LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk Winter 2019

LOCALadk Magazine

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Winter 2019 LOCALadk Magazine 37 LOCALadk It was over an Adirondack Thanksgiving when my cousin Edie Konesni, a retired physician assistant, and her son Ben- nett, a fiddler/garlic farmer, both of Belfast, Maine, and I hatched the idea for a trip to Nor way. The idea was to com- bine Nor wegian folk music and dance with hut-to-hut skiing. Flights were cheap, and my only challenge was to make sure I got back by March 1 for my maple syrup business. We built the trip around attending the Rørosmartnan, a market festival in Røros, a small former copper mining com- munity of 5,600 in mid Nor way. Bennett was eager to play with fellow fiddlers, and Edie, an accomplished folk dancer, was hoping to learn Nor wegian folk dances. I love folk music and wanted to ski. The trip to Røros came together quickly. The hut-to-hut portion not so much. Fortunately, we discovered the Swed- ish Tourism Association (STF) which is like the Adirondack Mountain Club on steroids. They operate nearly 300 lodgings ranging from rustic to luxurious. We decided to ski a popular hiking route in central Sweden called the Jämtland Triangle. We made plans to stay at three different mountain stations called fjällstations, including a layover day at the most re- mote. Lodging and transportation were set. I knew I was in for a good trip when I told the Nor wegian customs agent that I was going to Røros and he said, "You're going to the coldest community in the countr y." It sounded like the Adirondacks. The Rørosmartnan has been celebrated since 1854, when vendors throughout the region delivered their wares by horse-drawn sleigh. The sleigh trips, believe it or not, take two weeks, and are still how vendors travel to the festival. As we approached the outdoor opening ceremony, we saw thousands of spectators standing in the snow throughout the surrounding hillsides watching musical performers and a parade of horses pulling sleighs. Dozens of street ven- dors hawked antiques, clothing, cheese, reindeer sausages, and burgers. In addition, there were lots of stores similar to those you would find in villages like my hometown of Saranac Lake. Each evening we had dinner and then were entertained by great musicians. Later, Bennett would be found in one of the bars, restaurants, or by outdoor fires jamming traditional fiddle tunes with new friends. After four days in Røros we worked our way to Sweden and the Storulvån Fjällstation located at the end of a long sin- gle-lane deadend road. Surrounded by snow-covered tree- less mountains sat an attractive sprawling building. People from 7 to 70 were scurr ying about with cross-countr y skis, AT ("alpine touring") skis, pulks, and other outdoor gear. We had arrived at the right place to experience Scandinavian skiing. Storulvån Fjällstation is a beautiful facility with a capacity for about 150 people. We stayed in a room with two sets of bunkbeds and beautiful bathrooms down the hall. Addition- al amenities included family rooms, guest kitchen, restau- rant, equipment rental, sauna, gift/equipment shop, dr ying rooms, laundr y room, luggage storage, guide ser vices, rock

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