Driving the Madeline Island Ice Road

This video has been updated with some Beethoven accompaniment here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6lIDwwY0Bk

For a few weeks just about every winter, one can drive the two miles across the Lake Superior Ice between Bayfield and Madeline Island. My trusty (silent) dash cam caught the ride on March 8, 2008.

More images of this area in the wintertime are here:
http://www.jlindquist.com/mapsupp5d.html

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Ice Road
• Madeline Island

[k1fjh]

Hi John -

Pretty cool!! I never drove on a lake before!!

I subscribed to your channel - now go over to mine and subscribe!! :)

Fran

[johntubeseven]

Hey, thanks Fran! Just got back from an expedition to an old logging camp on Outer Island, videos of which are coming (with sound!!). Now I'm on my way to subscribe to your channel.

[joedprry]

I live in Red Cliff a little reservation just north of Bayfield.and sometimes there are locals that drive from Red Cliff to the Island just cause there isnt any police.

[johntubeseven]

From Red Cliff directly to the island - skipping the ice road entirely? That would be quite a haul. But is that really safe? I would think there could be thin pockets in the ice from the currents in that narrow channel (across from Basswood Island) and also from the streams and springs from the mainland.

No police? I wouldn't count on that. And I think they're pretty cool in that area - but that's another story.

[johntubeseven]

@KGero478 The ice road ends near the north tip of the westerly end of the island, shortening the usual distance that the ferry takes from Bayfield to the LaPointe dock. Then it's about a half mile drive to LaPointe. Can't wait to try it again in 2011!

[KGero478]

@Barbeenie Madeline Island is just short of three miles from Bayfield.

[johntubeseven]

I believe it's just a matter of drilling holes along the route to check the thickness. Those who keep up the ice road find that the ice is thicker where they have plowed (any snow cover tends to insulate the ice from temperature extremes), so we wind up with a fairly wide road that's equivalent to a six-lane highway! People have already been driving it for the past couple weeks, and although the weather has been relatively warm recently, the next several nights will each reach below zero.

[powellpicc1985]

Wow. I'd be TERRIFIED to drive that thing. I'm sure it's safe, but how exactly do they determine whether it is or isn't thick enough to drive?

[johntubeseven]

The usual ferry ride from Bayfield (on the mainland) to La Pointe is about 2 miles and it appears they have the windsled in operation presently. If you do a Google search for "taking the ice road" there are some photos of the windsled that can zip you over there in 6 minutes. Gotta wear earplugs to ride it, though. If you can get over there early enough in the day, you can partake of the Mission Hill coffehouse's world-famous gyro as well as the incredible scenery.

[Barbeenie]

How cool! and fun... I know about the ice roads in Alaska but never knew ice got that thick on the great lakes. How far is Madeline Island off the shore? Seems like it would be a lovely place to visit in any season.