Silverthorne Ice Castle: Brent Christensen's Colo. Ice Castle Features 40-Foot Walls, Thousands Of Icicles (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Skiers in Colorado are lamenting the lack of deep powder, but Brent Christensen doesn't mind. Though a bit of snow might help, the ice castle he is constructing in Silverthorne, Colorado, relies primarily on cold temperatures and water.

Early this winter, the artist started creating and placing between 4,000 and 8,000 icicles daily. The Summit Daily reports that, after 3 million gallons of water, he aims to construct 10-foot walls with 40-foot towers.

Christensen writes on his blog that embedded inside the walls are 200 compact fluorescent bulbs, capable of producing more than 350,000 lumens of light. At night the walls glow with ethereal hues of green and blue.

If you go: a $10 adult ticket grants admission for a full day (11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. subject to weather). Children 3 and under are free, 12 and under are $7.50. Silverthorne is located an hour west of Denver on I-70; take exit 205, head north on Highway 9, and park in the Town Pavilion lot.

PHOTOS of the Silverthorne Ice Castle via the event's Facebook page:

Comments

[homer winslow]

06:31 PM on 01/17/2012

I think Bishop's Castle is way cooler than a pile of ice cubes.

[lindaelainec]

04:33 PM on 01/12/2012

It is AMAZING! Fantastic ice formations, blue glacier-like tunnels, the icicles shine in the day and glow at night---you just have to go in. You can't see all this from the outside Mr. Phd!

Check out
www.Oprah.com and click on her blog. On 1/9/12 post--great article! Out of all the snow and ice castles in the world they think Brent Christensen's in Silverthorne Colorado is THE BEST!!! It was chosen as two of the most favorite international pictures of the week out of 12--which included Big Ben in London with fireworks and pictures in Bejing, Hawaii, etc!

[Mark Montgomery]

03:18 PM on 01/12/2012

When Ice melts it turns into water which in turn flows downhill.

[bluerosesky79]

01:38 PM on 01/11/2012

Sigh. Oh, this is so very beautiful!! I wish I could visit it in person!

[carloarnone]

04:38 PM on 01/10/2012

Very, very cool

[metalborg]

01:08 AM on 01/07/2012

If you've skied in Summit county, chances are you've skied on man-made snow at some point. They take the water from the river and spray it, as snow, on the mountain. They use way more than this guy uses, with the explicit permission of its owner, Denver. It all flows back into the river and back down to Denver. This ice castle is just a momentary diversion for the water. So just quit already with the "wasting water" nonsense.

[SkyeinColorado]

08:52 AM on 01/05/2012

3 million gallons of water!? It's times like this I become a conservative.

[ShadowfaxinUT]

01:06 AM on 01/05/2012

Awesome.

[Dr J Scott Richards Phd]

11:36 PM on 01/04/2012

It's great to see that Colorado residents are doing so much to preserve water during this unusually low-snowfall season. Seeing as residents rely so heavily on mountain snowmelt in spring months to provide majority of the region's water. So far this season is forecasting an almost guaranteed draught season in Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Nevada.

I'm so glad that 3 million gallons of water was wasted so some guy can charge everyone 10 dollars to look at his surprisingly unimpressive ugly hunks of ice. Anyone who has lived in the region has seen plenty of icicles and hunks of ice, nothing new here... if I wanted to see some impressive cool ice sculptures I would go to the Ice Hotel in Sweden. This is ridiculous, thanks Brent Christensen for thinking ahead and about the eminent draught season when you made your ugly hunks of ice you buffoon.

[milboka]

12:32 AM on 01/05/2012

It will all melt and probably 85% of it will flow right back into the Blue River, where it came from. The rest will fall prey to evaporation, just like it would in the river. Why such a hater Doc?

[Dr J Scott Richards Phd]

12:39 AM on 01/05/2012

Because with all the wasted water he could at least made something cool, considering were facing a major draught season

[Roland SOCO]

10:20 AM on 01/05/2012

While I agree with your main point here Doc, and the ice castle does little for me as well, 3 million gallons of water is just a drop in the bucket compared to what will be dumped on suburban lawns this spring. Water rights is and always will be an important discussion in Colorado.

[escribacat]

08:49 PM on 01/04/2012

Gorgeous. I might have to take a drive up to see this.

[blurredmolly]

09:58 AM on 01/05/2012

wish I could. I live in Illinois.

[Dragun]

02:28 PM on 01/04/2012

Gorgeous! My new home state has SO much to do and see! It's quite amazing. :)

[mairs]

08:59 PM on 01/04/2012

Colorado is a wonderful state. Congratulations! :)

[blurredmolly]

09:59 AM on 01/05/2012

greatest place on God's green earth.

[rupert12]

01:30 PM on 01/04/2012

$10 for that?! No thanks, I'll go hiking.

[Dr J Scott Richards Phd]

11:39 PM on 01/04/2012

Exactly, how lame and what a waste of water right when we are lacking snowfall and are looking forward to a pretty much guaranteed draught season when here isn't any snowmelt in the spring.

[999theantiantichrist]

01:18 AM on 01/05/2012

I don't know what his visitation numbers are, but it could be bringing revenue to the state.
Hey Doc, what's your Phd? Environmental sciences?

[Stuzzadelic]

01:14 PM on 01/04/2012

Since the glaciers are retreating someone has to do it.

[Sheldonrs]

12:01 PM on 01/04/2012

Welcome to Superman's Fortress of Solitude.

[rvtgr8]

12:36 PM on 01/04/2012

More like Superman's Fortress of Liability!

[CrnkyOldMan]

11:50 AM on 01/04/2012

Pretty, but it looks like a death-trap. Remember ice falling off the "bank register" building downtown? Can I get my rascal through there?