Odds of rideable ice on Lake Gogebic for New Years

[chords]

Yep - pulling my ice shanty w a 2 up I realized too late and dropped off solid snow pack into 18 " of slush/water and I was in trouble. I had one heck of a time by myself getting both back up onto solid snow. Prob took over an hour. Promptly headed back to shore to change from massive sweatyness, and wettyness from the knees down, mounted water skis on shanty 2 x 12 runners and next day made another run but stopped short this time.

If snow is gray.......stay away ha ha

 

[whitedust]

Yeah once you have had the dreaded slush experience you will avoid it again if at all possible. It plain SUCKS!

 

[gogebic_sledder]

Yeah once you have had the dreaded slush experience you will avoid it again if at all possible. It plain SUCKS!

Blew a belt at 1am near the lodge jumped off sled went up too my knees in slush with a little snow on top. I instantly jumped back on sled and stood on the seat and watched my riding partners tail lights continue in the distance. Realized there was hard ice under the slush , man'd up stood in the slush to my knees and changed the belt. Buddies finally realized I was missing came back and joined in on the fun to free the sled. This lake can be really dangerous.

 

[bladeguy]

Unfortunately we are on the East Side. However, if we can get across to the Root Cellar it will work fine. I would only expect slush with a warm up. If there is a warm up (after it gets cold next week) I will be more worried about safe ice than slush!

 

[Magnumb]

I had a few hairy experiences.
Was on Dinner Lake with a large group and had maybe 1 foot of fresh snow and 1-2 foot of slush, but we didn't hit it until we reached a cruising speed and everyone kinda went their own way, some turned out slowly headed to nearest shore, some kept it pinned and continued straight and some slowed down to much and buried it. I had turned out a started heading back to where we came from, but almost slowed down too much. Took us a while before we all regrouped and headed back to Gateway lodge to dry off. A lot had low cut boots and we were running Scorpions and heavy late 80's early 90's Ski-Doos. If I remember right this lake wasn't well travelled and we may have been the 1st ones on it that season.

 

[Mark@TimberlineSports]

No Thanksgiving day runs this year that is for sure. I did think about taking the stand up though! lol.

-Mark

 

[slimcake]

Thats why I always leave a little throttle left. I have hit the slush and was glad to be riding an 800 and was only using half the throttle when I hit the slush. She went to the bar quick and powered through it. Scary stuff though. Gogebic Sledder. That would have been a very asss puckering experience!!

 

[Tracker]

ok i'll bite first.....I'd say


30 to 1 odds its no go

LOL

 

[Magnumb]

Wonder if drones could ever be used to measure ice thickness...

 

[whitedust]

Drones can tell you where the ice is not if you want to know that. Thickness no way.lol

 

[bladeguy]

ok i'll bite first.....I'd say


30 to 1 odds its no go

LOL

As Archie Bunker would say - you're one of those what they call septics.... LOL

 

[chords]

I would only expect slush with a warm up. If there is a warm up (after it gets cold next week) I will be more worried about safe ice than slush!

Certainly a warm up will cause slush, but heres the thing - it can be there and unseen and more likely but not always, during the coldest of weather when the weight of feet of snow on the surface pushes the ice down and water back up to level. Its kinda like LES, all the right conditions have to happen.

 

[groomerdriver]

I've been on a sled when it busts through in 15 FOW and #1 - the sled sinks quickly and #2 - your first thought is THE WATER IS EFFIN COLD AND I NEED TO GET OUT AND FAST

 

[kwikgren]

I live on Lac La Belle and generally stay off the ice, except to ice skate or fish in a small protected area in front of the house. Once it is cold enough to form ice we usually got lots of snow. High snowfall, along with current and springs, can lead to areas of thin ice, drum ice, and slush covered ice. I've been tempted to go out further on the skates or skis, but without knowing the exact ice conditions it would not be wise. Every year is different, of course, and in 2014 Lake Superior froze completely over. On the morning of April 21, 2014, I skied out across Lac La Belle, through the marshes, across Bete Grise and out to Point Isabelle and back. There was open water (as always) in the Mendota canal and at the mouth of the Little Gratiot River. That year a few brave ice fishermen had been riding snowmachines all the way out to Stannard Rock over 40 miles offshore. It probably would have been possible to ride all the way across to Canada that year, but I'm not sure if anyone tried that route.

 

[Willh]

@kwikgren: How'd you find so many days without slate grey skies? loll

xD

I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to be sunny here.

 

[POLARISDAN]

ha....nothing like standing in 2 feet of water and slush whilst the cold rushes in around yer feet whilst trying like he!! to get the sled moving forward...LOL

yea we got caught UP to our *** last year in slush..a guy a bbb said hed take us across late one night to trail back...,.we still had to get back to mass..omfg..he blasted and we got our a s s stuck..we had to get off into somebodys yard..wake them up..and get some directions..this was one long long ride back..we tried to get hotel..none available..this is not a lake to mess with..and i even kno better and got caught

 

[bladeguy]

yea we got caught UP to our *** last year in slush..a guy a bbb said hed take us across late one night to trail back...,.we still had to get back to mass..omfg..he blasted and we got our a s s stuck..we had to get off into somebodys yard..wake them up..and get some directions..this was one long long ride back..we tried to get hotel..none available..this is not a lake to mess with..and i even kno better and got caught

I stay on the super highways and check first before going so I don't expect to run into slush. fingers crossed...

 

[scott_b]

I would say based on the current forecast your odds are fairly good that the lake will have the "highway" being started that week.

 

[MELROSEMAFIA]

I spent New years @ the Gogebic Lodge every year from 1982- to 1989...Back then I don't remember ever having issues with lake ice, but we only rode along the west shoreline. The Eastern/Central Time Zone Line runs right thru the center of the lake. So we got 2 midnight celebrations, one on the north side around Bergland, @ The Hoop n Holler and then we would ride back south to the Lodge for the 2nd midnight celebration...

 

[ss440]

Riding the lg is boring ride the trails. it was only fun back in the day with the thundercat and zrt 800