weatherdavewi Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Fantastic riding out there the past few days!! Just made it to Mackinaw City from Gaylord on Friday and the conditions were darn near perfect. Could be a little more refreshing snow cover, but I can't complain based on how horrible December was. Lots of winter still left. Got some good riding in this weekend around my area. Sure hope we get some snow soon, Ice is our enemy at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonger Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 I'm heading to just north of Grand Rapids tomorrow, bout an hour and a half from my house. Gonna try to put on a 100 miles or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A-L-E-K Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 I'd love to go skiing again, it's been awhile. I bet the snow along the road sides there is rooftop high. base elevation is pretty low in whistler, so doubtful. Amazing things happen up on the glaciers though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonger Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 Looks like they attached Googlestreet view equipment to a snowmobile and went up and down the mountains in Whistler. https://www.google.com/maps/@50.059203,-122.957457,3a,75y,241.09h,84.35t/data=!3m5!1e1!3m3!1szxM2QK6MgADrFuinVNlizA!2e0!3e5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloWeather Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Thought you guys would like this video I took. I didn't get the race in total but 2 snowmobilers raced down a side road by my house the other night. They were flying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbertfly Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Quality day of backyard rink hockey with the boys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwohweather Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Quality day of backyard rink hockey with the boys Been doing the same, last night was perfect with little wind. I'll have to take a picture but we've got 5 ladders around the rink with lights at the top. Then we've piled up snow on the other side of the boards to help make them bigger and have a little hose to pvc pipe with a towel behind it system that we use as a zamboni to smooth the ice out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitelakeroy Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Our ice skate rink on the lake has been awesome this year. The minor warm up Saturday might actually be a good thing so we can smooth out the surface again. I need to make a homemade Zamboni. In addition it is good to see Petoskey will not go above freezing on Saturday. Need to set up a trip to Boyne and get some skiing ... keep those clippers coming so the conditions remain great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbertfly Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Been doing the same, last night was perfect with little wind. I'll have to take a picture but we've got 5 ladders around the rink with lights at the top. Then we've piled up snow on the other side of the boards to help make them bigger and have a little hose to pvc pipe with a towel behind it system that we use as a zamboni to smooth the ice out i love that idea....hmmmm we only have extremely short boards on ours and use the snow to make soft boards as winter progresses...Fortunately we have 2 great indoor rinks within' 20 minutes of the house where the older boy plays (is learning)... we also have some flood lights up in the trees that we turn on at night and last year we actually sank some rope lighting in the ice which was really cool for just skating at night (not necessarily for hockey) for fun. Tonight is a gathering night for the skaters and non skaters in the clan of friends and their little rats...nice size bonfire going/hot tub/and the rink will be lit up. Temps should be ideal for the little kiddies and novice skaters who don't want to freeze their butt off just to spend half the time on their butts...which will prolly be me by the end of the night lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chitown Storm Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 This weekend warm up should help to smooth out the ice on the rink. Giltertfly and nwohweather, any pics of the rink would be appreciated. This winter is my first one on the lake, so the hockey rink is a trial and error session. Sounds like you guys have a good setup with the lights, etc. I'm in the process of making my own zamboni, but my problem is a lack of easy access to water. Irony living on a lake. My rink is about 300 ft from the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitelakeroy Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 This weekend warm up should help to smooth out the ice on the rink. Giltertfly and nwohweather, any pics of the rink would be appreciated. This winter is my first one on the lake, so the hockey rink is a trial and error session. Sounds like you guys have a good setup with the lights, etc. I'm in the process of making my own zamboni, but my problem is a lack of easy access to water. Irony living on a lake. My rink is about 300 ft from the house. That is the same problem I have. This weekend I am hoping to see one of the neighbors down the lake who made stand alone zamboni. If I can see it I will post a picture for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonger Posted January 16, 2015 Author Share Posted January 16, 2015 This weekend warm up should help to smooth out the ice on the rink. Giltertfly and nwohweather, any pics of the rink would be appreciated. This winter is my first one on the lake, so the hockey rink is a trial and error session. Sounds like you guys have a good setup with the lights, etc. I'm in the process of making my own zamboni, but my problem is a lack of easy access to water. Irony living on a lake. My rink is about 300 ft from the house. How far are you from a power source? I'd drill a 20 inch hole, drop a sump pump in with a hose and suck from the lake. You could put a good screen on it and let the hole refreeze over it.. You could use a generator probably.. have everything portable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chitown Storm Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Roy/Jonger....thanks for the input. The closest power source I have is about 100ft away in the neighbors yard. He said I can use it anytime. Looks like I'll just make a small investment in a pump. My father in law has an auger. As for lights, I'm going to drill small holes in the ice in the 4 corners of the rink and attach halogen lights to 2x4s...stick the poles into the ice. Some guys did that and it worked well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloWeather Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Best skiing video I've ever seen. Can't wait to go next week Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwohweather Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Here ya go Chitown... We then put the lights in each corner of the rink. The ice is incredibly smooth, all the little lines you see are under about an inch of solid clean ice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbertfly Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Here ya go Chitown... IMG_1638.jpg We then put the lights in each corner of the rink. The ice is incredibly smooth, all the little lines you see are under about an inch of solid clean ice Mine is pretty much the same as yours except the picnc table is a bonfire pit. @Chitown... I like the sum pump idea...if you are skating once a week no big deal either way....but if you are going out 3 or 4 nights a week it could be huge. Another thought is to have an electric line run out to 5 or 10 feet on shore....you could use the power for quite a bit year round lake side....in the winter a pump and lights....in the summer for battery charging and stereo/ipod station and for air pumps....etc. Not telling you what to do and it may depend on the geology and laws....but it can be handy...cheers! I will post a pic if i can figure how too in a bit or tomorrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbertfly Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Here's a quick pic before the ice was overtaken by the rats....young and old haha.