Barneløpet means “children’s races” in Norwegian. The event is sponsored by the Sons of Norway and held each February near Winter Park. Many happy events of my childhood took place at the Sons of Norway events…at Valhalla Hall, the lodge in Jersey City, running around with my cousins, listening to my Uncle Tom’s band, dancing with my relatives. No one, as I recall, ever mentioned skiing. So here I was back with the Sons of Norway on a day with snow in the morning, sun in the afternoon, setting up and taking down a 7 K orienteering course as part of the event. But the enjoyment of the children in their 1, 2.5, or 5 K race…receiving medals and Norwegian flags and cookies at the finish line…clearly so equal to the fun I had as a child. And my joy in the day, finishing off this ski trip in the Colorado Mountains, was quite as great as that of the children.
