After our last thaw, when it rained and rained over the days leading into the New Year, the temperatures dropped and we had one of the largest skating rinks in the land. Lake of Bays was one giant ice pad. Though at first we weren't 100% sure that the thickness of the ice would make it 100% safe - our "safe" thickness for walking on is at least 4" - we did our checks and it passed our criteria .
We decided to clear off a patch not too far from shore. The snow that covered the lake was feather light and the ice surface beneath was as smooth as a baby's bottom, maybe smoother! Armed with a few shovels, we pushed the snow out towards the perimeters to expose our rink. It wasn't a tough job and we had our rink cleared off in less than an hour.
What a glorious opportunity to experience skating on one of the purest sheets of ice....no extra water, no hoses, no zamboni. It was amazing!
To make it even more incredible, we ventured beyond the boundaries of our rink. Out into Haystack Bay we pushed. One stride after another, with only a few inches of snow blanketing the the ice, we found the surface below to be just as smooth. There was little or no resistance from the snow and it was is if we were gliding only on the white blanket. It was "powder skating". . what fun!
