Lots of bad ice out there, be careful

In a normal year, the topic of staying safe on the ice generally appears in this space in late March.

But, ask any ice fisherman, and they will echo that this, obviously, isn’t a normal year.

Last week I heard about two men falling through the ice while ice fishing.  One on (into) Foy’s Lake; the other Lake Mary Ronan.  Both men got wet, but got themselves out safely.

I was also cautioned to stay on trails on popular McWinegar Slough, east of Kalispell.

So, if I heard about two incidents (and I haven’t even been ice fishing at this writing), no doubt there have been others.  Possibly many more.

The two prime times for bad ice are early in the season(usually mid-December) and late in the season(usually late March).

 The type of ice and the challenges for self-rescue are different.

I’ve been lucky and never have fallen majorly through the ice, but I have interviewed several men with experiences ranging from friends throwing them a rope almost instantly to “I thought I was going to die!”

First ice is hard, possibly clear. 

The natural tendency for people who fall through a hole in hard ice is to try to pull themselves out forward by putting their arms on the ice, digging in their fingernails and kicking wildly. 

Won’t work.  At least it didn’t work for all the guys I talked to. 

Carhartts are heavy.  Sorels aren’t flippers.  And unless you have spikes handy, you’ll get no purchase on the ice with your hands.

Plus, your butt is too low in the water.

Most people who escape this situation roll onto their backs, “back-stroke” their arms, and kick with a purpose until their butts are safely on the ice.

Late ice is generally soft.  When water gets between the hard ice crystals, the ice layer turns into a giant snow cone.  Sometimes within minutes.

Kicking onto the ice becomes much more difficult as the ice loses ability to support any weight.

It might be necessary to make a channel to move to safe ice or even to shore. 

If you can walk, moving forward might work best.  If not, rolling onto your back would be the best option.

Many factors can contribute to making ice unsafe, including underwater springs, previously cut  holes, snow layer, and warm winds.

Stay safe out there!