Like a mirror...

 Decided to explore around Nasty today after a good frost (again!) after the good skating there on Wednesday. The new ice on the shaded side was fabulous - like skating on a mirror - smooth and reflective.  Half the dam was skate able with it thinning out on the sunny side.  Awesome skate and hard to drag myself away.  From there I went to Hoffmans Dam and skated on a large chunk of thick ice.  Then headed into the forest on my bike and skated the mining pond and another pond nearby.  The second pond had about 120-150mm of ice which I couldn't  hack through.  Finished of with a skate on a third pond.  On the way home I stopped of and had a skate at Daisy Bank on the small pond I spotted on the way up.  Great day exploring and skating all round.

Skate nearby.

Big frost at home this morning got me up early to check a few spots near home. Drove up to Mahinerangi.  Surprisingly the temp got warmer as I neared the lake and was 8 deg where I thought I would skate.  Decided to have a look anyway and despite the temp and broken sheets of ice from the lowering lake level I had a great skate on smooth hard dry ice.  The ice was initially under stress and created huge cracks as I tested but settled down as was great skating.  Area was limited due to thickness but a fab time.  Not often I get to skate at Mahinerangi these days.

Ditto...

 Up to Poolburn again today to skate with the Canterbury group.  Poolburn turned on another great day after a good frost.... -4 when I arrived.  The ice had improved since yesterday and we were treated to  more places to skate and explore.  Great time.

Dropped into Coalpit on the way back and was pleased to find good smooth ice in the shaded area.  Got on from the end of the jetty.  Fab smooth ice still covered in frost.  Hard to leave....

Good skating...

Up early this morning to meet up with Clive and his crew from Canterbury.    Poolburn turned on a great day with good skating in most of the main bay.  The ice is still a bit variable but had smoothed off in places and a fun skate with good company.  Not quite thick enough to skate out of the main bay

More frost forecast tonight so should still be good tomorrow.

Good Call....

 After a good frost yesterday Inge suggested a visit to Poolburn today.   Good call after a hard frost this morning as well. I met Inge and Becki just after day break and was pleased to see some of the ice had survived from the last visit.  The ice had been broken up and refrozen in places but variable with water further out.  The new ice was not thick enough to skate but we were able to where the new had mixed with the old.  The was an area of smooth ice and a large chunk of rough ice but enough to have a bit of fun on hockey skates and nordics.  Becki was gathering material for an article on wild ice skating in NZ and it was good share our experience.  Great to be back on the ice with good company.  

Poolburn hold its ice...

Up early this morning to meet Inge and Dave at Poolburn.  Good frost up at the waters edge and ice more solid than yesterday.  Ice locked in, hard and bumpy, but good skating.  Dave and I skated around to the back of the main island but the ice thinned out and we couldn't make a complete circuit.  Great to skate with Dave and Inge and explore.    (Dave stayed on to overnight and have a night skate)    

Great day...

Nordic Skate Day

After watching the temps and webcams for the last couple of days I decided  to check Poolburn today to see if the ice has survived the snow and warm temps.  There was still some snow around Oturehua and -4 as I passed through.  I was hopeful as I headed to the Poolburn road but surprised the find the track was thawed and muddy most of the way to the top.  At the very top I was back into snow again and arrived at the water edge to see our truck marks from last week.  Some of the ice had survived and had been snowed on then thawed  bit and refrozen leaving the strongest ice this season.   Bumpy but hard so put on the nordic skates and went for an explore.  I made it down both sides of the main island but not around the back.  The water being very low left lots of rocks and mini islands the skate around.  Great fun exploring then finished off with the hockey skates around the smoother edges.  Messy gnarly track on the way out. Dropped in for a quick skate at Oturehua Domain.  Fab day and to still find skate able ice......

If you go take care as the ice varies with some water showing in some places.

Looking for ice

Dave and I headed to Poolburn today to see if any ice had survived the stormy weather.  We were surprised to find snow all over the Ida valley with temps around -6.  Looked amazing.  I wasn't that confident we would be able to reach the dam but the road was passable due to farmers having pushed a track through.  Poolburn looked fabulous surrounded in snow.  All the previous ice had gone.  New ice had formed over the last 2 days and managed a crackly skate at the edge of the main bay before moving over to the little bay where the skating was great.  Only 30-40mm of black ice but held ok.  Rest of the lake was too thin with water showing in a lot of places.  Heading back we stopped at Oturehua for a skate at the domain.   Great day out exploring.