Grandpa Bredo Morstoel died from a heart condition in 1989.
"Nobody should have to choose
between a cold heart and a dead heart."
By Rob Carrigan, robcarrigan1@gmail.com
I first discovered the "Frozen Dead Guy" in an early Barbabra Lawlor article in the Nederland "Mountain Ear," shortly after the turn of the 21st century. A great fan of the quirky little newspaper in "Ned," I followed the story's development as the odd circumstances that blossomed over the next decades into a town celebration, national attention and international renown for "Grampa Bredo."
"The Mountain Ear,' of course had more to do with small town Nederland, than a body part of Bredo Morstoel, the central figure in this odd story. But as long-time Ear publisher Barbabra Hardt noted in 2022:
"The Mountain-Ear has had great years and hard years. 2019 was by far the hardest, that’s the year after Barbara Lawlor died. “She was the paper. She covered every event. She wrote 80% of it every week.”
"There is a good story behind this, one that stretches from Norway to California to Colorado, involving cryonics, deportation, psychics, celebrations, and a dedicated Ice Man. It’s a tale that has captured international attention and sparked a must-attend annual event called Frozen Dead Guy Days."
Life After Death
"Before Grandpa Bredo Morstoel died from a heart condition in 1989, he
enjoyed a comfortable life in Norway, where he was born and raised. He
loved painting, fishing, skiing, and hiking in the mountains of his
homeland. He was also the director of parks and recreation in Norway’s
Baerum County for more than 30 years," reports the site.
"After he died, things got really interesting. Instead of a burial, he was packed in dry ice and prepared for international travel. First, he was shipped to the Trans Time cryonics facility in Oakland, California, where he was placed in liquid nitrogen for almost four years. Then, he was moved to Colorado in 1993 to stay with his daughter Aud Morstoel and his grandson Trygve Bauge, both strong advocates for cryonics who hoped to start a facility of their own."
There he stayed for years under cold cover, in a shed, near his grandson’s home, and about to be left on his own, due to some pesky visa issues.
The Grandfather Clause
"If you peruse the laws of Nederland, you’ll discover that it’s illegal to store a frozen human or animal (or any body part thereof) in your home. We have Grandpa Bredo to thank for this. When grandson Trygve was deported in the mid-90s because of an expired visa, Bredo’s daughter stepped in to take care of the household – including keeping her father on ice."
However, Aud was evicted for living in a house with no electricity or plumbing and was about to head back to Norway. This meant that the family’s fledgling cryonics facility was destined to come to a halt. Worried that her father would thaw out before his time, she spoke to a local reporter, who spoke to the Nederland city council, who passed Section 7-34 of the municipal code regarding the “keeping of bodies.”
Luckily for Bredo, he was grandfathered in and allowed to stay. Suddenly, he was a worldwide media sensation. And he has been well cared for by his family and community ever since.
The Iceman
"Bo Shaffer saw an intriguing want ad on the Internet in 1995 posted by Trygve. He applied for the one-of-a-kind job, got it, and is now known as the “Ice Man.” Every month, Shaffer and a team of volunteers delivers 1,600 pounds of dry ice and packs it around Grandpa Bredo in his sarcophagus, surrounded by foam padding, a tarp, and blankets. As Cryonicist-in-Charge, Shaffer keeps Grandpa at a steady -60 degrees Fahrenheit. He also gives tours to investigators, filmmakers, local volunteers, and even psychics who have purported to communicate with the dearly departed (by one account, Bredo is amused by the fuss but doing fine)," says FrozenDeadGuyDays.org.
"Shaffer feels the weight of this responsibility, knowing how much has been invested in keeping Grandpa in his cryonic state. Now frozen for over 20 years, he has kept the hope alive for his family and their faith in cryonics, as well as spurring an annual festival in Nederland that has grown into a full-fledged winter celebration."
