GRANDPA'S IN THE TUFF SHED - FROZEN DEAD GUY DAYS by Pam North The Rocky Mountains harbor a potpourri of eccentric personalities and strange stories, and one of the oddest is the world's only do-it-yourself crogenics life-extension facility, situated in Nederland, Colorado. Housed there on ice in a Tuff Shed is the body of Bredo Morstoel. Born in Norway in 1900, Bredo lived there until his life ended in 1989, whereupon Trygve Bauge had his grandfather's body cryogenically prepared and frozen in Los Angeles, then transported to Nederland. The shed, emblazoned with the logo of Denver radio station 103.5 The Fox, sits next to a partially completed metal-supported structure that when finished would be impervious to earthquakes, fire and bombs, and is intended to function as the main building for the proposed Life Extension Institute, Trygve's dream. The building would connect to an underground vault where cryogenic capsules would be stored. Trygve had little money to finance his project, and hoped to have a couple of other "paying customers" join his grandfather to help defray the costs and enable him to purchase the expensive Dewar flasks of liquid nitrogen.  The dry ice he was substituting kept the temperature in the shed at -109 degrees F., which was frosty, but not state-of-the-art cryogenically speaking. Media attention to his financial plight, procured by Trygve himself in many instances, soon brought to light the fact that he had no Green Card, and INS soon stepped in and deported him back to Norway. Trygve's elderly mother (Bredo's daughter) was left behind to take care of Bredo's body, which had been joined by that of another person, and her complaints of being unable to manage the required expenses, brought even wider media coverage, and along with it the attention of the police. Bredo's "roommate" was shipped to his family and a Chicago burial plot. ince no crime had been committed as per local ordinances, the furor subsequently died down; loopholes in local laws were addressed to prevent future such occurrences, but Bredo's situation was "grandfathered" in. Trygve, in his absence, had prevailed upon friends to continue icing Bredo down, but he finally was able to obtain the services of a company called Delta Tech to continue Bredo's maintenance. Bredo continues to be a resident alien of Nederland, and is internationally famous, having made the pages of National Geographic, National Enquirer, and having been the subject of various television broadcasts and specials. Psychics periodically have been called upon to contact Bredo to have conversations with him. Technically Bredo is supposedly not dead, but simply awaiting re-animation. This presented problems for the census taker, who, when visiting Bredo's place of residence, became flustered at the situation and finally decided simply to record that "no one was home." Last year Fox Radio and the Delta staff celebrated Grandpa's 101st year of existence with a New Millennium Birthday Party, and a slice of the cake was left there as a memento. Nederland plans a big celebration centered around Bredo Morstoel this coming weekend with "Frozen Dead Guy Days." On Saturday, March 9th, a pancake breakfast from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. will kick off the festivities, followed by Coffin Races at noon. The coffins may be constructed of any materials that can hold a person weighing 75 pounds or more and can withstand an obstacle race through snow and a series of challengingm obstacles. A Polar Plunge will set teeth chattering at 2:00 p.m., and a Grampa Look-Alike contest will take place at 3:00 p.m.. Chip and the Chowderheads will rock the Black Forest Inn with music and dancing at the Grampa's Ball in the evening. Sunday afternoon's highlight is a film festival at 3:00 p.m. at the Backdoor Theater. Two locally-made films will be presented. "Grandpa's in the Tuff Shed, " by Kathy and Robin Beeck, outlines the story of Bredo Morstoel, and "Marvin's Flying Boat," by Brent Warren, is a documentary about Marvin Lewis' model of Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose, and how it upon completion it was flown over Boulder Reservoir. All of the filmmakers will be at the showing. During both weekend days a Winter Mountain Market will be held, and Grandpa Tours will be conducted on a paid reservation basis. The Nederland Chamber of Commerce may be contacted at (303) 258-3936 for additional information on contest/event information and locations. This is one weekend that is certainly unique (if bizarre), and Gilpin County residents can spend a fun winter weekend with just a short drive up Highway 119 to Nederland.