Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

Some say four and some say seven
a perfect hell or almost heaven

we duke it out our fists are raised
we’re quick to damn and slow to praise

but i’ve never glimpsed the grading book
if you can sail by hook or crook

i’ll give her seven which says “let’s go!”
leave those screens that hold us so

our time on planet earth ain’t long
and every year some friends have gone.

let’s sail away our precious time
on scabs and slush and snowy grime

and now and then, we don’t know how
a magic wand descends somehow

we glide into a cosmic space
our senses sharpen, time slows it’s pace

we no longer care for grades and numbers
but thank our stars, forgive our blunders

and wonder how, as the runners hiss
that fleeting life should give us this!

Entire plate has over four inches; the rose colored glasses have been removed and the grade has been reduced to four. We skated most of it and it was ok, sailing was fine. The wind held nicely until dusk. There is some slushy bits and some shell ice near the pit area, but nothing to worry about in the main body.

The parking area is not plowed, but we drove it right down flat today so access is pretty good.

Wind forecast isn’t great for tomorrow, but Sunday looks better. If the snow misses us Monday, Wednesday promises great wind. But we might find some black ice by then.

Jim got to shake down his new Whizz for the first time with full sail and had her wound up beautiful. We poked around the marshes at the south end on some remarkably poor ice, just maintaining steerage way. You CAN have fun in an iceboat at walking speeds!

Dave Godine and Jory scouted the Pond today and found some shell ice, orange peel surface about 7, and over three inches of ice. We are going back tomorrow with boats and enough time to thoroughly check the plate. Forecast for the weekend looks great, if a bit light in the wind. Complete ice report tomorrow.

Even with snow in the overnight forecast, Jim and I decided to head to Canada anyway. The reports of five inches of nicely surfaced ice was too good to pass up. And the wind was supposed to be strong SW, blowing right up the middle of Lac Abenakis, the “big” lake in the village of Ste. Aurelie. A big surprise on the ride through Jackman was the view of Wood and Attean Ponds completely frozen and snow free. A drive by inspection from the center of town confirmed a plate of nice grey ice. We might have missed that one. Of course it was snowing by then and we had a hot date across the border so didn’t stop to inspect. The border was bleak, as usual, with blowing snow and grey bunkers.
But once across the border the sun came out and the snow quit. Things were looking up as we began the long climb to the high plain. Traces of snow began to show along the shoulder and in the fields. Was it old snow or new? As we approached Aurelie we saw a man shoveling his walk, and then saw the big white lake. The night before had dumped just under an inch of dry power. But the wind was about fifteen, so we scouted the plate and set up.

The access was carry on, but the Whizz is an easy lug for two guys. Jim was taking his new boat for its maiden sail. Soon Jacques Charbineau and Claude Morin showed up and, as DN guys will do, immediately set up marks. Jim was starting out slowly with a storm sail, but Whizzard and Whizzper duked it out neck and neck for a couple of dozen laps. It’s remarkable how competitive these boats are; we were side by side at nearly every mark rounding, over and over. We finally had to quit out of sheer exhaustion, so eased sheets and jogged quietly along the shoreline, admiring the creativity people put into their summer cabins, all gingerbread and curlycues.

Alas, the forecast called for no wind the next day (today), the snow had become sticky in the warming temps, and the little B&B La Morillion was closed. Three strikes and we headed for home, a mere four hours away. Thankfully it was mostly downhill back to the coast, and aside from the moose lurking in the shadows, there’s not much traffic in that part of Maine.

You know you’ve put in a good day on the ice when you find your gloves locked in. Now where’s that key? Ah, the warm feeling of a well earned fatigue.

A couple of us will be meeting Denis at Lac Abenakis, Ste. Aurelie, Quebec tomorrow for a bit of scouting and what looks like a bunch of sailing. Five inches reported there this morning, with more cold tonight, and a surface much like the photo of Lac Joli in the previous post. Some flurries in the forecast, but a good SW breeze to keep the ice clear.

Come on in, the water’s hard!