You know what works real good is those old wood cross country skis from the 1970's with the 3-point bindings & boots that can be found at yard sales or the Etcetera Shoppe in Meredith for walking/cross country skiing across the lake. With their weight distribution it only requires about two inches of ice, and it is great excercise and very quiet so the condition of the ice becomes self-monitored by tell-tale cracking sounds as you move along. Hey, you might actually enjoy it.
Wearing either a pfd or waterski belt and carrying those orange Wal-mart ice picks and a whistle never hurts for hard core, lake ice-traveling die-hards
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Happy trails!
As far as I know, there has never been a cross-country ski, lake ice, accidental drowning-death in the history of Lake Winnipesaukee for the last 110 years.