Trade for beer

In Minnesota and Wisconsin, the cold weather offers us shortcuts that others might find odd, or even crazy. Take the ice road for example. We live and work close to St. Croix River, which separates Minnesota and Wisconsin. When the river is in it’s liquid state, driving from Stillwater, Minnesota to Hudson, Wisconsin, means taking the river road to I94, location of the nearest bridge that spans the river. When the top layer of water turns solid, however, there’s this nice shortcut just south of us. If driving on ice seems insane (to anyone living south of Missouri), there are a lot of people here who should be committed.

Ice Road Truckers need their ferocious companion to fend off wolves, and travelers gone mad with frostbite and lack of food.

People don’t just drive out onto the ice one fine January afternoon, no they take it in stages. First, the hard-core ice fishermen walk out onto the ice, dragging their auger and assorted paraphernalia behind them on a sled. Once the first fisherman cuts the first hole, the thickness of the ice, at least in that location, is telegraphed through bars and cafes to everyone up and down the river. Pretty soon the first snowmobiles show up on the ice, followed by four-wheelers dragging the same sleds that were towed by hand only a week or so before. Again the thickness of the ice is telegraphed to fishermen and river rats up and down the shore. Eventually the first cars and pickup trucks ease out onto the slippery surface. But the ice road isn't really open yet, because the first cars stay along the shore and gradually work their way out to the ice houses that have sprung up to form little villages in the best fishing spots. Finally, some brave, or foolish, soul drives straight from shore to shore, and the road is officially open.

Right now the process just described is operating in reverse. By March 1 all the houses have to be off the ice. And our warm afternoons are leaving puddles on the top of the ice. Late last winter I actually started across the ice, which had 2 inches of water on the top, only to decide after about 50 yards of travel that it was too much risk for any possible gain. I turned around and came back across the bridge. As far as I know, no one has gone through on the ice road, though earlier this winter there was the report of a lost snowmobile and rider about five miles south of the I-94 bridge.

Personally, I lust not for a snowmobile, but an old dirt bike. They actually race them on a small, plowed "track" on the ice. And while I sure don't wanna race, taking the beater Honda for a ride on the ice while the Bagger is in cold storage sounds like a lot of fun to me.

When it comes to building icehouses, there aren't a lot of codes or standards, yet the fishermen and women spare no expense in creating their chateaus.

Value of the US Dollar falls Again in Wisconsin

Speaking of the two states that border the river, they say that Wisconsin rates very high in per capita beer consumption. And it might be just a coincidence, but I did find an interesting ad in the local shopper paper.

All of which goes to show that life in the Great White North is never dull.

In Wisconsin they’ve replaced the US Dollar as the primary means of exchange.