Winter Recreation Fun Kicks Off with Ice Festival February 1

Outdoor recreation enthusiasts are in for some excitement throughout the month of February with a series of winter events scheduled every weekend, beginning with Town of Lake City’s annual Ice Climbing Festival February 1.
Ice climbing festivals have been a yearly February celebration of ice dexterity in Lake City for the past 20 years highlighting Town of Lake City’s ever-expanding Lake City Ice Climbs Park at the mouth of Henson Creek.
The town’s ice climbing venue on Henson Creek includes Pump House Park at the mouth of the canyon and, further up the creek, a succession of vertical ice climbing challenges known as the Beer Garden in reference to a German Beer Garden which occupied the site in the 1870s.

Located on sheer walls of Henson Creek canyon between Pump House Park and Beer Garden is a series of even more awe-inspiring vertical ice walls christened “Dynamite Shack” in recognition of its proximity to a former explosive’s storage cavern on the Mount Morris Lode. Ice climbing walls at Dynamite Shack range in height from 80’ to over 110’ of near-vertical ice climbing challenges.
Due to its popularity and an increasing number of climbers and spectators, this year’s festival will once again be located at the Beer Garden location.

Two timed climbing events are planned: Top Rope, in which climbers use a preset climbing rope to ascend as quickly as they are able up to the cliff top, while safely belayed by their partner from ground level. Once at the top, a gong is sounded as climbers strike a metal skillet.
The second ice climbing competition is Lead Rope, in which contenders incrementally ascend as they thread their climbing rope through screws set into the ice.
The timed events for both Top Rope and Lead Rope are scheduled for men and women. Town of Lake City Recreation Director Ben Hake tells WORLD there may also be adaptive climbing courses, which are designed to cater to disabled climbers.

Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., entry fee is $35, and the climbing competition kicks off at 11:00 a.m.
Amenities at this year’s festival will include canvas-walled warming tents, each equipped with a wood burning stove, located at the Beer Garden, as well as downstream at Dynamite Shack and Pump House Park.
Also for spectators and contestants on Saturday, Hake will be manning the charcoal grill serving up hamburgers and hot dogs with chips and drinks for lunch, served at 11 a.m.
Climbing will continue until early afternoon, with an awards dinner held at the Arts Center (300 Silver Street) at 6:30 p.m., and awards ceremony at 7:00 p.m. Meal tickets cost $20 and will be available at registration or at the door. The meal will include ‘Slumgullion Stew,’ sticky rice, rolls or cornbread and a key lime cup or vegetarian curry. A cash bar will be available with dinner.
A variety of climbing equipment prizes from San Juan Soda Co. will be awarded, including the door prize of top-quality climbing rope. Other climbing equipment to be awarded as prizes is manufactured by well-known firms Black Diamond and Petzl.
For more information the online website is www.lakecityice.com.

There is something fun to do outdoors every Friday in February; upcoming events – with more details to come in upcoming issues of WORLD – include the 7th annual Brewski, February 8, where participants can walk, sled or ski to six stations on a mile-long course on Lake San Cristobal while enjoying beverages.
The Lake City Search and Rescue Ice Fishing Derby Presented by Alpine Outfitters takes place out on Lake San Cristobal February 15, with prizes awarded to top 3 largest live length game fish.
February 22 is the 9th annual Cannibal Snowshoe Scramble on Lake San Cristobal, sponsored by the Lake City Area Medical Center. Registration begins at 10:00 a.m., and racers can participate in a 5k challenge course, or do a one-mile fun run. Prizes are given for first, second and third place racers, as well as best-dressed in cannibal costume.
Finally, March 1 is the annual Matt Milski ski race at the Lake City Ski Hill; more information to come as WORLD receives it.