Snowshoing to Rattlesnake?
 

My wife and I are heading up to the Lake this weekend for our annual winter snowshoe out to Rattlesnake to check on the cabin. We head out from Minge Cove to the southern point of the island.

What's the concensous for our trip on Sunday? Is it do-able?

Many thanks,
Rich and Maria

Considering how warm it has been, and from reading all of the ice condition reports, I would make sure my life insurance premiums are paid in full. Is it really worth the chance??

Snowshoeing to Rattlesnake Island
 

You may want to reconsider going out on to Rattlesnake Island. My neighbor was out there on Sunday. He told me on Monday that he wouldn't go back again until boating season. He said there were ominous pressure ridges off the southeast corner of the island, although they could be gone now. As they walked up to them, there was quite a bit of water and they were making moving/cracking/crunching noises. During the day the ice receded from the rock they climbed onto the island from and the ice cracked as they got back onto the ice. He said the big areas are turning grayish, though other areas had clear black ice that still looked pretty thick.

The water temperature has been 37° since Saturday, which means that it could be melting the ice from underneath. Making ice conditions very dangerous. Click here for related Water Temperature thread.

If you do go, please be very careful. Oh, and take pictures. We love them. :D Good luck!

RG

You know what works real good is those old wood cross country skis from the 1970's with the 3-point bindings & boots that can be found at yard sales or the Etcetera Shoppe in Meredith for walking/cross country skiing across the lake. With their weight distribution it only requires about two inches of ice, and it is great excercise and very quiet so the condition of the ice becomes self-monitored by tell-tale cracking sounds as you move along. Hey, you might actually enjoy it.

Wearing either a pfd or waterski belt and carrying those orange Wal-mart ice picks and a whistle never hurts for hard core, lake ice-traveling die-hards:)!

Happy trails!

As far as I know, there has never been a cross-country ski, lake ice, accidental drowning-death in the history of Lake Winnipesaukee for the last 110 years.

Heck, I thought FLL was going to suggest tying old inner tubes to the bottom of the snowshoes :laugh::laugh:

Not I
 

I would not go. A truck went through the ice in Minge Cove, and it is thin in areas. There are ice ridges on both ends of the island with hugh pools of water. I am not sure what conditions are on the wimpy side as far as the ice pulling away from the shore but I suspect it is melting. The lake temp is 3 degrees above normal for this time of the year and closer to late March.

Stay home... and get the boat ready. It won't be long now.

IG
:eek:

Thanks for all the input
 

Thanks very much to you all. We've decided, with an extremely heavy heart, to call off our trip. I think we're going to chase the snow and head to the Catskills this weekend instead.

Again, many thanks for all your input! This forum once again proves it's indispensability.

See you all after Ice Out!

- Rich and Maria

Was watching closely today as the 20' aluminum jon boat-air boat w/ the big roaring V8 engine and airplane propeller in a cage slid across the ice surface from South Bear-Mark Isl toward Cattle Landing. That boat must weight maybe 2500-3000-lbs plus it has the powered forward movement going on, and today's grey looking softish ice still had enough strength to support the weight with no ice breakups. Crossing a small pressure ridge at Dolly Island showed a small splash of water....but not much.

So, one never knows, could be the temps will drop and March will be a seasonally cold month.....nobody knows....not even the www.noaa.gov!

Reading about going out to islands with snowshoes made me wonder if anyone lives on islands year round?

Nobody that departs from Cattle Landing down the end of Meredith Neck for Bear-Pine-Dolly-Mark-Mink-Timber-Round-Jolly-Camp-Steamboat...that I ever see. There's the large jonboat-airboat traveling back & forth out beyond the bend 'tween Bear & Mark somewhere this winter which I assume must be to a winter construction job, but that's just a guess.

About ten years ago there was a guy named Archie who had a white, poverty style, lobster boat w/ a 40-hp blue Suzuki outboard who spent the winters out on Camp Lawrence. Could be Camp Lawrence, Camp Nokomis, Sandy Island Camp or Three Mile Island-AMC has someone at this time as a caretaker unbeknownst to me?

L

cow island
 

I believe that George Randall still lives year round on Cow Island (at the former Camp Idlewild).

ice ice disappear, PIG

Didn't someone live on Whortleberry year round too?

I was thinking the same.Met him 2 years ago at Mama's on Cow.Aayuh.

Thank you for the replies. It sure looks like we still have some pioneers here at the lake!

Saw two guys on a 4-wheel atv this afternoon out by Mark Island, plus the large jonboat-airboat being supported by the ice as it powers along on top of the ice. The two guys stopped, got off their atv, and were walking around out there by Mark....so you know, you know....whatever...believe that is buoy 20 out by Mark Isl....so some are still out there....(?)