From Gravel Pit to Climbing Hit: Building Quarry Park into NE Minnesota's Premiere Ice Park

Episode notes

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a group of underground ice climbers - who spent decades wondering if their next visit to an abandoned quarry might be their last - decide to stop waiting and start organizing? You get one of the most remarkable outdoor recreation comeback stories in Minnesota. In this episode, we head to Duluth to explore Quarry Park (also known as Casket Quarry), a former gravel mine turned beloved city park and world-class ice climbing destination. We’re joined by Dave Pagel , a Duluth-based writer and outdoor advocate who’s been climbing at the quarry since 1978, and Hansi Johnson , Engagement Director for the Minnesota Land Trust, who helped orchestrate the public-private partnership that made the park a reality. Together, they trace the quarry’s journey from industrial eyesore to neighborhood hangout to legitimate, nationally recognized ice and mixed climbing venue - and share the near-miss moments that almost derailed it all.

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