Tag Archives: ice

Chasing Winter: The Last, Grand Hurrah

By the time we reached Munising, on Lake Superior's south shore, seven inches of fresh powder blanketed the land. The forecast called for seven more inches in the next twelve hours. A local gas station attendant thought we were crazy for driving north in an April blizzard. (She also said, “We only have two seasons here: shovelin' and swattin'.”) For us, coming to Munising was rational: this was our final chance to climb the best ice the Midwest has seen in decades...… Read More: Chasing Winter: The Last, Grand Hurrah »

Late Season Ice at Lone Rock

Here she is Ms Alt text.

For the first time this year, I went ice climbing near Lone Rock, WI. Next to highway 133 was a nicely formed column of ice, ending at the frozen Wisconsin River. Because of this year's lengthy winter, the ice was in better condition than last March. Not for long, though: this week's high temperatures probably mark the end of the ice climbing season, at least in southern Wisconsin. But there still should be climbable ice north of here....… Read More: Late Season Ice at Lone Rock »

Starved Rock Ice Climbing

Here are some pictures from our day of ice climbing in Starved Rock State Park in Illinois. This continues to be an amazing winter for outdoor recreation. Despite the lengthening days, the frigid temperatures aren't rising. I know I'm weird for saying this, but I hope to get another month of this weather before the… Read More: Starved Rock Ice Climbing »

Avoiding the Screaming Barfies

We left just in time, or so I thought. With bitter cold temperatures descending upon Minocqua, our group took off early in the morning for the relative warmth of Munising, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. As we drove north, the mercury rose from below zero to around ten degrees Fahrenheit. Unfortunately for us, the UP had… Read More: Avoiding the Screaming Barfies »