Hillman's bridge

[kelly-p]

With the warmer temps the ridges got real active. Hillman's road is looping to the north around the ridge again. Hopefully with more stable temps the bridge can go back in place again in a day or two.

[icemac33]

How far of a loop are you talking about Kelly? And how far out is the ridge? Thanks for any info.

[Random guy]

Go out off Hillmas to the old bridge site at 3.2 miles then follow the Ridge north I'm guessing 1 1/2 miles and you will see the crossing. Then turn south and hook back up wih the old road.

Once this ice stablizes the bridge will be back at its original spot. Just about all the resorts had one hack of a time trying to hold a bridge today. If I had to guess the ridge gained at least four feet in hieght today in some places.

[kelly-p]

The bridge is at 3.2 miles. Follow the ridge about 1 1/2 miles to the NW and the ridge gets smaller and smaller until it's gone.

There is a new ridge running east and west between Hillman's and Westwinds roads. It starts about 3 1/2 miles out and heads almost due west to the Res. Line.

[icemac33]

Man, you two are on each others tails. Shouldn't one of you be out working, fishing, or drinking? Thanks for the info

[Random guy]

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Go out off Hillmas to the old bridge site at 3.2 miles then follow the Ridge north I'm guessing 1 1/2 miles and you will see the crossing. Then turn south and hook back up wih the old road.

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The bridge is at 3.2 miles. Follow the ridge about 1 1/2 miles to the NW and the ridge gets smaller and smaller until it's gone.

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HA! I type faster!

[Random guy]

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Man, you two are on each others tails. Shouldn't one of you be out working, fishing, or drinking?

Thanks for the info

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After today I am surprised either one of us is still awake.

[huntingislife]

Is the bridge at 3.2 the only one? I know you had mentioned a crack out at like 7, did that heal up?

[sidecar pan fishin man]

I'm impressed!!!! Now thats father, son, knowing the lake!!!!!! Jonny, please call me before thursday when you get some time off... Thanks, Troy Pike

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Go out off Hillmas to the old bridge site at 3.2 miles then follow the Ridge north I'm guessing 1 1/2 miles and you will see the crossing. Then turn south and hook back up wih the old road.

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The bridge is at 3.2 miles. Follow the ridge about 1 1/2 miles to the NW and the ridge gets smaller and smaller until it's gone.

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HA! I type faster!

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[kelly-p]

The crack at 7 miles turned into the new pressure ridge running east/west. It is well to the south of where Hillman's customers usually go. From where you first put your house it is 2 miles south. From where your house is now it is 3/4's of a miles south.

[Handyman]

Thanks to all the resort crews for their cooperation on monday as the "old lake" had it's way with the ridge. Kudo's to all for just getting it done on monday, whatever it took. There might have been a few stuck out fishin a little longer than they planned, but is that soo bad? What would the alternative have been? Fishing for the truck and all the stuff at the bottom? I am not sure, but there is only a few that brave the cold water to fetch their stuff. Me I am very content to be patient and stay dry. Thanks to all.

[kelly-p]

Yes we got through Monday,,,,now for today. We have to another 1/4 mile further north to loop around the ridge now. It disappears completely there.

Do not, DO NOT go back south close alongside the west side of the ridge. 1/4 mile north of where the bridge was a crack has opened up running to the SW. It's big, 3 to 4 feet wide where it leaves the ridge but down to 1 foot wide where it crosses the roads. It is marked with orange markers. There is another line of orange markers 1/4 mile away from it. There is no need to cross this crack. We are only losing about 10 acres of lake from the ridge to the road bank.

[EMJB]

We are planning to be to Hillman's around 1AM! Is everything marked well enough that we will see any big cracks in the dark? Just wondering if it would be best to stay off the ice until morning?

[LaVoi]

Thanks for keeping us updated Kelly, sounds like things sure have changed in the past couple of weeks

[huntingislife]

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We are planning to be to Hillman's around 1AM! Is everything marked well enough that we will see any big cracks in the dark? Just wondering if it would be best to stay off the ice until morning?

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I imagine it is marked good. I will be up there around 9 tonight so I will just have to take it slow I guess.

[kelly-p]

When you get to where the bridge used to be. 3.2 miles out. Head NW along the pressure ridge about 1 3/4 miles to where the ridge is gone. You can turn west there. I plowed a road heading WSW that connects back up with Hillman's main road. I will mark this new road with balsam boughs and black garbage bags for now. (Out of flagging) I know that there are not any cracks there.

Today we found more cracks heading north from the east/west pressure ridge that is south of Hillman's road. Some of them go across both of Hillman's older roads but by the time they are to the NW angle road (balsam boughs)they are only about 6 inches.

