Noises on the lake?

[Langenbrunner15 0]

While I am skating around..and doing my thing..sometimes I hear like a cracking noise..or almost like the ice moving..but I know the ice is thick enough for me to be skating on...and keep in mind I am only about 135 lbs.

[rogue 0]

That's fine its nothing to worry about, its just the sounds of the ice expanding and shifting. It happens all the time on all lakes. It would be doing that even if you weren't on there.

[mack 44]

It has to be Ogopogo or one of its relatives.

Option B is OMG THE EARTH IS SUPERHEATING!!

[Monty22 831]

I used to live next to a lake, and that's a sound you never really get used to while skating. As posted before me, as long as the ice is thick enough to be on, it's perfectly normal, just not normal sounding.

[Langenbrunner15 0]

Good...my lake hasn't frozen in a bout 2 years enoghh for me to skate..and i forgot the sounds that go on out there..

[drisco487 0]

the ice is settling

[usahockey22 0]

yea, sometimes you hear a loud crack, or you might hear a metallic sounding thud that echoes through the ice...doesn't mean anything bad, but can be a bit unnerving if you aren't sure about the thickness.

[Langenbrunner15 0]

yea, sometimes you hear a loud crack, or you might hear a metallic sounding thud that echoes through the ice...doesn't mean anything bad, but can be a bit unnerving if you aren't sure about the thickness.

Damn right...I couldnt take it anymore yesterday so i got off..

[willy0314 0]

if you are really worried, you could always go punch a hole in the ice to see how thick it is. Or use some of those arm floaties as elbow pads.

[Edge 0]

if you are really worried, you could always go punch a hole in the ice to see how thick it is. Or use some of those arm floaties as elbow pads.

hahaha good thinking!

[biff44 0]

I just HATE that sound!

Remember when I was a kid noodling around, whacked the puck and it went way out to the center of the lake. The lake was spring fed--ie the ice was really thick in spots, and really thin where the springs came it. So I am skating out and notice that the color of the ice is getting much darker, then I start hearing some interesting sounds. Boy, was it a LONG skate back to the shore, where it was nice and thick!

You are supposed to make sure the ice is at least 4" thick of "new clear ice"!

I saw a nifty thing once in a magazine. They took two dowels, about 4 inches long and 3/4 inch diameter. They drilled a hole along the center, took a 20 penny nail, cut off the flat head, and stuck them in the hole of each dowels. Now you had two wood handles with the nails sticking out. You put corks over the two nail points. If you fell through the ice, you could reach into your pocket, grab the two dowels, and use them to stab into the ice to pull yourself back out.

Found a link:

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/claws.html

And some safety tips:

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/index.html