Ice castle construction begins this week

Construction on the annual Eagle River Ice Castle is set to begin this week, with the Eagle River Fire Department hoping to begin the five-day process on Wednesday, Jan. 8, following a weekend of chilly temperatures that helped thicken ice on local lakes — namely Silver Lake, where ice for the castle is harvested from.
With ice thickness on local lakes measuring between 10 to 14 inches, Eagle River Fire Chief Michael Anderson said that this is the prime time to harvest ice for the castle. Once thickness reaches 16 inches, however, it becomes too difficult to cut through.
The process of constructing the ice castle, from start to finish, will take approximately five days, starting with the pre-cutting of ice blocks. The fire department will pre-cut around 2,000 ice blocks, leaving two inches at the bottom to be hand-cut on harvest day. A small crew of six to eight volunteers will be needed to help caulk the cut lines to prevent flooding.
Day two is the biggest volunteer day, consisting of harvesting and hauling ice.
Volunteers with ½ ton pickup trucks will be needed to haul ice from Silver Lake to the railroad depot at 116 S. Railroad St. in Eagle River, with about 100 truckloads of ice needing to be hauled. Volunteers will also be needed to pull out and unload blocks onto pallets at the depot.
Day three is when the actual construction of the castle begins. Blocks will be shaved to a uniform 12 inches, and construction on the center towers — a process that takes about a day and a half — will begin.
Construction of the ice castle will continue into days four and five of the process, with the focus being on constructing the towers and outer walls of the ice castle.
If interested in volunteering, show up at the railroad depot to check in. Trucks will require empty pickup beds and be able to hold 20 ice blocks. Volunteers who don’t have a truck are recommended to bring warm clothes, suitable footwear, and “a great attitude.” Roles and schedules will be provided.
If interested in providing a forklift or additional equipment, or are looking for additional information, contact Michael Anderson at 715-891-1497.