Colder here. What's your temp? What ya burnin?

I also had a 71 Olympic with the retractable headlight that used to freeze shut when you went through water bars. My wife had her scarf suck right into the carb (the little stringy things on it) and shut it right down. It took a while to get them out and get going again, of course it was in the dark up in the Mts. Anyway, 23 here now, somethings supposed to be coming here, snow or whatever. Oak and Maple providing the comfort.

 

14* this morning house at 70* staying warm with a mix of Red and White Oak will load OWB later this afternoon. Weather forecast 5 - 9 inches of snow with a chance of sleet witch would lessen the amount. Whatever we get we get will deal with it. Stay wood warm everyone.

 

Still winter out there, and a very messed up jet stream.

 

At or a Little above freezing and a little below at night the last couple of days.
Just sunny and warm enough during the day to make the top inch of lawn/dirt feel like grease under foot / slippery.
Back to burning oak as the red maple just hasn't recovered from getting wet in the big rain when the roof blew off.
The oak is faring better especially those I pull the bark off of.
I really need a purpose-built wood shed. All these panels I cover cords with blowing off in the wind is getting to be lame.

 

We have lots of the Canadian Geese that don't migrate around here in bogs and golf courses. Some of the golf courses hire dogs to chase them away . They have about a hundred of the pests on the college campus across the street. Sidewalks, paths and playing fields get loaded with poops all over. They really are an invasive species that should be removed from the wildlife population.

 

It stayed warm before dawn, so I let the fire burn down, and went out on a local lake to try a new spot. Snow is getting deep, but not deep enough to hinder cross country truck travel. Ice is now pushing 27". I don't think we are going to get enough snow on top to weight the ice down enough for water to be forced up through the cracks and from slush pockets...just have to mind trouble spots where ice heaves typically form and are hidden by snow.

 

Just don't drag anything too big out of the water.

 

Thats what I follow here although I get a bit nervous driving on 12 inches with my truck so I just dont. I will walk on and ice fish with 4 inches of good ice though. The chart looks like others I have seen so it must be generally accepted practices.

 

I was surprised to see my smoker get up above 200f. I guess when I have a 14 lb turkey in it there is more meat to deal with than what I smoked yesterday. We did a small brisket and also some pork ribs. They were great! After awhile we wrapped them in tin foil with a bit of apple juice to finish them off. Everyone enjoyed them. I had wedged some of those interlocking foam floor pads on 3 sides which seemed to help quite a bit. A sturdy blanket sounds like a good idea. I would just have to figure out how the vent on the top would be able to function. Most of my friends who have gotten into smoking have Traegers. The only problem they have is that they have troubles getting the temps down to lower levels to smoke fish. I think Ill be sticking with Bradly but since this unit is pushing 12 years or more I will be replacing it with a newer model in a year or two depending on finances.

 

Old forecast changed to new forecast....went from 3-6" to 4-8" for tonight into Wed. morning.
We usually get on the lower end of forecast. We'll see. The ones that come from the south tend to change that.
26OAT at the moment, 72IAT. Some Ash in the 30. Trying to keep the furnace off this month as much as possible. Although the dollar amount is similar to wood use, it doesn't feel as warm with the furnace.

 

I have both the Bradley and Traeger I use what one calls for the job. I start on side of the blanket at the puck box and bring the other side around to the other side of the control box. Then leave/make a chimney at the opening when smoke comes out. It’s kind of just wrapping the smoke chamber vs putting something over the unit tarp like. You could always put a pipe on an make a chimney and cut a hole in a moving blanket.

 

It’s common here for water to come up through 40+ inch ice. That pic I showed with overflow needed an extension on the auger.

 

Please BE CAUTIOUS using this chart it’s a reference chart, NOT hard and fast rules. This chart is for (NEW CLEAR ICE ONLY)! There are many kinds of ice, clear, cloudy, stained, running, silt, bubbles, snow, anything makes the ice less strong. For instance if it’s snowing while ice is forming i won’t take a snow machine on 12” of ice. I like 18+ for pickup 30” if it has a trailer with a load. Clear ice 60” will hold a Cat D6 that weighs 60,000lbs. I have been getting educated by my local Forster who makes our local ice roads. I have been working on my ice knowledge for 6 winters.

 

Ice should never be considered safe. However, newly formed clear ice is amazingly strong. US Army corp of engineers ice guidelines allow:

Loads on Ice
Required Minimum Ice
Thickness in inches Description of
Safe Moving Load
1-3/4" One person on skies
2" One person on foot or skates
3" One snowmobile
3" A group of people walking single file
7" A single passenger automobile
8" A 2-1/2 ton truck
9"A 3-1/2 ton truck
10" A 7 to 8 ton truck

The problem is ice is generally not uniform, so you can be driving on 12", but end up crossing areas under 10".

Two winters ago I found myself on 10" after cutting my hole. I was already there so I stayed and fished. It held my pickup - no problem, and so sagging/flooding. I had been on 14" the day before in a different spot. The main thing is to drive slow so that you don't create a wave under the ice which can severely weaken it ahead of you.

I saw a guy drive a full size Ford LTD station wagon on 8" of new ice. He was drunk and luckily made it to shore after driving on, whipping a few donuts, hooping and hollering out his open window, then back to the landing.

I wait for 5" for pulling out my house with the quad, but I check often with a tape measure as I go.

 

This is true. I won't drive my pickup on 18" if it has been warm and the ice is old. If it starts to look bad, it is probably bad in spots.

 

It should be said that no two bodies of water, will have the same ice formations. All ice is to be taken on it’s own merits and will not be the same kind of ice from year to year even though geographical location is same.

 

Ski-Doo added the Expedition to the utility lineup, puts a-arms and a wider stance on the Skandic or Tundra chassis. Anyone of these machines would pull your ice house. These 4 stroke motors are incredible 20 mpg pulling a sleigh every where. Quite as a auto, reliable, no smell. The yellow Skandic is 550 fan with AAEN pipes and muffler, run AMSoil dominator (superior 2 stroke oil). Grey Skandic is a 900 ace, great motor until it’s colder than -45 below but once it’s started for the day it’s fine. Tundra is 600 ace great all around package weight to power. I need a expedition next 20x154, 2 speed trans, 900 ace.

 

Train Wreck Reaction Gif

 

Suns out, mild temps-what more to ask for...spruce has the house warm!

Now back to snow machine talk.