SWEDE LAKE ICE REPORT!

[Pat Heppert]

Swede Lake (north of Waconia ) has 3 inches of smooth sailable ice. If you stayed local this weekend, come on out! Not much wind today, but probably enough. I am going to see up the ice surfer / free skate / windsurfer thing. I also drove by Waconia, which is half froze and will lock in tonight.

[Pat Heppert]

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[Chummers]

Did you have enough wind to enjoy the smooth ice before the snow came?

Can you provide an updated report about the surface? How many inches of snow and did it bind to the entire surface or is it a combo of clear ice and snow drifts? I'd really love to know if it would be worth it for me to make the 2 hour (round trip) drive out there on Wednesday... THANKS

[Pat Heppert]

Saturday was really , really slow. I sat around alone and drank tequila most of the time, but got a good ride a few times. It's amazing how you can go 10-15 MPH on a a 3-4 MPH wind. Call me nuts, but these 2 minute long rides are worth sitting around all day for. I never did put on the helmut or the harness.
I haven't been there since the snow. I live 20 minutes South, and I got 6 inches of snow at home. You can expect about 6 inches of flat, un-bonded powder currently on Swede. Once the wind blows, it will certainly drift. The ice surfer will not handle more than 2 inches of powder, but if you kite, then it will work great as long as you have something with an edge to grab the ice. With the insulating snow, it probably doesn't have much more ice thickness than this weekend. I have been iceboating for 30 years and my opinion is that the ice on swede is very safe with 3-4 inches, but always carry picks on new ice and try not to sail alone.

[Chummers]

Thanks Pat! I'll leave the freeskate at home, and will hope to use that on the new ice of Lake Calhoun when it's safe a week from now, and hope it doesn't get any/much snow once the ice forms any day now.

If I come out there on Wednesday I'd bring my snowfer in case it's mostly ice, and will also have kites & skis in case it's mostly snow.

[bscheig]

Where is the access on Swede? NE side?

Thanks. Bill

[Eric S]

A little more Swede info from a facebook post. Was fun out there today, I was a little underpowered most of the time and had to sine my 4M Flexifoil Blade like crazy to make anything happen

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2222889 ... 826038754/