Ice Riding - lessons learned

[Jisch]

My friend John and I have been trying to get out on the ice for a week or so. We finally both had free time last night. Late in the afternoon I divrted a kid taxi trip to find a lake to ride on. My daughter and I checked out a local place, it was solid and snow free. The ice fisherman said the ice was a foot thick. Cool.

John and I meet up at 7:00 and ride out on the ice. We're cruising along, doing great just talking. We come across a section of black ice, cool. John was slightly ahead of me and further away from shore. Just as he hits the black ice his bike disappears below him. It wasn't black ice it was open water.

He recovered quickly jumping out of the shallow water and pulling his bike out. It was freaking scary. Not sure I'll be doing anymore night lake riding, unless I've thoroughly checked the place out.

Be careful out there.
John

[S2RT]

Adding that to my list of reasons to not ride solo.....

[MissJean]

I guessing he got at least his legs soaked. How long of a ride was it back to the cars? Was he ok?

[Jisch]

I guessing he got at least his legs soaked. How long of a ride was it back to the cars? Was he ok?

He's fine, it was only 10 minute ride back to the cars. He said he was laughing at our predicament the whole way back home.

That being said, we both have a new found respect for Mother Nature - in the end she really doesn't care about us (what a mother). As both of us have kids, we're going to be more careful going forward.

I made the mistake of relating this story to my mother, she freaked...

John

[robdesigns]

for scaring some sense into me. I planned on riding on Buffumville Resevoir alone after work tonight. Seems so obvious now that still water would look like black ice in the dark.

Rob

[Muddawg]

Man i have a similar story. Last weekend i was snowshoeing,on this big swamp at my house. thats is supposed to be really shallow, and i was walking back home and i feel right through above my head in water. luckly my cousing was with me but he didnt do much. i made it out after 5 minutes. but it scared the sh*t out of me! and i jus found out why i feel through. it was because the town opened up the beaver danm so the water was receding from the areas.

Like he said BE CAREFUL!
Trevor

[heckler]

Just as he hits the black ice his bike disappears below him. It wasn't black ice it was open water.

Not sure I'll be doing anymore night lake riding, unless I've thoroughly checked the place out.

Be careful out there.
John

Very good lesson, and solution! You ust have to know where you are riding is safe and the only way to know that is to see it during the day! does't mean you wont fall through but you sure wont ride into open water!

Glad your bud was OK!

I am amazed at how much open water there IS out there. In the Fells (hiking- not riding) the lower rez has a substantial open bit, Even Lakes Winnipasaki and Winnisquam (or however the heck you spell those) have open sections. Not that stops people from driving their trucks and ice houses out onto it.

Don't do it alone! Oh yeah, that's been said. And yet....

[hogboy]

I laughed at this post...

so what did I do tonight ? I fwas on an ice ride tonight with the crew,
and my dumb self went and rode off into the frozen depths, on a swamp in Billerica. I just rode off and the bike fell out beneath me...I'm like OoooaaaaWW CRAP !
I'm up to my butt and up to the shoulder on the left side and decided I'd better ride home immediately. Couching Tiger took some snapshots and hopefully they come out showing some of the swamp goo on me and my glove dripping. as I tried getting out I sank deeper. shrinkage and all that. what a dope I am....and after reading this thread which is basically a warning to all...even if you are on 12 inches of ice, right around the corner can be clear water. ice won't break under you, it just disappears altogether and plop. at night it just looks like ice. my hands froze to the brake levers, front brake froze open, ice coated my spokes and some snapped off on the way home and hit me in the eye. good times. oh yeah my feet froze to the pedals and I had to do that pedal smash move a few times to break it up.

It wasn't too bad as I was wearing a load of wool, but motoring home froze my feets. it took 20 minutes in the shower for my toes to go from white to red and then they throbbed and I was happy about that. it was close though...if I had to go one more mile home (I am guessing it was 3 miles to the car) they would have been worse. My car now smells like a frog pond. and I found leaves on me where leaves should not be. or maybe they should depending on the era ?

[recum_MTB]

Darwinism at work, fellas.

[CouchingTiger]

It was great fun. Here's a pix of a wet Hogg. Good stuff. Live and learn. Most ice is 12"+ at present. Unfortunately, this wasn't.

Darwinism? I'd say this is about adventurism at work, granted its pretty hard to fall through the ice sitting on the couch in front of the tube eating cheesy-poofs

-Couch