this may be something that maybe i alone don't understand.why do people drive their cars and trucks onto the ice.i keep seeing stories on the news about them sinking and how everyone involved can't believe that the ice gave way.they park side by side for God's sake.what is the upside to parking on the ice,hmm.less walking distance to go ice fishing.the downside is #1 a winch or tow to shore.#2 a diver to hook on to your vehicle.#3 you get to unflood your vehicle and dry it out for who knows how long.#4 interior water damage.#5 your insurance might not cover you.#6 the costs to you for the aformentioned.is this really worth the risk.i would like to hear everyone's opinions on this..........please.

did you hear about the cars on lake simcoe 2 weeks ago.they parked near the shore and i think around 10 cars all parked close together and sure enough the ice gave way. the ice is way to thin this year for that.

You have NO insurance when you drive on the ice.

Bottom line is that most people don't think it will happen to them. Once it happens and they survive the ordeal, they won't do it again.

Ice is a funny thing. Sometimes it holds and sometimes it doesn't but never drive on it unless you are prepared to pay the consequences.

After all that, I have driven on the ice, but I never stray off the "road" already driven on, and the ice had better be 2 feet thick, and the weather cold enough to easy my mind. And then I am still prepared to take the worst.

You could be like these guys.
Lake St. Clair in MI. Weekend Drag races.

ZR84EVR, that's the first thing that came to my mind when I saw this post. I think that most of the time if you put a vehicle threw the ice you can pretty much say it's writen off. There have been a few cases like this over the years around me. I think all of them were totaled by the time they draged them out.

Ryan

You could be like these guys.
Lake St. Clair in MI. Weekend Drag races.
[/b]

i would not even want to think about how they would get those trucks and trailers out.? ZR84EVR.? how would they get them out CRANE.? and i cant even think about the cost :bash: :bash: :bash: w00t

WHAT A GUY REALLY SHOULD USE IS WHAT WE CALL AN "ICE MULE".
IT'S A STRIPPED DOWN TO THE CHASSIS OLD JUNKER-THAT RUNS(ON A GOOD DAY).
YOU REMOVE ALL THE FENDERS HOOD-ROOF TOO.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY PRETTY COOL TO RUN AROUND IN ON THE LAKE.
THEY'RE PRIMARILY USED FOR PULLING ICE SHANTIES ON AND OFF THE LAKE.
GOOD FOR RUNNING IN THE WOODS AND DRINKIN BEER IN THE SUMMER TOO.
HEY-IF IT GOES THROUGH THE ICE-WHO CARES==>HAVE ANOTHER BEER. :crazy: :lmao:

Powder I think they were too lazy to park legally on the road, so if there's ice, it's got to be safe.

I've driven on the ice so many times I lost count . I only venture out on ice that I am sure is safe to do so on . Although you never know , I always accept the out come if it is even a bad one . The O.P.P had an SUV stuck , and slightly submerged on lake Simcoe a year or two ago on a pressure crack. They lost two sleds through the ice two years ago , and they were machines they had borrowed from another detachment . So it is a question of why risk it . I don't know... I'm stumped myself , I guess I have been doing it for so many years you just do . The ice has to be at least 1 and 3/4 of a foot (black clear ice) or more before I drive on it though. I used to race my SUV on our little lake for fun , we plowed a oval race track with the tractor , and had a blast . Havent done it this year , but we have a Precidia in awsome shape , road worthy ,we hope to get out with it racing around soon out on the lake .

I've done it many times also. But I gotta admit I don't know how some people can be so stupid to do it at certain times of the year or under certain ice conditions.

Like anything else, you weigh the risks. But some people just don't seem to have the brains to even start that thought process.

FishHog

Few years ago there were tractor-trailers on the ice here in our little community during winter-festivities!! Don't care how thick it is, there's always that weak spot.

