Ice-Out Watch 2006

[Mink Islander]

I hiked out to Mink Island on Saturday Morning. Cattle Landing was easily passable on foot but you had to navigate away from the areas where there's been frequent open water. Surprised I didn't see any activity related to the Snowmobile tragedy. Site further around the point of Meredith NecK? Plenty of ice from Cattle Landing through to Mark and then Mink Island. Returning Sunday, the open water at Cattle Landing had expanded significantly and large plates of ice were moving around a bit. I had to pick my route more carefully and almost resorted to the portage around the sketchy area over the corner of Bear Island that I used in prior weeks, but ultimately found a passable route. Even over by Mark Island, there were a few patches of open water developing. Once the wind gets to work, small areas seem to open up very quickly and expand. While 9-12 Inches of ice in the area I pass is more than enough to support even a truck, it is not nearly as strong as the 2+ ft we normally see and the wind and warm weather breaks it down much more quickly. With the warming trends generally, I suspect we're heading towards an earlier than usual ice-out.