I began The Listening Places to write about Northern Minnesota and the events, places, and culture that makes it special, but I would like to travel south this week and share the experience I had at The Luminary Loppet on Lake of the Isles. During the loppet over a thousand ice lanterns illuminate a path along the edge of the lake. Participants may travel the path on foot or on skis. Along the way are an array of different features including an ice lantern pyramid, camp fires to warm up by, and a variety of artistically constructed lanterns.
The Luminary Loppet is just one of several events put on annually by the Loppet Foundation. This foundation, created in 2002 with an organized ski race, has grown over the years to include running and biking, speed skating, sledding, skjorning, and of course their biggest annual event, The Luminary Loppet. The foundation’s motto is “connecting people to the outdoors through experiences that grow community.” They foster a culture of inclusion and have several programs aimed at connecting youth to the outdoors. Despite their history of community building activities, this was the first I (an out-of-towner) had heard of them, which made it all the more impressive to see the hundreds of lights trailing around the lake.
When we arrived my boyfriend Joe went to one of the check-in tents to retrieve our passes, then we stepped onto the lake, clicked into our skis, and were off. Our first stop along the trail was the fire dancers. There were several of them, each spinning in a different style, but together they created a mesmerizing display of light in motion against the darkness.
From here we skied to a grouping of metal stands which each supported several hanging lanterns. This area gave the impression of a forest warmed with gentle light, and being able to quickly ski between them was a bit of a thrill. When we left this little island of light I looked to my left and saw an actual island, dark with it’s own reaching branches.
Next we stopped off at a fire pit to warm up. While we basked in the heat a group of women approached singing Stand By Me. It was a sweet moment, especially this year, which has seen Minneapolis unnecessarily occupied by a surge of federal immigration agents. As all Minnesotans know by now, this occupation lead to the shooting deaths of two protesters by federal agents. The city, which responded with pleas for de-occupation and massive non-violent protests, has been colored by media as a dangerous place. But to me it seems like a city that cares about and stands up for its residents, one with a sense of unity where people are proud to live.
From the fire pit we walked on to a small island called The Enchanted Forest. The lanterns did give it a feeling of enchantment, but the memorial to shooting victims Renee Good and Alex Pretti kept the place powerfully grounded in reality. Other years it may feel more like a fairy tale, but this year it felt like a show of respect and revery.
From the island we continued along the string of lights, at times moving quite quickly on our skis, gliding between the groups of walkers. I was reminded of an essay by Sigurd Olson in which he tells about ice skating down a frozen, snowless river under a full moon. Although I’ve never trusted river ice, I have so long been infatuated with his essay that I do not miss an opportunity to recognize it when I see it my life. Though he was on the outskirts of the BWCA, probably before it was the BWCA, and I was in Minneapolis and could see it’s famous skyline as I skied, I felt a little of what he wrote about: the thrill and magic of moving quickly over ice on a softly lit night.
We came to one more display of hanging lanterns, this time they were suspended by cables. Here my inner nerd resurfaced as I observed they looked like giant eggs of some luminous creature. Of all the lanterns, I saw only one whose flame had gone out and it was among these hanging eggs. It made me a little sad. But when I pointed it out to Joe he assured me this just meant it was about to hatch. I hope it did.
From here we soon found ourselves back at our entry point. There were food trucks, beverages hot and cold, and a smore station but we opted to leave the lake and sip tea by Joe’s fireplace instead.
One thing we are all good at in Minnesota, no matter the region, is finding ways to keep warm together.
For more information on the Luminary Loppet please visit their website. https://loppet.org/event/luminary-loppet/
Thank you for reading, and keep listening,
Jenny Marie
(photos by Joe Finstrom)