[Outdoorsman]

I am curious how you guys and gals are determining ice thickness? I have seen many posts where people will post an estimate of ice thickness. Short of drilling a hole every so often, is there another way to make that determination?

I choose to stay off the ice for the most part but on occasion when riding in a group we do cross various lakes and ponds. Personally I would prefer a longer ride simply to stay off any body of water, but club rides etc. kind of prohibit that if I want to stay in the group.