For the second year in a row, under the supervision of new organizers, crews have endured the freezing conditions to construct a winter wonderland for residents to enjoy. Despite so much effort being put into the creation of the castle, few come to see the true work that goes into its making.

One of the individuals that detailed the building process was Jeff Lang of Lang Enterprises, one of the individuals that has devoted countless hours to the project. First is the way in which the blocks are cut. Lang stated that a makeshift wooden frame, which sits on a sort-of pair of skis, has the chainsaw mounted on it. This chainsaw can be pushed down into the ice, and the sled will then be moved to make the cut. Lang stated that the blocks are cut to measure 22 inches wide and 44 inches long, with the ice being about a foot in width. Many of these blocks are also more clear than in past year, said Lang.

This is because the ice has remained consistently frozen throughout this season, whereas constantly freezing creates more cloudy ice.

The second part of the process, one the blocks are cut, is to move them into the correct positions. While it does not sound like the most challenging task, Lang estimates the blocks to be between 300 and 400 pounds each. The crew actually utilizes the buoyancy of the ice to float it down a channel in chutes that are prepared, said Lang. From this point, the hooks of the electric winch can be hooked up to hoist the blocks out of the water. Once out of the water, Lang scoops the block up inside of a tractor bucket and moves it over to the castle to be set into place. Lang noted that the tractor used by Lang Enterprises can only extend to six feet while keeping the blocks flat, which would obviously not allow for the castle to grow very tall. Thankfully, due to the generosity of Westfield Ag & Turf, a mini loader will be used to set the block above six feet. Lang stated that the mini loader will be able to take the castle up another few feet, after which the crew will utilize an excavator. Lang noted that the excavator is being graciously brought by Oak Grove Construction, located in Elma. The crew will hook a special pair of tongs onto the excavator, which contains a large barb on each side. This barb will dig into the ice block and allow the crew to set the rest of the pieces into place.

Jeff Lang picks up blocks of ice with his tractor to set them in place.

Once the main portion of the construction is finished the crew will begin to do fine detailed work on the castle. Lang stated that this could be a multiple of ideas from various crew members, much of which will be kept as a surprise until the grand opening of the castle. Lang also noted the importance of slushing the castle. Slushing sees the crews gather five-gallon buckets of water from the lake, and mix with lots of clean snow, which is packed into the seams on the castle. Lang stated that if air gets into the walls of the castle the structure will begin to melt very quickly upon the first sight of warmth. The slushing creates a more air-tight bond, which increases the longevity of the castle.

While there are some volunteer members working on the project, Lang noted the significant help from the conservation students from BOCES. Lang stated that BOCES is sending two shifts of students throughout the day, one until 11:30 a.m. and another that comes in at about 12 p.m. Each class consisted of over 30 students, all of who have been a crucial piece of the castle’s construction.

As of Jan. 29, Lang stated that the crew had completed about the first four rows of the castle. Continual progress can be found on The Mayville Winter’s Facebook page.

A group of BOCES conservation students that are preparing to work on the castle.

Pictured is the progress that has been made with this year’s Ice Castle in Mayville.