question for johny

[plsnmtt]

we are making are annual trip to hillmans on thursday with a couple wheel houses, I am sure you guys are keeping the road in good shape, my question is how far out have you guys ventured and do you have any loops plowed to fish in like normal?

thanx

[pike doctor]

I just got back from there the other day. The main road was out about 1.5-2 miles. Nobody out there beyond that really, just a few portables. About a quarter mile out they punched a road to the north and hooked up with Beacon harbor road. I never went up there, but I guess it went quite a ways. I just pulled my house to the end of the main road. I set up on a nice clear patch of ice. Had the house on about 16 inches. Put a tip up out the next morning in a snow drift that had about 6 inches of ice under it. Off road travel up there is dangerous, but it can be done if you take your time and check the ice. There really wasnt a whole lot of loops, etc plowed in. There wasnt a great deal of snow. Gonna be a different ball game now with all the snow and drifting.

[plsnmtt]

thanks Pike Doctor, how deep was the water out there? and how was the fishing?

[plsnmtt]

What does the lake look like today? any info would be great thanx

[Random guy]

What does the lake look like today? any info would be great thanx

Very snowy. Snow depth has increased to axle height in many spots. Today while prepping to plow a spot for a house it was deep enough to stop the straight blade truck with the plow up and with the plow down its a heck of a push.

The Hillman/Beacon Harbor road system is a pretty cool network of roads. The main road straight out of Hillmans pushes across the ice for a good 1.5 miles plus although it has a little jog in it now due to some cracking Buddy didn't like the looks of. He has been watching it and he said it looks like it is healing up nicely. Now the northern route cuts across between Hillman's and Beacon Harbor in the 8' range. After joining forces at that point it continues another couple miles up and around the north shore following the 6'-8' break line and gravel bottom.

[plsnmtt]

thanks, will there be some loops plowed by thursday that we can duck into beings we can't venture far because of iffy ice and to much d$%#& snow? probably see you thursday, can't wait

[kelly-p]

little jog in it now due to some cracking Buddy didn't like the looks of.

Cracks in early ice when a low pressure system comes across the lake are something that needs to be watched closely. Buddy said that it was healing up pretty good today but everybody was heading to the Beacon Harbor/northshore anyway so Buddy just left the regular straight road alone and we all worked on the north side until the wind slows down.

addition

When I came in tonight about 6:00 both the northshore road and connecting road were in good shape with most of the snow blowing completely across the roads.

[kelly-p]

The Northshore road, Beacon's road and the connecting road are all plowed out and in great shape. Buddy and Club Red were working on the regular straight road today and looked like they were out there quite a ways. 1 mile? All in all we came through this storm pretty good. The roads were all very wide and nobody had any houses set close to the road causing a big drift over the roads. Most of the houses were spread out good so the wind and snow could blow right through without causing big areas of drifts and flooding. I did see areas where the ice was cracking and flooding from the snow weight. This could be good as those places are the weakest ice and in a week should freeze up good.

[plsnmtt]

thanks, have you guys been plowing spots out for wheel houses to pull into since the snow situation has increased?, maybe see you guys thursday.

[Random guy]

Yes as we get the chance we will knock a spot in for wheelhouses although most guys are just backing them off the road far enough so they don't drift the road closed and setting down as most are spooked about going to far of the beaten path and its probably a smart move.