Some readers know that I really love doing early and late season trips. It’s all about timing, a few days too early or too late means a lot of ice. I’ve done spring trips where I had to wait at an entry for the ice to go out. And I’ve done fall trips where I just got stuck in ice.

I was going to do a late October trip this year but the early cold and snow iced up the lakes. Fortunately for me, it was followed by a week of very warm weather and I thought I had a chance to sneak in for a few days. My shoulder season trips are not about putting on miles, rather it’s about getting on a lake and having a cup of wine around a campfire.

I went in last week on the last warm day we had and was surprised at how much ice remained on the lakes even after temps in the 60’s for several days. I was on Gabbro and tried making a day trip into Bald Eagle. I got stuck in ice in the narrows between the lakes and found that once the ice reaches about 1 1/2” I can no longer bust my way through.







I ended up having to back out of the ice to get to liquid water.








In the photo below, ice was forming in front of me in the calm air. The water was cold enough to make new ice even though it was 50’ outside. The ice was as thin as a sheet of paper and made waves on the unbroken sheet of ice as I slowly paddled through it.



We’ve had discussions in the past about if ice can damage a canoe. My wood/canvas canoe received no damage whatsoever from the ice. My paddle however, does get pretty beat up. Fortunately for me I can make another one when the time comes. My paddle has a thousand miles on it and still has some life left.

Trips like this are a bit like sky-diving. Everyone wants to try it but few actually do. And we hope our chute always opens if you know what I mean.

Tom

I was also up there late October this year and tried breaking through ice and only made it like 30 feet before it was damn near impossible to progress. The ice I hit was about the same thickness as that piece in your hand.