These two groups are not only amazing every year in their Sunday clean up efforts, but darn fine folks in general! As part of our BATB Work Group, they earn a percentage of the proceeds for their efforts! This opportunity is to earn is open to any group, team, club, and non-profit who can wrangle up volunteers to come on out and put some muscle behind the event! Thank you ATF Local 1275 & Ashland FFA! ❤️ (fb)

Friends, no one is more disappointed that the Chapter 28 Race was cancelled than the hundreds of folks who spent the previous 4 weekends and all of race week preparing the party, setting the trail, coordinating volunteer groups who earn 100% of the proceeds of registration fees, plotting the course, hauling firewood, making luminaires, planning fun events around the carnival tent & more… We’re incredibly thankful for all the volunteers, sponsors, Major Sponsors & the City of Ashland for their work! Perhaps the most disappointing was not getting to share the magic of crossing the Bay by luminary light and the ambiance at each rest station… Or it may have been missing out on the camaraderie of several thousand folks who just trekked across a frozen Lake and dancing the night away after the adventure. We hoped that dragons would have been the most fearful part of the evening, however it ended up being driving snow & wind, intensely drifting emergency access roads, a lost trail despite best efforts, and luminaries buried in snow rendering them nothing more than uniquely shaped ice. Our Sunday clean up team who had the unpleasant task of dismantling unused rest stations, non-burned bon fires & more did take advantage of the chance to slay a 3 toed, white bearded dragon as a means of coping… we hope you enjoy the photo and sentiment as much as they did. Thank you to all those who traveled, several from 2 other countries, and many more from 27 different states to join us. We’re sorry we couldn’t Book, however it was absolutely the correct decision for all our safety. Happy Trails as ski season glides on & best of luck to our friends hosting and participating in the American Birkebeiner this coming weekend! (fb)