Shot from a boat or the opposite bank, the photo shows a stretch of river and a couple of small buildings alongside a railroad track in the bluffs along the bank.
A barge or ferry is docked on the river by a small cluster of buildings. It is tentatively identified on the back as Specht's Ferry just north of Dubuque.
A path has been made by two wheels going through the snow, curving away to the right. There is a forest to the left of the tracks and a snowy hill to the right.
Approximately seven people are standing on the chunky ice of the frozen river, four of the boys huddled together. There is a rail bridge in the back left.