Plenty to do in our winter wonderland
IN THE CITY
by Chris Beaulieu
With all of the extra food and treats most of us indulge in over the holidays, it is more important than ever to get ourselves outside and get active. Even though it can be very cold out and sometimes hard to get motivated, there are many outdoor activities that we can all enjoy. Whether you like to snowmobile our local trails, snowshoe around Mantle Lake Park, ice fish at Arnold Brook Lake, cross-country ski through the Aroostook State Park or ice skate on a pond behind your house, there is one thing these activities all have in common and that we all have to be very careful of, ice.
If the only ice you tend to slide on is on your front steps, then you just need a little ice melt for your steps and an ice pack for your rear-end. However, for those of us that enjoy any of these other great activities, you will inevitably encounter a stream, river, lake or pond which is covered or partially covered with ice. Is it safe? Knowing the answer to that question could save your life.
Finding the answer is not always so simple. You may think you can tell if ice is safe or not just by looking at it, by its thickness or from the outdoor temperature. However, it is actually the density and strength of the ice that is most important in determining the safety. There are several factors, including those already mentioned, involved in determining ice strength. Aspects include water depth, water current, water chemistry, snow cover and of course load distribution. It takes two to three weeks of temperatures below freezing to make ice capable of supporting large amounts of weight on a lake. You may find one spot that has 4 or 5 inches of strong ice and open water only yards away. Water fowl and schools of fish can actually affect water thickness. By congregating in a small area, fish can warm the water and decrease the thickness or even open up holes in the ice.
To avoid taking a frigid dip or even worse, I offer you a few tips when venturing out on a frozen playground. Assuming temperatures are right, first check the ice. Clear, blue ice is typically the strongest, while white ice many times is mixed with snow or has air bubbles and tends not to be safe. Using an ice pick, check the depth of the ice. You want about 3-4 inches of ice before you head out on it. Less ice may support a person, but with the difficulty in determining the density it is best to err on the side of caution. You will want at least 6 inches of ice for a group or for activities like ice fishing, snowmobiling or a hockey game. At least 10 inches is needed for the weight of a small vehicle. Then you need to consider if you really want to risk turning your SUV into algae collecting fish cover. Good luck explaining that to your insurance company.
Another thing to consider is that snow cover acts like a blanket, insulating the water below and often resulting in thin ice or poor ice quality underneath. Don’t make the assumption that since there is snow on the ice, the ice is strong. And for those that like to clear off an area for skating or a hockey game, please know that due to the change in ice temperature following the removal of snow cover, load limits should be reduced to nearly half within the first 24 hours.
Dozens of accidents occur every year and in the end, is it really worth the risk? According to the Maine state medical examiner’s office, Maine has had nine deaths in the last three years related to individuals falling through ice or open water. So the next time you are out on the ice, have fun, but please use your head and remember, if you don’t know, don’t go.
Chris Beaulieu is director of Presque Isle’s Recreation and Parks Deparment. He can be reached at 764-2545 or via e-mail at chrispirec@maine.rr.com.
