My daughter is spending the week in Willmar with my mom so on Saturday I called Mel's Sport Shop in spicer to see what the ice was doing.
I was bummed when they said half covered and several days 'til ice out.
I HAD to sail Sunday so on the way out we took a little scouting run to check other options and see if any of Green's launches were clear.
County park 5 - Wide open!! Yea! Direction not perfect but at least I could sail Green.
North access - still 200 to 300 yards of ice.
Water patrol access - could walk 100 feet up the neighbors beach and get to clear water.
When we arrived, my mom knew what was on my mind and told me they had had gusts to 30 on their weather station but it was way down. We chatted for a bit but I just couldn't wait and zipped back to Spicer. I pulled into the Water patrol access and the ice was gone all the way to the condos and my aneomometer showed the wind on the shore was solid 20 - 22!! SWEEEET!
I rigged my 5.1 and 95L Air&Style and started my season off right. Nice bummpy water to play on and the wind was solid! There were 2 holes in the wind but they never moved (wierd way out in the lake with nothing around) so I could just lock in some speed and carry right through.
After a while, the holes had started to be good and every place else was just about too much so I dropped in on the rock bar way out in the middle in about 4 feet of water and added some outhaul and looked all around at the little tan strip in the dark water. Cool! Still more wind than I wanted and time to get the winter dust off my Axxis (87L) anyway. I had been out 2 hours (funny, it didn't seem that long) and was stoked.
I considered going to 4.2 but decided to just add downhaul and stick with the 5.1 since I was taking the smaller board. Right choice. Felt lighter, went faster, flew higher, slashes waves better, and crashed harder. I rode that for another hour and a half until I was all used up!
What a day and what a way to start my season.
Chased the last ice off Green Lake Sunday!!
Moderator: MK