every year it seems folks just have to test the capacity of lake ice in pursuit of fish or recreation. but this year, it is out of control. maybe it's due to the warm temps which have impacted the quantity/quality of ice; maybe it's more atv's hitting the trails n lakes than in the past cuz their really cool. i dunno, just a word of caution and prayer that we get through the winter without loss of life.

headlines in past week:
FERGUS FALLS, Minn. – Two men survived Tuesday when their ATV tipped into open water on Dead Lake – the fourth ATV mishap in five days in Otter Tail County.
WARROAD, Minn. – A conservation officer for DNR escaped injury after his ATV broke through thin ice on Lake of the Woods on Saturday.

 

We went for a ride in So. Maine on Tuesday. We gunned it across the smaller water/mudholes but made sure to stay off the deep ones. Had some cracking but at worst we would have been in a foot of ice covered water.

Wouldn't think of going out on a lake or pond this early in the season. I like to see at least a half foot of ice and stay away from inlets and outlets. Mostly, we just wait until it's a foot thick or more.

 

I stay off of thin ice. If I see cars and trucks driving around on the ice I figure it's safe for me to be on too. The way things are going we won't have any ice for awhile. I haven't even had to shovel any snow yet.

 

well, if we'd just drill the oil we'd be better off. No imports, no crazy prices, more jobs, and we may save an animal.They say that oil down in the ground is a meltn the snow or something or another.

 

I heard of 3 cases where people went through the ice today just here around the Twin Cities. Luckily all of them got out. Also been several cases of fish houses going through in the last week or so. Haven't headd of anyone being killed from going through the ice yet this winter, but it's just a matter of time. Usually by this time of year cars and trucks are driving on the ice with no problems, but this year it's not safe to walk on the ice in many places, much less go out there on an ATV or snowmobile.

 

We have had 2 deaths in Sask this year on ATV's, at my lake we usually have 36" of ice by now and it's only at 18", a quad fell through on a creek near my cabin on Dec 23rd and I am normally riding on that creek by Nov 20th, it's just been too warm this year, we do have enough ice to drive on the lake now where I am, I drove all over in my truck today, every ice shack I stopped at said it was around 18".

 

I remeber a few years back i was wanting to ride on the ice but we had so much snow that the ice was under the water from the weight of the snow. Well against my better judgment I decided to head out an see for myself. As I got out there I flew on the the river and right in the middle my quad sunk down and when I looked back I saw that all my ruts were just water and I was slowing down fast. I realized I had to turn around so i did and was almost not moving by the time I got out... After that I headed back up to the truck an didn't go out for the rest of the year. Still have pictures of it somewhere...
Whenever I go ridding on the ice I put my phone and wallet in a zip lock bag so if I do fall through I can call for help if i get out.

 

Unfortunately, we have had our first two thin ice deaths of the season here in MN. Two snowmobilers went through the ice, and another man on on ATV went through when he went out to help. The guy on the ATV made it out of the water, but the two snowmobilers did not.

Divers recover bodies of missing snowmobilers | kare11.com

 

I don't understand why people think its thick enough. It's been a warm winter

 

for some people, too many imho, if they see anyone else on the lake that is 'evidence' that the ice is thick enough and out they go. several ice houses floating or half-submerged on area lakes, and every few days i hear about another atv/sled that went through - luckily we havent had any fatalities around here lately, but i did read about the two sledders in MN this morning : (
maybe next weekend i'll be out scoping the ice with my portable in tow, as we're having below zero temps all week, but i'll be drilling every xx feet to scan thickness.