Winter Carnival, 2011
Welcome to Michigan Technological University’s annual Winter Carnival. Every year the students carve incredible ice sculptures and compete for top honors.
We traveled “up the road” on Thursday to view the ice sculptures. Barry took the day off work. We ate breakfast at Victoria’s, then lazily viewed the magnificent sculptures.
(I do not tell the truth. The wind was blowing fiercely and froze every exposed part of the body. Fortunately the sun was shining. It’s nice to photograph ice sculptures in the sun.)
Please enjoy the sculptures as you sit in your nice warm house. Please remember what it took to deliver these photographs to you! lol!
Icy close-up
Ice Sculpture
Barry relaxes on student's couch behind one of the statues (Kathy trips and almost falls while taking this pic)
Ice circles in the sky
Sorority Teeter-Tottering
Can you imagine building a train made of snow and ice?
Or a giant sitting by a campfire?
Giant dangles "dinner", visitor poses.
Winter carnival isn't complete without "Jurassic Park"
Don't get too close to this ice sculpture!
P.S. The theme of this year’s Carnival was “Thousand of Pages Unfold in the Bitter Cold.”
Yep, they were right about the “bitter cold”!
Lake Superior Spirit 
OH I LOVE IT!! Thank you ever so much, and for sharing about the trips and the uncomfy reality mixed in with the doing. I love the giant taking a leak on the fire 😀
Kathy – I oh-so-appreciate what you endured to capture these photographs for us. Brrrrrrrrrrr! I love the “giant dangles dinner” – that’s hysterical!
Amazing sculptures!
P.S. Brrrr! =O
Those photos are great! Amazing sculptures. I wish I was there.
Wow! Those are amazing. Sorry to repeat the word the other commenters have already used, but that is the one that seems most appropriate. Thanks for braving the bitter cold, faithful blog reporter!
Dedication! Well done it WAS worth it as the photos are brilliant. Those ice circles wow! the train double wow! and playing on a see saw .. ow wee cold butt or what? LOL.
On the bright side at least the bitterly cold wind keeps the statues “alive” a little while longer. Kudos to the sculptors, these are a pleasure to see.
Those sculptures are amazing – to think about how many hours it took to make those is unbelievable! Thanks for sharing these – and for braving the cold!
Barry looks real COOL in the relax mood!! Luv Dad
My favorite? Barry on the couch. Too funny! The rest of the photos are fabulous of course! And being outside on the couch is better than being inside on the couch. Especially in winter. Says so much for you hardy UP’ers!
Incredible pictures! You folks out there in Michigan sure know how to entertain yourselves in the wintertime! I’m happy you didn’t fall down while taking Barry’s picture and I hope you’re all warmed up now…
Pretty cool what comes of a fine engineering education in the North Country!
Wow! they’re amazing!
Oh, I forgot to ask – I’m assuming the blue ice fish was part of this display; was there more to the ice fish’s surrounding? A fish bowl or aquarium or sea setting?
It amazes me the patience these sculptors have to do such detailed work in the cold … knowing all the while that they will not last.
Beautiful.
Glad you all enjoyed the ice sculptures, dear reader-commenters! Glad to have braved the frigid cold to faithfully present them to you. (But, truly, Thursday morning was the last freezing cold day. It really has warmed up on Friday and Saturday and Sunday and now the picture-takers are probably languishing in shorts as they chronicle the ice sculptures. lol! maybe not shorts.) Karma, the blue ice fish was part of a larger display that included a few smaller fish. But I liked the ice fish best!
Wow! Creating such magnificent sculptures takes a strong talent and dedication to the art. Or wholehearted foolhardiness.
Awesome, Kathy! That is some talent for sure. And I imagine it takes great hardiness to accomplish such a feat.
Very cool! 😉
Looks like there is tons of talent there. I can barely manage a snowman. Sculpture like that is way beyond me (other than to admire).
Great photos, Kathy. Thanks for taking us along with you.
Glad you all enjoyed. Michigan Tech has lots of engineering students. I think this is the perfect college to have the snow sculpture competition!
Hey Kathy, and Barry,
Thanks for braving the weather or wind for these wondrous photographs. Some great ice/snow sculptures!
glad you enjoyed our photographic antics, Jeff. I hope it’s warmed up at your house, too. It was 42 degrees here yesterday! A real February thaw…