Inland Sea, afternoon 1/25: Apple Island Marina to Hero's Welcome

[John Wyman]

Glorious 17-mile skate today from Apple Island Marina north to Hero's Welcome with the wind at our backs. There were some spooky laser beam noises while the sun was shining at the start of our skate, but it got quieter as the day went on. We contended with 5 or 6 pressure ridges; some had small slush zones, but we glided over them without issue. We found some delightful stretches of super smooth black ice, especially parallel to some pressure ridges later in the skate. 

A big thank you to all the people posting here. Your reports were inspiring and critical for planning this adventure. Also, thanks to my four brave companions. What a day!