Huntingislife, after you go around the end of the ridge head south along a road marked with orange ribbons on wires until you get to the old straight east/west road that goes past your house. Only 2 small cracks to cross on the east/west road.

I can not remember seeing cracking like this during warm weather. It appears that the sheet of ice west of the old ridge and north of the new east/west ridge is being twisted someway.

There simply are too many cracks to flag them all. The one coming off the north/south ridge and heading SW is marked good. The only good thing is that the rest are coming off the center east/west pressure ridge and running north/south. Just slow down and watch whats ahead.

Some people left their wheel houses too close to the east/west ridge. Maybe it was only a crack when they left the houses there but now it is a growing pressure ridge. Buddy drug one house out of there today that was about to be eaten.

In this maze of roads all of the Hillman roads are marked so that if the road marker is on your left hand side you are going fishing. If the road marker is on your right hand side you are going to shore.

[hanson]

Holy Shnikies! Sounds like a battlefield out there now!

Are most of these cracks crossable with vehicles? Using the utmost caution? Or is a guy going to have to find room beside his extension for a couple of planks as well?

As always, thanks for the hard work Kelly and up to date information!

[minimite]

2-3 weeks of sub-zero temps then shooting up to near 50 above is probably bound to raise he#$ with a sheet of ice that size

[kelly-p]

O K, Here's what we think we have figured out. Almost white out conditions this afternoon so it was a little hard to find people to go look for cracks.

The old north/south pressure ridge and the new east/west are going to get together. They are still picking the place. In other words Mother Nature is showing us who is really the BOSS.

Gotta go now, 2 phone calls 2 trucks in the cracks so I 'll make this quick.

Stay north of 48 10 345. No cracks there, safe going. Hillman's bridge will not be going back in. Where the old bridge was leads into the worst of the cracks. Loop around the ridge to the north where it is safe. It is only 3/10's of a mile longer drive to get to the Rocky Point area going this way.

[Paul Waldowski]

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Gotta go now, 2 phone calls 2 trucks in the cracks so I 'll make this quick.

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Why do I think it is going to be a very long week for the Petrowske clan

[minimite]

thanks for the report kp. we'll make sure and check at the store before we head out

[kelly-p]

Everybody's got their tires back on the right side of the ice again.

The 2 main cracks are. Starting from 1/4 mile north of where Hillman's bridge was running SW until it crosses Hillman's road 1/4 mile west of where the bridge was. The 2nd big one starts from the new east/west ridge at 48 09 930, 94 37 653 and runs north to 48 10 330, 94 37 551. With 30+ inches of ice these will not drop a vehicle through but if you hit them lengthwise plan on new body panels and if you hit them hard enough crosswise plan on flat front tires and your teeth in the steering wheel.

[Borch]

Last night I was having a hard time fiuguring out how it ran based on your description. For some reason I figured it out today.

[jerkbait]

Hi, new to this forum so please bear with me. Been fishing URL for a few years. I have my sleeper house out 6.5 miles out of Hillmans, about the end of the old east west road, about 200-300 yards from the newer east west ridge. Will be back Friday afternoon. Kelly P by the sounds of your descriptions will I be able to loop around to the north to get back out to the house? The house is tan colored with a brown roof, tandom axle. Sounds like old mother nature is keeping all of you on your toes. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Chris B.

[LABS4ME]

You'll have no problem... I just got back from there yesterday. The drive around the ridge adds a couple of extra miles to each trip on and off the ice, but you'll have no problem hooking up with the old roads. Just avoid all the new cracks and don't try to jump the ridges!

Good Luck!

Ken

[kelly-p]

No problem getting to your house. In fact with the new road it could be better fishing there now as most people are heading straight over to the Rocky Point area.

I saw people jumping these cracks today. I saw people aiming at the orange ribbons. I saw people running over the orange ribbons and bouncing across the cracks. I saw people with their GPS glued to their nose drive right through the ribbons and bounce across the cracks. I finally told Jon and Patsy that I was going to shore and staying there.

[Mike L]

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... I saw people with their GPS glued to their nose drive right through the ribbons and bounce across the cracks....

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LOL. And a can of MGD glued to their lips, I'll bet.

[gregh]

Kelly, Jon and Patsy, I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU for all the updates and work that you all are doing. I'll be up tomorrow in the early afternoon, hope to see ya on the ice. Greg

[Mike L]

I'll second the motion.

[dmengel]

Kelly

I once heard that if you ever get lost anywhere just drive a stake in the ground with a ribbon on it, It wont be long & someone will drive over it then you can follow them out.