The Outhouse Daily News Presents
Canoe Lake Ice-Out
Spring 2005 Edition
News & Updates Page last updated: Sat 30 Apr 2005 19:45 EDT
We have just returned from Canoe Lake where the ice officially went out on Thursday afternoon. There is still a little bit left which is clogging the Portage Store bay and making it difficult to get out to the main body of the lake in a boat or canoe, but Canoe and Smoke Lakes are 90% open.
I'll be posting a full report and pictures as soon as possible, so stay tuned. For now, congratulations go to my father, John Ridpath, who was the first to take April 28th, but also to Ray VanKleef, Mark Rubino, Dave Nodwell, Roy Stewart, and Walter Korynkiewicz.
The ice continues to hang on up at Canoe Lake. Jan Richmond wrote at 6:30 this morning: "Good Morning. The good news is that the wind yesterday did break up the ice. Bad news is that it is still clogging the lakes. Both [Canoe and Smoke] are "not" passable at this time. It's currently raining again and no breeze. So please continue to send all your hot air this way!
Debbie did a great ice-out comic strip that was almost included
with the article in the Star on Saturday.
I thought people here might enjoy it..."
Debbie's Ice-out comic
(You can see more of Debbie's "My Life In A Nutshell"
here.)
The ice is still hanging on up at Canoe Lake. Jan Richmond wrote this morning: "It is still here. I think its going to melt in place unless we can get some wind, but it could go at any time if we do. If we don't, I still think it will be gone this weekend."
Toronto Star - Saturday, April 23rd, page A-8
(Click on the image for a large version which you can read.)
I'll let the article speak for itself. Many thanks to Toronto Star
Feature Writer Scott Simmie
(who had Thursday for ice-out this year :-) for the wonderful piece.
[When I get a chance I'll scan the article and post a readable version here
for those who
don't have access to today's paper.]
I just got off the phone with Al Clare up at the Portage Store on Canoe Lake and he reports that with the warm weather, wind and rain over the past few days things appear to be getting going. The lake is still basically iced-in, but it's getting wet, starting to pull back from the shore and appears to be opening up at the mouth of the river down to Bonita Lake. Al thinks the ice will go out this weekend.
I'll give him a call in another 24 hours or so and post another update.
Date selections will be locked as of midnight tonight after which no new dates, or changes, will be allowed.
I think Jan Richmond and Al Clare will be arriving at the permit office on Canoe Lake some time tomorrow. Hopefully we'll be able to get some on-site updates from them over the next couple of weeks. With the warm weather and sun this past week things should be starting to loosen up a little.
Here's an update from Charles Plant who spent this past weekend up at Canoe Lake: "I thought you may want an update. We spent the weekend up on Canoe Lake. You would barely know its spring. There is still at least a foot of snow in the bush and even in open areas. The ice is at least two feet thick and great for walking on. The birds have just barely begun to arrive. I'm suspecting Kaarel may just be right."
Posted the same day as last year, here's this year's poem from our friend Murray...
|
Here we are, 2005, We're waiting for thaw, The winter was cold, We need wind and rain With three weeks to go |
Mine for this spring, So I say to you this year, Get the canoes ready, Through the Park, Enjoy the season, - Murray Wolff |
I've received close to 50 dates by email, and two by phone, since sending out the notification message. So far they range from April 16th (Ric & Libby von Neumann of Bonita/Tea Lake) to May 9th (my brother-in-law, Kaarel Truuvert in Toronto). Good luck to everyone.
This weekend's weather certainly didn't move things along at all--with temperatures hovering around 0°C and a lot of cold rain and wet snow in Toronto. By this time last year we had already had four days with highs above 15°C, and in 2001 it was 25°C on April 8th!
The email has been sent and I'm accepting dates.
Debbie and I and my parents spent a lovely weekend on Canoe Lake a week ago and I have to report that there was a *lot* of ice--pretty close to two feet thick! And quite solid. I don't know how this will affect the ice out date, but it's enough to push me at least a few days later than last year in my prediction.
The weather is warming a little in Toronto and it looks like Spring is underway, finally. Stay tuned to this page for updates over the next 3-4 weeks.
Scotch on Ice!
This year's ice-out page coming soon... [Sunday, March 27th at 10:45 AM]
I'll have the 2005 Canoe Lake Ice-Out page up in the next few days.
Current Weather for the Canoe Lake Area
from Environment Canada, and some long term predictions:
- Algonguin Park (Weather Network or Environment Canada)
- Huntsville (Weather Network or Environment Canada)
- Long term (3 month) temperature and precipitation forecasts for Canada. (There are lots of interesting long term weather forecasts and records at Environment Canada.)
