Bout over the Icebox

A battle has been 'frost-brewing' over the nickname "Icebox of the Nation," and our new state of Minnesota came out victorious this week. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office renewed the trademark to International Falls, Minnesota, over the overzealous town of Fraser, Colorado.

A short history:

International Falls is located right on the Canadian border, and it routinely experiences frigid temperatures, including the all-time record U.S. lower 48 states low. The city came up with this nickname in 1948, and Fraser tried to steal it away in 1956. International Falls paid Fraser $2,000 to back off, and Fraser did. They bided their time until 1996--when International Falls slipped up and forgot to have their trademark nickname renewed. The mayor and town council launched a legal battle to keep their Icebox status, and apparently the money that comes along with it, as they claim to be the nation's premier site for cold weather testing.

The town of 6500 celebrated their status with a lovely low this week of -40. Joining them in this celebration was the nearby town of Embarrass, Minnesota. They were embarrassed, of course.

How do you get there?

Here at the Landing, it looks like we are trying to come close to that title for the upcoming Winter Hike. My coworkers Adam, Aaron, and Matt are 'watering the lawn' to prepare the area for Norwegian kick sledding. We packed the snow down with plywood, and then gave it a good watering. We're hoping the negative temps will kick in this week to have the place icy and slick.

It's a sight I wouldn't normally expect to see in the winter..... but then again, it's not like I've ever tried to be an Icebox.....