Snowmobiles on the Lake Sunday
 

We were up dragging our sleds home Sunday *sad* and went down to the rattlesnake landing to look at ice conditions before we left. The edges were starting to release and the surface looked solid. We stood there debating on taking the sleds for one last blast before we put them away and decided that we should be safe and not try it as there were no other people as far as the eye could see and that we should respect the ice.

All of a sudden there were three sleds driving across the lake past the northern tip of Rattlesnake and down towards west alton. We were very surprised to see anyone out there (even though we wanted to, calmer head prevailed). Was it really safe enough to have sleds out there Sunday? On the ride home we were glad we stayed on shore and didn't risk it.

Bring on the boats!

scary thing now
 

Now that we have had 3 inches of new heavy wet snow, it can hide some of those very thin areas. Sooooooooo, be extra careful if you venture out.

And my wife has already paid our dockage fee to Parker's, so yes, bring on the summer season.

"Parkers"? What happen to WAM? I thought you said you love it there? Or do you love being where the action is better?

Moved a few years ago
 

Loved WAM, but with our little 19 ft Bowrider, it was a bit expensive. If I had a bigger boat that we could sleep on, I would be back there in a heartbeat. I never even used the bathroom facilities there! We would tie up the boat and be home in five or six minutes.

I still go there for gas, and see John and Brian some...always say hi to me. Haven't seen Diedra in a while...hope all is well with her. The dock crew, like everyone at WAM, are great. It just became a monetary thing.

I've known the Parkers since the mid 70's and have had no problems there. I've got a nice spot in the 2nd row, easy in, easy out, and Jay was able to fix my Optimax when another outfit in Alton (not Gillen) could not.

Now if you wanted to go there, I think we would need a bunch of dredging and a drawbridge. Hmmmmmmm, now maybe that's something we call work on for the lake....:emb:

I don't think you'll find an endorsement for riding on the lake on this site. I would hate to be the one to say, "you'll be fine go for it," and hear you went through the ice.

That said I saw several sleds out on the ice this weekend. Personally you wouldn't catch me out there right now. It looks sketchy and it just has the "feeling" of danger when you look at it. I can't explain it but I wouldn't be having any fun out there right now as I would be just waiting for disaster to strike. Hey, all I need to see is all the bobhouses have been removed from the ice. That speaks volumes to me. Those guys know when it is safe. Now I know people will say that they took of the bobhouses because the edges are thin. Whatever, if the edges are thin that means there are thin areas and more chances to go through. :eek:

One of the wonderful things about the lakes region is there are so many different types of people either living here or visiting. NH is the live free or die state and indeed, people are somewhat free to choose their level of risk. Those that snowmobile on the lake from here on may be risking a Darwin award, but it is rare to hear about sleds in the water this time of year. In general, sober risk takers know what they are doing. On Sunday, there were a lot of sleds out, and we also saw six deer galloping north. Today - only one set of new tracks in the fresh few inches. There are wet spots in the snow around the rocks, but the rest is solid white and probably safe in most areas. To avoid temptation, my sled is safely put away for the season. The shoreline is all slush anyway from run-off, so ez access is gone.

Update: Saw two snowmobiles on the lake; April 2

And one week later.....
 

There are numerous sleds out there today. I'm still waiting for Darwin to take over.

Alton bay
 

On my way to the Alton Transfer Station (still dump around the house :emb:), looking out on the bay from 28A in the area of the Cascades, you could see a couple of bobhouses still on the lake across from Echo Point and snowmobiles running up and down the bay.
Even with the cold weather of the last few days, I would still be a little (read alot) nervous out on the lake now.

Bear Cam
 

just noticed a snowmobile on the Bear Cam, not sure if it was yesterday or this morning.

Skimming
 

With the edges releasing, remember that if you cross open water, you are skimming. I know a couple of guys that got $250 tickets last week for crossing 10 feet of water at the edge of the lake:(

I believe it's $448 total...confirmed with F&G this winter :D

Part of the reason why I do not partake in this very very fun activity...or it could be blowing a belt 1000ft. after finishing up having fun for about two hours :rolleye2:

LOL you were lucky!!

Sledding on April 7??
 

So, I look out the window this evening and sure enough -- there goes another sled on the Lake. April 7. 50 degrees out. And people are still out on the ice. Unbelievable.

April Fools!
 

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/A-QzE_i0qwE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-QzE_i0qwE

Amazing! I had no idea a snowmobile could stay afloat that long.

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZyaEsHQ3jVU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyaEsHQ3jVU

They are not really floating. If the belt breaks or it stalls, it will sink like a rock. It is essentially on plane via its skis! Skimming is now illegal in NH.

If you ever accidentally hit open water, keep your thumb down on the throttle.

As we saw from that one guy once you stop watch out. You aren't going to stay afloat for very long at all:eek: