Yes, you still need to be careful. Self rescue devices are recommended (and if you don’t know what these are, maybe you should learn). Places on the lake are still not safe and those who are skating and ice boating are respecting those unsafe places. Most people are not wanting to go for a swim….. However, lots of people are on the lake skating, skiing and ice boating. The lake froze a week ago and is now generally 5 inches thick with ice. This does NOT mean that everywhere is safe but much of the ice is. “Pressure ridges” are places where the ice buckles and has water come to the surface and these need to be avoided and make travel sometimes difficult but with care, the lake is very fine for skating, skiing and ice boating.
Below is a picture of the pressure ridge that goes NNW from Poplar Island. It probably can be crossed but is a “bit” bumpy.
The ridge went all the way to the shore and was a bit hard to get around. Ice boats were going across it near the shore and that is where it was possible to cross without trauma.
At Albee Beach, there were quite a few people just enjoying the immediate area but lots of people were using that as a start for skating. One pair of ice fishermen had started there at 6 AM and made a loop around Stamp Act but weren’t having much luck.
The ice around the Sister Islands looked smooth and this picture shows the east end of Poplar and Loon. In reality, there was a pressure ridge that prevented travel to Loon from where the picture was taken. Some ice was pushed up, some water was in the cracked area and it was not something you wanted to cross.
Below is a picture of the pressure ridge that was not inviting to cross. Nice ice features but it didn’t look like it was frozen solidly.
Ice boats were out in force today but the day before, they were waiting for a breeze. This picture shows a bunch of them along the 109 shore with Mt. Chocorua in the background.
Some areas of the lake still have a bit of snow on them and animals are starting to get out on the lake. Below are some of their tracks.
