DULUTH 鈥� Hunter Madsen and Joey Pesik weren鈥檛 taking any chances heading out onto the smooth Lake Superior ice off the city's shoreline Thursday morning.
In addition to their ice fishing sled loaded with gear, the two University of Minnesota Duluth seniors were towing a kayak, just in case. It was a little added safety precaution, but mostly to make sure they didn鈥檛 lose any gear.
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鈥淚鈥檓 not going to lose a $3,000 LiveScope," Pesik said of his fancy fish-finding electronics. 鈥淲e鈥檝e already agreed that if we have to take the kayak back, the gear is priority. One of us would have to stay behind.鈥�
But there was no need to use the kayak on Thursday morning as Pesik, Madsen and throngs of other anglers, skaters, walkers and even some fat-tire bikers were out on about 5-6 inches of glass-like, gin-clear ice that was fastened tight to shore 鈥� even though cracks of ice with open water were visible from Duluth's Skyline Parkway.
It鈥檚 one of those rare, late-winter phenomenons that happens maybe once or twice a decade, when Duluthians can get out on the big lake ice and play, if only for a few days.
鈥淚t鈥檚 fleeting. It can be here today and gone tomorrow 鈥� or gone this afternoon," said Troy Rogers, of Duluth, who was out skating with his friend, Sarah Priest, and their dogs, Ollie and Dory. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a big skating and fishing party this week. There have been more people every day as word gets out. People were even playing hockey out here the other day.鈥�
Rogers has already logged more than 50 miles on skates on the big lake in recent days.
鈥淚鈥檝e skated all the way over to Uncle Harry鈥檚 Mausoleum. It鈥檚 so cool having ice like this. You can see right through it," Priest added.
The ice became safe about a week ago, but could crack and blow away at any point with the next big wind. That happened one day last winter, and 27 ice anglers had to be rescued in boats off a fast-moving ice floe that broke away from shore. No one was hurt, but most of the anglers lost their gear, much of which is likely at the bottom of Lake Superior.
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That鈥檚 why most people on the ice Thursday morning were paying attention to the wind speed and direction. A strong east wind can break up the ice fast. But it鈥檚 a strong westerly wind that can separate the ice from shore in an instant and strand people. The Duluth steam plant smoke stack plume offers a telltale indicator for when to panic or not.
鈥淚鈥檓 not liking the direction now, out of the west. But it鈥檚 pretty light. I think we鈥檙e OK," said Brett DeBruyne, of Duluth. He had already caught a few coho and herring.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been good fishing. You can see the pods of fish moving round down there," he noted. 鈥淏ut they can hear and see everything you do up here. They scatter around a lot.鈥�
Rogers said he was able to skate briefly last winter and some in 2019, but that snow or rough ice 鈥� or, often in recent years, no ice at all at this end of Lake Superior 鈥� usually puts a damper on the fun. Most years, the ice is simply too rough or snow covered for much skating.
University of Minnesota Duluth students Teagan Weiss and Linnea Turner were out for a morning stroll on the Lakewalk when they saw groups of people out on the ice, so they decided to join them. They didn鈥檛 have skates, but were 鈥渟kidding" over the smooth ice in shoes.
For both, it was their first time on Lake Superior ice.
鈥淭his is unreal. It鈥檚 so clear," Weiss said.
The last time Duluth ice-party ice formed in a big way on Lake Superior, with safe, smooth ice farther out and up the shore, was in 2007, when thousands of people took advantage of snow-free ice and skated and fished off Duluth鈥檚 shores for days on end.
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The forecast for wet, heavy snow and freezing rain Saturday could bring an end to smooth ice. And gusty east winds could break up the ice even for fishing.
Lake Superior officially had some ice on about 60% of its surface as of Thursday, according to the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. That's slightly more than average for this time of winter. But a satellite photo showed much of that ice appeared thin, disconnected from any shore and floating around with the wind.
The big lake has fast ice that is fastened solidly to shore, mostly in its narrow areas, bays and islands where wind and waves have less impact, and at its western zenith along the Twin Ports shoreline.
鈥淚 wish we had this ice all winter," DeBruyne said. 鈥淏ut at least we鈥檙e getting it for a few days this year. It鈥檚 just a blast to be able to fish right here in town.鈥�
