Conditions Cattle Landing to Mink Island

Mink Islander · 01-21-2014, 12:53 PM

Came up Saturday morning. As I feared, the warm weather, rain, and the town's over-active ice eater on the floating dock have combined to make access there impossible. Even far to the right where you could get on last season with a little bushwacking is now wet. Maybe the coming cold snap will lock that in better, but I'm not optimistic. Wish the town would make an effort to mitigate the problem there that started with the addition of the floating dock. Shorten the timers on the aquatherm, use a thermostat or try angling the ice eater to the left so that it's not circulating water into the cove area would really be appreciated and give us back a convenient access point (with parking lot).

If you go back up the the road from the parking area, just past the guardrails there is a solid entry point for foot travellers. Little wet just at the edge but one step out you're on solid ice. Measured 10" ice (7-8" black ice, the rest snow ice). That area gets iffy too when it warms up due to ice eaters on docks on either side. Right now, it's good though.

Unlike last year, you can pass through Cattle Landing (last year I had to duck behind Dolly Island to get around open water). This year we have solid ice through the middle (7 or 8 inches in the one hole I cut). Just be aware of the combined effects of some aquatherms on the mainland side and one at the boathouse on Dolly that combine to pinch the safe ice in the narrows of that area. The cold coming this week will help tighten that up further.

Consistent 10-11" of ice the rest of the way to Mink Island. Got a good 4 inches of fluffy snow on Sat PM to Sunday. Coming wind may well blow that all away.

Saw a very large coyote over by Camp Lawrence on Sunday far in the distance. Never got close enough for a good visual. Noticed it's tracks had circled one of my cusk lines earlier. On the hike out I could see that it had ranged all the way over to Mark Island. Lone animal it appeared.

Looking forward to the fishing derby!!

01-21-2014, 12:53 PM	#1
Mink Islander Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 753 Thanks: 59 Thanked 271 Times in 129 Posts	Conditions Cattle Landing to Mink Island Came up Saturday morning. As I feared, the warm weather, rain, and the town's over-active ice eater on the floating dock have combined to make access there impossible. Even far to the right where you could get on last season with a little bushwacking is now wet. Maybe the coming cold snap will lock that in better, but I'm not optimistic. Wish the town would make an effort to mitigate the problem there that started with the addition of the floating dock. Shorten the timers on the aquatherm, use a thermostat or try angling the ice eater to the left so that it's not circulating water into the cove area would really be appreciated and give us back a convenient access point (with parking lot). If you go back up the the road from the parking area, just past the guardrails there is a solid entry point for foot travellers. Little wet just at the edge but one step out you're on solid ice. Measured 10" ice (7-8" black ice, the rest snow ice). That area gets iffy too when it warms up due to ice eaters on docks on either side. Right now, it's good though. Unlike last year, you can pass through Cattle Landing (last year I had to duck behind Dolly Island to get around open water). This year we have solid ice through the middle (7 or 8 inches in the one hole I cut). Just be aware of the combined effects of some aquatherms on the mainland side and one at the boathouse on Dolly that combine to pinch the safe ice in the narrows of that area. The cold coming this week will help tighten that up further. Consistent 10-11" of ice the rest of the way to Mink Island. Got a good 4 inches of fluffy snow on Sat PM to Sunday. Coming wind may well blow that all away. Saw a very large coyote over by Camp Lawrence on Sunday far in the distance. Never got close enough for a good visual. Noticed it's tracks had circled one of my cusk lines earlier. On the hike out I could see that it had ranged all the way over to Mark Island. Lone animal it appeared. Looking forward to the fishing derby!!