Kona Hills at Michigan Ice Fest 2026: From Showing Up to Building What’s Next
Kona Hills at Michigan Ice Fest 2026
This winter, we stopped just showing up, and stepped onto a bigger stage.
Kona Hills was invited to present at Michigan Ice Fest, the largest ice climbing festival in North America, held just down the road in Munising.
If you’ve never heard of Ice Fest, it brings climbers from across the country (and beyond) to the Upper Peninsula for a week of climbing, clinics, gear demos, and conversations about where the sport is headed.
We’ve been part of that energy for years.
This year, we became part of the conversation.
Five Years of Showing Up
We didn’t just show up, we got involved.
Each year at Ice Fest, organizers host a mixed-use climbing clinic as part of the official programming. It’s not just watching, it’s hands-on, technical climbing.
Attendees sign up to climb at the Harvey Quarry at Kona Hills, moving between natural ice formations and exposed rock using ice tools. It’s a rare chance to experience mixed climbing in a controlled, accessible setting.
Mixed climbing mirrors real alpine conditions, where ice and rock meet, and climbers need to adapt in real time.
It’s the same place where we’re actively developing an ice farming system. Right now, climbers use it in its natural state. In the future, our goal is to help turn it into a more reliable, accessible climbing destination.
And here’s the wild part:
These conditions exist right here in Marquette.
Not deep in the backcountry. Not after a long approach.
Right off the highway.
That kind of access is almost unheard of, and it’s a big part of what makes this place so special.
The Coffee Talk: Farming Ice in the U.P.
This year, we were invited to give a Coffee Talk:
“Farming Ice: Building the U.P.’s First Man-Made Ice Park.”
We shared:
Why we’re pursuing ice farming
What we’ve already built
Where this is heading
This wasn’t a concept pitch, it was a progress report.
From Idea to Ice: The Prototype
Earlier this year, we competed in Pitch & Pine Business Competition in Traverse City—placing runner-up and taking home the People’s Choice award.
Those funds went directly into building our first prototype ice farming system.
And this winter—we used it.
We built ice. Climbers got on the wall.
That’s what we brought to Ice Fest: not just an idea, but something already in motion.
Why the Harvey Quarry
Not every place works for ice farming. There have been a handful of attempts in Marquette that have all failed.
The Harvey Quarry at Kona Hills has the foundation to succeed where other attempts have stalled:
Private land: we can make it so and build supporting infrastructure
Scale: ~200 feet tall and hundreds of feet wide
Access: Directly off US-41, no long approaches, just park and climb
Geology: Kona Dolomite holds up to freeze/thaw cycles better than softer formations
Existing use: Already part of the Ice Fest ecosystem with active climbing clinics
Proximity: Minutes from downtown Marquette
Sustainable business model: Our campground business model allows us to maintain the land while creating additional opportunities for the outdoor recreation industry in Marquette.
This isn’t about forcing something into place. It’s about recognizing what already works and building on top of it.
What Is Ice Farming?
Ice farming is the process of creating climbable ice by controlling water flow over rock faces during freezing conditions.
It’s a proven model used in places like Ouray, Colorado and across the midwest.
What we’re doing is applying that model here, in a setting that’s uniquely positioned for it.
Because the ice is built, we can adapt:
Pause water during warm periods
Rebuild when temperatures drop
Extend the usable season
Not climate-proof. But controlled. And resilient.
Built in Partnership
We’re not doing this alone.
Kona Hills is working in partnership with Cryoculture Ice Farming—a local leader in ice climbing, guiding, and ice farming systems.
This brings together:
Local knowledge of the climbing community
Technical expertise in ice farming
A shared goal of expanding winter recreation in the U.P.
This is how projects like this move forward, collaboratively.
Momentum Is Building
This is starting to reach beyond just us.
Earlier this year, Interlochen Public Radio featured our work—highlighting both the experimentation and the potential behind ice farming in the U.P.
It’s one thing to talk about it. It’s another to see it gaining traction.
Why This Matters for the U.P.
The Upper Peninsula already has the terrain.
What’s been missing is consistency and access.
Ice farming helps fill that gap:
More reliable climbing conditions
Easier access for beginners and visiting climbers
A centralized, predictable destination
Expanded winter tourism
People are already coming here to climb. We’re building something that meets them where they’re at.
How This Connects to Kona Hills
Kona Hills is more than just a campground. It’s about creating access to the outdoors.
In the summer, that looks like camping above Lake Superior.
In the winter, it looks like something else entirely.
Ice farming is part of making this a year-round destination, not just for camping, but for recreation that doesn’t currently exist at this scale in the region.
This is how we grow.
Not by copying what’s already out there, but by building what’s missing.
What Comes Next
This is already in motion.
The next phase is about scaling it responsibly:
Expanding the ice farming infrastructure
Improving access and safety at the quarry
Developing a reliable water source, including drilling a well
This kind of work takes resources.
We’re actively seeking funding partners, collaborators, and organizations interested in helping bring this to life in Marquette County.
If that’s you—or you know someone it should be, reach out:
Vaughn Rodriguez of Cryoculture inspecting ice formation on the Harvey Quarry. (Spoiler alert, it worked!!)
On stage at Ice Fest giving a Coffee Talk titled: “Farming Ice: Building the U.P.’s First Man-Made Ice Park.”
Ice Fest Coffee Talk attendees learning about Ice Farming at Kona Hills.
The Kona Hills and Cryoculture partnership! Jeremy Johnson of Kona Hills and Vaughn Rodriguez after the 2026 Michigan Ice Fest Coffee Talk.
Ice Farming prototype water source: melted snow! It’s not efficient but it’s what we have and where we’re starting.
Water stowed in an insulated tote at the top of the Harvey Quarry.
Interlochen Public Radio featured our ice farming efforts in partnership with Cryoculture. Read the article here!