Many New Englanders grow up skating on small ponds and rinks in winter. But there’s a group of people in New Hampshire who are setting their sights – and skates – on wild ice. That’s the natural ice that forms on larger bodies of water like lakes and rivers.
In this segment of NHPR’s new series, How to New Hampshire, we go to Lake Winnipesaukee to learn how to skate safely on wild ice.
“You get out a mile from shore and you can’t hear any of the normal sounds of human activity. It is just incredibly peaceful,” Jamie Hess said. He’s a devoted wild ice skater who used to run a local shop that rented wild ice equipment.
Hess took NHPR Morning Edition host Rick Ganley out for a quick tour on a frozen Winnipesaukee this winter. Here are some of his tips for people — like Rick — who are interested in trying wild ice skating for the first time:
Always bring a buddy or join a group
Skating on big bodies of water is inherently risky, and Hess says you need to keep safety top of mind. Having another person with you ensures that someone can be around to help if you end up in an unsafe situation. If you’re a beginner, go skating with someone who’s already familiar with wild ice and can tell where it’s safe to skate.
Hess runs a listserv for wild ice skating enthusiasts, and he will often offer free wild ice skating tours on lakes and rivers throughout New Hampshire. Going out with an experienced group is a good opportunity for beginners to learn the basics of “reading the ice.”
Observe the ice
Reading the ice means observing the qualities of the ice you’re skating on. On big bodies of water like Lake Winnipesaukee, ice will change texture, strength and color from one area to another.
“It’s one thing to be a proficient ice skater with good technique so you can do circles on a rink and go as fast as you want,” Hess said. “It’s another thing to be able to read the ice, to understand what you’re looking at and why it looks the way it does.”
Hess says to make sure to check the weather the day you’re going out. Ice strength can change over a day depending on sun exposure and temperatures. Northern New England wild ice skaters often share weather and ice quality readings in facebook groups or on Hess’s listserv.
Test the ice
Sometimes it’s not clear how safe ice is just using our eyes. Bring poles that you can test the ice with as you skate (more on skating equipment below).
“Anytime you see a change in color or texture, you need to stop and test the ice,” Hess said. “As long as the color and texture are consistent, you can do quick jabs as you're skating along to make sure that it's really as consistent as you think it is.”
Always bring safety equipment
For wild ice skating you’re going to need some gear that will likely be new to you:
Ice claws: These are a must. Ice claws are self rescue picks that hang around your neck while skating. You can use them to haul yourself out of the water if you fall through the ice.
“It happened to me once, and I had myself back up on top of the ice in about five seconds,” Hess said. “And my clothes weren't even wet all the way through.”
- Ski helmet: It’s easy to take a fall while skating. Hess says no matter how good a skater you are, protect your head on the ice.
- Nordic Skates: You may already have hockey or figure skates, but those won’t hold up as well out on wild ice, which is much bumpier and will sometimes have snow that could get caught under your blades. Nordic skates are meant for skating miles out on wild ice so they will be far more stable on your frozen adventure.
Zoey Knox/NHPRA wild ice skater on Lake Winnipesaukee puts on their skates. - Ice poles: You can use ice poles to regularly test the strength of the ice by jabbing them down (make sure to avoid your foot!). They are also great for balancing. Hess says if you’re not a great skater, you can push off your poles without moving your legs to get across the ice.
“The important thing is you can still have fun on the ice. If you've got poles, you can just double pole all over a huge lake,” Hess said.
If you don’t have equipment, you can rent, buy or ask around and see if you can borrow some gear. But Jamie Hess also said that beginners who go on tours with him can let him know they don’t have equipment and he’ll bring it for them.
“I can't outfit dozens of people,” said Hess. “But if there are a couple of newbies who've never done it before and they want to join a tour and they haven't had time to assemble the necessary set of equipment yet, I'm happy to fill in the gaps and loan them whatever it is they need.”
Enjoy the ice
Wild ice skater Kitty Bartlett traveled from Western Vermont to join Hess’s tour on Winnipesaukee. She says the wild ice skating community here is welcoming to beginners.
“You can show up on any body of water, and there are people that you've never seen before who are so joyous about getting together and going skating. And it's kind of this instant community” Bartlett said. “I love that there are so many people around [who are] really generous with their time and information to bring other people into the fold and really show them what it's all about.”
With these steps, you too can discover a new way to enjoy a New Hampshire winter.
