With a steady rain this past Saturday, we thought we would be writing a sad Ice Conditions report this week with the ending of the season but cold temperatures found their way back to us and the ice is still looking good with all formations still climbable.  Our typical steel grey skies are starting to turn giving way to blue bird sunny skies!  Now is the time to come up and enjoy climbing in warmer temps and softer ice!

This past weekend saw a flurry of activity on Grand Island with climbers having fun from Trout Bay to the East Channel all the way out to the West Shore climbs.  Lake ice is still good from the public access to Grand Island.

Be sure to check our website of social media channels for the latest ice conditions reports. If your group need to rent gear Down Wind Sports in Munising offers Ice Gear rentals and are open 7 days a week.  Check out the rental details here!

With these overnight lows we are looking at an extended climbing season!

At Michigan Ice we take pride in being your go to site for current ice climbing conditions for Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore as well as climbs throughout the Upper Peninsula. Planning a trip to Pictured Rocks? We have you covered for all the latest snow and ice conditions on all of your favorite climbs. Check back often for updates, pictures, and trip reports!

The Munising area saw lots of action this past weekend with visiting climbers finding fat mid season conditions!  On their day off, some of the Michigan Ice Fest Guides hit three of the PRNL Classics Dairyland, Strawberry Daze and Midnight Rambler during a rare bluebird day!

The Front Country is also going strong as the Dryer Hose has resealed it leak and isn’t as wet as it was last weekend. Grand Island is still seeing action with most climbers concentrating on the Trout Bays area. We still do not recommend crossing to the Island from Sand Point, please use the Public Access for Grand Island as the lake ice is much safer there. Based on what we saw this weekend, it looks like the next few weeks will be the perfect time to come up and climb in Munising!

For those adventurers who like solitude and want to escape the crowds, there is a lot of ice in the U.P. that is not in Munising. The Black River is an example of that, and Jeremiah Gourd sent a few photos of this past weekends exploration of the Black River.

The Black River is the Western U.P.’s mini ice destination in Big Snow Country, a region also known for its amount of alpine ski hills, and deep lake effect snow. The ice climbs are all located in a small canyon along the fast flowing Black River just a few miles upstream of where it drains into Lake Superior. On a normal season almost a half-dozen lines form along the sides of the canyon walls, with the actual river waterfall rarely freezing and never climbed. All but one of the climbs are located across the river from where you park, which means the river must be well frozen before you can get to the climbs, as the swim across would be rather cold.

Not to sound like a broken record, our extended forecast is still looking amazing for continued ice growth and excellent climbing conditions! Be sure to check our website of social media channels for the latest ice conditions reports. If your group need to rent gear Down Wind Sports in Munising offers Ice Gear rentals and are open 7 days a week.  Check out the rental details here!

At Michigan Ice we take pride in being your go to site for current ice climbing conditions for Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore as well as climbs throughout the Upper Peninsula. Planning a trip to Pictured Rocks? We have you covered for all the latest snow and ice conditions on all of your favorite climbs. Check back often for updates, pictures, and trip reports!

Now that the fest is over we are continuing to see many climbers coming up to enjoy fantastic ice conditions at PRNL and over at Grand Island. Cold weather is continuing and the forecast looks promising for a long season. We have also received a good amount of snow the last couple of days so prepare to bust a trail if you are heading into the backcountry.

Having said that, on Saturday the Dryer Hose did spring a leak and we are hoping that it will heal up this week. The left side was still climbable but straight on and climbers right were defiantly a no go. See video here!

This past holiday weekend we saw many climbers up and down Sand Point Road which is a good thing but remember there is great ice to climb, many formations still untouched this season, scattered throughout the park. Our friend Captin Scott Gnas sent us the following photos of routes in the Mosquito area that had nobody on the both Friday and Saturday of Ice Fest!

Grand Island has seen lots of action at Trout Bay.  Just a reminder- it is never safe to cross the East Channel to access the East Channel Curtains.  Please use the public access dock for Grand Island. As always, when planning to venture out to the island check with the Park service, Forrest Service, local Sherriff or Down Wind Sports in Munising to see if lake ice has changed.

Captin Scott also sent these photos of the seldom climbed formations on the east side of Trout Bay

For those looking for a bit of solitude, The Millers went out to the Rock River Canyon Wilderness Area and found the Subway in pristine condition.  If you are looking  for fresh ice and no other climbers, we recommend picking up the guidebook and checking this area out as many of these smaller formations never get climbed in a season.

Our extended forecast is still looking amazing for continued ice growth and excellent climbing conditions! Be sure to check our website of social media channels for the latest ice conditions reports. If your group need to rent gear Down Wind Sports in Munising offers Ice Gear rentals and are open 7 days a week.  Check out the rental details here!

At Michigan Ice we take pride in being your go to site for current ice climbing conditions for Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore as well as climbs throughout the Upper Peninsula. Planning a trip to Pictured Rocks? We have you covered for all the latest snow and ice conditions on all of your favorite climbs. Check back often for updates, pictures, and trip reports!

The vast areas of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore which includes 33,929 acres (53.0 square miles) and Grand Island National Recreation Area comprises of 13,500 acres (34 square miles), hiding hundreds of obscure climbs within its woodlands.  Loads of these climbs are unnamed and never see an ascent over a season.  Some are difficult to find, some have difficult approaches, but the rewards can be worth the effort.  With the upcoming Michigan Ice Fest and lots of climbers coming up the the UP, you may want to head out and find some solitude and fresh ice!

Here are a few obscure climbs, some near, some far that were climbed this weekend.  Thanks to the Millers and Captin Scott Gnass for sending these in.  Remember, there are over 200 documented climbs in An Ice Climbers Guide to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, but there are hundreds undocumented!  The guide book lists the East Channel and West Shore of Grand Island as areas but there are probably a hundred lines in these two areas alone!

Our extended forecast is looking amazing for continued ice growth! Be sure to check our website of social media channels for the latest ice conditions reports. If your group need to rent gear Down Wind Sports in Munising offers Ice Gear rentals and are open 7 days a week.  Check out the rental details here!

At Michigan Ice we take pride in being your go to site for current ice climbing conditions for Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore as well as climbs throughout the Upper Peninsula. Planning a trip to Pictured Rocks? We have you covered for all the latest snow and ice conditions on all of your favorite climbs. Check back often for updates, pictures, and trip reports!