CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - As temperatures drop to 17 below zero in the frozen plains of Iowa, those looking for excitement bring a mountain sport to their farms by showering the silos with water, which creates an ice field of sorts."You're not supposed to be ice-climbing in Iowa, but we're doing it," said Don Briggs, who admits it feels like "cheating" somehow.
Briggs uses garden hoses and some jury-rigged shower heads to water the silos every evening, and the wind and cold create towering stalactites that stretch 70 feet straight up.
This bizarre marriage of agriculture and extreme sports was the brainchild of Briggs, who teaches physical education at the local university. The idea came to him while working on a neighbor's farm.
Well, sometimes you just have to make your own fun! I saw this story a few days ago in the Des Moines paper, and it sounded like this farmer even attracts ice climbing devotees to his farm from out of state. Me, I'm an avid indoorsman...especially in the winter.
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