Ice-Out Weekend

April 30th through May 4th, 1997

Lake Lucerne
Ice-Out weekend! Or so we were told. When we pulled onto Knott Lane it looked like late February rather than late April
Lake Lucerne
The temperature did get better (air temperature, not Lake temperature) and the lake was, in fact, free of ice.
Lake Lucerne
It was time to add boat to water, if said boat was removed from the water last fall. It was noted that boats left in the lake over the Winter did not fare well.
Lake Lucerne
What's for breakfast? The special at the Log Cabin is two eggs any style, O'Briens, sausage, and toast. We suggest that.
Lake Lucerne
The sugarmen were pulling the last batch of Maple Syrup from the cooker on Saturday night.
Lake Lucerne
Instead of getting all sticky helping at the sap shack, we hiked to the East shore and watched a fading Comet Hale-Bopp set over the lake.
Lake Lucerne
The ice went out the day before we arrived. More importantly, it stayed out. In addition to comets, breakfasts, and maple syrup, there was also some smelting on Saturday night. The smelt-men got a few of the wee beasties, but it was believed that most of the smelt had already run under the ice. We got word of the smelting while watching Hale-Bopp when Lt came down to the dock on the West shore. The air was so still and calm that we heard the smelter planning the net set up even though we were almost a half mile away on the opposite shore. After hearing him, we participated in a very strange conversion between us East shore comet watchers and the West shore smelters. Each inquiry and reply was delayed for almost 5 seconds as the sound traveled back and forth across the lake. Voices were raised to a level suitable for people 5 to 10 feet apart. Strange, yet cool. We'll be back to add ski boats to the water in 2 weeks.


-Nemo pleads for no more snow this Spring.