THE LUMINARY LOPPET

Over the weekend Minneapolis played host to the City Of Lakes Loppet.  This annual endeavor has grown and matured over the years into a first rate event.  The weekend consisted of a number of cross country ski races, along with dog races and bike races. While every aspect of cross country winter fun is celebrated, perhaps none is more highly anticipated then the beautiful Luminary Loppet.

We picked up our registration packets on friday night.

Souvenirs for purchase.

The Moose Nordic folks were in the spirit of things.

There were lots of ski vendors on hand.

This year, rather then ending on the streets in Uptown as they have done in previous years, all the races were wisely confined to the chain of lakes area in Minneapolis, with the Luminary Loppet once again being held on Lake Of The Isles.  The Luminary allows people to both ski and walk the trail, and this year my friend Cynthia and I decided to walk it. 

And the Luminary Loppet begins.

A fire breather . . .

. . . And fire juggler entertained us at one of  the stops.

I had never walked, nor even seen the Luminary, so wasn’t sure what to expect.  Interestingly, everyone I talked to who was familiar with it, independently, used the same word to describe it.  They all said that it was simply magical!

The Pyramid.

A warming fire.

Cynthia checking out the tiki torches.

So bundled up in our many layers of clothing, Cynthia and I set out to walk the Luminary, and I must say, it was truly spectacular, with its lovely blending of ice and fire. There was also something wonderful about walking on the frozen lake while experiencing this.

Icehenge.

The only complaint I have is that the walking trail wasn’t as well groomed as it might have been, and there were several pot-holes in the snow that made walking quite difficult at times.  If I do this again, and I suspect I will, I will invest in a pair of snowshoes, which will make the journey much smoother. 

The after party . . .

. . . Was well attended.

The Luminary Loppet was amazingly beautiful, and was the perfect way to spend a Minnesota winter evening.  It truly was magical!