I'm afraid to drive my sled on the ice let alone a car. As a kid I used to play hockey on the pond and heard lots of cracks with just kids skating on it. Also know too many people that got real cold when thier machine fell through the ice.

Not to smart eh


Rick

Some places you don't have a choice but to drive on the ice. ie northern canada.
I was out on Lake Nippissing in North Bay last weekend there was about 14" of ice and lots of trucks out there.
I don't have a problem driving my sled or truck out when it is safe.

How in the world do they get those rigs out?? Looks like the water around the race haulers has refrozen. Does the tanker float? Man, thats gotta suck!

Ive drove on the ice before but there needs to be about 12" of SOLID BLUE ICE. And how people say some people are lazy well some lakes ex..Lake Nippising in North Bay ontario its HUGE you just can't walk that. But I know exactly what your saying. There was guy went through Lake Nippisin in a BRAND NEW 1000km's on the truck F-350 Dully Diesel with an sand box on that back. It cosst 35,000$ cdn to pay a dive team and a helicopter plus all the damage to the truck. Lots of $$$$$

I believe those tanker shots are on the MacKenzie river on the road to Yellowknife.

Yes a tanker full of gas floats in water!

The driver ignored the signs with the weight limit on them and in fact a mile down stream the ferry was still running. He took a wrong turn!

In the NWT winter roads are critical and well used. This winter has been warm and winter roads are not getting in yet. Canada's diamond mines are resupplied each winter by ice roads. This year they are estimating 12,000 trucks will travel north of Yellowknife to supply the mines on a single road, over a 60 day period. They have to space them out and drive slowly on the ice to not create waves.

I once talked with a Hercules pilot who was loading fuel drums into the back of the Herc, 100 to be exact and they were being flown into a winter camp and landing on a frozen lake. The pilot told me that they required 5 feet of ice to land the loaded Herc. And was on the ice the plane did not require wheel blocks and it was always in a low spot!

I saw an article in the National Post that the ice roads aren't safe yet in Manitoba yet.

Hey Doo the Doo, I heard about that guy too. He had on plow and a sander on an F-350 and lost it in 14 ft of water.
I don't like driving on the lake either, though I've done it a few times. Always makes me nervous.
On a sled though it doesn't bother me at all. If you can walk on it you can sled on it.

Ive drove on the ice before but there needs to be about 12" of SOLID BLUE ICE. And how people say some people are lazy well some lakes ex..Lake Nippising in North Bay ontario its HUGE you just can't walk that. But I know exactly what your saying. There was guy went through Lake Nippisin in a BRAND NEW 1000km's on the truck F-350 Dully Diesel with an sand box on that back. It cosst 35,000$ cdn to pay a dive team and a helicopter plus all the damage to the truck. Lots of $$$$$
[/b]


wow 35,000 plus the damage to the truck to get it out thats one expensive fishing trip. :blush: :blush: explain that one to the wife. :lmao: :lmao:

I'm afraid to drive my sled on the ice let alone a car. As a kid I used to play hockey on the pond and heard lots of cracks with just kids skating on it. Also know too many people that got real cold when thier machine fell through the ice.
[/b]

I’ve always been told that when u hears cracks when it’s cold out that when good ice is being made. i do have to say it does scare the sh*t out of a guy when there's a crack that goes right between ur legs while fishinglol. I’ve been fishing ever since i could walk and it’s always a risk to drive on but there are spots where u know where not to go. When the fish are biting, nothing can beat a good day of ice fishing! Unless we actually get some snow to go for a good sled ride, but this year i don't see it happening. Usually start fishing when there’s 6 to 8 inches with a quad and when it finally gets a good foot we'll drive on. That’s my opinion

Know before you go :sly:

I guess you people down south are weenies :p

8-10" of ice good for Truck or car

we have towns on the lakes up here from Mid dec to end of March

At the peak of last year's season, we had about 22 inches of good, black ice out at our fishing spot on Lake Simcoe. I'd drive all day on that and not worry at all. Don't know about this year, the way it's going so far.
When it comes down to it, though, frozen lakes are for sleds.
I mean, who doesn't enjoy blasting past a pickup truck that's busy negotiating a bumpy trail?

