Eagle River, WI

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January 21st, 2013 at 9:48:18 PM permalink
Face
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 61
Posts: 3941
Cold. As a lifelong NY'er, I have a relationship with cold. It comes in many different flavors. A surprise 60* day in July can be "cold". A late fall breeze on a 70* day can be "cold". But real cold usually doesn't come until the snow falls. Even then, wind and humidity can change the "cold" regardless of the actual temp. Some January days you can leave in coat and khakis, and the cold feels refreshing. Sometimes the cold makes you exclaim profanities. A few times, you can't say anything at all as every breath seems to freeze in your throat. Last time that happened, the temp gauge in my truck read -10*F. That was a nasty day.

In three weeks I leave for Eagle River, Wisconsin for a hockey tournament. When my coworker heard of it (he's from WI) he gave me a look of concern while telling me it's going to be damn cold. I told him I knew, but questioned him more on the topic as I've never been. He lived in Madison, which is near the southern border. He said Madison is bad. Green Bay, he went on to say, was dangerous. GB is mid state, and if you go up there, you come back changed. Not knowing where Eagle River was, I figured I'd cover my bases and asked him "What about north of there?" He only shook his head. "Nobody goes north of there."



Eagle River is about 3 hours north of Green Bay, Wisconsin. A town of about 1,300, you don't go here in the winter unless you love the winter. If it ain't snowmobiling, fishing, hunting, or hockey, there's no reason at all to ever go. Eagle River is the "Snowmobile Capitol of the World", hosting several races and featuring 100s of miles of trails. The Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame sits here, and, I'm told, several hand built arenas exist. Also here, and the reason I'm going, is the Labatt Blue/USA Hockey Pond Hockey Championships.



Pond hockey, you say? Unfortunately, yes. In three weeks, I have to skate my ass out there, wearing nothing more than a few pieces of plastic and a mesh jersey, and skate around in the middle of a frozen hell, several times, for hours. Oh, and I'll likely be dripping wet, too. Good times, eh? I got my first video report today from rink officials and the volunteer fire department. The ice is at 12", the rink construction has begun. The actual air temperature at 9am? -19*F.

Pray for me to survive it. Remember me if I don't. If I can keep my fingers thawed, I'll be sure to post some pics upon my return. I hear there's a lot of amazing hockey stuff to see there, and any hockey fan should be able to appreciate it.

If anyone has any tips for staying warm that doesn't include clothes (actual expressly prohibits the use of clothes), I'm all ears. Please?
Be bold and risk defeat, or be cautious and encourage it.
January 23rd, 2013 at 4:46:53 PM permalink
rdw4potus
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 10
Posts: 147
Warmth without clothing? ummm...body heat? :-P

But really:
1. Eagle River is a great town. It's all about winter tourism. You'll have a great time.
2. -19 is unusually cold. Hopefully the cold-front will recede before you arrive. Low single digits above 0 is a more normal seasonal low (I know...not reassuring).
3. Usual cold/wet weather hunting tips apply here, too. Keep your fingers and toes moving, large muscle flexing is your friend.
4. If you have a compression seat, bring that for bench time. Bring self-activating hand warmers.
5. got scotch?
I'm not wearing any pants, film at 11
January 23rd, 2013 at 6:53:21 PM permalink
Face
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 61
Posts: 3941
#1 - So I hear. For what I'm into, it sounds like a great time.
#2 - Hopefully. We got it here in WNY, too. Been about a week of the single digits. I was outside for a good bit today, think it got up to 12*F. I thought it was quite nice outside, so anything above 0*F there will be OK with me.
#3 - Well, I'll have the body heat. It is hockey, after all. But usual cold weather biology means stop when you sweat so you don't die. Here, I'll have no choice, I'll probably already be wet before I start moving.
#4 - I know the pic is too long distance, but there are no benches. You just stand in a sort of on-deck circle until your next shift. I'm not sure where I could place hand warmers, but it might be a good idea to start adjusting equipment to store some.
#5 - Gallons ;)
Be bold and risk defeat, or be cautious and encourage it.
January 23rd, 2013 at 7:08:39 PM permalink
rdw4potus
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 10
Posts: 147
yeah, no benches makes it rough. I'd definitely do the hand warmers. Even if you just keep them in the off-ice area and share them. You can get away with fewer layers of clothing on your core if you can keep your extremities heated. I'm looking closer at the picture now. Are the tents heated? You do get to warm up a bit between games, right??

Not sure what your off-hours plans are, but Mole Lake and Lake of the Torches are both about an hour away (in opposite directions) if the urge to gamble should happen to strike.
I'm not wearing any pants, film at 11
January 24th, 2013 at 6:18:49 AM permalink
Fleastiff
Member since: Oct 27, 2012
Threads: 62
Posts: 7831
I've never particularly cared for temperature extremes particularly the cold.

