St. Edward State Park 2001-2019, 2022-2023

When you watched the gaily decorated (and very wet) majstång soar through the rain to an upright position on June 24 [2001], did you wonder how it got there to begin with? Wasn’t it in Poulsbo the last time you saw it? It took the help of a large number of enthusiastic volunteers and one colorful ship for Skandia’s Midsommar pole to travel from Poulsbo to Kenmore and be raised in triumph at St. Edward State Park.

There were three stages to the move, with appropriate amounts of drama at each stage. First, a crew assembled at Frank Rabb Park in Poulsbo on Friday, June 15, to load the 55-foot pole onto a classic “carriage” devised by Jim Chrisman out of spoked iron wheels connected by a clever axle arrangement. Many thanks to Jim and Renae for the wheels and interface with the officials on that side of the water. The other volunteers for duty in Poulsbo were (in no particular order) Jerry Walsh, Larry Reinert, Joe Schneider, Jolene Vrchota, Steve Russman, Lee Ehrheart, Annemari Woo, Alan Westhagen, and Jennifer Westhagen.

Special thanks to two members who couldn’t be at Poulsbo but aided the effort: Milt Anderson made webbing straps that made controlling or carrying the pole easy. Stewart Pugh provided the initial contact with Patrick Langley, owner and captain of the good ship Osloskøyta, the means by which the pole was to move across the water.

All of Skandia should make note that Patrick Langley has done an incredibly good deed for an organization that he had never heard of, prior to my contact following Stewart Pugh’s suggestion. With only the promise of having some fun as payment, Patrick launched into this crazy enterprise with good humor and enthusiasm. Skandia owes him a debt of gratitude that will be difficult to repay.

On with the journey. Once the pole was lashed down to the wheels, the whole group of volunteers walked it down the hill to the waterfront. We got some very strange looks from people who passed by. It was as if they had never seen a 55-foot pole on two wheels rolling down their street before. We rolled it down to the Poulsbo waterfront and hoisted it on board the Osloskøyta. Patrick and a few volunteers then motored over to Shilshole Marina, where they berthed for the night.

The next morning, Saturday, June 16, a few dancers and musicians joined the crew, and we sailed to the Ballard Locks. Bart Brashers trumpeted our arrival with both the long, willow-bark-covered lur and the short, curved kuhorn. Bill and Gina Boyd, joined by Bart, played polskor and schottis while some of us danced around the obstacles on the deck. There was a nice gathering of Skandia folks at the locks who got a chance to dance to the music as we passed through. I’m sure that most of the visitors to the Locks that morning became well informed about Midsommarfest as members talked and passed out leaflets.

When the Osloskøyta arrived at the Lake Washington shoreline of St. Edward State Park, it was met by a stalwart crew to help move the pole from boat to shore. The crew on board simply lowered it over the side and then towed it ashore with the inflatable launch from the boat. Once it was close, the shore crew waded out and hauled it to a temporary stop in the bushes. We could not immediately bring it up the long trail to the Midsommarfest site because of another festival going on at that time.

A few evenings later, a crew met at the water’s edge again, pulled the majstång and the klyckor (the pushing poles) out of the bushes, lashed them to yet another set of wheels, and started to pull the long load up the twisty trail. With only a few people occasionally pushed into the bushes and nettles by the widely swinging pole, we made it to the top without serious mishap. The pole-raising on the 24th seemed to be enjoyed by all, and the majstång is now safely stored at St. Edward, waiting for next year’s adventure.

—Don Meyers