iceboating.net Minnesota Ice Sailing Association

12 DNs showed up early in the day in hopes of sailing before the snow moved in. Some new faces, which is great. Unfortunately, the snow came early and it become an exercise in setting up and tearing down the boats. Such is life.

So the iceboats packed it up and the kiteboarders moved in. For the record, there are three significant holes.

Browner
5298

November 30, 2007

Buffalo was showing circa 20% open water so we played it safe and convened on Swede Lake. 6-7 DN's turned it lose on ice grade 8 of 10. Thickness is 4-5 inches.

Wind was up, 12G15, so were the speeds!

There are three smallish open areas marked by red cones so keep a look out.

5 boats are set up for an early AM session before the snow flies.

Vi ses i Sverige!
Pics here:
Svenska Sunset

Adam
US5366

Sad to report that many areas of swimmable water are still visible from my 40 ft altitude on the south shore. They are large and wide spread, so extra pfd's should be loaded when it does firm up. I'll post if anything looks boatable after this weekends (hopeful) non-event. If any of the sailors from 30 years ago get nearby, give a hail 952-442-4741--I've retired to cruising status only.

FYI, Icemaker text says FLU recovery therapy moving to Swede lake near St Boni. Passing it on.....

Rumor has it that iceboaters all over the Minnesota area are calling in sick, with the flew, as they'll be flying all over Buffalo Lake in Buffalo this afternoon. Hehehehe.

At least half a dozen DN's are expected to meet at Sturgis Park, Buffalo MN around noon today and rip around on what looks to be a perfect sheet of ice, for now. It's gonna be amazing...

On that note, we expect most of Minnesota to get dumped on by a developing low pressure system. Ice Checkers/Observers are encouraged to check in Sunday afternoon...

WE NEED TO FIND A LAKE CURRENTLY OPEN, AND LIKELY TO FREEZE SUNDAY OR MONDAY NIGHT. Of course, this being Minnesota, there are about 100 of those in inventory right now.

anyone interested? tom 612-432-8124

This morning Buffalo Lake, Buffalo MN appears substantially frozen... I walked out until I found ~1.25" ice, and found prudence right there (possibly a first for this sailor), based on the NWS Forecast for Buffalo, MN... I'd be thinking we'll walk seriously on it Thursday evening, after the chance of snow tonight and make a decision where to sail this weekend in anticipation of the Great Western Challenge Regatta.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 8. Wind chill values between -7 and 3. Blustery, with a west northwest wind between 11 and 21 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.

Hello, Sailor! Ice Report, Sunday November 25th 2007, Lake Christina and Dead Lake, Minnesota!

KA 1 along with an '07 rookie racer (without numbers) and I made a quick run up I 94 to the new ice on Lakes; Christina, at Ashby MN and Dead, just north of Ottertail MN, today.

Conditions at 3pm today are: Partly Cloudy, 42 F, 8 C, Wind S 15 G over 20.

Approaching Exit 77 on I 94 the ground is barren, many of the ponds and smaller lakes approaching Ashby are frozen. The smaller bays of Pelican Lake, visible from the freeway are frozen, the main body remains open.

Pelican Lake: Two small boat trailers are parked at the Pelican Public Access along Highway 78 on our way to the Coot, we turned right at Ashby and drove along the North Shore of the North Arm on Pelican Lake, one fisherman was seen just pulling the first portable fish house of the season out on the ice. The ice looked pretty rough along shore near the Ashby Resort, and we did not stop.

At dusk on Tuesday 20 November, I drove past Lake Christina, Significant parts of the Southern half of the lake are iced over, Ice has formed about 200 feet out from the world famous MilePost 8 launch site!

It's currently chilly, depending on which truth you check, they're thinking lows tonight will be between 15 and 20 degrees F. Average temperatures in Fergus are forecast to be ~ 20-22 Degrees F for the next 3 days... we'll see if we can get the freeze up dates locked in for both Dead and Christina when they happen, so you can all track ice making conditions and snow fall.

I doubt the lake will fully kick over tonight, but very soon. Depending on actual temperatures, and wind we see. If ice reports emerge, a sailing expedition this weekend is possible someplace near the Coot at Ashby... we may have to go Truckin up to Dead Lake... (the closest weather station to Dead Lake is in Wadena MN). It gets colder there, don't know why. It seems to average a degree and a half cooler there in the winter.

Accuweather forecast for Fergus Falls, (Lake Christina, Ashby, MN) has daily average temperatures dropping BELOW FREEZING FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS!

Look forward to minute by minute freeze up reports over the next week or so!

IT'S GONNA BE AMAZING!!!

I'm new to the sport and eager to get going ASAP.
I'm in western Wisconsin but I'll travel.
Is Lake Mille Lacs popular for early season iceboating since its a bit farther north and I think shallow.
Any other places you would suggest I watch for the earliest ice?

Thanks, Steve.

I drove past Lake Christina, Ashby, MN last weekend. Driving up, the leaves are all off the trees in the area, a beautiful Sunday morning, Clouds of blackbirds preparing to check out for the season filling up in the grain fields a couple more times before winter.

The lake is open, clear of ice, had to check as we've had boatable ice there in October in years past.

The forecast over the next two weeks is starting to look favorable for icemaking.

It's gonna be Amazing!

4695

Last weekend was sailable up north of the Alexandria area, I walked on several lakes, and returned with dry feet, did not sail only because of family commitments.

No interest remains in pushing the edges of sanity on soft spring ice beyond the boundaries we've already set. November 23 to April 15th... snowed out two weekends, too cold to sail 2 weekends,

Thats a season... 21 frozen Weekends in Minnesota, less 4 frozen out... 17 Weeks of Sailing completed... on the ice, in Minnesota - Chalk up another season where NOBODY IN THE WORLD SAILS MORE THAN WE DO!

The Next Expected Boatable Ice ... in the World. July 1, 2007 Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego , Argentina! It's a bit of a drive from Fargo,ND, say about 10,000 miles, just for a Beagle Beer to wash away the road dust. ... but then again, easier than driving to Ireland... If we leave "right now" we'd be there about the time it freezes... Expect ice reports to be posted in Spanish, by the time we get there I'll know the language.

NOT SO SOON GIRLS,... DN 5404, uh, that be a new number, from the Hackensack/Walker neighborhood made a pretty optimistic assessment of his local lakes, and is contmplating a sail tomorrow......

I told him if he found something he thought was boatable, some guys were sure to come up & rip.

We've got a speed lab expiriment we'd like to run, really bad.

Tip o the helmet to "Chatterbox" 4811 for pushing the issue... darn were all busy these days...

$0.02... here's hopin for walker bay!

Bringing a Hawaiian Shirt to sail in!

Game on?

From a fishing report: 04/01/07 08:34 AM Otter Tail lake still covered with ice except where the river comes in. I've been up here since Friday afternoon and our rain gauge in now up to 4" since we got here.

Average Temp for the last 5 days has been 20F, -7C

Of course they got about 3-- 5" of snow on Tuesday, blown around pretty good, some has sublimed, some is still on the ice... less to the south more to the north...

Detroit is frozen but lots of snow covers.

Lake Minnewaska, 15 miles south of Alexandria is open. Lake Ida north of Alex is reported to have a couple holes visible.