My City February 2023

fishing, kayaking, rock climbing – to get out and play within minutes of where I live and work. It was not a difficult decision to stay here after college." Thompson has indeed turned his life's passion into his life's work while spending any spare time im mersed in all the outdoor playgrounds the Upper Peninsula has to offer. At 60,Thompson remains as pas sionate and busy as ever as co-owner of Down Wind Sports, a leading go-to destination for outdoor recreation needs and expert advice with locations in Marquette, Houghton and Munising. In addition to overseeing the retailer's anchor store in Marquette not far from his residence,Thompson, along with other staff members, guides ice climbing and rock climbing outings offered through Down Wind. He is also an Upper Peninsula Climbers Coalition board member and chair person for the Great Lakes Section of the American Alpine Club. Yes, when it comes to climbing north of the Mackinac Bridge,Thompson has literally helped write the book(s) on the subject as co-author of both A Rock Climbers Guide to Michigan's Upper Peninsula and An Ice Climbers Guide to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Yet, his most satisfying role is none of the above. What brings the lifelong outdoors enthusiast the most joy is organiz ing the annual Michigan Ice Fest in Munising, one of the nation's oldest and largest ice climbing festivals which draws more than 1,000 participants of

all ages, backgrounds and ability levels. The 31st annual event takes place February 8-12, meaning life was becoming a bit chaotic by early January for Thompson and more than 100 oth ers who have a hand in making it hap pen, including Down Wind Co-owner Arni Ronis, a Saginaw native and Thompson's good friend since college. "It seems like we are all working 24/7 now on mostly logistics because it's always quite an undertaking to pull the whole thing off," said Thompson on January 9. "Registration continues for another few weeks (until February 1) and we are on par to set a record with more than 1,200 people coming. I'm lucky to work with so many dedicated folks who are just as passionate about

the festival, or it wouldn't be possible." Some of climbing's biggest names and novices alike come to tackle the area's awe-inspiring ice formations, creat ed by water seeping around, over and through the iconic sandstone cliffs, some rising more than 200 feet above Lake Superior, of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and nearby Grand Island. Many of the area's scenic waterfalls also freeze solid. Some of the most popular formations are close to down town, including the “Dryer Hose”, a 35-foot frozen waterfall surrounded by a half-bowl of sandstone and “No Boundaries”, a 25-foot frozen fall climb ers can walk behind. “The Curtains” is a 200-foot-long, 30-foot-high sandstone ledge covered in white and blue ice.

▶ BILL THOMPSON HAS ATTENDED EVERY MICHIGAN ICE FEST AS AN ORGANIZER OR PARTICIPANT.

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