“Ice out!” is a big deal for those of us in the North Woods – and today is the day we can actually look out onto the lake and NOT see any ice left! The definition of “Ice Out” is actually a seriously discussed topic up here… and our accepted definition is when you can get from one end of the lake to the other without encountering ice. Today is the day…!
Think about it… the lake first froze just after Thanksgiving… so let’s just use December 1st as a start date. Today is May 7…so that means the lake was frozen for just over 5 months. Three of those months it was possible to ‘safely’ drive vehicles on the ice. Towards the end of February it meant that ice fisherman had to add an “extender” onto their motorized ice augers to get to the water (3+ feet of ice…). So yes… “Ice Out!” is a big thing!
For those of us who prefer to be on the lake in boats and not SUVs and pick-ups, our day has arrived. Don’t get me wrong… we enjoy the ice season when snowmobiles replace speedboats, but 5 MONTHS of ICE is a long time!! This weekend the dock will go out, followed by evening kayak rides or time spent enjoying a glass of wine while watching the sun set in the west. Maybe even an evening swim in the clear waters of Pokegama lake.
Hope you can join us…
