iceboating.net Minnesota Ice Sailing Association

Cruised Lake Pepin, Saturday am before the big blow. Launched out of the NW Landing between Lake City and the Wayside Rest on Hwy 61. Stayed pretty much in that zone of the lake from Frontenac to just NW of Lake City. Landing has about a 2' rise of ice pushed up on the shore. The landing just SE of Lake City is much better. Checked it out after I got off the ice. Also cruised by the Florence Beach in Old Frontenac and it was full with about a dozen cars for all the ice fisherman. The ice has a few more snow drifts.

Ice Fisherman Report: 16" measured of ice over the areas NW of Lake City. Which jives with the 12" measured about 10 days ago after New Years. It might be 24" by the weekend.

Ice was slightly soft due to the 38 degree temps at 10am. There was scattered small flat snow drifts but they were less than a half inch in depth. There was only one small ridge about 100 meters long near the WI side in the sector that I sailed. Otherwise, cracks were filled in from the rain. I did not see any major ice ridges in this area. There were more down around the harbor at Pepin, WI when I sailed that about 10 days ago. But those were maybe 2' high max.

The ice was fairly smooth...on a scale of 10 maybe an 8....

Frankly, one could have sailed from Bay City, Wi down to Pepin, WI.... and with the 45mph winds at 3pm...maybe in less than hour without a sail....

I think the brits missed their chance for a speed record