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Story by Tim Jones
Photograph by Stephen O. Muskie

If you're smart, though, you'll take a minute to think before you venture out onto untested ice. What looks safe from shore can be a trap to send you plunging into, well, into ice water, which can ruin your whole day -- not to mention ending your whole life. So proceed with caution.

That's the old saying, and it's a good one. Take a hard look at the ice before you leap. Clear blue ice is the strongest, and it still takes three inches to safely hold a single person, and five to six inches to safely hold a group of people or a snowmobile. You supposedly can venture out onto thinner ice if you distribute your weight over a wider area with skis or snowshoes, but do you really want to take the chance?

Some people will drive on eight inches of clear blue ice. Not me! I don't care how thick the ice is, or how many cars I see out there, my vehicle stays safely on solid ground. Yes, I know they hold auto races on thick ice, and drive logging trucks and dump trucks across it. But not my car!

Ice is too inconsistent: Milky, honeycombed ice that has air bubbles or snow crystals trapped in it is much weaker and less trustworthy than clear blue ice. Water currents under the ice or springs can create weaker spots that will hold up people but not anything heavier.

Snow cover complicates things with ice. Not only does it keep you from visually checking the ice for inconsistencies, it also insulates and inhibits ice formation. So be doubly careful before venturing out onto a snow-covered pond or lake.

The only way to tell how thick ice is, of course, is to cut a hole in it with a chisel or auger. Start near shore and make several test cuts as you go out. Remember that ice thickness isn't consistent, water currents (particularly around narrow spots, bridges, inlets and outlets) are always suspect. Never trust the ice on a river or stream -- it can be several feet thick in one place, and unsafe only a short distance away.

On really cold days, you are likely to hear the ice rumbling and pinging. Sometimes you'll even see long cracks developing. That makes a lot of people nervous. But if the ice is thick enough to hold you safely, don't panic. Those rumblings and crackings are the sound of pressure being relieved as more ice forms beneath the surface. The ice is actually getting safer!

First Rule: Don't panic!

Second Rule: Don't venture out without a companion, who can lie down on the ice to distribute his weight over a wider area and pass you the end of a branch, rope, belt, or even a coat sleeve (whatever is handy!) to help pull you onto the ice, where you can roll or wiggle to safety. Several people can form a human chain with the lightest reaching out to you.

If you're alone, get your arms onto the ice and kick hard with your feet to help lift you onto the ice, then roll to safety.

A frozen pond or lake is a beautiful part of New England in winter. Enjoy it, but enjoy it safely.