It’s making good ice.
For many people in Borderland, that’s about the only thing that comes to mind when asked about the benefits of record cold temperatures.
Despite the frigid temperatures, ice conditions vary on Rainy Lake and other lakes, making some areas dangerous for ice travel.
Pickup breaks through
That was made clear Wednesday when a pickup truck carrying three people broke through the ice on Rainy Lake’s Harrison Bay, near Dryweed Island, Voyageurs National Park staff confirmed Thursday morning.
The three people, who were not injured, were listed in a Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office report as driver Jeremy A. Nash, 28, and passengers Timothy P. Collins, 47, and Steve E. Jacobson, 28.
VNP Superintendent Bob DeGross said the truck remains on the ice, as conditions now do not allow for it to be removed.
He said park maintenance staff and a person in a nearby spear house — who traveled by ATV or snowmobile — assisted the three people. He said one person got wet and the other two did not.
DeGross urged caution on ice within the park, where he said conditions have not allowed for an ice road to be established, and just one snowmobile trail, the Green Trail, has been staked and opened.
Koochiching County Sheriff Perryn Hedlund also urged caution when traveling ice surfaces, noting his message is “no ice is completely safe.”
“Stick to the marked roads and trails,” he said. “If you venture off the beaten path, you’re taking a chance.”
Sand Bay
Earlier that day, a drive down the privately plowed Sand Bay Rainy Lake ice road, that begins at Rainy Lake Marine Services, shows some ice anglers have been fishing for few a days, as several handfuls of fish houses now align the road.
Travis Thompson, operator of the marine service, fish house rentals and lake plowing, opens the road each year. He said he’s been plowing the road for a few weeks, and the road has been usable for a week or two.
As temperatures hovered around -9 Wednesday afternoon, anglers set up a portable fish house just off the Rainy Lake ice road that leaves land at Rainy Lake Marine Services, east of International Falls.
He didn’t want to advertise that it was open until the real cold weather set in, deepening the ice.
“Now, it’s really safe,” he said Wednesday, estimating the ice depth below the road at 20 inches and most other places on the lake at 15 inches. He estimated the ice gained from three to five inches in just the last couple days when high temperatures were negative teens, dipping to a daily low record of -37 early Wednesday morning.
The road has good ice below it, he noted, adding there’s no slush. This time of year — Christmas and New Years — is about the usual time the ice road is opened.
Hedlund agreed with DeGross that Sand Bay of Rainy Lake is shallower than the areas where the park’s trails and road are established.
And, he said he believes Thompson tests the depth of the ice as he creates the ice to ensure it is thick enough.
“You can have some peace of mind — whether it’s Travis Thompson or the park service, that the road is being maintained and tested to make sure it’s good ice,” he said. “But if you don’t know, don’t go.”
He encouraged people to either check ice depths themselves before venturing out, or talking to local people who are in the know, as appearances can be deceiving. He pointed to areas around Ranier, notorious for bad ice because of the Ranier Rapids. “Looking out from Loony’s, there’s an ice shelf that extends out, but the ice is not good by any means,” he said.
Hedlund said the sheriff’s office does not test ice, and relies on private operators like Thompson, and the National Park Service, to only open ice roads they deem safe for the public.
“We rely on them,” he said.
Plowing costs
Meanwhile, keeping an ice road takes time and gas, as winds and snow require maintenance. To assist in that effort, Thompson asks that people either buy $100 season passes, or drop $5 for daily use into the drop box at the road entrance. It’s a pretty good deal considering the costs of ice road passes charged at other regional lakes are $20 per day and much more than $100 per season.
Thompson said he considers the money a donation toward the time he spends plowing the road with his truck. Contact Thompson at 218-244-4152 to buy a season pass, to rent a house or to have him plow a spot for a house on the lake. For each of the three past years he’s sold 22 season passes; in earlier years he said 60 to 70 season passes were purchased each year.
He establishes and maintains the road because people need something to do fun and interesting on these cold winter days that should feel like they’re lengthening, but don’t just yet.
This is a good time of year to catch an early season bite, he said. And to get a good spot on the ice for a fish house.
“Everybody will be ready to get out once it starts to get warm,” he said.
VNP
Voyageurs National Park staff have been checking ice depths and smoothing pressure ridges to what they hope will soon be an ice road.
On Wednesday, park staff cautioned visitors that sufficient ice is not yet available and travel by vehicle is not advised at this time.
VNP staff checked the ice depth as they opened the Green Trail recently.
DeGross said park staff are checking ice conditions in an effort to open more trails and possibly at some point, an ice road. Park service staff follow U.S. Army Corps of Engineers guidelines for travel on ice to establish the designated snowmobile trails and ice road.
“We are very diligent and systematic about the methods we use to check the ice,” he said. “Once we meet those guidelines we will open designated trails.... It’s a scary proposition (considering breaking through the ice).
In the meantime, he stressed using extreme caution as ice depths can drastically vary on Rainy Lake. And he urged carrying ice picks, to help pull oneself out of water and onto ice, no matter how thick the ice becomes.
Other lakes
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources urges caution on all lakes where ice thickness remains inconsistent causing continued safety concerns.
The Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday passed along a DNR release about the ice to media outlets to help spread the word.
The release said the fatality rate on the ice this season is already higher than the last two seasons combined. All fatalities have occurred while driving an ATV or snowmobile.
Ice thickness on Leech Lake is very inconsistent, ranging from six to16 inches, reported Doug Schultz, Department of Natural Resources Walker area fisheries supervisor.
“Pine Point should have 12-plus inches by now instead of six inches,” said Schultz. “Other area lakes with thin ice include Big Sand by Park Rapids with five inches of ice and Clearwater Lake by Shevlin with five inches.”
These reports are all accurate as of Monday, and while ice conditions should improve over the course of the next week, the ice may not be as thick as people expect, said the release.
The DNR reminds folks that no ice is ever 100 percent safe. It is imperative that people not let their guard down when it comes to ice safety. Please check with local experts, sporting goods stores and resorts for latest ice condition reports before heading out on a lake.
