OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — If you wanted to travel from Oshkosh to across Lake Winnebago to Quinney, you’d normally face an hour-long drive around the 137,700 acre lake. But this year, a beloved winter shortcut is back in action, saving time and creating a unique travel experience for locals.
- A winter shortcut across Lake Winnebago is back, letting travelers save about 45 minutes driving between Oshkosh and Quinney, in Calumet County
- Don Herman, owner of SUNK? Dive and Ice Service, said he has been clearing the icy path since 1975
- With no snow, this year’s route is marked by a treeline and features temporary ice bridges for added safety
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Watch: Ice highway saving drivers lots of time on their commutes:
Don Herman, owner of SUNK? Dive and Ice Service and a board member with the Otter Street Fishing Club, has been maintaining this icy passage for decades.
“I started my SUNK? Dive and Ice Business in 1980, and I started plowing on the lake in 1975,” Herman said.
Each year, Herman and his team of volunteers clear a path across the frozen lake—conditions permitting. This year, the ice is favorably thick, and the path stretches from Oshkosh to Quinney, marked by a treeline.
“Well, every year, if ice conditions allow it, we put a road in from Oshkosh to Quinney,” Herman explained. “Right now, there isn’t any snow, so you just gotta drive across and follow the treeline.”
Herman’s team also marks unsafe ice patches and builds temporary ice bridges to keep drivers safe. The effort doesn’t go unnoticed.
Crossing the lake saves travelers about 45 minutes compared to driving around it, Herman says. But for the born-and-raised Wisconsinite, it’s about more than saving time.
“Crossing the ice is a rite of passage,” he said. “You put the bridges out, you keep the ice, try to keep everybody safe. Everybody thanks you, and everybody appreciates it.”
And he also has jokes for those not so fond of him.
“Usually, I’m out on the lake. If you see me, it could be in a good way, and if you see me in a bad way, it’s probably because you fell in,” he said.
Despite the convenience, Herman and other ice travelers stress the importance of safety, reminding everyone that ice is never 100% safe.
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