You wonder why anybody would drive on the ice. I wonder why anyone would ride a snowmobile on water, after all its a SKI-DOO not a SEA-DOO!! :lmao:

A couple years ago I worked for a guy during the winter building docks and breakwalls. They lower the lakes about 5 feet in the fall, so all the cribs are out of the water. We drove trucks out on the ice to get the materials for the boat house, although we waited until Febuary, and it was -20 f for 2 weeks before that. We also plowed a runway down to the ice for the ski-planes (same as a sea plane with the floats off, and skis put on.)

There was an article in Maxim like two months ago about the truckdrivers that do that way up in Canada. It said the ice had to be about 44'' thick for them to be safe. It said on the last day of the season they rode a convoy of about 10 trucks chained together in ice that was really hairy and not safe. They were driving in water past their axles the whole way back but made it ok. Can you imagine doing that sane? They didn't drive more than 15mph, they usually don't wear setbelts so they can get out quick, and the season is like 8 weeks normally. Also had to stop about 100yds before shore because of the waves. Temps were as low as -60.

I had a big reply typed out to this...but I deleted it...

I'll just say that ice can be very safe. Don't bash what you don't understand.

sheesh, I guess we're crazy up here, we have ice races with cars (rules are must be american made, 2wd, and one screw tire), we plow out a 1/3 mile oval track and hold races every saturday... the parking for the track is on the ice too. We also have the only official DOT maintained numbered highway on the ice... the Kuskokwim River is a plowed maintained road from Bethel to Aniak in the winter

WOW.......OTI.. I bet that trucker stained his drawers.. w00t

I will go on ice with my sled but I can't say as I like it.. It may be as safe as can be, but the thought just scares me and when I have to follow snowmutt on a lake to cross it..I'm honestly thinking hurry up hun let's just get this done and love when we reach the shore.

I have only been out on a car one time on ice.. it was a long time ago, I was young and didn't give the danger much thought.. ( teenagers :bash: )

The problem with taking your Vehicle out on ice is that the insurance is " Void" and for me, ( speaking for myself) I'm not willing to take that risk, however Im sure most people test and confirm the ice "should" be safe.

Point is you southerners don't understand ice and think it is always unsafe

Point is you southerners don't understand ice and think it is always unsafe [/b]

Well I'm not quite sure what you mean by " southerners" but until my southern insurance agent says.." yes we will cover your vehicle if it should fall through" I'm not willing to take that risk. That's just me however and just my outlook on the risk/benefit factor.

Snow4

Know before you go :sly:

I guess you people down south are weenies :p

8-10" of ice good for Truck or car

we have towns on the lakes up here from Mid dec to end of March
[/b]


I guess we're finally seeing what you all think of us folks from down south(weenies). :(

WOW...

Being from Louisiana I was always called a southerner from the Yanks in Michigan but never thought I would be called that from a Canuck.

And if being from the south is so bad then Santa hates us all.

Canada is not so bad because it gives us Ski-Doo but that will soon change as Mexicans will be making them. A Canadian made sled straight from the equator.

Now as far as ice goes.... a few months after I moved to Michigan I was toned out (Fire Dept) on a vehicle through the ice. I get there to see nothing but a small patch of water out in the middle of the lake with nothing but ice around it. I had only done this in training so was kinda scared of what was going on. I take hardly any time to jump in the water and swim down to find the driver and two passangers still in the seat belts. This lady was in a small S-10 pickup and was bringing her husband some coffee and lunch who was fishing. I am guessing she was told it was fine to drive on as there was other vehicles much larger on the ice. There was no mistake made on her behalf as she knew she would be lighter than the others and could make it. She lost her life and took her two childrens as well. I am not certain of how thinck the ice was but there was a full sized truck only 30ft away from the broken ice. At that point I told myself I am not going to be one of the idiots that losses everything due to laziness of walking across the ice. Now I would take my snowmobile across it and even stop on it but you will not catch me in my 10,000lb Excursion driving across a lake even if I see a semi truck doing it. It has nothing to do with knowledge or physics or anything of the sort it has to do with naked uncontrolable fear of the "what if".

