Between snowball fights, sledding, or running around in light, fluffy powder, a day of playing in the snow is special. One of his activities with no age restrictions that stands out above the rest on a snowy day is building homemade ice igloos and forts. This activity not only awakens the imagination, but also provides a quiet place to escape from the conditions of a cold winter day.
Summit County resident Ned Worley of Nelson Worley Real Estate knows a thing or two about building igloos. Since 2012, Wally has been building a vast igloo in his backyard every winter, each version grander than the last.
Wally first got the idea to build an igloo in his backyard during a winter trip to Wisconsin, where he was caught in a powerful Midwestern snowstorm and wanted nothing more than to enjoy a day among the crystal flakes. It was a time when there was nothing left to do.
“We were visiting my husband’s family in Wisconsin for Thanksgiving, I think it was 2011,” Wally said. “It snowed, so there’s really nothing to do where they live. So his nieces and I built our first igloo. It was fun and we’re at a lower altitude here in Wisconsin. We thought if we could do that, maybe we could build one in Summit County.”
The following winter season, Wally built his first igloo in his backyard and worked through trial and error experiments to find the right methodology.
“I kind of honed my craft and figured it out as I went along,” Worley said. “I looked at a few websites, but other than that I figured it out myself. They’ve evolved over the years.”
Wally has been building igloos in his backyard for the past 11 years and is planning his 12th igloo this winter. For the better part of a decade, Wally not only honed his craft; He also learned how to improve the scale and structure of building projects.
Before starting to build the igloo, Wally first makes sure the inside is cool enough. Then, use a large plastic storage container to freeze the water into ice cubes.
“I get a bunch of plastic storage boxes from Target or Walmart, fill them with water and leave them outside,” Worley said. “It takes a few days to freeze. It doesn’t have to be completely solid, but it needs to be two-thirds solid so you can get a wall of blocks of ice.”
Wally estimates that he spreads out at least 30 boxes of water around his garden at the beginning of winter and usually waits three to five days until it freezes.
Once the ice is mostly frozen, Wally begins the building process. Repeat with additional water-filled container if necessary.
To work with the different ice blocks, Wally uses a 50/50 mix of water and snow as a binding agent between the ice bricks and stacks the blocks on top of each other. He slowly builds the walls, making sure each layer is properly settled and frozen, and finally builds the walls inward to form the roof.
From past experience, Wally said that the most dangerous part of the construction process is the one that builds inwards, as the ice slabs often try to collapse and undo all the hard work and effort. Told.
“You start angled the ice blocks, and as you go up the row, you angle each block a little bit more,” Worley says. “I can only advance two or three rows and then have to wait a few days for it to freeze. For me it’s a lot of trial and error, trying too hard or not letting things freeze and failing. There were a lot of them.”
One thing that makes Wally’s igloo construction process easier is that the igloo relies primarily on water and not on snow. Although snow is needed to solidify the igloo, the walls of the igloo are primarily made of ice from water pumped from inside the home.
It takes Wally about a month to complete each build, but it depends on the weather and how much time he has each day available to build.
Wally’s 2022 igloo was the biggest and most elaborate yet since he dyed blocks of ice with food coloring. Additionally, seating and lighting were built into the interior, and benches were installed outside. The Winter Fortress was the perfect place for guests to hang out, drink cocktails, and enjoy the Summit County winter.
“As the days get shorter in the winter, it’s fun to see the big lights up in the garden in the warmth of the house,” Wally said. “Friends come over and we have cocktails there and hang out. It’s really a place to hang out with friends. I’ve often thought about spending a night outside and seeing what it’s like, but I haven’t been there yet. Hmm. I was also thinking about using AirBnb before.”
Constructing an ice hut is dangerous because heavy ice blocks pose a safety risk and can fall inside. Warmer weather can also cause the igloo’s structure to become unstable, requiring frequent and thorough inspections. Wally approaches this process with plenty of determination and inspiration. He shares his own experiences on the Nelson Walley Real Estate YouTube channel..
Last year, Wally finished building the igloo around Christmas, but it lasted until about mid-April before it started to fall apart.
This story was previously published in the Winter 2023-24 issue of Explore Summit magazine.