groton state forest 12/26

[Evan Perkins]

   I scouted kettle pond 3 ' pebbled ice with some low smooth raised black bands ,no tripping hazards.great skating. lake groton 2 1/2 '-1 3/4 ' ice . i skated the length of lake groton today, pebbled ice from last nights wind blown snow flurries on wet ice.mostly around 2 inches thick with some 1 3/4  and some 2 1/2 . this ice will only thicken by a1/4 to 1/3 " by tommorrow. two small open holes 1/4 mile off boulder beach state park(same holes from my previous report a while back) .great skating for those who are cautious and prepared. Ricker pond , i drove by but did not check ,probably similar if not a bit thicker than lake groton  a couple of open spots near the north end . And lastly symes pond in Ryegate had 2 1/2 to three inches of similar pebbled ice. i would suggest bringing a board  for ice entry. all of these bodies of water will have open water near stream entries. both moore and commerford reservoirs are mostly back to open water. we are supposed to get spotty snow showers tonight which could hinder ice thickening if they amount to any thing.