Great Lakes Network Office staff Ulf Gafvert and Bill Route, Ashland FRO Glenn Miller and GLN Suzy Sanders display several of the 125-plus luminaries made for Book Across the Bay, a annual fund raising event. - FWS photo

Staff at the Ashland FRO, and the National Park Service Great Lakes Network Office contributed their non-work time to make ice luminaries at the office for an extremely popular community event, Book Across the Bay. 

Book Across the Bay is a cross country ski event for nearly 1,500 people.  Participants normally would ski 10k across Chequamegon Bay from Ashland to Washburn at night but lack of snow made the organizers decide to create a large loop out of Washburn. 

The trail is lighted by 750 large ice luminaries.  The luminaries are made by freezing water in a five-gallon pail to form a clear ice structure, like a light bulb, within which a candle is placed.  It’s art/science to do it just right.  The office made more than 125 luminaries. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service along with the National Park Service were recognized as contributors.