While growing up in Wisconsin, I had many opportunities to carve snow caves out of the snowy embankment at the entrance to our driveway. In leaner years, my sister and I built roofless forts to protect us from snowball missiles. Many years later, I watched James Bond’s Die Another Day and fell in love with the Ice Palace.
So when I drove back from skiing and glimpsed unusual lighting on some enormous walls of ice and snow, I had to check it out. Someone built an ice castle in Breckenridge! I had to go.
Each handmade icicle was combined with many others to build extraordinary archways, towers and meandering walls.
The crew created over 5000 icicles a day by pouring water into a pipe and freezing it. Then they doused it with more water to create a unique shape.
Thousands of them were frozen together to form walls.
Some of the rooms resembled movie sets.
Other walls resembled sea creatures.
I wandered through these other-worldly dreamscapes
while the light changed color and added to the drama.
I have to believe this art project took hundreds of hours to create. It will melt under the Colorado sunshine.
The air nipped my nose, but these sculptures nudged my imagination
and stirred my soul.
I took 150 photos. There are many more to come.
Is exploring an ice castle on your bucket list?
Click for more adventure on the Wild Ride!
Related Posts:
More photos of the Ice Castle!
Click HERE to see James Bond arrive at the Ice Hotel.
What an incredible and amazing sight to see this ice castle. I’ve never seen anything like it! A year ago we visited one that was “man made” and I thought that was pretty great. To see it as nature intended it…wow!
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That is amazing and beautiful! It looks like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude.
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Just amazing – the lighting with the ice. It does look a little like Luray Caverns in VA. Hope you do get to interview the artist. I’ve always wanted to go to one of those big ice festival events where they do all the carvings and sculptures.
There was supposed to be an opening of an art installation here made totally of twigs and woven branches – huge forms to walk in and around. But due to the ice storm, it might have looked close to these instead of “organic vines”
Can’t wait to see the rest of your photos – great job!
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Thanks so much Phil! They are spectacular. Luckily the weather is holding out so it should be around for a while.
Cave stalactite formations are very similar, but the lighting really added another dimension.
The new post is up with a message from the artist. 🙂
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Ice castles? SO COOL. Stunning photos of a stunning idea…and yeah, it’ll melt, but there’s that magical moment when it’s there, with the lighting, and – and – well, that’s what it’s about, isn’t it.
It’s inspiring. Thanks for sharing…and pleeeeease post more of those 150 pix! 🙂
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I don’t expect to ever visit an ice castle, so I am very grateful for your photos! I found them very spiritual. 🙂
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Thank you! They were breathtaking. Quite an art project and amazing structure and all made with water. Wow.
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That ice castle is quite amazing. What a work of art. It’s so fleeting and that makes it even more special.
I’ve wanted to stay in an ice hotel, but I’m having trouble in the 15 degree temperatures we have here. I don’t know if I’d survive the night. 🙂
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I gotta believe it would be a long underwear night! They showed beds made of blocks of ice. That would be great if your back went out and you needed to ice it, but for the rest of us, it could be a looooooong nighttttttttt. (((shiver)))
Thanks for stopping by!
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So, so beautiful. Thank you you took the photos, shared them with us. I would never see anything like it, otherwise.
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Thanks for stopping by! It was time for another Colorado adventure. 🙂
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Awesome photos!!
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Holy Cow! That’s amazing.
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Hey Ted! Great to “see” you!
There’s one in Silverthorne this year. I want to check it out!
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Wow, this is amazing. Love these Susie. And your photographs capture their beauty magnificently. 🙂
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Wow. Such an experience. Thank you for this amazing post!
Have a wonderful day!
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