View Full Version : The season of ice is over. Be careful.
Red Bullets
04-01-2019, 09:19 AM
Time to get off the ice. Don't be like all of these guys on Kehewin lake this weekend.
https://lakelandconnect.net/2019/03/31/on-thin-ice-2/
Sooner
04-01-2019, 10:09 AM
I seen that on the Fishing addicts page. Crazy. I have driven on slave back in the day when we could still fish in April, lots of ice, still needed a extension but this spring got hot fast. Not sure I would be on the ice with a truck this year in late march. I thought I read a couple went down before they could be recovered.
old dog
04-01-2019, 10:42 AM
After working in the Artic for a few years and driving on ice roads. One thing I learnt was while the ice maybe thick enough, it’s all about ice quality.
Drewski Canuck
04-01-2019, 11:46 AM
Tough part is the best opportunity to recover has been lost. Right after it happens.
something as simple as a 4 x 4 post dropped into a 6 inch hole, with a length of chain and a Jack all or tirfor winch could have backed the front wheels out of the hole. Once there is a hole, it grows.
Never could understand why someone would believe that you can pull a stuck truck with another truck on wet bare ice. It can be done with enough momentum, but the post - chain - jack scenario has better odds.
All the same, yes, be careful and don't try to be a hero.
Drewski
barbless
04-03-2019, 05:51 PM
:sHa_shakeshout::sHa_shakeshout::sHa_shakeshout:
Sorry guys but my boat is getting parched it needs to taste the wet stuff again.
PerchBuster
04-03-2019, 06:28 PM
Too bad. Expensive lesson to learn the hard way. It’s not a risk I was prepared to take. I stopped driving on about 2-1/2 to 3 weeks ago as soon as the weather jumped in to double digits every day. Got one great trip in that day, didn’t have a jacket on all day. Counted my blessings and knew when to say when. With all the run off and all the creeks swollen up bad and piling in to lakes with plus side temps every day and not cold enough to freeze back up at night I wouldn’t chance it. Walk, sled or quad carefully, but not the truck. Ice loses structural integrity very quickly under those conditions despite an otherwise healthy thickness. Err on the side of caution, it’s just a fish and never worth the gamble I say.
Snap Shot
04-03-2019, 09:28 PM
I miss the days of guys throwing planks to get on and bringing home pails of White’s
Red Bullets
04-03-2019, 11:07 PM
I miss the days of guys throwing planks to get on and bringing home pails of White’s
X2.
58thecat
04-04-2019, 05:59 AM
Man stupid will do what stupid does.....ahhh honest I didn't realize the ice was melting, possibly getting thin.....jeepers.
pikeman06
04-04-2019, 08:15 AM
Yup sure looks black to me. It's deep right there too if it's along the highway.
Penner
04-05-2019, 08:01 AM
There are posts all over this forum "the ice is still plenty thick" that clearly demonstrating that folks do not understand that the ice does not get less "thick" in spring as the weather turns warm, the ice generally stays the same thickness, it just deteriorates to the point where it candles and ultimately dissolves in the water.
Its easy to spot if auguring a hole as good ice usually will have "dry larger sharp shards" auger shavings where as poor ice will have "smaller wet porridge like" auger shavings (candling). As deterioration first begins the top of the ice as that will deteriorate first while the middle/bottom is still good. Obviously along the North/East shorelines, creek mouths, and in shallow bays is where the deterioration happens first and quickest.
From my experience once quarter (1/4) of the ice thickness has deteriorated, its time to park the pick-up on shore and switch to the ATV or walk. This year, last week out in the Lakeland, you could easily see the ice degrading on a day-by-day basis. Was very solid and just fine for a pick-up on the second to last weekend of the season and by mid week, over half of the ice had already candled.
Not at all surprised this happened on Kehewin. Upstream heavy melt water was already flowing into Bangs lake a week earlier (which then drains into Kehewin) which further accelerates the problems, clearly.
There are posts all over this forum "the ice is still plenty thick" that clearly demonstrating that folks do not understand that the ice does not get less "thick" in spring as the weather turns warm, the ice generally stays the same thickness, it just deteriorates to the point where it candles and ultimately dissolves in the water.
Its easy to spot if auguring a hole as good ice usually will have "dry larger sharp shards" auger shavings where as poor ice will have "smaller wet porridge like" auger shavings (candling). As deterioration first begins the top of the ice as that will deteriorate first while the middle/bottom is still good. Obviously along the North/East shorelines, creek mouths, and in shallow bays is where the deterioration happens first and quickest.
From my experience once quarter (1/4) of the ice thickness has deteriorated, its time to park the pick-up on shore and switch to the ATV or walk. This year, last week out in the Lakeland, you could easily see the ice degrading on a day-by-day basis. Was very solid and just fine for a pick-up on the second to last weekend of the season and by mid week, over half of the ice had already candled.
Not at all surprised this happened on Kehewin. Upstream heavy melt water was already flowing into Bangs lake a week earlier (which then drains into Kehewin) which further accelerates the problems, clearly.
I have found, many times, that the ice seems to rot out from the bottom. Last weekend for instance on Pigeon the ice was considerably thinner than the week before and the wet porridge ice was in the last quarter of the drill path.
Penner
04-05-2019, 10:47 AM
It likely seems "thinner" as you are no longer drilling thru snowack. Certainly closer to break-up the ice will have lost some thickness. But generally thickness is the same.
I do agree however it can deteriorate from the bottom as well. A false sense of secuirty folks get however particullarly in the mornings is the first inch or two will re-freeze overnight giving the impression that the "top" is good. But by the afternoon its right back to garbage.
vBulletin® v3.8.5, Copyright ©2000-2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.