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chitown Storm Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Thanks for the pics guys. Looks great! I am planning to have a line run down to near the shoreline for year-round use. I think most people on our lake have that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chitown Storm Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Here's a pic from this morning. Already up to 34F so the top layer has melted. Ice is smooth as ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbertfly Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Thanks for the pics guys. Looks great! I am planning to have a line run down to near the shoreline for year-round use. I think most people on our lake have that. Awesome....super handy to have with the "toys" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonger Posted January 17, 2015 Author Share Posted January 17, 2015 This one has me in it. Nothing cool compared to the skiing video above. I have the green backpack on. Skip to around 1:15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitelakeroy Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Here's a pic from this morning. Already up to 34F so the top layer has melted. Ice is smooth as ever. Nice skate area. Looks like we should get into the 30s here to to help smooth out my skating area. FYI ... Not sure if your lake has a lot of pressure to relieve from below. My lake will have water push up from below when the pressure releases (i.e. from the springs feeding it and not just from the ice getting thicker). I cannot have big snow banks along the side of my skating area or the water coming up will be attracted to my skating area because of the weight. The way it water coming up freezes destroys my skating area (it is more like a lava flow). I now take a lot of the snow to the shore side. Hopefully you don't experience that problem as it takes me a bit longer to shovel my skating area but works good for the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chitown Storm Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Nice skate area. Looks like we should get into the 30s here to to help smooth out my skating area. FYI ... Not sure if your lake has a lot of pressure to relieve from below. My lake will have water push up from below when the pressure releases (i.e. from the springs feeding it and not just from the ice getting thicker). I cannot have big snow banks along the side of my skating area or the water coming up will be attracted to my skating area because of the weight. The way it water coming up freezes destroys my skating area (it is more like a lava flow). I now take a lot of the snow to the shore side. Hopefully you don't experience that problem as it takes me a bit longer to shovel my skating area but works good for the season. No underwater springs on my end of the lake. Last weekend there was water that came up to the surface by the springs. Someone was snow blowing a rink and had to get off the lake. Ice on my rink is clear...can see 12 ft down to the bottom. Currently about 12" thick. But I will keep the weight in mind from the snow banks. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbertfly Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Here's a pic from this morning. Already up to 34F so the top layer has melted. Ice is smooth as ever. Awesome brother! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slow poke Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 We could really use some more snow up here in northers lower MI. We just got back from a 100 mile loop on our snowmobiles but the trails we rode are really looking rough. The lake , Higgins, is safe to ride on for the first time this season so that's good. Might be heading back to the UP to ride for a while if we don't get some snow in this area soon . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonger Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 Put on 280 miles yesterday. Rode from Coopersville to Baldwin and back. Got to the truck at 2:30am. Back to work. Side note, it was interesting how well that area avoided the meltdown, was sugary powder up to 18 inches in spots inside the national forest. So glad those trails are only 110 miles away from my house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slow poke Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 In my opinion John Dee focuses 95% on the UP snowbelts which is understandable since he is in the Keweenaw area. He really does "generalize" all other belts. NWL usually does much better then his maps show. Take those maps with a grain of salt like any other weather forecast. Its winter, and cold, snow will fall up here, actually in a pretty good spot going into the last week of December. I do wish we did not lose all our snow from November, but that was a crapshoot at best especially so early in the season. I seen some reports of 4"to 6" in spots up in Northern Lower from the clipper this morning. Just wondering if you have been out and about today and how it looks Josh. We're heading back up tomorrow and was wondering what it's looking like up there. Thanks Josh, or anyone that is in northern lower, for any updates you could pass along........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh_4184 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I seen some reports of 4"to 6" in spots up in Northern Lower from the clipper this morning. Just wondering if you have been out and about today and how it looks Josh. We're heading back up tomorrow and was wondering what it's looking like up there. Thanks Josh, or anyone that is in northern lower, for any updates you could pass along........ I Picked up a surprising 7 inches today APX initially had called for 1-2, quite a bust by there standards as they are usually pretty good. Looks like winter up here again, still way below average but at this point ill take anything . Getting some light LES now, may get another rich or so out of it by the morning. Snowbanks getting pretty decent again. Trails are "ridiable" the groomer went by trail 7 this afternoon and because the clipper actually gave us some clipper snow w/ moisture it paced pretty good. Won't last long though as we really need another 12" to make the trails in great shape. But they should be decent for this weekend, the earlier you get up here the better they will be. Saturday afternoon they will be toast. Saw a lot of trailers heading up on my way home fro work this afternoon, while I was out snowblowing this evening I was hearing sleds everywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonger Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 Heading up to St. Ignace, going to put on a good 500 miles over the next few days. Looks like snow depth isn't so hot in St. Ignace, but its better just a few miles north. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slow poke Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 My 12 year old son had a snowmobile party today with 8 of his buddy's. We had a great day for it, plenty of snow and not to cold. They had a riot and put almost 40 miles on there snowmobiles with no major crashes but a few good stucks and hopefully memories that they'll have for a long long time. This is the second year in a row that we have had really good snow to play in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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