Ice Conditions

CanisLupusArctos · 02-19-2008, 04:15 PM

On the weathercam this morning there was a good deal of shiny sun glare on the ice for the first time in weeks. The mush has transformed into ice which is now more polished than it has been in a while, but there are still a few mushy spots.

FLAG! · 02-19-2008, 06:21 PM

looks pretty good if you ask me!

Webbsatwinni · 02-19-2008, 07:34 PM

We were out there today (around Rattlesnake) and the ice was very solid with minor slush. The issue was snow cover, there wasn't any. We tried to hit all the water to keep the sleds cool, but snow would have helped. We left around 1:30 and the snow was falling pretty hard (it was hard to see), that made it better, but more snow would help.

Everywhere we went, the ice was really solid.

Lakegeezer · 02-19-2008, 08:09 PM

I went out for a sled on Tuesday afternoon and couldn't find anything on the lake that wasn't solid. There are lots of frozen bumps, so you have to watch it and the ride may be rough. The only open water is around the bubblers. Winter has finally arrived. Spring is less than five weeks away.

froggy · 02-19-2008, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lakegeezer

I went out for a sled on Tuesday afternoon and couldn't find anything on the lake that wasn't solid. There are lots of frozen bumps, so you have to watch it and the ride may be rough. The only open water is around the bubblers. Winter has finally arrived. Spring is less than five weeks away.

I need to go on the ice in the bay where the Kona boathouse is, soon. So, all are saying very safe top walk - no vehicle. Do I use snowshoes or XC skis for stability and safety? Or just go with hiking boots or such?

Lakegeezer · 02-20-2008, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by froggy

I need to go on the ice in the bay where the Kona boathouse is, soon. So, all are saying very safe top walk - no vehicle. Do I use snowshoes or XC skis for stability and safety? Or just go with hiking boots or such?

The Kona area has some spots with just ice and some spots where the snow has drifted. We are having thaw/freeze cycles this week, so the ice will be crusty in the morning and soft in the afternoon. It compacted with last week's rain, so for the most part, boots will work fine. Snowshoes are overkill, but will be handy in the drifts, where there is still slush. XC skis will have trouble breaking through and be too skiddish.

Pricestavern · 02-20-2008, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by froggy

I need to go on the ice in the bay where the Kona boathouse is, soon. So, all are saying very safe top walk - no vehicle. Do I use snowshoes or XC skis for stability and safety? Or just go with hiking boots or such?

Wife and I walked out to Rattlesnake from Minge Cove on Saturday. Had to turn around about 1/3 of the way there, go back and put on snowshoes. Without the snowshoes, every now and then one foot would break thru to the slush and we wound up with cold wet feet. The snowshoes let us float on the cover above the slush holes without breaking thru and their steel teeth were a Godsend on the sections where the ice was slick.

froggy · 02-20-2008, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pricestavern

The snowshoes let us float on the cover above the slush holes without breaking thru and their steel teeth were a Godsend on the sections where the ice was slick.

My snowshoes have the steel teeth also. I'll have them in the car.

THANKS for the info, to both.

GWC... · 02-20-2008, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pricestavern

Wife and I walked out to Rattlesnake from Minge Cove on Saturday. Had to turn around about 1/3 of the way there, go back and put on snowshoes. Without the snowshoes, every now and then one foot would break thru to the slush and we wound up with cold wet feet. The snowshoes let us float on the cover above the slush holes without breaking thru and their steel teeth were a Godsend on the sections where the ice was slick.

Another eight weeks, you should be able to boat over...

Taken at 9:30 AM on 4/17/07

Weirs guy · 02-25-2008, 01:35 PM

OK, so I feel bad for not posting this earlier since tomorrows snow will most likely bogger it all up, but what great ice conditions we have! Spent some time out Saturday and last weeks light snowfall has left a nice layer of traction on the sheer ice around the Weirs. Great for walking on, and if you wanted to skate it was very easy to clean off a rink. Our little itty bitty one quadrupled in size!

Hopefully this weeks snow will be light and fluffy!

Formula260SS · 02-25-2008, 01:47 PM

I was out on Saturday as well, Ice conditions are perfect. We went around Rattlesnake, up to Melvin Village, down to Alton Bay and back. Small pressure ridge at the south end of Rattlesnake and one before the Barbers Pole.

The few inches on Friday provided the cooling the sleds needed. The weather was great !!! Perfect

escaped from NJ · 02-25-2008, 09:48 PM

After two years of thinking about it - afraid that it wouldn't be safe- we walked over from Long Island to Little Bear on Saturday, spent the night and walked back on Sunday. I never thought "the most beautiful place on earth" could get any more beautiful but with the snow cover and totally clear night, it was better than even the most beautiful days in the summer! Did anyone else see the moon and stars Saturday night? To stand in the middle of the lake and look up was amazing. So, I went sled riding down the bank from the shore and onto the lake, wrote messages in the snow on the lake and made snow angels. We roasted hot dogs on the wood stove. I only wish I had brought my ice skates because the ice was perfect and I would have had the biggest skating rink in the world. Two of the best days I have ever spent at the lake!!!!

