2011 Frozen Dead Guy Days

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• Mid-County residents to vote on Fire Department merger. COMMUNITY p2
• Central City Emergency Grant program still on hold. CITY p3
• Milestone reached on lower Black Hawk Hwy 119 project. ENVIRONMENT p6
• High Country FPD Auxiliary Chili Dinner is spice of life. COMMUNITY p16
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• Nederland Curling Cup Championship. SPORTS p18-19
• Who was Muriel Sibell Wolle and where were her ghost towns? HISTORY p19
• Congratulations to the Eagles basketball teams for a fun season. SPORTS p24
DAVE GIBSON
The Polar Plunge was...well polar! Nederland’s eccentric Frozen Dead Guy Days Festival offers a cure for spring fever when
everyone is ready to get out of the Tuff Shed and have some fun with friends at the crazy frozen themed events. p12-13
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W E E K LY R E G I S T E R - C A L L
A visitor's perspective on the Frozen Dead Guy Days
Nederland's most
unusual festival
by Dave Gibson
Once again, thousands of people
turned out to observe the eclectic
events of Frozen Dead Guy Days
in Nederland, Colorado. Inspired
by their frozen hero Bredo
Morstol, who calmly watched
from his lofty castle above town,
celebrants donned their most outrageous and scariest costumes
while winking at the inevitable death. Evidenced by their bloody
faces, the Donner Party had eaten
well that morning and was energized for the Coffin Races. Dr.
Seuss's Thing 1 and Thing 2, a
drunken pirate, aliens, zombies,
and ice maidens participated in the
parade which consisted of more
hearses than I have ever seen. A
ghoulish miner held a dry ice crystal toward the sky in homage.
It seemed fitting when icy winds
swept down the mountains and
nearly blew the beer tent over.
Polar Plungers diving into the
pond at Chipeta Park were drawn
closer to Bredo's world than the
rest of us. No warm soak in the hot
tub was offered this year despite
their fortitude. Coffin racers negotiated the steep rises and winding
turns of the snowy obstacle course
with enthusiastic vigor. Is there
anyone out there who can beat the
Pink Socks Team? They took first
place for the second year running.
A mechanical bull in front of the
Pioneer Inn routinely tossed those
DAVE GIBSON
who dared climb aboard. The
Frozen T-shirt Contest, where contestants must unfold a frozen shirt
and put it on, numbed many a finger. Ice Turkey Bowling and the
Salmon Toss rounded out the fun.
My brother Dan and his family
drove 1,000 miles from Lake
Geneva, Wisconsin, especially for
the experience. He writes, "I was
seriously jealous when I saw the
pictures from last year. Any reason
to come to Ned is a good reason.
We put it on the calendar then and
I think it was even bigger and bet-
ter this year." Their son Nathan,
age 11 relays, "It was a crazy
weekend with many fun, unusual
events." Daughter Karrie chimes
in, "I have never seen a better
hearse parade or coffin races than
here in Ned! Wait - I've never seen
either anywhere else! Great festival, hope to make it an annual
trip!" Evan, age 14 comments, "It
was very unusual - you would
never see something so strange in
Wisconsin!"
DAVE GIBSON
DAVE GIBSON