My estimate is that there was marginal ice last weekend (okay in spots, but not consistently solid), while given the recent cold temperatures there could be more consistent solid ice, but the ice is buried under a healthy layer of snow that makes it not skateable. (Worse, with snow cover it’s harder to monitor any potential thin spots). Illinois may have a few lakes and ponds that have been shoveled, but the cool thing about canal ice skating is that you go somewhere rather than just going in circles.
0 Comments
I admit at first I felt a little schadenfreude, a German word for pleasure taken from observing the misery of another, about the Blago drama given his hostility to the Hennepin and I&M (see the blog posts from earlier this year). But upon further reflection I had a realization that park funding is in jeopardy everywhere. Safe ice thickness for various activities requires varying levels of thickness based on the weight of what is venturing out onto the ice. Skating on natural ice is different than on a Zamboni'd indoor rink. Because the ice can have bumps, ruts, and even a dusting of snow, its much easier to skate in special "nordic skates". The blade of a nordic skate is different, and clips into a cross-country ski boot. The blade is often even a little longer than a speedskate blade (think Bonnie Blair-type skates), and is probably more than double the length of a hockey skate or figure skate blade. Besides the longer length, the other advantage of a nordic skate is that it is a "tall" blade coupled with a "prow" as the front edge to cut over ruts and even a little bit of snow. (Here's a link to buy blades: http://www.nordicskater.com/blades.html ) |
Editor - JimThis blog weighs in on topics such as long-distance skating, the Illinois canals, cycling, and a variety of related (and occasionally not-so-related) topics. I'd like to correspond with others interested in skating the Hennepin and I&M canals. Archives
November 2020
Categories |