Almost time for skis (alaska)

[Jim Hartley]

Re: Almost time for skis (alaska)

Hi all!
Did three check holes with a steel pole bar on Anderson Lake a few minutes ago. Two holes showed 11 inches and one showed 7 inches. Good enough for my Tcraft. It will be some time for heavy weights,such as cars and trucks or heavy aircraft. The upper two to three inches is aerated and as I hit it with the bar it breaks an separates into pieces,so any heavy weight would most likely break through that and then the thickness of the ice below would have to support the weight. took about 8 to 10 good jabs with the bar to go through the ice.

Hey Dick how much snow do you have on your lake? I am going to shoot for this Tuesday to get my skis on and may get down your way soon. by the way I bought a 10.5 HP snowblower and I think it will be just the ticket for clearing my tie-down area on the lake. It is a protected area so there is no drifting. When you come up this way you can rest easy with out worrying about the wind. As you know we can really get it here in the valley.

Jim

[Dick Smith]

Re: Almost time for skis (alaska)

Jim, we have about 11 or 12 inches also...same with the upper, whitish ice, but O.K. for operating on. I drilled and planted one tie-down a couple of days ago. May move the plane to the lake tomorrow. The open water that I mentioned several days ago, next to a beaver lodge, has frozen over. The snow depth is about 3 inches(settled) and maybe six inches in the drifts. There was a weird optical effect on the lake today, when the low angle of the sun, from the South, made the drifts appear to be nearly 2 feet high! I walked out there and got down on my knees, face nearly on the ice; the depth of the snow in the drifts was about 5 or 6 inches deep. When I first looked out on the lake, it looked like you would hit a 2-foot high, rounded drift about every 30 feet! Things aren't always as they appear...Drop in if you can...you're always welcome!! Dick

[Dick Smith]

Re: Almost time for skis (alaska)

Alaska Tribe, I'm finally tied down on the ice here at the house! Still 12 inches of solid ice...3 inches of slush on top, capped with about 6 or 7 inches of snow. Am blocked up on firewood and it is raining...here we go again! I landed about 30 minutes before dark...using standard "glassy water" float technique and staying close to the treeline on the edge of the lake...maybe should have left the floats on, given the amount of water that refuses to freeze! Dick

[matsuthunder200]

Re: Almost time for skis (alaska)

Ill have my skes on tomarrow. going to haul some fuel this weekend to the cabin. mabe look for some wolves...............

[matsuthunder200]

Re: Almost time for skis (alaska)

Well i finaly got to fly today. I got my skes on yesterday afternoon. Left the plane in the hanger over night. Flew out to the cabin this morning. There is about 4 and a half feet of snow out in the skwentna area. only about a foot or so on the lakes. No overflow on my lake. The yetna is froze. Snow machine trail all the way to skwentna up the rivers.. Landed on the yetna on the way back. Good ice and the snow was packed from the snow machines..

[Dick Smith]

Re: Almost time for skis (alaska)

Here is a link that shows one good reason to watch out for bad or thin ice!

http://www.dougronan.com/salvaging185.htm

Also, on the SuperCub Forum, ran across a calculation for determining safe ice thickness:

Figure gross wt in tons... figure the SQ root...multiply by 4...multiply by a 1.2 safety factor...which gives the safe ice factor.
eg: 3500 lbs. gw = 1.75 tons ... sr = 1.323
1.323 x 4 = 5.3" x 1.2 safety factor = 6.36 inches of ice Assuming
fresh water... clear ice.

I think this is pretty close for good, new ice. However, having been through the ice once, I think I'll multiply by my own personal, "Additional chill factor" of 2.083334!! So, with an 85 horse Taylorcraft loaded to go....figure:
1280 lbs. /2000 = .64...square root gives .8..., .8 times 4 = 3.2 , 3.2 X 1.2 = 3.84 inches, which will very likely hold you up fine...!

So...3.84 X "2.083334 chicken factor" = 8.0000025 inches, which agrees with Jim Hartley's ice chisel! Like Forest Gump, "that's all I have to say about that"...

[matsuthunder200]

Re: Almost time for skis (alaska)

dick to bad they dont have a pucker factor for overflow lol.............

[Steve Long]

Re: Almost time for skis (alaska)

Another problem is drifting! I'm on skis now at Lake Hood but the drifts are too large to safely take off. The maintenance guys say they need 12" of ice to run their groomers and I think there is a good 10" where I park my plane. Today it's 40 degrees here and the wind has wipped the snow off our lawn in the South part of town. Are the lakes in the valley in any better shape? And how is it at your place Dick? Anxious to fly. Steve.

[Dick Smith]

Re: Almost time for skis (alaska)

Steve, I just came in off the lake...raised the plane about 3 or 4 inches more on pieces of firewood. There is about 3 inches of water on top of approx. 12 inches of ice, with about 6 inches of new, rained-on snow on top. . I wouldn't worry about landing out here, would just circle several times to pack down in the place where I planned to park. But would have something to put under the skis, to avoid problems. I'm hoping for some cooler wx to solidify things! We will need to plan something, so when the temps drop, we can get going. Dick

[Dan Mahalak]

Re: Almost time for skis (alaska)

Hey dick, jim, steve, lance, et alll....Bear Lake is officially open...lots of snomachine activity on the lake...Still have apporx 14 inches on snow on top of at least 8 inches of ice...but it is going fast..........rain rain rain.

Bear Lake Lodgings had its grand opening over the new year with our first five happy guests.

I am wiling to host here for a great weekend........just have to get the Wx.

https://www.bearlakelodgings.com

[Jim Hartley]

Re: Almost time for skis (alaska)

Hey Dan! I never got a reply from you on the Bone cracker in Wasilla. What is her name?

What is your plan on hosting a fly-in? Costs and so forth?

Jim

I am wiling to host here for a great weekend........just have to get the Wx.
www.bearlakelodgings.com

[Dan Mahalak]

Re: Almost time for skis (alaska)

Hey Jim, Happy new year.
More on the bone cracker later..(I will get it to ya, i promise) I can say that she will most certainly fit inside a tcraft though.

Having never hosted a flyin, not sure what to expect. But, if you guys have been flying into those pesky state and federal cabins, then you all will surely fit in my place, as you remeber. Cost are all yours.(personal of course) big problem now is that we are between gas operators at the PAWD, so no av gas is currently avail. I figured some bbq would do the trick. It could be a fun weekend.