Vintage Photo: Snow Champy in Essex Bay

Built out of snow see Champy on rising out of frozen Lake Champlain in Essex Bay. (Credit: William Morgan) — Built out of snow see Champy rising out of frozen Lake Champlain in Essex Bay. (Credit: William Morgan)

Every Monday we share an old Essex photo on the Essex on Lake Champlain Facebook page and invite our viewers to play some Vintage Essex Trivia. Last week I thought I would share a winter-related photo to say goodbye as the ice and snow around Essex finally melts into spring, and I was just in time because today most of it is gone. So I hope you enjoy this photo of a giant Champy built out of snow rising up on the ice near the Essex-Charlotte ferry dock.

Check out three more photos taken that day during the final stages of the building process and get a look at the creator’s of the snow Champy. See who you recognize and leave a comment! (Click an image to enlarge.) Thank you to William Morgan for sharing all of these photos with us.

Building the lake monster...(Credit: William Morgan) — Building the lake monster…(Credit: William Morgan)

A closer look at snow-Champy and the ones who built him. (Credit: William Morgan)

A closer look at snow-Champy's face and his creators. (Credit: William Morgan) — A closer look at snow-Champy’s face and his creators. (Credit: William Morgan)

See some comments we’ve already gathered from the community below, including an account from one of the builders!

Dianne Lansing: Remember it well! It was a Sunday…the snow was too wet for decent x-c skiing on the lake but the day was too nice to waste. I thought it would be fun to build a snowman and watch it sink as the ice melted & I called several friends. I think it was Jan Peden who had the idea for Champ. Doug Peden scooped out under the humps. Holly Wintermute wanted to borrow her kids snow block mold for Champ’s spiney things but her kids didn’t want to share with the adults. Holly won. Anne Pope had the idea for spraying it with green dye of some kind and produced the dye. Todd Goff had been sick and I remember walking him down to see Champ after his nap one day. Don’t know the year but it was quite awhile ago. Jam’s photo made the front page of the Press Republican and there is a post card of it!

Lin Houghton: I had not seen this but it is awesome.

Deb Lansing: I thought I helped…Maybe I did by staying out of the way!

Dianne Lansing: Deb, you did help. Do you remember what part you worked on?

Mary S Houston: Wish I could have been there!

Charlotte Hoffman Van Duser: I love this!

Debbie Morrell Alterie: This is great. Wonder what year?

I don’t know the year the photos were taken, but from the color and rounded edges of the photos and the clothing of the people in them I would guess that they date to some point in the 1970’s (or possibly late 60’s?). What do you think? Have a guess? Or do you actually remember when the snow Champy was built?

Share Your Essex Artifacts

If you want to share your old photos of Essex (or brochures; postcards; menus; tickets; any artifact) on the blog please email us at editor [at] essexonlakechamplain [dot] com.

Vintage Postcard: Essex from Lake Champlain (1909) (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Postcard: Essex Bay (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Photo: A Bit of Shore at Whallons Bay (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Remembering Essex Cartoonist, Sid Couchey (rosslynredux.com)
Vintage Postcard: Bluff Point (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)

About Katie Shepard

Passionate about reading and writing stories, Katie Shepard enjoys discovering more about her home while writing and editing for Essex on Lake Champlain. Katie graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2011 where she studied English literature, philosophy, and Asian studies. Her first book Essex, New York Architecture: A Doodler's Field Guide was published in 2015. Connect with her on Facebook or at Linked.in. Or email her at katie [@] essexeditions [dot] com.