Lake Fairlee and Miller Pond (Strafford and Fairlee VT)

[Dr Jo]

Both of these water bodies, close to each other, had thick black ice underneath a softer layer of gray ice today when I was there in the mid-afternoon and at 39 degrees (early day commitments prevented enjoying what must have been really good conditions earlier).   

Too soft to skate Miller but may be really good tomorrow morning.   

Fairlee provided some very nice skating, fully circumnavigated, little shell ice, 5 inches solid black ice (seen thru fisherman's holes) under the soft gray surface, strikingly uniform around the whole lake (except inlets/outlets/dam/points).  Usual pressure ridge easily crossed at the far end.  Thin wetness on top of thick ice mostly along the shore with the most shade and thus firmest ice.  Mostly light orange peel very nice light texture elsewhere.  Looking forward to what I think will be very nice skating conditions before it warms up tomorrow morning.