked out in pink against bright white snow— it’s a sight to behold.
And there is more. While folks wait for the mushers to arrive at Trail Center on Poplar Lake, there is a new twist— human dog sled races! If you can find a group of six energetic friends, you can form a team and race under people power. This is may be the height of silliness.
Or not…that comes later as the results of “The Bald, The Brave and The Beautiful” contest is announced. But I don’t want to give away the entire weekend adventure—see pages B4 and B5 for more about Mush for a Cure. Or visit www.mushforacure.com. Or head up the Trail and see it for yourself. It’s a worthy cause worth the trip.
You won’t need a map—just watch for the pink. Press on. Obstacles are seldom the same size tomorrow as they are today.
Robert H. Schuller
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