How do you know the ice is thick enough to walk on?
Asking for a friend.
Ask the friend to walk onit first.
One way to tell if the ice is safe, is to walk on the snowmobile tracks. If the track ends, the machine broke through the ice.
I may ask the guys in the parking lot, who are packing up their fishing gear, how deep the ice is.
I also use a walking pole (especially on the lake) if I find an open fish hole, not frozen over I can stick my pole in the water to measure the ice. I like finding at least one foot thick of ice.
If trucks and cars are out on the lake, the ice is safe. I always wear a florescent orange hat. If I fall through the ice, they can find my hat.
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This morning as I took my first step out onto Medicine Lake, I remembered the most important thing I do for safety:
I recite the Hail Mary.