Saturday, January 12, 2013. Really cold. Like 400 degrees below zero. Fahrenheit.
Dang. I forgot to put on sunscreen.
When the steam from the cement plant is doing this, you know it’s a pretty serious inversion. But we’d decided to do a ski at the lake, so it’s off to the lake we go.
We’re not out there alone, either. Ice fisherfolk are all over the place: a regular little village has sprouted on top of the lake.
And it doesn’t look easy getting all that stuff out there:
How much of that is beer, do you think?
Some folks tough it out without the little house. Would someone please explain to me the appeal of this sport?
Of course, who is it who’s wandering around out here with no beer and no chance of catching something good to eat?
Off the Beaten Path: Hikes, Backpacks, and Travels 
And I imagine you weren’t carrying the rquisite supply of maggots. . .
Well, I’m pretty sure that I, at least, was maggot-free.
At least you were keeping warm and getting some exercise. Brrr.
Stayed warm for about an hour, and that was it. I don’t think I’d make a good arctic explorer.
Really cute pictures! You had me smiling :))
Nice!
I enjoyed the pictures and the humor! Nice work.
Thanks.
Well, most of the shanties do have heaters :p. We went out last weekend and were perfectly toastTh The guys without shelters are… dedicated.
Just read your ice fishing post: great!
It was so cold up here too! So impressed that you were moving fast at these temps! Well done, I love reading your stuff!
Thanks so much.
Part of the allure if ice fishing compared to regular fishing is the fact the water is crystal clear, and when you set up the tent and block out the light, you can actually see down into the hole and watch fish come up to your bait and swim through the hole etc. Also hubby has expanded and now has a camera you put down the hole and you can see around down there because the cold water is so clear. Now, my view is more like yours in the fact that my feet are on ice for hours no matter how hot the tent is, and bending over a hole sitting on a five gallon pail is not my idea of a great time.
That actually sounds very cool. I knew there had to be some appeal to this whole sitting on the ice thing!
Wow! Your post and these pics are amazing! Living in Central Texas, we don’t have many opportunities to see snow unless we travel north! Today, it was cloudy and stayed in the low 30s for most of the day. I didn’t want to leave the house! Isn’t that pathetic? I’m impressed you were out there enjoying the weather!
Are you sure there are no beer cans stuffed in your pockets? You should read this post about ice fishing written by a Minnesotan:
http://oldandintheway.org/2013/02/04/ice-fishing-answering-the-question-why/
He explains why he ice fishes.
Cold beer in my pockets? Yikes – I don’t think so. I just checked out the ice fishing post, and now I get it! Great post.