Bryan Howard catches his dad Gary just polishing off the last pasty, in their snow hut out by Swede Town Creek near Hancock. We've had some mighty cold nights lately, but inside one of these dugouts, you can work up quite a sweat.

Thanks to favorite son-in-law Bryan for bringing us this wintry report.

Just a short time ago we were shocked to hear of the space shuttle loss this morning. It is hard to continue with the day-to-day routine of life when such tragedies occur. But somehow we keep on keeping on. Seems to be a recurring theme this week.

Over the years several folks in the space program have emailed Pasty Central, sharing their love for the U.P., and appreciation for the daily pictures we bring. Today, we send our condolences to them, on the loss of these members of their extended family.

Charlie, thanks for your kind words about the Columbia tragedy this morning. We drove by the
Space Center this evening and the road in front is a steady stream of vehicles driving slowly by. By the "Johnson Space Center" sign there are people lined up placing flowers, cards, etc. It was truly a touching sight to see. This is a sad day for the NASA community but having the support of our fellow neighbors and citizens gives the needed strength.

P&GTN
What are you, nuts or what???

Looks like a fun winter camping trip!

Reminds me of the fort my friends and I had on Minneapolis St in the Sault back in the 60s. makes me hungry for a pasty.

I was living in Laurium attending Washington Middle School when the Challenger accident occurred. Your site is soothing to my aching heart today.

Thanks for the great pictures every day.

I laughed out loud when I read Bob's message about the ground hog day "poetry ??" by P&G in TN. I don't think we even want to know the story behind their messages !!!!

That pasty looks so darn good! They must have worked up some kinda big appetite making that igloo. It made me remember the snow forts we made as kids. We would tunnel into the snow banks, guess the snow plow drivers knew we were in there cuz we never got "plowed". I don't ever remember saying the words "I'm cold". Hours on end were spent having a great time in the white northwoods, skiing, skating and sledding. I can't think of any kid who was overweight.

To Bob in GB & CG in MI - My sentiments exactly!

I came across Bob and CG's messages that I responded to theirs instead of commenting on the above pictures. The snow hut looks so toasty warm! But, ooooohhh, I am so claustrophobic! I wish I had a pasty for my mid-night snack :=)

What is the temperature inside the igloo? I'm pleased to see a pasty being eaten the correct way and not with a knife and fork!!! We had prayers in church this morning for the families of the astronauts and I'm sure everyone's thoughts are with them at this sad time.

A cotton shirt? Not flannel. Must have known that you would be toasty warm in your snow hut.

This site sure feels like 'family'! It assures us that others mourn our losses (like the shuttle tragedy); and yet, we can find joys in everyday life (like eating pasties in a snow fort)!

I was skiing at Indianhead (near Wakefield) yesterday when news of the Columbia accident reached me. I was having a blast skiing on my new 170 cm skis (I am 5' 11'' and 180 #)but felt very guilty about having fun when our country was suffering another terrible tragedy. Our hearts are heavy with sorrow and our prayers go to the families of the flight crew.

This is for Jean of Devon. I would like to ask you how far you are from Warwick, Kineton. I have Aunts and cousins there and would love to get there email address. Can you help? Thanks in advance

How many true Yoopers are out there? So far I haven't heard anyone mention how much snow they had to PANK.

For Len R. of Hawaii,
I haven't heard the work 'pank' used since I was a child growing up in the U.P. Whether it was in regard to snow or a pile of dirt, we "panked" it down. My husband, a New York stater often commented on the use of the word because he had never heard before. Had to be regional lingo!

I panked a little yesterday. Moved some more with my home made Yooper scooper too.There wasn't a whole lot to work with.

This brings back memories of my igloos under fromt porch in keweenaw. With 3 layers of clothing it was comfortable.

I am a true Yooper. We don't ever call our snow scoops (yooper scoopers). That is how you know someone is truly not a yooper. And yes we pank the snow. WE always wear our chewk while outside in the winter and sometimes on cold summer days. Just the other day I bought a new pair of swampers, to keep my feet warm on my snow-cat. Well, gotta go now. I have to go out and fix the sno-blower, cause the plow broke yesterday night.

I have sent Yank in the UP an e-mail, but for the curious amongst you I am about 150 miles from Warwick which is in the centre of England and is in "Shakespeare Country" The town of Warwick is very near Stratford on Avon in Warwickshire. Kineton is about 10 miles from Warwick.

I am a true Yooper (now displaced in St.Paul) who just the other day was telling some friends a story and I used the word PANK without even thinking about it. After receiving some quizical looks from them, I tried to think of an appropriate substitute word but I couldn't really think of one. Nothing quite describes the same action as PANK does. And now that we're finally getting some snow here in the Cities (6-10" is forecasted for tonight/tomorrow), I might get to PANK some snow here this week!!! :)

Jen in St Paul, Just met some Snowbiliers from the Twin Cities at the Eagle Harbor Inn, They said they didn''t have any snow back home. Are they in for a surprise when they return? By the way our Pizza was great, they said their Ribs were also.

"Panked snow" for the icerink, "made wood" for the sauna, those were the days, eh?

What's in a word?
A lot, says Michigan Tech grad and linguist
By John Gagnon

The proliferation of foreign influences on English is a product of the melting pot culture. In the Copper Country alone in the late 1800s, Remlinger says, there were twelve foreign-language newspapers being published. English proved adaptive. “Two-thirds of our vocabulary is borrowed from other languages,” Remlinger says. “English is a real mutt language.”

One local contribution to the blend—pank—transcends ethnic influences. “You pank down your laundry in the basket so you can put more in,” Remlinger says. “You pank down your berries so you can fit more in the bucket. In the mines, they panked the powder into the holes before they blasted.” The word at once excites and befuddles her. “Where did that come from?” she wonders. “Maybe it’s a word that’s just here.” She has never come across it before, although she has studied seven languages other than English: German, French, Ojibway, Hindi, Spanish, Latin, and Finnish.

we panked the snow down on the ski hill to make a smooth and fast ride......

To Jean, Devon: You asked how warm it can get in an igloo. Easily warm enough to start melting from the inside out. I'd say about 36F. Then you have to poke a few more ventilation holes into the roof. The igloo is windproof and the sun shines in with a diffuse glow. This is not the type of igloo built in the Artic where blocks of hardpacked snow are cut and stacked. If there isn't a natural snow bank, snow is piled up, then carved out.

To everyone who PANKS snow.
Pank is truly a word but only if used with snow. It may have been used in other forms also but when I was in college, writing reports etc.. the only correct application of the word was used with snow.

To PANK or not to PANK! We've discussed this before. Word or no word, who cares? We all know what it means! Good word, I think!

Robert in Calumet,

Don't forget to wear your choppers or your fingers may get cold!

Panking reminds of of starting ice on pine street ice rink--in the 30s 40s 50s i guess every little community up there had there own outdoor rink to skate an play hockey on--think kids had more fun them days too--they got a liitle lazy i guess

Awesome pictures of a great looking winter camping trip! My kids (3 and 5) love to camp winter or summer. We went in January to celebrate my youngest turning 3. Although, we used our tent, I would imagine your igloo is warmer.

JUST AWESOME I miss up north!!

Not to beat a dead horse, but the folks in the Lackawanna and Wyoming Vallies of Pennsylvania have been panking snow for a long time----Until I saw this site, I thought we were the only ones that did.