OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — On Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh, what would normally be an hour-long drive around the lake has been transformed into a 20-minute shortcut across the ice.
Thanks to a team of dedicated volunteers, an "ice highway" now connects Oshkosh to Quinney, cutting travel time dramatically for locals who use it to commute to work and navigate the area.
Watch the full broadcast story here:
"Probably better than some roads in Oshkosh," said Don Herman, owner of Sunk? Dive and Ice Service.
Herman, who some call the "Godfather of Lake Winnebago," has been rescuing cars and trucks that fall through the ice for almost half a century. On Monday, I rode along with him to see how this unique transportation system works.
"People use it to get back and forth to work," Herman said.
Herman leads a team of volunteers who place bridges and plow snow across the lake, creating a safe path for vehicles. The crossing takes just 10 to 15 minutes, he said.
"We had one up here, about five miles out on Sunday, it's still on the bottom," Herman said, referring to a recent vehicle that broke through the ice.
The ice road features a unique navigation system using trees. The trees lean toward the closest shore, and multiple trees together indicate how many miles out you are from either side. Five trees mark the halfway point across Lake Winnebago.
Most importantly, if a tree is lying sideways, that's a warning to stay away from that area.
The ice highway isn't static. Herman said volunteers move the path around cracks that form in the ice, sometimes relocating it three to four times in a single day.
"Just because you use this road on Monday or Tuesday, it can change," Herman said.
When sturgeon spearing season begins in a few weeks, and temperatures rise slightly, thousands of people will drive across the lake daily, Herman said.
While the ice highway saves significant time, Herman emphasizes that no ice is 100% safe. He advises drivers to use their own judgment before taking this unique route across Lake Winnebago.
