ICE reports?

[Chummers]

Any reports of safe ice around the metro area yet? Swede?????

[Eric S]

not local but Christina is looking good for the weekend. Look for facebook group "Minnesota Iceboaters" https://www.facebook.com/groups/51859333558/

Also, up north near duluth we here is getting good on some stuff, maybe a rice lake...

for some more reports, I'm planning on checking it out sat

[Chummers]

Any updates at all would be much appreciated! Hoping to find safe ice in the area by this weekend! not sure it's gonna happen...

[speedsailor93]

Waconia has only just frozen so main lake ice is very thin . I may walk and drill check the SW bay which is shallow and froze earlier this weekend but would not venture out deeper yet. Other iceboaters are reporting Swede is also too thin currently so looks like any sailing will have to be further North for the next few days.

[speedsailor93]

Just drove past Swede this afternoon and ice fisherman in middle and skaters on lake. May check it out for riding Sunday if the winds cooperate.

[Chummers]

thanks very much for the update on Swede!

[Eric S]

Lake Washington in Dassel, MN has some ice. Most of the lake is orange peel but skatable and freeskateable. Make sure to get your DRAG season pass if you park there - Not sure what conditions like at south public Ellsworth launch.

End of session when we dared to try out the fresh ice after wind dropped:

http://downhaul.com/kites/171210Washing ... ck-web.mp4

General conditions looking toward the black ice...



Anyone go to Swede today?

[speedsailor93]

Update on SW Waconia bay - drilled today and did not find less than 5” of ice in the bay so kited until wind died. Ice surface is pebbled but will hopefully smooth out with a couple of warmer days. Fishermen venturing out on south side of main lake and I saw people out checking ice depths south and west of island so In Towne marina will probably update ice reports tonight.

[Chummers]

Looking for clear ice without snow to freeskate, but not interested in driving all the way out to Washington again if I can avoid it. Does anyone have any info on Buffalo?

[Eric S]

chummers, heard you had a good time at Wash on snofer! w00t!

See here for Buffalo conditions:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... ater&ifg=1

text:

Random ice update - Buffalo Lake and Lake Pulaski - Wright County Minnesota.
I was in the area this morning doing laundry waiting for a snowboard session so I thought I'd check on a few lakes. Pulaski is open near the south shore and every Trumpeter Swan and winged thing is taking advantage of it. I didn't see any fishermen even on the edges. Buffalo Lake, on the other hand, look fully locked in and fisherman are scooting around on 4 wheelers all over the lake. I walked out on the ice and took a sample at the NW corner public launch and it was 6+ according to my ice screw. The surface is pretty nice and even skateable. There is about 1/16 - 1/8th inch fully bonded snow on the ice, so it might be a bit slow - No bumps or ridges seen. The public launch in town (West side near town) has lots of foot traffic heading out. The ice there is pretty brutal looking near shore from the high winds we had around here a the last few weeks. That is all!

[Eric S]

Some pictures from Minnetonka Yacht Club - can't vouch for the ice but there's skaters and ATV out there!

[Chummers]

Thanks for the ice reports Eric! Yeah I had a great day with Jerry Sandell on Washington last week. Lake Calhoun is mostly smooth ice with a few deep snow drifts that will stop your freeskate and catapult you forward. A fisherman told me the ice was 8 inches thick on Christmas Eve.

[Eric S]

Nice Chummers! - sounded like you guys had fun. Here's little movies of different ice conditions:

Washington on 12/23: http://downhaul.com/kites/171223washing ... nd-web.mp4

Silver Lake on 12/24: http://downhaul.com/kites/171224silverL ... ke-web.mp4



Minnetonka Yacht Club yesterday: http://downhaul.com/kites/171225myc/MYC-cold-web.mp4



See you on the ICE!