![]() In some locations, ice measurements are taken more frequently than 50-feet. We want to see clear, solid ice and not white snow or slush that may have solidified. A close examination of the ice is the only true method to verify that the ice is of good quality. Measurements are taken every 50-feet or less by cutting an ice core sample with a chainsaw. They are equipped with ropes, ice picks, and wear a flotation suit to ensure they could be rescued if fallen through the ice. Once the ice is at least 3 inches thick, specially trained park staff working in a team of two or more people for safety will walk onto the ice to measure the thickness and quality of the ice. There are a lot of measurements that need to take place first. When you first start to see ice, that doesn’t mean you can drive out on the lake quite yet. Later, men like Harry Oveson used a Ford model A to drive on Rainy Lake to cut and collect ice for his commercial fishing operation. Miners used horses to pull sleds loaded with supplies and equipment over the frozen lakes to the operations centered near Rainy Lake City on Black Bay. The miners found it was easier to transport that equipment in the winter when the lakes were frozen than in the summer and that is exactly what they did. The Rainy Lake Gold Rush in the 1890s required lots of heavy equipment and supplies before there were even roads in this area. In fact, you might say that the ice road has existed before there were cars. There have been people driving on these frozen lakes longer than Voyageurs National Park has been in existence. Let’s jump into this fascinating subject and see if we can help answer some of those questions. We receive all sorts of questions ranging from when it opens, where it goes, and if it is safe. The park’s ice roads are one of the most discussed park features in the winter.
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