Well, I got up this weekend and got on the ice a bit. A MAJOR word of caution for people going out of public access in Sunset Bay – be careful!!! I helped fish 2 different groups of people out of the bay when their wheelers went through Saturday night!
The first people went in just a bit after dark when Skinny Boy and I walked out to night fish. We heard a lot of noise then it went silent. Next thing you know, we’re seeing the cherries on shore. We walked in and I drove down a block to check it out. Sure enough, these guys were coming in after dark and didn’t have any idea that the ice ridge and opened up and there was ZERO good way to get to shore from the bay … as I found out about 3 p.m. on Saturday. I had to build a mini-bridge to get back. We went out in the morning and the cracks were good enough to drive over. By the afternoon, it warmed up, the ice expanded and shifted, and the cracks and heaves had opened wide! It was not a pretty site.
So, I get there and this guy’s got gauze all wrapped around his head, blood dripping down, and his arm in a sling. His other buddy’s on the ice with some friends they called trying to get their mangled wheeler out of the water. They hit 5 feet of open water and got stopped on a dime. They both flew over the handle bars and the auger went right over their heads. They’re lucky they’re not dead. Very lucky.
As I was talking/helping these guys, we saw another set of lights coming in. Some younger kid and an older guy with their ATV and trailer going straight for the same spot, and sure enough … SPLOOSH!
Luckily, they didn’t hurt themselves, but they were stupid. Just plain stupid. First, they were drunk as skunks. Second, they told me they already went through once earlier in the day on the way out! What?! How dumb do you have to be to go through once in the day and still go out fishing? Not only that, but you come back in when it’s pitch black out? Some people shouldn’t breed – I would put these folks in that column.
The ice is fine once you get out a ways, but the ridges and cracks were in bad, bad shape. There was no good way around them and you had to risk it to get out. Sure, the water’s shallow (only 2-4 feet) where they went through, but that doesn’t matter. A fish or two isn’t worth thousands of dollars of damage or even worse … your life. C’mon people, get a clue!
What’s even worse, I was telling other people about that the very next day, and they drove their permanent right over the crack/heave to get out fishing! Now I’m not a genius, but that doesn’t seem worth it to me to even take the slightest chance. Wow….
Just thought I’d give a heads up to you folks out there. Be very, very careful and please ask the locals or resorts before going out. I can’t believe all the people that just go blindly out of public landings without having a clue what the ice is like or what’s been happening with cracks/ridges/heaves, etc.