I've heard that taking really deep breaths is a good technique but have no idea if this is true or not. Cops on the Brooklyn water front in Winter swear by it, but who knows?

I've heard that those in the arctic avoid exertion induced sweating because the sweat will freeze and will then require body heat to melt which ofcourse lowers the core temperature a great deal. Its an un-icy clothing-trapped air pocket that keeps people warm and I'm told nothing beats the feel of wool even though a great many things beat the smell of wet wool once you get inside where its warm. Wicking water away from the body is good and is the reason people in the American West often wore fringed clothing. It was not some stylish affectation but a beneficial device for survival.

Baked potatoes hold their heat well and I've heard taking a few with you on a morning excursion can provide you with hand warmers as well as emergency rations if things go askew.
January 26th, 2013 at 7:12:33 PM permalink
Face
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 61
Posts: 3941
Quote: rdw4potus
Are the tents heated? You do get to warm up a bit between games, right??


Kind of lol. You can see them in the pic, the blue and white striped things. They’re your typical graduation party / carnival beer tent types, just some canvas and poles. They’re “heated”, probably get up to a balmy 45*F and everything lol. I think this is the part that worries me the most. I can take the cold for an hour, even if it’s brutal. Plus I’ll at least be moving around. But tourneys are funny, sometimes you get 6 hours between games (plenty of time to go home and have a hot bath), but others times you’ll play back to back, or even worse, have only an hour between games. If I get stuck on one of those short reprieves, I’m just gonna be standing there soaking wet for the whole hour. I don’t even dare imagine what that’d be like.

Quote: rdw4potus
Not sure what your off-hours plans are, but Mole Lake and Lake of the Torches are both about an hour away (in opposite directions) if the urge to gamble should happen to strike.


I said “gallons”, and I wasn’t kidding ;) I don’t reckon there’ll be much automobiling on this trip as a result, but thanks anyways =)

Quote: Fleastiff
I've never particularly cared for temperature extremes particularly the cold.


Me neither. I don't mind it at a burst, but prolonged exposure to cold has got to be the most miserable experience in human existence.

I don’t know about that deep breath stuff. It seems like big pulls of cold air would just cool you from the inside. And besides, I know you’re from Fla. and all, but have you ever tried to take a big pull of sub zero air? It sticks in your lungs like trying to breathe ultra fine sand. I could see it for simple cold, focusing on breathing to meditate the pain away. But <-10*F?

The other advice is sound, but not practical for what I’m doing. I think my only option is the “less is more” I learned snowboarding. Too many clothes binds the blood, doesn’t let it flow to the hands and feet. Wear less and your core acts like a radiator; as long as you keep the core warm, the warm blood can flow and will keep the rest of you warm. Only when I started wearing absurdly few clothes was I ever warm. So first game looks like sweatpants and a t-shirt (plus some homemade moonshine w/scotch chasers ;)) and we’ll see how it goes. If those old dudes can do that polar bear stuff…
Be bold and risk defeat, or be cautious and encourage it.
January 27th, 2013 at 2:06:56 AM permalink
Mooseton
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 0
Posts: 149
Totally off topic but just hearing of Eagle River I couldn't help but think of the Paulding Light. If you have time to spare, go ahead and check it out, it's worth it. A true Unsolved Mystery (Unsolved Mysteries couldn't figure it out).
February 8th, 2013 at 11:48:33 AM permalink
Ayecarumba
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 89
Posts: 1744
I hope Face got out of New York before the storm. Of course, hoping to avoid a blizzard by going to northern Wisconsin would not be a typical "Plan A".
February 9th, 2013 at 9:22:39 AM permalink
Face
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 61
Posts: 3941
I did. Here now, got in on...Friday? I think it was Friday, I was (and am, and will continue to be) quite drunk. Trip report to come once I get to a proper computer
Be bold and risk defeat, or be cautious and encourage it.
February 13th, 2013 at 10:48:50 AM permalink
Face
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 61
Posts: 3941
Quote: Ayecarumba
I hope Face got out of New York before the storm. Of course, hoping to avoid a blizzard by going to northern Wisconsin would not be a typical "Plan A".


In my drunken stupor, I missed the humor =) We actually came through the leading edge of the beginning of it early Thursday morning. Once passed it, I don't think we saw precipitation for the rest of the trip.

It was a hell of a trip. To be honest, I'm having trouble recalling most of it ;) Just waiting for the rest of the warriors to get their pics in photobucket so I can post them here (and also help me remember the events lol) and I'll get the report up.
Be bold and risk defeat, or be cautious and encourage it.
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