Shaping the Last Igloo Piece

GGP: 15th Feb 2006 - 14:54 GMT

Oh my God. This is the coolest thing I have ever seen--literally and figuratively. great shot. I have always wanted to experience an igloo! this is a pretty great virtual experience of it.

jeeff: 15th Feb 2006 - 15:37 GMT

yeah, kudos. this is such a unique photo.

it's not well known that japan has its own igloo tradition. in akita there's a 'kamakura' festival. kamakura are little snow houses. it used to be quite common for families to build them in wintertime and hang out in them, eat meals, etc. now i think the tradition is more limited to special festivals. many older japanese i met were quite nostalgic about building kamakura in their childhood.

www.japanwelcomesyou.com/cssweb/display.cfm?sid=1255

jack: 15th Feb 2006 - 16:35 GMT

i have always wondered what it was like inside one of those igloos, now i know, thanks. is it true that you can be warm in them?

EvilGentleman: 15th Feb 2006 - 17:32 GMT

Thank you, GGP. I have better shots that were taken during an overnight sleepover for the women, but I will have to ask my wife for permission to publish them, since she took the other photos. I think I might create a new page featuring just igloo shots. I totally forgot that any igloo pictures would be considered novel here, not just the stunning ones.

Jeeff, I really need your research skills. Once again, you have impressed me. Many Japanese consider the Inuit to be their long-lost cousins, and as a matter of fact, while Japanese culture is almost xenophobic in nature, the Inuit are held in high esteem in Japan. There are some similarities in their cultures, languages, and physical characteristics, and I never knew about the Kamakura before, but I can see a possible ancient connection. Thanks again for expanding my mind.

jack... yes, it can actually get quite warm in an igloo. The oil lamps and body heat could actually raise the temperature inside an igloo to about 10 C (50 F), even when there is a bizzard raging at -40 C and F outside. The inside walls melt slightly, causing them to ice up, as the cold outside does not allow for full melting. This inner layer of ice insulated by snow outside made for an extremely strong, warm structure.

Catherine Penfold-Waxman: 15th Feb 2006 - 21:21 GMT

Hot Damn! I love this shot. I hope your wife will share her unique photos with us too. It's just so interesting. Thanks!

aer suzuki: 3rd Jun 2006 - 01:53 GMT

Very nice shot, this is exactly what this site is about, for me, seeing things I normally wouldn't get to see, thanks...

EvilGentleman: 9th May 2007 - 02:19 GMT

maps.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&q=&t=k&om=1&ll=61.595119,-71.965417&spn=0.002486,0.007231&z=17

Franny Wentzel: 13th Dec 2010 - 21:48 GMT

Looks like the snow blocks spiral like a snail shell.