Safety First

My husband suggested that I include a safety warning or two here - just to be safe.

No one should ever venture out onto ice anywhere unless you are aware of the current ice conditions! I never go out there without first checking with someone who has crossed recently (and knows what they are doing.)

Are there piles of pack ice? Not a good thing to come up on at 60 miles per hour (about 95 km/h.) We've had three very serious accidents in the last two years caused by the nasty combination of speed and rough ice. (Two head injuries and another person with 70+ stitches in his face. Thank goodness all three gentlemen survived and have healed with no permanent damage.)

Are there any pressure cracks? Again, not a good thing to discover on your own. They are even worse after the pieces pull apart and leave a foot or two (or more) of open water between the edges. Yes, I have driven over open cracks, but only with a very experienced person guiding the group. Sometimes the edges of the crack push back together and overlap leaving a slushy spot. Is there solid ice under there? You really should know before driving over it. This one isn't my photograph - I've never stopped at a spot like this...

You also need to be aware of the condition of your equipment and be prepared for the weather. I had to go out onto the ice on Saturday to rescue, I mean retrieve an acquaintance and his nine year-old daughter. The borrowed snowmobile they were using broke down half way across, leaving them stranded and not appropriately dressed for the -5 degree temperatures (about -20 C) and 10 mile per hour winds (about 16 km/h.) I got them home safely - and brought a helmet for her so she wouldn't freeze her poor little face. Why someone would take his daughter out on the ice, on a borrowed snowmobile without a helmet, I will never understand...

One last thing: What is the weather forecast? You may get across the ice, but will you be able to get back? If it is supposed to get windy or start to snow, you may want to think twice, or be prepared to wait a day (maybe two) until the weather clears.