Brian McDonnell, left, and John Pietras, have built an ice lean-to near the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Ice Palace. (Enterprise photo — Chris Knight)

SARANAC LAKE — There’s a new lean-to on the shore of Lake Flower, but you better enjoy it now because it’ll be gone by the summer camping season.

John Pietras and Brian McDonnell were busy Friday putting the finishing touches on an ice lean-to they built at the Lake Flower boat launch, just a short walk away from this year’s Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Ice Palace. It’s designed to fit in with this year’s carnival theme, “Adirondack Wildlife.”

The lean-to has a floor and walls made from ice blocks harvested from Pontiac Bay. Its roof is made of timber cut in Paul Smiths and wood from on old barn on McDonnell’s property. The Paul Smith’s College Woodsmen Team covered the roof with pine boughs.

The lean-to also has a fireplace in front of it, a pair of ice Adirondack chairs next to it that were built by Tom Hyde, and a trail register where visitors can sign in.

Pietras, who owns High Peaks Custom Sawing and is a veteran Ice Palace builder, said this is his first ice lean-to, although he’s built many traditional ones before.

“It was a lot like building a log one, you know, a lot of the details,” he said. “But putting it together, we had to be a little more careful about things that cantilever out because the ice isn’t strong, so that’s why there are some logs in the front. We had a few modifications to work with ice, but it came out really good.”

McDonnell said he used to help build the Ice Palace in the past and has wanted to get back into it, so he was excited when Pietras asked for his help on the ice lean-to.

“We’ve been having a great time,” McDonnell said. “We had our first party in it last night.”

The lean-to was built, like this year’s Ice Palace, in less than a week. Crews started cutting blocks for the palace on Friday, Jan. 27, and completed work on it Thursday. The lighting of the Ice Palace is tonight at 7 p.m., followed by a fireworks display over Lake Flower.

In fitting with the Adirondack theme, this year’s palace is designed to have a log cabin look, with blocks of ice sticking out on its corners. It also features a menagerie of animal ice sculptures carved by Robin Johnson, including moose, bear, deer, wolves and a beaver.

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Ice Palace slideshow: http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2017/02/ice-palace-slideshow/

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Coronation opens Winter Carnival: http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2017/02/king-john-queen-anita/

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Coronation slideshow: http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2017/02/coronation-slideshow/