My new friend, David, takes one of his first laps on the Minnesota ice. You’d think hes been doing it his whole life.
This was a long weekend and let me tell you how it started. I was sitting in the Atlanta airport on my return from o u r a y. Despondent about the possibility of that being my last time with an ice pick this year. What comes across my news feed but a story about the Winona ice area. That was enough to catch my attention but as I dove into the article they had interviewed my friend, Lee Ein with the Chicago mountaineering club.
Lee had conscripted me to do a presentation for the Chicago mountaineering club several years ago. He had also been a guest in my home. So I reached out to him and he immediately invited me for their upcoming outing two weeks hence. I started the frequent flyer mile calculation. I could go up there and meet them for a couple of days. And so my plan was set.
This is a fairly small area with about a 20 minute approach. Perched atop a hillside overlooking the Mississippi River and across into Minnesota, there are probably 28 routes here. This ice is partially farmed.
As you can see, there’s a lot of mixed routes in here. It was pretty cold, especially compared to the high temps in Colorado. About 13 degrees in the morning. They had probably 15 folks there with the club. And what a fun group to climb with.
I got in some laps on Friday and really smoked myself out on Saturday. The screaming barfies are a real thing when you over grip on some of this wi 4 and 5.
it was a big travel to get up here and back. I drove from Minneapolis which was 2 hours. That is after flying from Knoxville to Chicago to Minneapolis.
But, worth all of it.
I’m so appreciative of my friend Lee In and the Chicago mountaineering club.
And to the ice farmers of Winona.
just another example of how developing outdoor opportunities brings in tourists from all over. Perhaps one day Knoxville will realize this about climbing.
ice fisherman on the river.
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