[wildkat]

Well it has arrived...the last ice crossing for 2008! Thank you Lord! There was SOOOO much water & slush on the ice! :shock: :shock:

It was 50F the whole trip, so I would say it is safe to assume that spring had FINALLY arrived! YAHOO! Back to the BUG season soon, matter of fact I saw my very first mosquito this morning!

Here's some pictures I took... It was pretty nerve wracking to say the least!

I forgot my life jacket...hope the puddles aren't too deep...


Onto the Ice:





Big puddles!





New meaning for SLUSH!!





Nother big puddle:





Don't look DOWN! :lol: :lol:



I have no words that will describe the feeling of this crossing...white knuckle all the way! Wonder what's under that water??? Hopefully NOT a big whole! The river is over 100 ft deep here...we tease the newbies this time of year...tell 'em to do up seatbelts tight....easier to find the bodies! :wink: :wink:

Truthfully, they wouldn't allow us out there if it wasn't safe to cross, there was a sonar truck out on the road when I went over it...so I KNEW it was ok! It's just NOT my favorite time of year!

[mommee]

Glad you are done for the season and all is well. All that water would rattle my nerves. Nevermind the fact that I can't swim. :wink: I really enjoyed the pictures.

[wildkat]

Me too mommee, now it's onto something else till the ferry is back in the water in about six weeks.

Even if one could swim you wouldn't last more than a minute or two in this water, as it is barely above freezing at anytime in the year & the current runs around 60 mph.

I've only ever heard of 2 that ever went into the river up there, the bodies were never recovered, but that was many years ago now.

[Rev.Vassago]

Fix that cracked windshield, or I'm gonna have to put you OOS.

[wildkat]

I DID...last week, cost me 300 freakin dollars...now I have to do it again...jhc!

[RebelDarlin]

:shock: :shock: :shock:

You are Somethin' Lady! I don't know if I could do that!

[Windwalker]

I'm guessing that the "SONAR TRUCK" checks the thickness of the ice. But is it able to tell if the ice is getting "ROTTEN" or not? I know that when it starts to get water on top, you can throw a stone into it, the stone goes through, and you get a bunch of "ice spikes" sticking up out of it. Don't even try walking on it, much less driving anything over it.

I can't say I'd have any problem doing the job, but don't have the opportunity. Not meaning that to diminish anything you do. I'd say you deserve all the respect you get for what you do. Thanks for sharing the pics.

[wildkat]

Originally Posted by Windwalker

I'm guessing that the "SONAR TRUCK" checks the thickness of the ice. But is it able to tell if the ice is getting "ROTTEN" or not? I know that when it starts to get water on top, you can throw a stone into it, the stone goes through, and you get a bunch of "ice spikes" sticking up out of it. Don't even try walking on it, much less driving anything over it.

I can't say I'd have any problem doing the job, but don't have the opportunity. Not meaning that to diminish anything you do. I'd say you deserve all the respect you get for what you do. Thanks for sharing the pics.

Well from what I understand when they "sonar" the ice it also finds weak places & such...and I have also seen them out there with a "pick" poking the ice...that's the way they did it in the old days!

One of the portages blew out from a truck speeding..I heard the guy got the scare of his life...don't think he'll ever do THAT again! There's a REASON the speed limits are 15 mph! Also got a 25,000$ fine & had to pay the cost of repairing the road...

[CrazyTulip]

Originally Posted by RebelDarlin

:shock: :shock: :shock:

You are Somethin' Lady! I don't know if I could do that!

:shock: :shock: :shock: You don't know Rebel?? I KNOW I ain't going to do that!!! :shock: :shock: :shock: I mean I love watching the show but no way I would go do it; I'd be freaked OUT! :lol:

[wildkat]

Originally Posted by CrazyTulip

:shock: :shock: :shock: You don't know Rebel?? I KNOW I ain't going to do that!!! :shock: :shock: :shock: I mean I love watching the show but no way I would go do it; I'd be freaked OUT! :lol:

Thanks Reb..I try not to worry about it most of the time. I just do what's gotta be done!

Tulip...Don't worry, I WAS freaked out...I DON'T like it in the spring... I just do it cause it's part of my job. In winter, "Deep Freeze" thread, it's just fine, but in spring...well that's different. In spring, the "fight or flight" instinct is pretty close to taking over, but I do what I can to keep it in check. Having a "cool head" is what gets me through these last few crossings in spring. I can just bet you there's alot of things that you guys go through everyday that would really "freak" me out & you guys think nothing of it. For instance, I don't now if I could drive through some of your cities like LA, we just don't HAVE cities like that up here, & I'd likely be a babbling idiot by the time I was through it! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Years ago when I used to run stateside, places like Chicago were enough to set my teeth on edge... I just can't imagine it now! My hat is off to the rest of YOU!