Okay let's not do the name calling thing anymore. I'm a weenie. And a Canuck big beef one at that. lol. Sorry to hear about your experience Fist. I do always think that jumping the gun on anything including ice is a danger play on anyones part. The situation on lakes I have experienced this year has varied so much there is no real way to tell that that particular ice section is safe or not. Until you drop a hole , and run, or go wow. We found we were drilling a hole with 14 inches of ice in one spot , and the next hole was over an underground spring or something on bottom reflecting sunlight up , and only 2-3 inches of ice. So it is sometimes hit , and miss. Anyways , I think it has been a good topic, and a good question , but if it gonna cause name calling it should be deleted. All expressions of weenies annd southerners are not the mutual feeling of the above stated Canuck . lol

my intention when i posted this topic was not to pee anyone off,just to ask people with more knowledge on this subject for their opinions............... :christmas: santa loves everyone by the way.

Point is you southerners don't understand ice and think it is always unsafe
[/b]


How about you clarify what you mean by "southerner"!!! I understand ice just fine!

How about you clarify what you mean by "southerner"!!! I understand ice just fine!
[/b]

Idooski get a grip of yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'

See I could use the "!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" too :)

Good God sometimes I wonder about some of you :crazy:

Does it bug you that much too be called a weenie or southerner :sarcasm:

Southerner

aka a person from places south of here

aka a person from a region that does not get that much ice therefore thinks all ice is unsafe


Usually by end of Feb/early March we have 3+ feet of ice here therefore it is plenty safe to drive on

My limit for minimum ice thickness for my car is 10inches and a plowed ice road

My sled is 5-6inches on lakes I know :sly:

also once again

KNOW THE ICE CONDITIONS BEFORE HEADING OUT

If there is a foot it is more then safe

also stay on the marked trail or plowed road on the lake/river if you do not know the area

If you feel unsafe about riding or driving on the ice fine don't

This all said this year has not been a good year for ice forming

There is about 15-20inches of ice on both of the Lakes I showed in the pics above about 6-8iches less then normal years

OTI it was an 18yr old that drowned and the other guys made it out of the water

We had a backhoe go through up here too alone a pressure crack,I was surprised they were on that lake as it had just frozen over 2 weeks ago I can't see more then 6-8inches on that lake as of this weekend

BTW that is a huge late freezing lake that always has pressure cracks forming all winter aka I avoid that lake unless I am on the stake line

It takes at least a month more to freeze over then the other lakes around here

Well............ :D Just me putting my perspective on Southerner.....Everyone at every moment is "south" of someone, so therefore we are all Southerners.. :D :lmao: Problem is.......If we become a "southern Weenie" then we might be somewhat different. But I will be the first "southern weenie" to come out and admit it. HeHe..

Smile Everyone :)

Snow4

As long as you are not a Weather Weenie I am ok with it :p

A Weather Weenie is someone who is always pesimistic(sp?)about weather especially the winter types :sly:

[quote]
I'm a weenie. And a Canuck big beef one at that. lol.

:lol: Ha ha I beat you to at least the weenie part at least Snow4.Wow that sounds bad. lmao. I've never thought I was interesting enought to start quoting myself . But As BossHog saw in the Chat room Fri. night I can repeat myself like an alcoholic... I can repeat myself like an alcoholic. Hey did I just say that. LMAO . I'm a weenie. And a Canuck big beef one at that. lol.

He aha hahahahahahaha.