Newfound Lake

[Matt Steinberg]

Good Afternoon Everyone,

I wanted to give a quick report on Newfound Lake. I met Jamie there this morning and we left from the boat launch at Wellington Beach and worked our way north. There was a little bit of a trudge but once around the headland and island, a smooth lane opened up that we followed over toward the western shore. We were then quickly on a beautiful, large plate of grey ice that basically covers the entire northern half of the lake with the exception of snow covered ice in the various bays and coves. The ice was solid and thick, anywhere between 6 and up to 13 pokes. The temp was in the low 20s and the ice was hard and smooth. There is about a 10 miles loop of mostly 8 and some 9 ice that was an absolute pleasure to skate on. There were very few hazards. There were some patches of frozen crust or shell that were not a trip hazard at those temps and you could glide right through. There were quite a few large drain holes. Some were just a poke and a few were either just skimmed or even open. There were also a few where the hole itself was snow covered. Avoid these as they could be thin or open underneath. There was a pressure ridge to cross and it was an easy step over but be aware that the northern side was thin where snow had blown onto the rafted ice and collected, insulating the ice below and keeping it 1 poke. The areas we found like this were within 2 to 3 feet of the rafted ice. The south side of the ridge was generally better. This ice has a lot of bubbles in it and with the warm temps and strong sun you need to skate early. This will become very soft by late morning. We were off by 845. With the impending Nor'easter and potential foot of snow coming in Monday night, this weekend looks like a short window to enjoy some great ice. I am sure other venues with similar possibilities may be explored over the next few days as well. Stay tuned for reports.

Matt