Sled through the ice
 

Help!

The first time I rode my sled on the lake, I felt like I just left the dock onto the lake for the first time with no knowledge of the lake and no chart to help me. I have gone through old forum threads and have found surprisingly little information regarding dangerous areas on the lake. I have not made up a set of picks to aid in pulling one out of the icy water, but plan to do it. Can we help each other and develop a list of known areas of danger? I am well aware that there are no guarantees on the ice, but avoiding known areas of trouble just make sense. I have come up with a beginning, but am sure that this list can grow.

Stay away from:
Docks, inlets, outlets, channels
Meredith Town Docks
Inlet at Mills Falls
Wier’s Channel
Governor’s Island Bridge
Lakeport/Irwin Marine
Sally’s Gut
Northern tip of Bear Island to Pine Island
Hole-In-The-Wall
Between Greens Basin – Goodwin Island / Hanson Cove
Marker 52 – Between Bryant’s Point and Richardson Shores
Be extra careful at night not to follow tracks into open water

This is a situation where those with experience and lake knowledge may save the life of a fellow rider by simply sharing knowledge.

Think Cold, Think Snow!

Thank you!!!!

Between Governor's and Eagle Island
 

one of the last areas to freeze and one of the first to open up in spring...

Sled through ice
 

The Wolfeboro Town Dock area, and several homes to either side, are serviced by bubblers, so, even though there may be a skim of ice, it is NOT safe.

Bubblers in Suissevale marina.

Great tips
 

I will add these to the heads up/warning list. Great tip from MeredithMan. I can't imagine it will take more than 20-30 seconds to go north of Eagle verse between Eagle and Governors. Why not avoid a potential problem area all together?

Can you think of any other areas of potential trouble?

Back Bay
 

Camp guy, I have never been to Wolfboro on the sled. The rule of avoiding inlets, outlets and channels must apply to going under the bridge to get to Back Bay, correct?

The area going under the bridge from Wolfeboro Bay into Back Bay is not safe, though it does seem to get some traffic each winter...

I haven't seen the passage under the Long Island Bridge mentioned. I believe
that it may freeze solid, at some point, but it is probably one of the last area's to do so, and one of the first area's to open back up...

Expanding List
 

We are getting there - Keep finding the potential problem areas -Thanks

Stay away from:
Docks, inlets, outlets, channels
Meredith Town Docks
Inlet at Mills Falls
Weir’s Channel
Governors Island Bridge
Between Governor’s Island and Eagle Island
Lakeport/Irwin Marine
Sally’s Gut
Northern tip of Bear Island to Pine Island
Hole-In-The-Wall
Long Island Bridge
Between Greens Basin – Goodwin Island / Hanson Cove
Marker 52 – Between Bryant’s Point and Richardson Shores
Suissevale Marina (bubblers)
Wolfeboro Town Docks and adjacent homes (bubblers)
Wolfeboro to Back Bay under the bridge
Be extra careful at night not to follow tracks into open water

The first couple inlets/passages into the Greens Basin area. There is a trail that goes up and around the one that never freezes for the second no wake area. Any and all names for these coves and what not are escaping me right now.

Learning it by traveling to Rattlesnake and seeing people get bitten by them, ice ridges.

While you can't pinpoint where, there look to be typical locations that they form. They blend in and at the last minute you see them, we only go at night where we already traveled in daylight so we can know where they are before we hit them in the dark.

And everyone has to have the picks around their neck before we head out.

Big Pier at Lake Shore Park (next to Ellacoya State Park) has a bubbler, also the ice ridge in this area was enormous last year and we watched numerous people not take the right path to get by it and saw one guy go in the water...

Beneath Black Cat Island bridge
 

This area freezes once in a while but is not safe.

Just thinking safety....
I don't know how feasible a task this might be. I can't help but to put an idea out here and maybe others can expand on it.

Where these ice ridges form could a 'construction zone' type of blinking yellow (or what ever color that would be visible out there) light be attached to a floating device similar to a truck tire inner tube? The reason for the floating inner tube would be for lack of access to the location later in the season. Come ice out the unit will float and can be recovered by boat or where ever it beaches itself. The units could be numbered, and/or attach a LoJack device to them for tracking there recovery. Any open water areas could get one with an anchor for use as a deterrent from that area.

Another thought or question I had while reading this, are the names of areas mentioned as hazardous. As a novice boater, I have a hard time knowing the names of areas on the lake, as well as islands and such. Many here are pros and very familiar with the lake. Are the extended members of the snowmobiling community able to identify the areas by the descriptions listed above? As a part time boater I use excellent maps of the lake. Are there snowmobiling maps that offer trail inlets and marked known hazards? ( I suppose this thread already answers the map thought)
I realize on the lake, every day is different from the last, but the mentioned areas that are DO NOT go there, could be shaded as, don't even think about it!

I hope you all have great season!!!!

open water
 

Center Harbor town docks and the area around the Mount Washington shipyard.

Expect Hazards
 

While it is sometimes useful to mark hazards, please note that the State (and every other state and many countries) have been reworking signage for snowmobile trails. The new regs will actually decrease the number of signs and sign types. The theory behind this decision is that snowmobiling is inherently dangerous and people should expect curves, corners, pressure ridges, etc and be able to stop for them.

Never outrun your headlights.

Staying This Side Of Pressure Ridges...
 

Constantly changing weather conditions, sunlight, temperature and blowing snow can change the Lake riding over night, and sometimes even on a same day round trip.
If you should get an urge to open up your sled and go fast, make sure you ride over the area slowly prior to your run to check for any hazards, frozen into the ice, and others. Even Large pressure ridges can be very difficult to see in time to slow down, and or avoid hitting.

Ride safe, and with others whenever you can...

Terry
_____________________________________

Ah yes,watch out for these.

Ice picks
 

Well, I finally found and purchased the Ice Pick/Awl. They are $20 and seem pretty good. The pick itself stays enclosed until you press down on it. They go through your sleeves and are ready if ever needed. Hopefully the only moisture they ever come in contact with is sweat. I can't imagine ever going through the ice, but if one did it would be a huge benefit to have a pair of these around your neck.

https://www.denniskirk.com/pick-of-l...rd/4000292.sku

$20 seems high for these. I bought a pair of these ones for everyone in our family. They seem to work great, though thankfully we haven't needed to test them in a real situation (and hope we never have to!)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Lots of ice pick choices
 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...ce+safety+pick


Now... Where did I put mine?

Putting it in perspective
 

This lovely woman behind the ice ridge is about 5'6". (aka IslandSib) You don't want to smack into a rift like this! Picture was takesn in 2004 near Rattlesnake Island.

Thanks for the picture Island Girl. We should all post if we see a pressure/ice ridge or unusual open water. That is, if we ever get enough ice to get out there!