Winter is one more season outdoors for La Crosse man

When Ben Mahaffey readies his ice-climbing gear, he's often standing in front of what's known as a "seep," a small area of water, independent of a spring or river, slowly leaking from the ground or a cliff and freezing vertically.

This feature's birth isn't unlike Mahaffey's passion for winter recreation. It started as a little interest stemming from warmer outdoor activities. It grew a little more, and a little more, until Mahaffey was sinking a pick into a seven-story ice sheet.

Mahaffey, 27, lives in Galesville with his fiancé, Meg Schlitter. He attends physical therapy graduate school ...