The Intrepid Ice Farmers of Ouray, Colorado Cultivating an impressive swath of climbable ice calls for maintaining water pipes and attacking “daggers.” The Intrepid Ice Farmers of Ouray, Colorado Copy Link Ice farmers' tasks include "dagger mitigation"—hacking away at icicles that could hurt climbers. Jacob Raab In This Story At 7:30 a.m. on a Monday in January, the sun has yet to climb over the snowy San Juan mountains that stand sentinel around the tiny town of Ouray, Colorado. In the twilight, a pair of climbers bundled in layers, a thermos of hot coffee or tea in their backpacks, make their way to the cold, shady canyon of the so-called Swiss Alps of America, ice tools, ropes and wrenches in hand. These are the ice farmers of the Ouray Ice Park, and they’re checking on the mid-season crop.