12-17-2021, 04:42 PM
One cold day, Randy and I were fishing off of the campground point, west of Strawberry Marina. Because it was cold and windy, I put up my ice tent and climbed inside. I was still a little cold, so I decided to also light my propane heater. I screwed on a small tank of propane and then sparked my lighter. There was a huge flash and my tent lifted maybe 6 inches straight up. I had piled some snow around the base of the tent, but hadn't bothered to tie it down. I reached for one of the support bars, just as a breeze caught the tent and started lifting it up. I would almost catch up to it and another breeze would start it rolling again. I ended up chasing that tent all the way across the ice, until I was almost in front of the boat ramp. I made another leap for it and was grateful to finally land on top of it. About that time, my cell phone rang and Randy asked how I was doing. I said, "Randy, do you realize where I am?" He looked outside of his tent and saw all of my gear set up on the ice, but no tent. He finally saw me in the distance.
The only damage, other than me being exhausted from the chase, was the line was burnt off, near the rod tips, on both rods, that were hanging down the ice holes. I have learned to let the heater sit for a few minutes, before lighting it, to allow for any spilled propane to dissipate.
The only damage, other than me being exhausted from the chase, was the line was burnt off, near the rod tips, on both rods, that were hanging down the ice holes. I have learned to let the heater sit for a few minutes, before lighting it, to allow for any spilled propane to dissipate.