Book Across the Bay
cross country ski and snowshoe race in Wisconsin, United States
The Book Across the Bay is an annual winter 10-kilometer (6-mile) cross-country ski and snowshoe race held every February in northwestern Wisconsin.
The course, which is groomed for both classic-style and skate skiing, starts in Ashland, and ends in nearby Washburn. It is a unique winter event, because it follows a route not on land, but over the frozen surface of Lake Superior, the world's largest fresh water lake. The event is held at night, and the course is lit by the stars above and up to 1,000 candles in ice luminaries that line the entire route.
History
The race was first organized and held in 1996, as a fundraiser for the Washburn Public Library, and the Tri-County Medical Society.
The initial idea of a small "ski-race fundraiser" turned out to be very successful and popular, as was evident during the first year. An initial estimate of 100 skiers in 1996 was not only met, but far exceeded with a final count of over 350 participants during its first year. And attendance has steadily increased every year since, with over 3,800 participants in 2011. From 1996 to 2012, the Book Across the Bay events have drawn a total of nearly 24,000 participants.
The event is entirely volunteer-driven.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Book Across the Bay” as cross country ski and snowshoe race in Wisconsin, United States. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as cross country ski and snowshoe race in Wisconsin, United States. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Feb 1, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q4942926. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1996, 2011 and 2012.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Book Across the Bay”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Book Across the Bay primary sources, Book Across the Bay archive and Book research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Book Across the Bay”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Book Across the Bay” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.