How strong is the draw to new black ice? Even if the plate is too skecthy for sailing, the need to just be on it is magnetic. Two cases in point. One ice hound got the call for ice at Thanksgiving dinner. In full confidence he continued drinking and eating, and then simply drinking. When he made his way home he realized all the skating and skate sailing gear was in a part of the house behind some carefully applied plastic sheeting, as he was in the middle of an interior renovation. But the draw pulled. He rounded up a ladder, ascended to the second floor window, and rolled over the sill onto the floor where all the gear lay waiting. Back down the ladder, load the car and off to bed for an early departure.

Ice hound number two was happily ensconced at his girlfriend’s house on a Maine island, a long way from ice. With the balmy maritime climate caressing the happy couple ice was the furthest thing from his mind. But the call came. Next morning he was out the door at three AM, drove back to his house on the mainland and had a nice breakfast after rounding up all his long dormant skate gear. He made a phone call.

Ice hound number three got the call in bed and was out the door in fifteen minutes.

It was full glide on black ice as dawn folded into day.

If there was wind, there would have been careful sailing.
Now, all the above scrambling for gear was only for ice skates! Imaging if they had to round up iceboats, planks, runners, tools, stands, spares, etc. Are you ready? The call will come, it always does. Be the one there.

xx

Thanksgiving is a time to re-connect with old friends. The best friend of iceboaters is early season black ice. It’s the faithful return each year of this magical, mysterious stuff that keeps us focussed on the fun to come.

Plymouth Pond has three inches along shore, out about 100’ where there is an obvious transition to 2”. There are other obvious thinner areas down to an inch, but no open water anywhere. The three inch plate tapers down to 2 1/4” as you follow the shore heading south.

It’s a very skatable stretch, and it might be that one could work down into the marshes along the shore. There is a small, thin plate in this band of three inch ice as you begin to move south.

So, what would you rather do tomorrow: go shopping or skate Black Ice?

Just across the border in the little village of Ste. Aurelie lay two of our early lakes: Lac Joli and Lac Abenakis. Denis Gueertin went ice checking today and found three inches on Joli and two on Abenakis. Sadly, the ice is covered with a crusty mess; they’ve been getting a consistent dripping of snow for a few days. But there is rain in the forecast, just enough to tidy things up, hopefully.

Lac Abenakis, right in downtown Ste. Aurelie.

Below, Lac Joli, a few miles outside of town and at a higher elevation.

Plymouth Pond might be getting close, but chances are it won’t survive the warm spell if it does freeze in the next day or so.

John Eisenlohr got first tracks for the 2023 ice sailing season on Smith Lake near Kalispell, Montana. John and a friend rigged up their Mini-Skeeters and went out chasing puffs.

John reports:

So begins the season. Pretty good ice in some spots with some 2” drifts in others. I got a few one way runs right on the edge of sailing. At any rate it was a nice 20 degree sunny day to be outside.
John Eisenlohr

Locally, the forecast for Plymouth is looking hopeful. Many nights below freezing for the next week, with a few days only in the thirties. Let’s keep our eyes on it!