OutDoors
by Elizabeth Bassett

On Thin Ice – Not!

Skating Ice. Drop everything and grab the skates. Early 2009 has not been good for pond or lake skating—too much snow and wind at the wrong moments. But there is always tomorrow.
Jessie Bradley loves to skate. “I’m an opportunist,” Jessie says, “and the skating this year has been glorious! I’m not a rink skater. I prefer ponds and the lake. In the spring we go field skating. When brooks flood over their banks and the water freezes overnight, fingers of ice reach everywhere. It’s more of an exploration than exercise.”
Good places for field skating surround the Muddy Brook between Spear Street and Mt. Philo Road, the environs of Monkton Pond in Addison County and wetlands everywhere. “The wetlands around Shelburne Pond and Lake Champlain are terrific for skating,” Jessie says.
Nancy and John Rosenthal are passionate Nordic skaters. Nordic skates have long blades and are worn with cross-country ski boots. “The boots are very comfortable,” John says, “and it is much less work to balance on Nordic skates than on traditional hockey skates. I don’t ever use my old skates anymore.”
Nordic skating is often done with poles, and many Nordic skaters wear helmets. “I love my helmet,” John says. “It’s warm, great for regulating heat, and my iPod speakers are built in.” Needless to say, ice is very hard and a bad fall can result in a concussion.
Imagine cross-country skiing and it’s easy to understand why Nordic skaters look for vast expanses of ice. A small lake or pond does not suffice. “This year there has been almost no good ice for Nordic skating,” John says.
Nordic skaters inform each other about ice conditions on Vermont lakes. The website, groups.yahoo.com/group/VTNordicSkating/, serves as a community forum and ice-spotting bulletin for aficionados. The window for skating can open and close suddenly with quick freezing, wind, and snow and thaw cycles.
The following abbreviated (and edited) excerpt from the website offers a glimpse of the quest for good ice.
“I skated Crescent Bay late this afternoon. Had read Paul’s description yesterday and thought it was worth a shot. Then, this morning, I heard from John Rosenthal that the wind was just as bad as on our aborted trip last week. I checked the flags at Hero’s Welcome and it looked like the wind was dying down. I put my boots on and plunged in, so to speak. It was indeed a 200-yard trudge out to skateable
ice. There was plenty of clear ice to skate between the snow. Poles definitely made a difference. The ice is now plenty thick here: I’d say five to six inches to be conservative. Novices would probably not enjoy this skating, but if you’ve got poles and good balance it’s fun.”
In North Hero, Hero’s Welcome store has a webcam focused on two flags along the shore. The camera can show the flags flapping in the wind. Consider them as windsocks.
The National Safety Council offers ice safety guidelines at its website: www2.nsc.org/library/facts/iceskate.htm.
To summarize: have blades professionally sharpened at the beginning of each season; skate only on ice that is thick enough (on which more later); never skate alone; always check ice for holes, cracks, or debris; learn to fall safely; dress warmly.
Ice strength is a critical safety concern. Ann Brush, formerly of Charlotte and now living in Hinesburg, is a life-long skater who has spent much of her life on the surface of Lake Dunmore.
“Depending on where you are, three inches of ice can be sufficient,” Ann says, “if the ice is new and there are no major currents. Many folks think three inches seems thin. If you are unsure skate with a pole and poke at sketchy areas. A pole can also help you stay afloat if you go through.”
Never skate on open water alone and always carry picks. Picks can be used to gain purchase on the ice if you fall in.
“Ice boaters make their own picks by hammering nails into L-shaped blocks of wood,” Ann says. A commercial source of picks, called ice claws, is nordicskater.com.
Ann only recently bought Nordic skates. “They are great for long distances. But there is nothing like figure skates for an outing with a bunch of friends!”
You won’t have to worry about ice picks or falling through thin ice if you observe the Open and Closed signs at the Charlotte rink. Several recent weekend days have attracted 40 or 50 skaters to the flooded oval next to Charlotte Central School.
Carlie Krolick, a member of the town’s Recreation Committee, says that with lots of support from townspeople, the rink is in great shape this year. After plumbing repairs on the pump and standpipe, the Charlotte Volunteer Fire Department can flood the rink to establish a good base. Volunteers can add a surface coat on cold nights.
“My husband and I and Charlie Russell, brush hogged and cleared the floor of the rink,” Carlie says. “White stone was added to level the base and to reflect light. Ward Preston installed a gate to keep heavy vehicles off the ice. We’ve got an old tractor with a blade strapped on the front. Jeff Payne has been a key volunteer in this effort. The warming hut has a new coat of paint and a heater.” Carlie adds, “We are counting on community members to self-police rather than having a ‘Rink Czar.’”
For updates on ice conditions, e-mail Carlie at ckrolick@gmavt.net and she will add you to her list.
Readers respond to January Out-Doors: Two Charlotters contacted me with their favorite foot-traction device, Microspikes. Owners report they are easy to take on and off and provide great traction on ice. They cost about $59 and are available locally at Outdoor Gear Exchange and EMS. The website is: kahtoola.com/microspikes.html. Thanks for the feedback!
The next time ice forms, dig this article out of the archives at thecharlottenews.org.