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The Ice Road Cometh!

Rumor has it that the Madeline Island Ferry Line may be shutting down in the next few days, in preparation for the formation of an ice road.

Lake Supeior at Canal Park, Duluth

Lake Superior at dawn, Canal Park, Duluth, Minnesota

As of this evening, the Ferry Line recorded message informs Islanders that they should move vehicles over to the Bayfield side before Tuesday, December 30.

This could be the earliest and best ice road we've seen in a couple of decades. And the impact of the ice road on the LaPointe community is huge.

During ice road season, Islanders and visitors save quite a bit on ferry fees. Goods and people travel pretty much round the clock between the Bayfield mainland and the Island. There's no waiting for boats or for the windsled. Life is good!

Of course, the windsled will be running during the period between ferry shutdown and the opening of the ice road to traffic.

If you're looking for information on when precisely the ferries will stop running, call the Madeline Island Ferry Line, at 715-747-2051.

Posted by Eric Kodner CRS, ABR, e-PRO, CLHMS, Madeline Island Real Estate Wisconsin on 12/27/2008 09:08 PM

Comments (6)

madeline island ferry line, bayfield, la pointe

This post has been included in Wisconsin Information Ashland County, WI Information La Pointe, WI Information

6 Comments on The Ice Road Cometh!

DEC

Eric,

Beautiful photo. An ice road sounds very interesting. How do they do it. In Russian's north they were using logs to freeze with the water and reinforce the road, but it is not really environmentally friendly.

Jon, thanks for the compliment!

Chequamegon Bay (between Madeline Island and Bayfield) is relatively sheltered & calm and it freezes solid almost every year. Last March we had nearly thirty inches of ice! They plow an ice road across it and everyone drives back and forth as long as the ice stays thick enough and doesn't develop any major cracks.

Eric, the whole concept of an ice road is so foreign in this part of the world, even when it is cold! Please keep posting pictures of it for us!

Pat, as soon as the ice goes in solid and the ice road opens, I plan to put my Flip Mino on the dashboard and make a video of the crossing from Bayfield to Madeline Island. Then if I can figure out how to upload it to my blog, you'll get a chance to see what it's like!

DEC

JAN

Eric--I am one of those few Minnesotans that just don't get driving on lake ice. It just plain scares me! But we are a bit further south...so many people fall through what is believed to be "safe" ice. Interesting that any part of Superior freezes enough to create a road...But then again, water in that lake is COLD in the summer! Beautiful photo and will look forward to the video!

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