The ice time cometh
Experts give advice on how to stay on top
Nothing is more quintessentially New England than lacing up ice skates and hitting a local pond.
But as the mercury drops, the charming pastime poses risks — no matter the conditions, experts say.
“Assume no ice is safe,” warned Daniel Ryan, chair of Walpole Pond management. “Legally, we can’t say the ice is safe to skate on. However, we are very, very thorough.”
Ryan manages recreation at Turner Pond in Walpole, which transforms into a winter wonderland when Mother Nature allows. Once temperatures fall enough that ice begins to steadily form, Ryan and others drill six to eight different holes around the pond to measure its thickness. When those measurements hit 5 inches, under the right circumstances, it’s go time.
“Nothing beats pond skating,” Ryan said.
At Turner, the town sets up four or five different rinks on the pond open to all ages — and species too.
“Tons of dogs come out,” Ryan noted that crowds can reach up to 200 people on a crisp winter day.
Around the rinks, where pickup hockey rules much of the area, there’s often a maintained skating path Ryan calls “the Speedway.” It comes in handy when a heavy snowstorm blankets the pond, but skaters are looking for a way to get out and enjoy the ice.
But before taking the ice, Ryan cautions, it’s all about knowing the risks. There are no real warning signs when someone looks at ice in the wild from the land, he said. The best bet is to skate at a familiar pond, with knowledge about where inlets, underground springs, and tree beds are. All of those features indicate weaker points of the ice. The best-case scenario is for someone to evaluate the ice after having skated or fished on it for decades, Ryan said. He’s been managing skating at Turner Pond since 2010.
The skater should also have an idea of the depth of the pond and recent weather patterns, which can wreak havoc on ice thickness. A 24-hour thaw period can melt an inch of ice, Ryan warned.
The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife advises Bay Staters to remember that ice doesn’t freeze uniformly, and warns against venturing out on bodies of water that have currents in warm weather:
“Avoid traveling onto icebound rivers and streams, as the currents make ice thickness unpredictable. Many lakes and ponds may contain spring holes and other areas of currents that can create deceptively dangerous thin spots,” the department guidelines read.
According to the state, 4 inches of clear blue ice may be appropriate for ice fishing and skating, with other risks considered. Clear blue ice cannot hold the weight of a car or small pickup truck with less than eight inches of thickness, with other risks considered.