Do any snowmobile clubs out there offer as a service to measure ice thickness on lakes or rivers and sign as safe for travel? I'm interested in a way to check the thickness on a river, which is obviously riskier than a lake due to currents, ice dams, etc. Does technology exist to do a helicopter flyover and get a map using sonar or something similar? How can we know if it is safe to cross/travel on a river
ice safety
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Summiteer
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Our guys check the thickness with a chainsaw. River is only safe to cross in the tracks of the Groomer, other than that our trails end at the banks of the river. I don't know if the Athabasca will be safe at all this winter without some flooding, too much snow cover to allow decent freezing below....
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Use a cordless drill and a long wood bit. Drill holes along your proposed trail crossing and measure the depth. YOU decide if thats the way to go across. After you cross a few times and the trail packs the frost will be driven into the ice and depth will increase. Continue to drill and measure all winter to see if conditions change. JMHO. You could also get a small pump and flood the river on your crossing
ferniesnow
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If you doo this, drill the holes on the upstream side of the crossing. This will sort of flood your crossing making it thicker but be careful of the over flow until it freezes. Glen is correct about checking all winter as springs, changing currents from ice blockages, and snow load will have an effect on the currents.
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old mountain man
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Usually check with a chainsaw and require 20" of good ice. Depth can vary a lot in a short distance so a lot of checks are required.
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Rule of thumb, from what I was taught growing up in West Edm and from ice racing outdoors on bikes an quads. As well as just going for a rip down the Sturgeon River.
2" to support a person
4" to support a person and quad/sled
6" to support a vehicle
The KEY word here, is "support"!!! Usually by the 2nd week of Dec. We would venture down the Sturgeon and knowing that we were still taking a chance!!! When I was racing or practicing, we would wait for 16"+
Studded tires and a high rate of speed, would weaken the ice and create a wake underneath quick. Do your own due diligence and as others have said.... check before you cross. This time of year and considering the cold snaps the Province has had, I personally would cross or ride pretty much anything. But with caution and checking first.
2" to support a person
4" to support a person and quad/sled
6" to support a vehicle
The KEY word here, is "support"!!! Usually by the 2nd week of Dec. We would venture down the Sturgeon and knowing that we were still taking a chance!!! When I was racing or practicing, we would wait for 16"+
Studded tires and a high rate of speed, would weaken the ice and create a wake underneath quick. Do your own due diligence and as others have said.... check before you cross. This time of year and considering the cold snaps the Province has had, I personally would cross or ride pretty much anything. But with caution and checking first.
imdoo'n
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no guts, no glory
your safety is totaly on your shoulders
, river conditions can change daily.
your safety is totaly on your shoulders
mountaincatab
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We rode the Sturgeon river yesterday as we seen tracks... still soft in places and open water... we got out of there in a hurry
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- #10
There is ALWAYS open water on the Sturgeon, it never freeze's solid. It's good to know where the open spots are, and where to get off the ice. Or take your own chance and water skip them with a sled.
gotboost
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imdoo'n
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.... fail
GYMBRAT
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at least it wasnt bottomless skeg lol...hey you can still get at your shovel to dig it out
Summiteer
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Should freeze now...
rsaint
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Out at Shining bank lake only 4" of good ice and 6" of bad ice and lots of open holes causing lots of overflow very unsafe for this time of the year.
ferniesnow
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When they make ice roads in the north, there is a lot of purposeful flooding and cleaning of the snow. Good ice does not have snow in it. Gradually, it gets thicker and safer. They have engineer generated charts for the thickness for the various stages (personal vehicles like cars and pick-ups, and gradually up to the heavier semis as the ice progresses.
On thing that can happen is the current under the ice wearing down the ice from the bottom. It is a great endeavour to watch and be involved with ice road building.
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Good information
The colour of the ice also has bearing on the weight capacity
One VERY IMPORTANT thing when you are checking the thickness of the ice is that there is 2 people and one person stays back and holds onto a rope that is tied to the person checking the ice. You do not know how deep the ice is until you drill your hole, and to do that you have to be standing on it. by then, if the ice is too shallow, it is too late and you are going in. This has happend several times before and can happen to you.
The colour of the ice also has bearing on the weight capacity
One VERY IMPORTANT thing when you are checking the thickness of the ice is that there is 2 people and one person stays back and holds onto a rope that is tied to the person checking the ice. You do not know how deep the ice is until you drill your hole, and to do that you have to be standing on it. by then, if the ice is too shallow, it is too late and you are going in. This has happend several times before and can happen to you.
Excellent point, thats covered under our companies safety plan when working on ice. Through personal experience, I have found that the fat person is the anchor even if they are the consultant!
I always love the look on the operators face when I ask " And the reason why you dont have the tow cable in a place were YOU can get to it easily is.........."
GYMBRAT
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Specially if your working in the Slave Lake area, seem many a cat go down around there
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