For anybody still thinking about it like we were, the ice is REALLY frozen from Harilla Landing over to Little Bear. It takes less than 15 minutes to walk it and with the 3 or so inches of snow on the ice, we didn't need anything special to make the walk. I can't wait to go back!

FLAG! · 02-26-2008, 05:46 PM

We had a great weekend ice fishing in the wolfeboro area. With 19 to 20 inches of ice we had no problems driving tucks on the ice from Brewster Beach. The fishing could not have been better either. We caught iver 40 lake trout in 2 days as well as a dozen cusk up to 3 pounds. Only a couple salmon. No rainbows though. The lakers were aggressive. I caught one over 3 pounds in less than 3 feet of water on a tiny emerald shiner I had set up for rainbows. I think maybe the rainbows are in deeper water now. I usually have good success in the shallows, but I usually fish earlier in the month than now.

02-19-2008, 06:21 PM	#2
FLAG! Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Upton, MA Posts: 112 Thanks: 44 Thanked 14 Times in 6 Posts	conditions looks pretty good if you ask me!

02-19-2008, 08:09 PM	#4
Lakegeezer Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Moultonboro, NH Posts: 1,680 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 355 Thanked 640 Times in 291 Posts	Northeastern lake solid I went out for a sled on Tuesday afternoon and couldn't find anything on the lake that wasn't solid. There are lots of frozen bumps, so you have to watch it and the ride may be rough. The only open water is around the bubblers. Winter has finally arrived. Spring is less than five weeks away. __________________ -lg

02-25-2008, 01:35 PM	#10
Weirs guy Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Weirs Beach, NH Posts: 1,067 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	OK, so I feel bad for not posting this earlier since tomorrows snow will most likely bogger it all up, but what great ice conditions we have! Spent some time out Saturday and last weeks light snowfall has left a nice layer of traction on the sheer ice around the Weirs. Great for walking on, and if you wanted to skate it was very easy to clean off a rink. Our little itty bitty one quadrupled in size! Hopefully this weeks snow will be light and fluffy! __________________ Is it bikeweek yet? Now?

02-25-2008, 01:47 PM	#11
Formula260SS Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NH Posts: 384 Thanks: 11 Thanked 76 Times in 51 Posts	Ice Conditions I was out on Saturday as well, Ice conditions are perfect. We went around Rattlesnake, up to Melvin Village, down to Alton Bay and back. Small pressure ridge at the south end of Rattlesnake and one before the Barbers Pole. The few inches on Friday provided the cooling the sleds needed. The weather was great !!! Perfect

02-25-2008, 09:48 PM	#12
escaped from NJ Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 44 Thanks: 59 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Why have you guys been keeping this such a secret? After two years of thinking about it - afraid that it wouldn't be safe- we walked over from Long Island to Little Bear on Saturday, spent the night and walked back on Sunday. I never thought "the most beautiful place on earth" could get any more beautiful but with the snow cover and totally clear night, it was better than even the most beautiful days in the summer! Did anyone else see the moon and stars Saturday night? To stand in the middle of the lake and look up was amazing. So, I went sled riding down the bank from the shore and onto the lake, wrote messages in the snow on the lake and made snow angels. We roasted hot dogs on the wood stove. I only wish I had brought my ice skates because the ice was perfect and I would have had the biggest skating rink in the world. Two of the best days I have ever spent at the lake!!!! For anybody still thinking about it like we were, the ice is REALLY frozen from Harilla Landing over to Little Bear. It takes less than 15 minutes to walk it and with the 3 or so inches of snow on the ice, we didn't need anything special to make the walk. I can't wait to go back!

02-19-2008, 04:15 PM	#1
CanisLupusArctos Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Center Harbor Posts: 1,049 Thanks: 15 Thanked 472 Times in 107 Posts	On the weathercam this morning there was a good deal of shiny sun glare on the ice for the first time in weeks. The mush has transformed into ice which is now more polished than it has been in a while, but there are still a few mushy spots.

02-19-2008, 07:34 PM	#3
Webbsatwinni Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Lebanon Ct and Rattlesnake Island Since 2007 Posts: 610 Thanks: 180 Thanked 137 Times in 72 Posts	We were out there today (around Rattlesnake) and the ice was very solid with minor slush. The issue was snow cover, there wasn't any. We tried to hit all the water to keep the sleds cool, but snow would have helped. We left around 1:30 and the snow was falling pretty hard (it was hard to see), that made it better, but more snow would help. Everywhere we went, the ice was really solid.

02-26-2008, 05:46 PM	#13
FLAG! Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Upton, MA Posts: 112 Thanks: 44 Thanked 14 Times in 6 Posts	Ice We had a great weekend ice fishing in the wolfeboro area. With 19 to 20 inches of ice we had no problems driving tucks on the ice from Brewster Beach. The fishing could not have been better either. We caught iver 40 lake trout in 2 days as well as a dozen cusk up to 3 pounds. Only a couple salmon. No rainbows though. The lakers were aggressive. I caught one over 3 pounds in less than 3 feet of water on a tiny emerald shiner I had set up for rainbows. I think maybe the rainbows are in deeper water now. I usually have good success in the shallows, but I usually fish earlier in the month than now.

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