iceboating.net Minnesota Ice Sailing Association

I drove North on MN 78 from I 94, the fields are about 80% white, Pelican Lake is about 95 % frozen & white, showing more wetspots than ... this is a family show, never mind, it's worrisome and I doubt we'll agree it's suitable. There were 5 fish houses in the Narrows.

Christina at Milepost 8; The lake recieved what I measure to be maybe 2 1/2" of powder snow (the kind they capitalize the letters of in the mountain ski resorts). 20 degrees F, wind out of the East at about 15-20 mph, ground drifting. The lake is starting to show noticable drifts, and intermittent clear ice, est ~ 95% white. This lake is clearly sailable, it's probably a toss up as to which runner choice will be superior at the first weather mark, I'll bet there will be some of each in the top row.

Driving North past Battle Lake and Ottertail Lake (both open water) to Colin's Landing, Dead Lake, Dent, MN. The bay straight out from Colin's Landing (open, with amenities) is a ~ 4000 acre bay, 10' deep, it's got 3+" of clear ice covered with 1 1/2" powder, the lake shows about 80% white, and to the best of my knowledge has Never Been Sailed. It is a better looking sheet of ice in terms of snow depth. Access is actually better, a real parking lot, a store... We'd all put on inserts here, skinny ones. If you don't like Christina, this ought to be someplace between Better and Great.

Lake Lizzie, there's as near as I can tell a 100 yard portage thru the cat tails to get to a really big sheet of maybe slightly better than dead ice. It's in the same too big size as both Dead and Christina. It'll take a day to solve a launch problem, there's some Pelican Lake DNers who may know how to get on Lizzie.

My recommendation, absent ice unencumbered by snow from some other checker... Set up & sail on Christina, it's right on the way, it's known and it's probably just great.

If snow plates are compelled on Christina, we should then decide the when and whos of sailing Dead Lake. If Insert runners are superior, stay there! It's gonna be great!

Accomodations are not a complication, as Dead has attractive alternatives equidistant to the 20 mile trip to Fergus Falls. Lizzie is also about 20 miles from Fergus.

You guys ought to decide what your next steps are.

It's gonna be great!

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