Winter travel

After an ice storm, it is recommended to carry a chainsaw and wedge.  Actually, two chainsaws are better since experience shows that they don't always run well in the cold.  Yuk.

Ice Storm

First Snow

Six inches powder snow.

Mill hill ice trap

The road is pure ice.  Unfortunately someone drove down mill hill, but of course could not get back up.  In fact, the truck was lucky to slowly roll back down the hill and not slip off the road.

The solution is to find a shovel and throw dirt from the ditch onto the ice.  This has been done at least 3 or 4 times before.  It works but requires some effort to shovel.

Early lake freeze

Ice forming

First snow dusting

Road scraping

Municipality has scraped Clarke Rd from the mill hill to almost Tusk.  Too bad they couldn't work it further.

End of season plants

Thanks to the cottagers who donated plants to be saved for the winter.  They are very comforting as snow is awaited.

End of Season

Well, the last cottage that required draining has been completed.
The water in the lake is very low.
No sign of freezing but evening temperature is dropping below freezing point at night.
No major issues this past season.  At least none have been reported.
Waiting for snow.

Little library

Using up our budget for the road.

Road upgrading

End of Clarke Rd upgrade

Long-spurred violet

Washout

More spring flowers

Early spring flowers

Summer is about to start

Looks pretty good now.

Yuk

Road update

May 5 update on road

Latest on Road

Ice breaking

Lake starting to open

Update

Rain coming

Road improving, still soft

Give up ice!

Update

Don't even think about coming in!

Collapsing road

Wooden docks hate ice

Too Early

Some cottagers in East Bay (at the end of Tusk Trail) have asked if the road is passable since they want to put in their docks.

But, there is a washout at Elephant Lake Crossing (the intersection area of Tusk and Youngs logging road).  Since it is too early to get heavy equipment in due to 1/2 load restrictions by municipality the solution is to cut down some trees and drag them into the washout to fill it up.  What a life, eh?

No signs of lake wanting to breakup.  Most of the road is still ice covered.  Very easy to slide off the ice into the ditches that are quite deep with snow (still!).

Cleanup on aisle Clarke

Down Clarke Rd.

Rain, rain, go away.

Progression

Slow progress

Causeway

Although most of the road is still snow/ice, some south-facing areas are exposing the base.

Transition coming

Update on WOW!

Well, it appears that last weekend an excavator on tracks and two pickup trucks tried to use Clarke Rd to go to the 'riffles'.  (Remember, the riffles is the historical name of the narrows where 'crazy' snowmobile riders go to run their machines over open water.  It is a big party.  Commonly this area is called the 'ripples'.

The excavator had a blade at the front of the machine and was used to clear the road.  But, it appears that the excavator got big time stuck, as did the two pickup trucks.  The had to call on someone to bring a larger excavator to pull them out.  Viewing the snow mess left behind, it was a struggle.

To get to the riffles, one has to take the 'old road'.  This means avoiding the new road and continuing straight along the old road.  One arrives at the famous 'white ash hill'.  This hill was the major reason for spending cottage association fees since it is steep, washed out and it is a rock haven.  As the road makes a turn to the left, the riffle-people continue going north through a difficult area for probably close to a mile.

So, getting stopped at Tusk was probably the best ending that the riffle-people could expect.  They would never have got past white ash hill, or even that far.

There is still lots of snow on the road.  Some people will be interested visiting on Easter weekend, which is one week ahead.  It is doubtful that any large vehicle will get in, but this could be proved false.  Bring a shovel if you want to make the attempt.

Wow!

Well, some large wheeled vehicle tried to travel down our cottage road past Tusk Trail.  They had a struggle.  Tracks showed that it went off the road into deep snow and struggled to get out.  It looks like another vehicle had to assist removal.

The tracks showed that it came from around the municipal turnaround and then disappeared.  It seems that it may have been floated in and unloaded.  Mill hill was also a difficult pass for them.

Skating Rink

The lake is almost completely a skating rink.

Post snowstorm

Deep Snow

Snowmobile is more of a 'plow' than a cruising machine due to the heavy snowfall in the last few days.
A fair number of snowmobiles on the lake.  One major trail goes from Bancroft through our causeway towards Lake St. Peter.

Haliburton Echo

Cottage archaeology