thin ice?

NHGUNOWNER · 02-05-2017, 08:26 PM

I measured 10" in Sanders bay this afternoon, off Gilford beach. That's a huge increase over the 6" or so I found last weekend.
I walked out past Varney point onto younger ice and measured 5.5". I wouldn't have even walked out there last week.
Very pleased with my findings.

Mink Islander · 02-07-2017, 09:48 AM

I'll be back Thursday and will cut some more test holes. If I get to 6 inches I'll probably venture out on my sled from Sheps. Otherwise, I'll be on foot from Cattle Landing heading to Mink Island.

The Nils augers are really awesome. Very sharp and quick. I have their gas auger too and love it.

MAXUM · 02-07-2017, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mink Islander

I'll be back Thursday and will cut some more test holes. If I get to 6 inches I'll probably venture out on my sled from Sheps. Otherwise, I'll be on foot from Cattle Landing heading to Mink Island.

The Nils augers are really awesome. Very sharp and quick. I have their gas auger too and love it.

If you can post updated findings from Thursday that would be awesome! I'd like to venture out as well if safe enough to do so.

Mink Islander · 02-10-2017, 05:52 PM

So I drove up today (Friday) due to the storm yesterday. The conditions at Sheps have continued to improve. I measured 6-7 inches 75 feet or so out from the barge access ramp. There was about 12 inches out by the black nav marker visible from the shore there. I pretty confident the ice in and around that access point is overall in pretty good shape now.

But...

I loaded up and rode over to Cattle Landing over the lake. Small drifts but also some slushy spots - not uncommon when we have the weight of the snow plus the wind pushing on the ice and bring up some surface water. Over near the Cattle Landing docks where I cut holes last week, there was a good 5 inches of ice now -- some is weaker, snow ice, however, but overall better than last week. I crossed through Cattle Landing but pulled up just past Dolly Island where it looked a little questionable. Cut several holes around there and found 3-5 inches of black ice with water and frozen slush on top. One hole had just over 2" of black ice with water on top of slush. That's all I needed to see -- backed up, turned around and went back to Sheps.

Given how thin the ice was in the area around Cattle Landing and how unprotected that area is from the wind, I was quite concerned that Some of it may have started to break up again. Or at least plates could be moving around creating dangerous gaps in the ice -- I've seen that before through there. Please be very careful if venturing through there.

I'll try again next weekend, weather permitting....

MAXUM · 02-12-2017, 09:43 AM

Ventured out to Bear Yesterday on foot. Was surprised to see how many people were out on sleds running around. There are some pretty brave souls out there is all I can say going in places I wouldn't even think of going on foot never mind sled.... and clearly from the news last night a few punched their ticket as a result.

FYI - cut a series of holes on the NE side of bear. Did a line of them starting from about 100 feet off shore out about 400-500 yards every 100 yards or so.

There are a number of places where there is a lot of slush over the ice. Those areas tended to measure out the thinnest. In general there was no less than 4-5" of measured black ice with varying amounts of white ice on top of that, anywhere from 1-5 inches. Of course that white ice does not have nearly the same strength.

dickiej · 02-12-2017, 11:05 AM

I wouldn't say brave.....I'd say stupid.

02-07-2017, 09:48 AM	#2
Mink Islander Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 753 Thanks: 59 Thanked 271 Times in 129 Posts	Ice conditions I'll be back Thursday and will cut some more test holes. If I get to 6 inches I'll probably venture out on my sled from Sheps. Otherwise, I'll be on foot from Cattle Landing heading to Mink Island. The Nils augers are really awesome. Very sharp and quick. I have their gas auger too and love it.

02-10-2017, 05:52 PM	#4
Mink Islander Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 753 Thanks: 59 Thanked 271 Times in 129 Posts	Ice update So I drove up today (Friday) due to the storm yesterday. The conditions at Sheps have continued to improve. I measured 6-7 inches 75 feet or so out from the barge access ramp. There was about 12 inches out by the black nav marker visible from the shore there. I pretty confident the ice in and around that access point is overall in pretty good shape now. But... I loaded up and rode over to Cattle Landing over the lake. Small drifts but also some slushy spots - not uncommon when we have the weight of the snow plus the wind pushing on the ice and bring up some surface water. Over near the Cattle Landing docks where I cut holes last week, there was a good 5 inches of ice now -- some is weaker, snow ice, however, but overall better than last week. I crossed through Cattle Landing but pulled up just past Dolly Island where it looked a little questionable. Cut several holes around there and found 3-5 inches of black ice with water and frozen slush on top. One hole had just over 2" of black ice with water on top of slush. That's all I needed to see -- backed up, turned around and went back to Sheps. Given how thin the ice was in the area around Cattle Landing and how unprotected that area is from the wind, I was quite concerned that Some of it may have started to break up again. Or at least plates could be moving around creating dangerous gaps in the ice -- I've seen that before through there. Please be very careful if venturing through there. I'll try again next weekend, weather permitting....

02-12-2017, 09:43 AM	#5
MAXUM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kuna ID Posts: 2,755 Thanks: 246 Thanked 1,942 Times in 802 Posts	Ventured out to Bear Yesterday on foot. Was surprised to see how many people were out on sleds running around. There are some pretty brave souls out there is all I can say going in places I wouldn't even think of going on foot never mind sled.... and clearly from the news last night a few punched their ticket as a result. FYI - cut a series of holes on the NE side of bear. Did a line of them starting from about 100 feet off shore out about 400-500 yards every 100 yards or so. There are a number of places where there is a lot of slush over the ice. Those areas tended to measure out the thinnest. In general there was no less than 4-5" of measured black ice with varying amounts of white ice on top of that, anywhere from 1-5 inches. Of course that white ice does not have nearly the same strength. Attached Images Last edited by MAXUM; 02-12-2017 at 10:38 PM.

02-05-2017, 08:26 PM	#1
NHGUNOWNER Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Manchester Posts: 24 Thanks: 6 Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts	I measured 10" in Sanders bay this afternoon, off Gilford beach. That's a huge increase over the 6" or so I found last weekend. I walked out past Varney point onto younger ice and measured 5.5". I wouldn't have even walked out there last week. Very pleased with my findings.

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02-12-2017, 11:05 AM	#6
dickiej Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: White Salmon, WA Posts: 301 Thanks: 21 Thanked 171 Times in 93 Posts	I wouldn't say brave.....I'd say stupid.