iceboating.net Minnesota Ice Sailing Association

Elk is now completely free of snow. Minimum 10" of hard green ice. 98% hard green ice with very few stripes of smooth hard white ice. No snow, no slush !! We have sailed a couple hundred miles in the last week,the warm weather completely melted the snow then the rain smoothed everything now after the freezing temps this is the best this ice has been this season by far.
We sailed all day today,the winds started out high but then fell off in the afternoon.Even when the winds were down to 4-6 mph I still sailed without effort. Skip STauber and I sailed Sunday until the winds fell to 4
Elk Lake is about 20 square miles and all frozen.

Elk Lake has finally lost most of it's snow and was great today. See pictures under "action shots"

this link is a webcam on lake okoboji...

this morning it appears both frozen sufficently and clear of snow

http://www.okoboji.com/live/

think ice
4695

We have sailed 4 of the last 5 days on Elk Lake north of Traverse City MI. The first couple days the Ice was absolutely clear smooth ice so even with light winds we sailed for hours. We now have snow cover, but can sail with 10mph wind. With winds at 10-12 today we got alot of sailing in. Yesterday with winds around 12-13mph we sailed fast all day. The conditions in front of white birch are not as good as the north end of the lake being as they were in the lee shore when we had the 30 mph winds that cleared the snow storm we had. We got an additional couple inches today, but it is light fluffy snw, like I said we sailed with only 10-12 mph winds.

Great Ice! Like glass and thick.

seems like pepin may have been missed the adverse weather that most surfaces experienced ? whould hope to hear from someone with some inside info on this. Ed N. if you view this let us know as i'd like to set up my new steernsteerer and could use some help. thanks, dn904

The twin cities seems to have missed yesterdays snowball.

I drove past lake waconia, waconia minnesota this morning... the lake appears covered with the same 1/4-1/2" of styrofoam grade squeeky snow as we found sunday on lower lake minnetonka.

There is enough area to sail a championship course, albeit there may be a fish house on the course someplace.

With a warmer weather forecast the snow should soften up a bit and sublime making a suitable if not excellent potential venue.

Contingent on icechecking in other areas, this venue should be explored by boat... seeking volunteers to sail and report conditions.

9-10 inches of ice, with more forming every day. ( boats are on the ice, with a mass launching this weekend. Bring on the wind!

Keith Kallio
Montanakitesports.com

Took a chance to drive down to Lake Pepin to see what the ice looked like on Lake Pepin after the New Years Snow/Sleet/Freezing Rain came through the MN/WI area on New Years afternoon. The ice was fantastic on Sunday. Miles of clear hard ice and no fish houses to avoid! Sailed the northwest end northwest of Lake City, MN off a boat landing NW of the City. Bring your shoe ice cleats because everything is coated with a half inch of ice. It will work for DN's but anything on a trailer will need to find a flat approach to the lake at another location.

us4864

I sailed my Skeeter and DN on Main lake, Wayzata bay, Excelsior bay, Gidions bay and all points in between today. Main lake is pretty awsome with the best ice along the Deephaven shoreline. There are many frozen drifts here and there, but easy to sail around. Also some pretty rough areas in the slot between Greenwood and Big Island. We crossed the pressure ridge between Big Island and just south of MYC easily right near Big Island. No ridge between Wayzata and Main lake, a large ridge between Brackets Point and Big Island. I didn't try to find a crossing there but did find a good spot earlier

Went sailing yesterday (Wed) on Excelsior/Gideons and slot. I setup at the public beach to the West of Tonka Bay marine. Good launch site. The ice in front of Tonka Bay Marine is smooth, but a relatively small area. Gideons is also very smooth. There are some extensive rough spots just outside Excelsior bay heading towards Wayzata down the slot. All the wind right after the initial freeze seems to have pushed a fair amount of ice around, hence, the rough spots. Didn't have a chance to venture to the main lake, because the wind was dying in the slot and it would have been a long walk back. There are some good lanes out there, but no big sheets of ice to make a big racecourse. I will be heading back this afternoon and hopefully the rain will have smoothed some things out.

Looking at sailing on Clear Lake this weekend.
LaCrosse WI area is snowed over.
Any reports will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Chip
DN 4056

Just checked Syracuse Lake, 3rd day since freeze.
2-1/2" of mirror smooth, clear, NO SNOW, ice.
Cold temp tonight should bring ice up to specs.
Looking for nearby iceboaters to sail with soon,
before the s-stuff messes things up. Skimmer skates
are razor-sharp-ready, though frame paint went bad.
"Wet Paint" DN (aka "Black Ice" last season) has:
New paint, updated sail, softer plank & springy front chock.
Refinished wooden mast w/ new stainless collar,
reworked boom w/ new jaws. All new blocks last season.
Braided mainsheet still in good shape. Let's Sail!
Happy Holidays! (Seed Ice Crystals: * * * * * * *)

Two questions for anyone who might know:
Is there ever passable ice under the Narrows Bridge? If so, any idea what the clearance is?

I suspect there might be too much water circulation there to allow thick ice, but I was just wondering if moving from Upper to Lower Lake Minnetonka was possible without breaking down the boats.

Sunday's forecast is temps in the 30's, and no Vikings game. Looking for some racing. Spring Park Bay is great, but can set up anywhere. Who's in?

Nite 559