Last Saturday, the Waskahegan Trail Association was at the Canadian Birkebeiner Ski Festival handing out warm drinks and food to the skiers.
The WTA has been providing refreshments since the festival began in 1985. We operate the Last Chance Food Station at Meadow Shelter in the Blackfoot
The skiers travel a distance between 2 km and 55 km, depending on the event. The toughest event is the Torskeklubben where the skier starts 55 km away at the Ukrainian Village and carries a 12 pound pack (about the weight of a young crown prince).
By the time the skiers arrived at our Last Chance Food Station, they really appreciated the warm Gatorade and the snacks. (The WTA was the first to begin offering warm drinks.)
In addition to boiling water and handing out drinks, we kept two fires going—one outside and another inside the shelter.
For the volunteers, it was a great day, starting with the drive out to Blackfoot at 7 a.m. Lunch was catered by Capella—what a treat!
Thanks to Sherry Kunkel for organizing the food station and to everyone who volunteered. You can find more photos on Flickr.
