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We goto Jefferson quite a bit (Dec 26 2005 was my first time on ice, i can say Im addicted to that place)
One day we arrived with about 2 ft of fresh snow (at bottom) & some 3-4 ft drifts up top
Luckily my buddy has aggressive tracks on his sleds because 1/4 the way up from parking, 2 sleds were stuck .. and sunk pretty deep too. we blasted right by them since there were 2 of us on the 1st sled & a trailer & a 2nd sled/trailer following ... didnt wanna chance getting stuck too. we broke the trail after that. was interesting for sure. We got stuck right at the top because my backpack threw me then the sled sideways, luckily my leg didnt get crushed or sucked under the track.
About 2/3 the way up, the narrow road always has a ***** of an angle, you seriously have to lean all the way up slope so you dont slide down into the forest. I think I had to hop off and hoof it the powder day. I talked to South Park District & they said maintenance has been going on thru the last couple months, maybe they fixed that spot. but I doubt it - i think thats in mother natures hands
Some days the lower road would be all dirt, have to sled along the shoulder basically
Once on the lake, my most important tool is a good shovel, even non-powder days. we tried augering thru a few spots & couldnt even get close to punching thru. had to dig dig dig
My 1st day, 3 of us caught about 30-40, other days 2 of us have caught about 60-70, mostly bows. we caught 2 nice golden cutthroats too, beautiful fish!!! I will be releasing those from now on, the taste wasnt for me, plus they just look so cool, I felt bad for killing the one i caught. The lakers are elusive, but I may be focusing on those this winter. Laker fishin was slow when we tried, & its kinda hard to resist catching a rainbow every minute. so we really didnt spend too much time fishin for macks. we boated up there not too long ago & marked some areas for macks thru ice. we have a better idea now where they may be
My 1st ice day, as we were sledding across clear ice (i knew it was about 100 fow too) ... my stomach just dropped, looked like we were ontop of an abyss .. a little scary the first time for sure especially with those huge cracks everywhere (pic is below) .. its even worse when your drilling thru the clear ice & the crackling sound woops thru the entire lake ... I get the jitters!!
All in all, most days we were blessed with sunshine. But those snow clouds can come out of nowhere, instant whiteout, be prepared for anything ... definatly anchor your hut, we were away from base camp, looked over and the Ice Cube blew across lake, leaving a big mess behind
Heres some pics from last winter
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WINDY WINDY DAY !! If you look close, the snow in last photo is up to his knees ... had to dig dig dig !!!
One day we arrived with about 2 ft of fresh snow (at bottom) & some 3-4 ft drifts up top
Luckily my buddy has aggressive tracks on his sleds because 1/4 the way up from parking, 2 sleds were stuck .. and sunk pretty deep too. we blasted right by them since there were 2 of us on the 1st sled & a trailer & a 2nd sled/trailer following ... didnt wanna chance getting stuck too. we broke the trail after that. was interesting for sure. We got stuck right at the top because my backpack threw me then the sled sideways, luckily my leg didnt get crushed or sucked under the track.
About 2/3 the way up, the narrow road always has a ***** of an angle, you seriously have to lean all the way up slope so you dont slide down into the forest. I think I had to hop off and hoof it the powder day. I talked to South Park District & they said maintenance has been going on thru the last couple months, maybe they fixed that spot. but I doubt it - i think thats in mother natures hands
Some days the lower road would be all dirt, have to sled along the shoulder basically
Once on the lake, my most important tool is a good shovel, even non-powder days. we tried augering thru a few spots & couldnt even get close to punching thru. had to dig dig dig
My 1st day, 3 of us caught about 30-40, other days 2 of us have caught about 60-70, mostly bows. we caught 2 nice golden cutthroats too, beautiful fish!!! I will be releasing those from now on, the taste wasnt for me, plus they just look so cool, I felt bad for killing the one i caught. The lakers are elusive, but I may be focusing on those this winter. Laker fishin was slow when we tried, & its kinda hard to resist catching a rainbow every minute. so we really didnt spend too much time fishin for macks. we boated up there not too long ago & marked some areas for macks thru ice. we have a better idea now where they may be
My 1st ice day, as we were sledding across clear ice (i knew it was about 100 fow too) ... my stomach just dropped, looked like we were ontop of an abyss .. a little scary the first time for sure especially with those huge cracks everywhere (pic is below) .. its even worse when your drilling thru the clear ice & the crackling sound woops thru the entire lake ... I get the jitters!!
All in all, most days we were blessed with sunshine. But those snow clouds can come out of nowhere, instant whiteout, be prepared for anything ... definatly anchor your hut, we were away from base camp, looked over and the Ice Cube blew across lake, leaving a big mess behind
Heres some pics from last winter
WINDY WINDY DAY !! If you look close, the snow in last photo is up to his knees ... had to dig dig dig !!!
