A wild ice “art gallery” at Jim Creek

February 18, 2024

Appreciating the colors, shapes, and textures of wild ice at one of Southcentral Alaska’s most popular skating destinations

Last weekend, the Ermine crew had an opportunity to explore the Jim Creek area in Butte, Alaska. This zone is known for its extensive mazy miles of sloughs, lakes, marshes, and other wetlands, all backdropped by the spectacular Central and Western Chugach Mountains.

Heading out on Mud Lake

We started on Mud Lake. Much of the ice on Mud Lake was bumpy, but we found excellent, smooth overflow ice along one side of the lake. We were all struck by the color of the ice, which was a vibrant gold/orange.

Orange ice on Mud Lake

Over the course of the day, we covered over two dozen miles skating up and down sloughs and across lakes. The colors and textures of ice in this area were extremely varied. At times the ice glittered like a high-end marble countertop, while at others the ice looked like it was decorated with vivid purple lace. We even got to skate past Alaska Blackfish swimming in liquid overflow between ice layers!

Wild ice colors and textures (and fish!) at Jim Creek

Our experience at the Jim Creek area was a reminder that no matter how long you skate, wild ice will always be beautiful and fascinating. And there’s no better way to appreciate wild ice than on Nordic skates.”

- Paxson Woelber has been a dedicated Nordic skater and advocate for wild ice skating since 2016. In 2021, he founded Ermine Skate, North America's first Nordic skate company. Today, Ermine offers a range of premium Nordic skates and Nordic skating products designed for wild ice.