5YAT: Walk On Frozen Water

2 January, 2005 – Sunny All Day -14º

[This post is part of the 5 Years Ago Today Series]

After breakfast I bundled myself up to go check the ice. Complete with long johns, layers, scarves, mitts and boots, life preserver, screwdrivers in pockets, the stick and the axe. Then rigged myself up with the canoe filled with little trees to put into the ice where the river is safe.

I put in the first tree 50 Paces from Ladies Beach almost a week ago. So I decided to double check the ice at 50 paces again just to see the impact of the recent rain and warm weather.  Almost 2.5’ of ice.  Much more solid than a couple of days ago. 

Things seemed pretty stable so I started walking out and chopping through the ice every 50 paces or so.  Put out about 6 trees when I realized the wind was little too heavy and the cracks in the ice were a little too frequent. The combination turned me back.

Since it was sunny I decided to call dad from the beach. We talked for almost an hour about ice and life and the hospital and looking after each other. It was a great talk and as we wrapped up I realized the wind had shifted from North West to East and seemed to be lightening. So I headed back out and tested the ice again.

When I checked the trees I had put in only an hour before, I found they were already frozen in place.  The ice was 2.5-3 feet thick all the way across and the ice improved the further out I went. As I got near the Quispamsis shore I phoned dad and Di and asked “What are you doing for lunch?”

I arrived in town at 1300, Dad looked great and Di whipped up the most amazing lunch as soon as I walked in her door!  Samosas, turkey pie and Black Forest Cake – wow!! She even insisted on taking a photo of me with my birthday cake for mom. [I think I looked like hell since I’ve never seen that photo]

Back on the road by 1430. Hit the Super Duper Store and the boozeteria, back to the store, down the hill and onto the river.  It was high tide, so there was water on the ice out for about 6 feet at the shore.  It was the only hiccup and crossing the river back home was beautiful!

I was home and looking after the dogs by 1645, which is pretty good given that I was walking into the liquor store at 1600.