03-19-2009, 11:44 PM
Noke jokes, here. Let me start by saying my Wife and I are okay.
So my wife (nmlacquay) an I took the kids to day care and hit willard this morning. Said hi to Tubedude treal quick on the way out to the hole that I found the fish in yesterday.
Stuff was going good, the wife reading her book, me watching the fish finder, but no fish. So as we trolled around the north shoreling we saw a path in the ice that headed south. So be in a adventuriouse mood we headed south, all the way to the south marina. LOTS AND LOTS of open water at the south marina. We trolled around there for a little bit, then it was time head home.
We got back to the north shore threw the same path that we got to the south side on. But when we got back to the northern shoreling and started to follow it so we could get back to the north marina we found the the ice shifted and moved into the shore. Yes, we were trapped! We tried to bust through the ice with the boat, but no luck. We tried to look for another way to the north marina but there wasn't one. No joke, we wee trapped on the water.
We could get back to the south marina but what good would that do? The truck and boat trailer were parked at the south marina.
So knowing that the ice was shifting, I told my wife we had to move FAST we couldn't hessitate. I dropped her at on the northern shore so she could walk the dike back to the Game Warden office, get the truck and have the Game Warden open the south marina road so we could load up there. There wasn't another option, and I had to move fast to get back through the path that we used to get to the south and back, becasue I was sure it was closing on us.
So off she went and I had to race the clock (and ice) back through the path. Sure enough when I got half way through it, it was closed off. So, now I am in panic mode and had to turn the boat around and quick! As I was heading BACK to the north I actually saw the ice closing on me. I knew I had to make it back to the open water by the north shore so I at least could get on land, even if I had to leave the boat, I would be safe.
When I got back over to the north, where I dropped the wife off, I look to the west and could see that I could make it to the corner. So I dropped the hammer and off I went. When I made it to the corner, I saw that I could keep going, so Thats what I did. I knew that if I could make it back to the open water on the south end of the lake I would be fine. I made it all the way around and could see the open water on the south end that I was hoping for. But the ice along that shoreline started to get REAL close to the rocks. I slowed down and babied the boat along. Then I saw the ice... there was about 20 feet of ice between me and the open water that I needed. I hit the gas and decided to just smash my way though it. When I hit it, I found that it was only slush, not ice... Thank you Lord!!!!
Well, I made it to the south end and had LOTS of open water and easy access to the south marina, so I killed the motor and call the DNR office who patched me through to the Willard office to let them know where I was, and to make sure my wife made it there okay. She was walking in just as I called.
The ranger/game warden drove my wife to the truck and then had her follow him to the south marina and he opened it up for us. We got the boat loaded, said thank you 10 million times, and headed for home.
It could have been MUCH worse, while shooting throught the canal in the middle of the lake trying to beat the ice back to the north dike, if I would have hit one of tose ice chunks or the ice on either side of the canal, I know the boat would have flipped on me. Jesus himself was on the boat today, I'm sure of it.
Ya know what, to make it all worse, we didn't even catch anything.....[crazy]
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So my wife (nmlacquay) an I took the kids to day care and hit willard this morning. Said hi to Tubedude treal quick on the way out to the hole that I found the fish in yesterday.
Stuff was going good, the wife reading her book, me watching the fish finder, but no fish. So as we trolled around the north shoreling we saw a path in the ice that headed south. So be in a adventuriouse mood we headed south, all the way to the south marina. LOTS AND LOTS of open water at the south marina. We trolled around there for a little bit, then it was time head home.
We got back to the north shore threw the same path that we got to the south side on. But when we got back to the northern shoreling and started to follow it so we could get back to the north marina we found the the ice shifted and moved into the shore. Yes, we were trapped! We tried to bust through the ice with the boat, but no luck. We tried to look for another way to the north marina but there wasn't one. No joke, we wee trapped on the water.
We could get back to the south marina but what good would that do? The truck and boat trailer were parked at the south marina.
So knowing that the ice was shifting, I told my wife we had to move FAST we couldn't hessitate. I dropped her at on the northern shore so she could walk the dike back to the Game Warden office, get the truck and have the Game Warden open the south marina road so we could load up there. There wasn't another option, and I had to move fast to get back through the path that we used to get to the south and back, becasue I was sure it was closing on us.
So off she went and I had to race the clock (and ice) back through the path. Sure enough when I got half way through it, it was closed off. So, now I am in panic mode and had to turn the boat around and quick! As I was heading BACK to the north I actually saw the ice closing on me. I knew I had to make it back to the open water by the north shore so I at least could get on land, even if I had to leave the boat, I would be safe.
When I got back over to the north, where I dropped the wife off, I look to the west and could see that I could make it to the corner. So I dropped the hammer and off I went. When I made it to the corner, I saw that I could keep going, so Thats what I did. I knew that if I could make it back to the open water on the south end of the lake I would be fine. I made it all the way around and could see the open water on the south end that I was hoping for. But the ice along that shoreline started to get REAL close to the rocks. I slowed down and babied the boat along. Then I saw the ice... there was about 20 feet of ice between me and the open water that I needed. I hit the gas and decided to just smash my way though it. When I hit it, I found that it was only slush, not ice... Thank you Lord!!!!
Well, I made it to the south end and had LOTS of open water and easy access to the south marina, so I killed the motor and call the DNR office who patched me through to the Willard office to let them know where I was, and to make sure my wife made it there okay. She was walking in just as I called.
The ranger/game warden drove my wife to the truck and then had her follow him to the south marina and he opened it up for us. We got the boat loaded, said thank you 10 million times, and headed for home.
It could have been MUCH worse, while shooting throught the canal in the middle of the lake trying to beat the ice back to the north dike, if I would have hit one of tose ice chunks or the ice on either side of the canal, I know the boat would have flipped on me. Jesus himself was on the boat today, I'm sure of it.
Ya know what, to make it all worse, we didn't even catch anything.....[crazy]
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