Dead Man’s Party
For a town like Nederland that thrives on the colorful, the offbeat, and the weird, Frozen Dead Guy Days is a fitting way to end the short days of winter and head into the melting snows of spring. Trygve Bauge calls it “Cryonics’ first Mardi Gras.”
Frozen Dead Guy Days, one of Colorado’s most beloved annual events for more than 20 years, is kicking off a new chapter in Estes Park. Taking place now near St. Patrick’s Day weekend in March , the reborn Frozen Dead Guy Days features live music and entertainment all weekend long, and will be held at the Estes Park Events Complex and The Stanley Hotel, with satellite events occurring around town.
Festival goers can expect the weird and wonderful happenings from years past, including coffin races and a polar plunge, as well as plenty of new and elevated Estes twists, like a frostbite fashion show, roaming freak show acts, a Bands and Bloodys Sunday Brunch and more.
From Estes Park' information about recent years of celebration;
"Grandpa Bredo is over 120 years old. For years, he was the resident of a Tuff Shed in the hills above Nederland, Colorado, just 40 miles south of Estes Park, where he remained very, very, very cold. These days, Grandpa is still frozen in a state of suspended animation, awaiting the big thaw. The one that will bring him back to life."
"There is a good story behind this, one that stretches from Norway to California to Colorado, involving cryonics, deportation, psychics, celebrations, a dedicated Ice Man and a cryonics rescue mission. It’s a tale that has captured international attention and sparked a must-attend annual event called Frozen Dead Guy Days," says Estes Park's web page.
"So how did all of this begin… and more importantly (particularly for Grandpa Bredo), how long will it last?"
Although Trygve and Aud filed a complaint against Nederland involving money and naming rights in 2005, Frozen Dead Guy Days continued to be held annually.
Long-time organizer Amanda MacDonald partially relinquished ownership and control of the event in 2019. The celebration was last held March 19–20, 2022 after a two year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers announced the 2023 iteration would be cancelled, stating Nederland refuses "to work with the festival's current owners again."
Change is location
For 2023, the festival moved to Estes Park, and currently (2025) charges an average of $38 per person which includes Coffin Races, Frozen Games, Art, and multiple national touring bands.
In a recent story by "Today, Grandpa Bredo rests in a 12-foot-tall steel tank filled with liquid nitrogen and set to -320 degrees in the Stanley Hotel’s historic ice house which has since become the “International Cryonics Museum.” Visitors can take a tour of the museum and Grandpa Bredo’s resting place for $20."
Despite some Nederland locals saying they’re “relieved” that the festival moved on, there are still a few who say they will miss it.
“We never had any trouble from it or anything,” said Mike Parker, who has worked at Nature’s Own, a crystal shop, for over 20 years. “I know something's missing.”
Andelman said she plans to help Estes Park with the transition. For the last few years, she has been heavily involved in making sure organizers at the Estes Park Frozen Dead Guy Days Festival retain the quirkiness of the original festival.
“I have experience in everything and I was like, ‘I am here if you need me, we need to figure out a way to work together’,” Andelman said. “I don't know if they wanted to accept me, but I'm not just Nederland; I am Frozen Dead Guy Day. It is an event that came from years and years and of effort, so let's figure out how it can continue on that path.”
A few years ago, I sold about a dozen wine barrels to City of Estes Park, that they said would be used during "Frozen Dead Guy Days" up there, as well as other city events.
Events beyond our control have been lining up to take a shot at us the last few years.
But like a lot of misfortune, it turns out, that the real story of any event is our response. “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it,” just as Helen Keller noted.
And Colorado locations are known for creating an event — just to emphasize those responses.
This year the festival will be held from March 27-29, 2026, for Frozen Dead Guy Days, a quirky winter festival celebrating the legend of Grandpa Bredo. at Estes Park Events Complex. But according to the organizers, there will be Frozen Dead Guy Day-themed activities the entire weekend, to keep with the tradition of the former Nederland-based festival.
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