West Battle ice

[GRAND DAD]

Any one have any update on W Battle looking to get the big house out there this week end any body starting to drive out at all any info would be great.

[kobear]

I have seen only a few small vehicles (older Ranger) on West Battle east end. 99% of people are walking, 4 wheeler, snowmobile. Saturday lots of trucks parked in Battle Lake didn't see any vehicles on the ice.

[GRAND DAD]

Thank you Kobear am looking to tow my shack out with my 4 wheeler but it weights as much as a big truck so any info is great I will pull it out just as long as we have 12 to 14 inches out there any one know if its close to that

[ChuckN]

With the lack of vehicle traffic I'm suspecting the ice is more in 8-10" range right now, at least that's what I've found. Deep snow and slush is the norm, but this cold definitely helped the slush situation.

[GRAND DAD]

So in other words it still a mess up there I have been on LOW and Red the last couple of weeks I was hoping it would be all better up there now, Do you think Chuckn I would have better luck getiing out on OT for a little bite I need a pretty clear path to get it out with my wheeler !

[Gissert]

The mess is improving, but slowly. There has been almost zero new ice added in the last two and a half weeks from my observations.

I took a sled ride this weekend that crossed several lakes in the Underwood/BL area. Every one of them still had extensive slush fields that were rather deep. Some of these had washout holes in them too.

With the forecast warm up coming, I am hoping the snow will get soft and settle/melt down some. If we can get some cold after that, the ice should begin to get better.

For a big house such as yours, I would do a very careful recon trip frist, drillng and checking the ice thickness. A house of your size will likely cause some flooding in the area once you drill holes. Pulling it with a wheeler will be a challenge of the beaten path.

Good luck!

[ChuckN]

No way would a wheeler move your shack without some sort of a plowed path, Grand Dad. From the sounds of it it's a Grand Shack! FYI- My ATV wouldn't move my relatively small shack without a plowed road.

I would agree with Gissert, you place that shack on the ice and quite possibly your shack will be an island with lots of water around it. It's not good out there.

OT would be a better option, IMO, but don't plan on going too far off the beaten paths.

[island guy]

I think the amount of ice is misleading. My observations are that the quality of the ice is very poor. I don't have a snowmobile or a ATV so will more than likely be walking this year. Call me a wimp and negative but I don't think we are going to see consistent, quality ice this year.

[CabinBoy]

I was on Battle on Sat. and where I set up there was 11.5" of ice. Just my observation, I'm sure there is less in other places. I was NE of the access.

[threeway]

Last Sunday, there was 4 inches of ice of the East side. It was out on a middle hump, but it will be scary if somebody drives of this area.

[GRAND DAD]

Thanks for all the great info guys!!! What an F'ed up year for the ice I guess we can all hope for a tropical heat wave to melt all the snow and start over. When I was on my lake before I headed way up north I had any were between 1 to 8 inches on my lake and the 8 was in the middle of the lake and the one's were towards shore. I guess I should just park it on my land and just use it for base camp this year. Once again Thanks for all the good info!!!!

[tacklebox7FF]

the last two times Ive been out to battle someone has drove out to there house... there crazy!! with all the flooding and snow on the ice.. I wouldn't drive out there... the last time I was out on Jewett lake there were 9 cars out there.. and I also heard from a friend fishing ottertail there was three full size trucks off amor yesterday.... and theres a bunch driving out from pelican bay access.. I'd rather take a four-wheeler or walk still right now..