NEK SKATING (today only!)

[Evan Perkins]

I scouted several bodies of water near my home in barnet vt yesterday. symes pond in rygate had about 11\2 inches of smooth  but slightly textured black ice with a very thin layer of snow ice on top. i expect this ice to be about 2 1\2 inches by mid day today.this is a beautiful pond with a 3 season access rd which is in good condition now. 

      I also scouted several bodies of water in groton state forest . ricker pond was covered with beautiful ice, however the shorelines had been partially melted out in the many freeze thaw events so i could not access the main ice to check for thickness (i suspect it is the same or perhaps thicker than symes pond as this pond is higher in elevation and in a cold spot) there is also a band of snow near the shoreline in many areas which should be avoided as it is inhibiting ice growth. after last nights cold , i think the shorelines will have firmed up enough to access the main ice. access from south end rail trail parking.

        lake groton is just north of ricker pond , it is a sizable body of water , over three miles long. Conditions on groton are similar to rickers , however i saw two open holes near the center of the lake straight off of boulder beach campground(the public access). these holes probably skimmed over last night but should be easy to recognize as they were held open by wind. 

    lastly i scouted kettle pond which had 3+ inches of ice and was ready to skate.

    All of these venues are lovely with great views of the surrounding mountains. full safety gear and careful scouting recommended as the ice is thin without much margin for error. on the plus side the scouting should be be easy as the ice that is thick enough to skate is many weeks old and should be distinguishable from new ice. avoid inflows , outflows and snow , happy skating!