Did you ever build an igloo?

[oneighty]

Carl and I did one winter when the deep snow became perfect for cutting blocks of snow.

The igloo was not very big but Carl and I fit in there with room to spare. A single candle would warm it up. It was a nasty winter in the 1940s and the igloo lasted a very long time.

I think you guys over on the northeast coast might be interested in checking out igloo building.

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[no name no slogan]

1. Did once as a teenager

It's pretty easy to do in a "normal" Minnesota winter. They really do stay warm, especially when you get a bunch of people in them. Snow is an excellent insulator.

[oneighty]

2. I did an igloo Google search

before posting. Igloos are very interesting. I recall reading about the Eskimos and their building methods. They would save and carry with them clear blocks of ice for 'windows'.

180

[no name no slogan]

3. The the 70s, they used to sell snow-block makers

You'd fill them with snow, pack it down, and it would make pre-formed blocks to use for building igloos or snow forts. They were very handy if you didn't have any "naturally" occurring piles of snow (like those created by the snowplows at the end of the street).

[oneighty]

4. We had something of a thaw

followed by a freeze making the snow surface strong enough to walk on. Cut the blocks out with Dad's hand saw.

180

[Call Me Wesley]

5. Yes, I did.

Many times, but no traditional method, more like a snowhouse that stayed up all winter.

[BikeWriter]

6. Yep, in Alaska, during the winter of 1968.

[oneighty]

8. Must be more to the story?

No?

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[BikeWriter]

11. We built the igloo for something to do and...

as an emergency shelter in case we got caught away from the camp by a whiteout. Our Squadron Commander was lenient about allowing us outside, due to the high incidence of cabin fever. I was out hiking and hunting daily, except during extremely severe storms.

[oneighty]

13. When I think of Alaska

I think of Robert Service and the 'Cremation of Sam McGee.'

Also the Navy had a Mine Depot up there some place. I understand the brown bears were a nuisance at the base.

I wrote a story once about the devil and sled dogs and a woods man. A sort of snow fort is part of the story.

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[jpak]

7. Built many a Quinze (snow shelter) while ice fishing

Kept the kids from getting bored while waiting for a flag...(and warm too)...

[oneighty]

9. A partial igloo?

I live on the shore of Lake Eire. Never went ice fishing. I do not know how the ice fishermen protected themselves. I do know a few motor vehicles were lost.

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[Breeze54]

10. I did as a kid in the ....

northeast...in New England...25 miles outside Boston.
( We get more snow than Boston, away from the coast.)
When I was a child, we waited for the snowplows to come and make
huge snowbanks near the telephone poles and then we'd dig in!
We'd carve out a cave and wait till the sun was low in the sky and the temp
to drop and then pour copious amounts of water, slowly over the "cave"..."fort".
In the morning, we'd run out to see if it worked!
It usually did, provided the temp stayed at or below freezing.
It was great fun and then we'd have snowball fights with the neighbor kids!
It stopped being fun when the "new" neighbors moved in, one year.
Their kids were invited to join.
One of their son's put rocks in the snowballs and caused my older brother
to have to have stitches on his cheek. That ended that! He still has the scar.

We're supposed to be getting a huge snowstorm and blizzard around 3 AM. tonight/tomorrow.
Maybe I'll build a snow-fort/igloo in the morning and throw snowballs at the repigs,
as they drive by!!
LMAO!
(I wouldn't do that! J/K!)

Thanks for the memories!

[oneighty]

15. We found those types

of snow forts to be fairly unstable. Out in the deep woods at the base of pine trees one could often find natural snow forts. (Deer hangouts)

Rare times after Lake Erie storms ice volcanoes would form at the edge of the lake they sometimes grew quite large. Really cool forts.

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[ghostsofgiants]

12. No igloos, but plenty of snow forts.

Good times.

[aQuArius]

14. Does a SNOW CAVE count?

part of girls camp in Utah!

[oneighty]

17. Sigh, I guess snow cave be OK aQuArius

Silly. Girls cannot build igloos.

You too Ms. Jitterbug.

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[JitterbugPerfume]

16. being a dumb girl in the mid / late40s

I was held in disdain by my brother and my uncle Bernie concerning such things as building snow caves. They would let me watch but I has to stand back and let the BOYS have all of the real fun


my brother and my uncle were the same age

[gristy]

18. My brother and I piled up snow in the backyard and hollowed it out

Put in ground cover, sleeping bags, pillows, and a candle. Slept overnight. We were very comfortable. I learned many years later that my father had checked on us several times through the night to make sure we were ok!

[JitterbugPerfume]

19. people like Ms Betty Friedan

fixed THAT attitude oneighty , uncle Bern and brother David

[northofdenali]

20. No, but I sold some souveniers to a couple of

little-old-lady-on-the-cattle-tour; they were DETERMINED that they'd see an igloo while they were in Interior Alaska.

Of course, it was only about 80 degrees out, mid-summer. The only igloo they were gonna see was this one on the Parks Highway near Cantwell:



I didn't try to disillusion them, though, especially when they asked if we took American money............... :P