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Some
time around the
middle of
February, James
and the
"boys"
decide that they
need a little
bit of fresh
air, sunshine
and excercise.
This, as luck
would have
it, this
is also
precisely the
time that a
thick layer of
ice has formed
on the northern
lakes. Not for
snowmobiling or
any other
similar leisure
pastime! Nothing
as mundane for
these lads. No,
they are looking
forward to
making their
annual
pilgrimage on
Lady Evelyn Lake
to perform the
ritual "ICE
CUTTING"! Many
have expressed
interest in
attending, few
have returned
year after year.
But the 8 or 9
lads that have
toughed it out
are a hardy but
fun-lovin'
bunch. Usually a
4 day tour of
duty fills the
ice house with
(we hope) enough
blocks of ice to
last the lodge
through the
following summer
season. Our
most recent
(2007) ice
cutting
adventure...  
#1
swap your boat
for a
snowmobile...
#2 find
Red Pine Island
about 9 miles
down a rough
trail...
 
It's
usually under a
few feet of
snow...
 
#3
Discover you
have forgotten
the gas-powered
snowblower --
let your friend
do most of the
shovelling...
 
#4
Start up the old
ice saw and
begin
cutting...
I'm the only one
working! Must be
lunch...
 
#5
Smash out the
corner blocks
(like getting
the first
brownie out of
the pan) then
use a
"spud"
(a long, heavy
pipe with a
blade on the
end) to knock at
the bottom of
the cut. This is
called
"cutting
dry"
because the ice
cutting blade
only saws down
12", not
completely
through the ice
to the lake
below. You can
see some of the
blocks stacked
up behind the
workers. The
blocks are
14" square
and 12"
thick. They
weigh somewhere
around 80 lbs.
each.
 
#6
Spud, lift,
spud, lift,
spud, groan,
lift...
 
#7
Spud some more
and then load up
the sleigh...
Bill Challis,
the previous
owner of Red
Pine gets to
drive...
 
#8
Up to the ice
house, where 350
blocks or so
will have a
happy
home. Snow
is packed
between the
layers of ice
for added
insulation. (The
walls of the
building have
styrofoam).
We top the whole
thing off with 2
feet of a large
chips of cedar
sawdust for more
insulation.
The sawdust also
allows for
evaporation
which aids in
keeping the mass
cool. How
cool is that?
Really cool...
 
#9
Park your
machine after a
hard day's
work...
#10 Wait
for spring...
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