Official 2017 Ice-In Thread

[20mile]

Originally Posted by NUMechEng

WadeJa - This is a handy reference that i found years ago regarding ice thickness. Compliments of the Farmers Almanac
http://www.almanac.com/content/ice-t...s-safety-chart

4 Inches will hold a 'group' of people 'in a single file line'
7 1/2 inches will hold a 2 ton car (Like average sized Sedan)
Yes, that is right, only 7 1/2 inches to hold a car

Technically, the 'pounds per square inch' on a snowmobile is less than a person on foot. (Although this assumes you don't get off the machine).
BUT, as Maxum stated, ice thickness can vary quite a bit.
And the ice thicknesses listed are based on 'Black Ice' (good strong ice without too much entrapped air, etc).

My family has owned a camp in Moultonboro bay for over 100 years.
I've spent my whole life on the water there. Both Frozen & Thawed.
I drive out my snowmobiles & also sometimes my car virtually every year (for fishing, etc).
But i don't drive my car out until there is a minimum of 1 foot 'in the middle'. (Deep water between Suissvale and the Neck).
This is because it's safe to assume that there are thinner spots that may be 8 inches.

Long story short, 7 inches can be safe for a snowmobile.
But if you are 'new' to the lake, or to this area of Moultonboro bay, I suggest giving it a bit more time.
If this cold keeps up, the ice (in that area of M-boro bay) should be in great shape by end of Dec.

*Disclaimer - Above is my 'opinion' based on my own 30+ yrs experience.
But I can't be held liable for my opinions on this topic. Good Luck

I have been going on the ice for over 40 years. The quality of the ice and how hard it is makes a big difference. Last year we had a hard freeze early. We secured our ice shack down on 3-4" of ice. We also had two ATVs out there with us. By no means should anyone experiment on thin ice. Doing so can put one's life in peril. see attached photos. Photo shows the 2 x 4 under the ice as a tie down for the shack. Yes I know it looks scary.

[baastan]

I am up in Patrician shores (levitt Park) area on the center harbor / meredith line and usually rip across into center harbor, cross 25 and drive behind the irving and then take those access trails to kanasatka sp? Does anyone have any information if that's safe yet? I love riding Red Hill, I told my children to put my ashes up there one day, just not anytime soon..

[upthesaukee]

Originally Posted by baastan

I am up in Patrician shores (levitt Park) area on the center harbor / meredith line and usually rip across into center harbor, cross 25 and drive behind the irving and then take those access trails to kanasatka sp? Does anyone have any information if that's safe yet? I love riding Red Hill, I told my children to put my ashes up there one day, just not anytime soon..

You may want to check in on the snowmobiling section of the forum. There has been some conversation about two conditions, including riding on the lake. This may help more then the general forum. Also check in on the Moultonborough snowmobile Club website for up to date info on trail conditions. Also trailhub.org.

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[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by 20mile

Last year we had a hard freeze early.

That's funny, I thought last year was the poorest year for ice in a long time!

[Merrymeeting]

On a smaller scale, Merrymeeting is mirroring Winni. The coves, eastern shores, and calm areas have been frozen for a while and are all pretty solid at this point. But the deep areas and middle are still stubbornly staying open, despite the consistently cold temps of the past week.