Predictions for Spring 2005
Multiple people on the same date are listed in the
order in which their choices were received
at the worldwide headquarters of the Outhouse Daily News.
(The previous year's ice-out date is marked with "<<" and the current date is highlighted.)
| Apr 10 (Sun) | Rick Mckay |
| Apr 11 (Mon) | |
| Apr 12 (Tue) | Jeffrey Mckay |
| Apr 13 (Wed) | |
| Apr 14 (Thu) | |
| Apr 15 (Fri) | |
| Apr 16 (Sat) | Ric & Libby von Neumann |
| Apr 17 (Sun) | Helen Waters (Edmonton) • Larkin Ridpath |
| Apr 18 (Mon) | Glenn Strudwick (Orangeville) |
| Apr 19 (Tue) | Craig White • The Ottawa Grays |
| Apr 20 (Wed) | Joan Cossette • Alex Statten • Gaye Clemson • Robert Waywell |
| Apr 21 (Thu) | Scott Simmie • Larkyn Statten • Jim Ballos |
| Apr 22 (Fri) << | Debbie Ridpath Ohi • Chuck and Dot Gray • Anne Fortin (Brackley) |
| Apr 23 (Sat) | Brian Parkinson • Sue Calverley • Jan Richmond & Al Clare • Karin McCaskill |
| Apr 24 (Sun) | Ralph Brunskill • Hugh Statten • Andrew Gullen • Adele MacLean |
| Apr 25 (Mon) | David Sullivan • Jeff Wayland • Esther Bronson • Chris Brackley • Ken Born |
| Apr 26 (Tue) | Jefferson Ridpath • Peter Matthews • Murray Wolff • Tom McFeat Derek Specht • Duane McPhail |
| Apr 27 (Wed) | Karen Yule & Dan Mose (Vancouver) • Luisa Perrella • Charles Plant Catherine & Jim Brackley • Holly (Gibson) Stewart • Randy Born |
| Apr 28 (Thu) | John Ridpath • Ray VanKleef • Mark Rubino • Dave Nodwell • Roy Stewart Walter Korynkiewicz |
| Apr 29 (Fri) | Don Lloyd • Brittany Venables • Derrick Cann • Simon Nelson • David DeMara Larry Harbidge (Vancouver Island) • John Arbour |
| Apr 30 (Sat) | Sandra Matthews • Mark Steele • Steve Watkins • Russ Matthews • Nick Boland Glen Petersen |
| May 1 (Sun) | Bryan Fullerton • Virginia Ridpath • Willi Powell • Jill Matthews |
| May 2 (Mon) | Harry Binswanger • Dean Purcell • David Judson |
| May 3 (Tue) | Steve Bunn • Daniel Ouellette |
| May 4 (Wed) | Andrew Livingstone |
| May 5 (Thu) | Sarah Matthews • Catherine & Neil St.Germaine |
| May 6 (Fri) | Doug Gardner |
| May 7 (Sat) | Jed Datema |
| May 8 (Sun) | |
| May 9 (Mon) | Kaarel Truuvert |
Here's the current distribution of votes for each date...
Past Ice-Out Dates
| 1953! | April 14th |
|
| … | … | |
| 1989 | May 4th | |
| 1990 | Apr 29th | |
| 1991 | Apr 28th | |
| 1992 | May 8th | |
| 1993 | Apr 26th | |
| 1994 | Apr 27th | |
| 1995 | Apr 15th | |
| 1996 | May 8th | |
| 1997 | May 8th | |
| 1998 | Apr 17th | |
| 1999 | Apr 20th | |
| 2000 | Apr 26th | |
| 2001 | Apr 23rd | |
| 2002 | Apr 19th | |
| 2003 | Apr 23rd | |
| 2004 | Apr 22nd | |
| 2005 | ||
| 2006 |
Latest recorded ice-out date: May 8th in 1992, 1996, and 1997.
The Rules
- All entries must be received by midnight, Sunday, April 17th, 2005.
Entries may be submitted by email to Jeff (jwr) at electricpenguin (dot com). - If you know of someone who should be included in this poll but does
not have email access,
feel free to send in their prediction for them. - Entry must include your name and date of your prediction.
- You *can* duplicate another person's prediction (see below for a list
of predictions so far)
if you really want to be a joiner, but the first one to pick a date gets all the gloating rights. - You *can* change your prediction up to the deadline.
- Ice-out is defined as follows: "At least 50% of the lake is clear
of ice, by a majority vote
of those present." - Winner is the person whose prediction is the closest.
- Prize: being able to lord your superior knowledge of the lake over
others for
the rest of the year.
Previous year's ice-out pages
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