Last weekend, the Carleton Association of Nature and Outdoor Enthusiasts (CANOE) hosted their biggest significant trip of the year to “Book Across the Bay” (BATB) an event in northern Wisconsin and a 10-kilometer race across Lake Superior. The race is open to Nordic skiers, snowshoers, runners and even walkers who follow a groomed path lit by candles encased in ice.
This extremely midwestern event brings out the freezing charm of Lake Superior winters. Gear manager George Wening ’27 explained that BATB is “a unique CANOE trip because we are able to take around 100 Carleton students, by far the biggest trip we lead.”
Furthermore, Alyssa Alverez ’26, Office of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (OIDE) coordinator, explained that CANOE “pay(s) for 100 Carleton students to attend,” which makes the trip incredibly accessible to students. CANOE even provides gear for those who don’t have any, including sleeping bags, sleeping pads and skis/snowshoes. As a result, BATB is an event anyone can do, anyone within the 100-person limit.
Unfortunately, this year’s BATB event was even more unique because it was canceled for the first time due to high winds and snow that would have put participants and volunteers at risk. However, the Book Across the Bay organizers decided to continue the festivities, saying in their email to those signed up that “the show must go on.” These festivities included dancing, music, food trucks and vendors. In light of BATB’s desire to continue the festivities, CANOE decided to continue the five-hour drive to Ashland, Wisconsin.
“We found out the race was canceled an hour and a half into the drive there,” CANOE Board Coordinator Kaia Neal ’25 said. “The board talked amongst ourselves and decided that we should still go for the music and dancing. I know a lot of people were disappointed, but I think we made the most of the night. I think we realized that for us the point of the trip was to have fun, get off campus for a weekend and spend time with friends … we felt like we could do even without the race component.”
Alverez was glad that the trip went on despite the weather, saying that CANOE was “able to pivot to enjoy some good food and fun live music, cozying up in the pavilion after all of the festivities.”
The continuation of BATB speaks to how important the event is to those who organize and participate in it. BATB brings hundreds of people to the small town of Ashland, Wisconsin, at the foot of Lake Superior, to come together and celebrate the long winter months.
“[BATB is an] awesome way to get students off campus and comfortable in the brutal Minnesota snow,” Alverez said.
Although the actual event was canceled, Carleton students could “connect with the greater midwest, explore new towns, like Ashland and Bayfield, Wisconsin, and spend time outdoors with other Carls,” according to Wening. These essential values of the trip stayed true as many students braved the snow and cold to explore Ashland through its restaurants and the shore of Lake Superior. Students also got to bond with midwestern locals as they danced and listened to local bands performing in the BATB tent.
“In a normal year, Book Across the Bay is a 10k race with bonfires and snacks every kilometer. The trail is lined with ice lanterns”, Neal, explained. “There is a heated tent with food and live music and dancing … The whole thing is very cozy.”
One Carleton attendee was Liam Atkins ’27; this was his first time attending a CANOE-sponsored trip.
“Even though the race was canceled, it was fun to get off campus with my friends, and honestly, it was kind of nice not to race because I got just hang out with my friends in a new place,” said Atkins.
While BATB was different than in previous years, the event was still thriving as it provided Carls the chance to get outside and enjoy the midwestern winter while connecting with other people. Through long bus rides, trudging through the deep Wisconsin snow, and having one big sleepover after the festivities, BATB was a highlight of the winter term for the students who attended.
