After checking the ice the last 4 hours we have and average of 15″to 18″.  For all you with wheel houses we will only be letting 1/2 ton rated trucks with single axle wheelhouses out of our access for the weekend.  Period….   We have numerous cracks from the cold weather and a pressure ridge that has turned into a crack the last two days that we are not going to bridge until we have more ice, which will probably be after the weekend.  Vehicles like up to 1 ton rated trucks will be ok, but not pulling anything.  There will be maps in the office of where we are going and where we are not because of the ice conditions.

The bite is still good as I found out today from the fishermen out there.  The last couple days with the wind and snow not many showed.  We are pulling our customers houses out and getting them ready for the weekend and it’s shaping up to be a good one I’m thinking despite the cold.

Now for the rant……. I will not do things like they do at Red Lake, or Lake of the Woods where they just let everyone go and take the money.  I’ve been in this business on the ice for longer than most of them even knew how to plow a road and  I’ve seen how roads can get broken up by too much traffic and too much weight on the ice.  I’ve had wheelhouse customers here long before “wheelhouses” were even made by companies now.  Back then there was just a few custom built ones that still far surpass what is out there these days. I  have seen over the years what repeated traffic will do to a road and if any of you “wheelhouse” guys haven’t “got it” yet from your experiences farther north then your not going to.  My main concern is and ALWAYS will be trying to keep things as safe as I can so everyone can enjoy it. (even though ice is NEVER SAFE).  And the biggest thing I’ve seen the last ten years is someone gets a wheelhouse and they think they know more than the guy that’s out there plowing the roads. When the guy out plowing there everyday knows what is going on.  Well… it isn’t happening out of my access here on my watch….  The biggest problem is that there is too many fishermen with new wheelhouses that don’t have a clue what they are doing out there, (and think they do),  these days..

Eddy