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Old 01-17-2019, 09:53 AM   #69
fatlazyless
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Default ..... the hand-held 6" ice auger

With regard to the Winnipesaukee River, it is entirely possible the flow is very slow, and the river has iced over, or partially frozen along the sides, so someone could walk out onto the frozen river for fishing or something?

Good way to educate yourself about the ice is to drill holes with a hand-held ice auger. Something like an Eskimo brand 6" diameter, costs about $50: when sharp it easily goes through the ice as thick as up to 18", plus is much less weight than a gasoline auger. You make a measuring tool with either a wood ruler or yardstick, and attach a short corner angle to the ruler, so it can measure the drilled hole by hooking onto the bottom of the hole.

It takes about 45-seconds to drill through five inches of ice with a hand-held 6" diameter auger.

What is really nerve racking is drilling a hole, and immediately seeing the ice to be only 2" thick ..... oopsie .... that was a big scary surprise! Ice is much stronger after a couple days of deep freeze temps, and also loses strength with warmer temps.

It sort of turns an ice trip into an expedition or a learning experience or something.

Plus drilling the holes show you the quality, and condition of the ice, plus when returning, you follow the holes back to shore .... and wonder ...... so, why I do this winter ice walk anyway ..... is just a lot of ice, floating top the 34-degree, icy cold, lake water. Most people do it once or twice, just to do it?
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Last edited by fatlazyless; 01-17-2019 at 11:29 AM.
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