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Mink Islander · 01-11-2005, 09:28 AM

The real challenge, everyone, is that the conditions vary widely across the lake so it is terribly hard to generalize. When you have a winter like last year, the whole lake became quite safe relatively early in the season (but we still lost trucks through expansion cracks and other known weak spots). This year it's taking a little longer for the ice to form. It's a rare year for it to be safe over by Bear Island before the last week of January. A few years back it never got safe enough for my family.

Probably two weeks away before I would even consider venturing out to Mink, and that may be early still given how mild the temps are this week. Bearcam already shows the ice breaking up again over by Pine Island. Like others, I wait for the Bob Houses in Meredith Bay and off Cattle Landing. Then if I see ample sled tracks/activity through Cattle Landing, I still will check the ice thickness with my hand auger before heading out (8 inches please of black ice). Pretty conservative, I know. But why take chances? If you are a long timer around the lake, you too probably have your own rules of thumb for the part of the lake you travel. Unfortunately, it's the inexperienced or wreckless who usually suffer the consequences of their poor judgement. Very sad really. Please be careful everyone!

01-11-2005, 09:28 AM	#12
Mink Islander Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 753 Thanks: 59 Thanked 271 Times in 129 Posts	Ice safety The real challenge, everyone, is that the conditions vary widely across the lake so it is terribly hard to generalize. When you have a winter like last year, the whole lake became quite safe relatively early in the season (but we still lost trucks through expansion cracks and other known weak spots). This year it's taking a little longer for the ice to form. It's a rare year for it to be safe over by Bear Island before the last week of January. A few years back it never got safe enough for my family. Probably two weeks away before I would even consider venturing out to Mink, and that may be early still given how mild the temps are this week. Bearcam already shows the ice breaking up again over by Pine Island. Like others, I wait for the Bob Houses in Meredith Bay and off Cattle Landing. Then if I see ample sled tracks/activity through Cattle Landing, I still will check the ice thickness with my hand auger before heading out (8 inches please of black ice). Pretty conservative, I know. But why take chances? If you are a long timer around the lake, you too probably have your own rules of thumb for the part of the lake you travel. Unfortunately, it's the inexperienced or wreckless who usually suffer the consequences of their poor judgement. Very sad really. Please be careful everyone!