Ice Heaves - Watch Out

sns2 · #1 12-19-2016, 12:20 PM

A buddy and I took three kids out to Buck lake on Saturday. Got there at noon. Walked out from boat launch about 50 yards and started drilling holes. Kept working our way out during the day to about 150 yards out. At least 12" of good hard ice. Many would have just driven out the truck after seeing the ice thickness, but I thought better safe than sorry. The lake was rocking, rolling, cracking, and singing like you wouldn't believe all day. Just as it was getting dark, I had to go back to the truck for something. About 30 yards from shore the ice had cracked and heaved up about 3' in a hump. Water had also started to seep out on ice through the crack. I told my buddy who thought I was joking. By the time we had packed up, well after dark, the heave had lifted up about 5' and the water, which was probably only about 3" deep on top of ice, had almost cut us off from shore. We showed kids, talked to them about the dangers of ice, and pulled the sled off. If we had driven on, I am sure we would have gone through, or high centred, if we tried to drive over that heave. Be careful guys. Even when it seems safe, lakes have minds of their own.

DiabeticKripple · #2 12-19-2016, 12:39 PM

On travers we walked onto the lake at the resort boat launch at night. There was a heave at the launch that we knew about so we circled it, it was walking on what I thought was good ice. Halfway across the heave I started to break through the ice so I high stepped my behind out of there, but the girlfriend wasn't so lucky. She fell through to the next layer of ice about 3' down.

It seems the ice had gone under the rest of the ice, and some flood water filled up the area and frozen over about an inch when we walked on.

darren32 · #3 12-19-2016, 01:38 PM

Wabamun was sure cracking and singing yesterday. Froze nice and flat this year. Great for skating (I bet we put 5 miles on yesterday). Wind nearly blew the kids to the east end of the lake. Had fun skating into the wind then turning around and coasting LOL.

Looked like some pretty big heaves on the east part of the lake tho.

Sooner · #4 12-19-2016, 01:45 PM

I can remember as a kid ice fishing and the booms and cracking sounds freaked me right out. Especially when it feels like it's right under your feet.

Sooner · #5 12-19-2016, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darren32

Wabamun was sure cracking and singing yesterday. Froze nice and flat this year. Great for skating (I bet we put 5 miles on yesterday). Wind nearly blew the kids to the east end of the lake. Had fun skating into the wind then turning around and coasting LOL.

Looked like some pretty big heaves on the east part of the lake tho.

Awesome pic, did that a few times growing up while the dads fished.

darren32 · #6 12-19-2016, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sooner

Awesome pic, did that a few times growing up while the dads fished.

Thanks, it's pretty neat this year. The ice is clear and you can see the bottom of the lake in a lot of places.

SNAPFisher · #7 12-19-2016, 02:42 PM

Very cool pic! Yeah, same thing on Gull - especially after this wind. Flat and skateable for a lot of it. Can't see to the bottom though because of the water clarity. I wonder how Sylvan is in some areas...Pigeon too.

sureshot · #8 12-19-2016, 03:11 PM

It's actually quite amazing how fast the ice can move and change

Rockyman41 · #9 12-19-2016, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SNAPFisher

Very cool pic! Yeah, same thing on Gull - especially after this wind. Flat and skateable for a lot of it. Can't see to the bottom though because of the water clarity. I wonder how Sylvan is in some areas...Pigeon too.

Sylvan ice was bad near shore at sunbreaker yesterday. Really checkerboard and multiple large cracks with water coming out. We walked out about 100 yards and then the ice was clear. Water clarity was good, could see the bottom at 20'

ROA · #10 12-19-2016, 05:39 PM

The faster the wind comes up or changes direction the faster the ice moves and creates heaves or opens up cracks. Was on a big lake one time when the wind changed direction and then blew hard. Scary, big cracks opened up and dam near lost a truck.

Same thing with massive changes in temprature, the ice grows and shrinks as the temp changes.

RavYak · #11 12-19-2016, 10:18 PM

I believe it was Pigeon that I heard of today that there were guys that had driven out and when they went to go off there were ice heaves blocking the way. They drove around the lake trying to find a way off but were surrounded so tried going over a heave and broke through with the tires. As I say I think it was Pigeon but could have been another lake.

Been seeing pictures of heaves and giant cracks from multiple lakes lately, definitely will be playing things safe and avoiding driving on until at least these big winds pass us by.

sns2 · #12 12-19-2016, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RavYak

I believe it was Pigeon that I heard of today that there were guys that had driven out and when they went to go off there were ice heaves blocking the way. They drove around the lake trying to find a way off but were surrounded so tried going over a heave and broke through with the tires. As I say I think it was Pigeon but could have been another lake.

Been seeing pictures of heaves and giant cracks from multiple lakes lately, definitely will be playing things safe and avoiding driving on until at least these big winds pass us by.

If I would have driven on this is exactly what would have happened. I think I would have found a way off, but certain;y would not have gotten off at the launch we entered the lake on.