2 gates logging road

The road from the mill hill to the island is in surprising good shape. The most difficult part is around the '2 gates logging road'. Lacking ditching, the water stays on the road and does not drain. Vehicles have made it through this year. If you get off the travelled part of the road you may need a shovel and creative imagination.

Ice free lake

Ice is gone.

Breakup

Long leads extending into the lake. Turkeys active on the island. Racoons, snuggled into winter hiding areas, are wandering around the cottages, looking for easy food.

Soft mud

The road near 'two gates logging road' is soft as you can see from the photo. Don't stop in the middle. If you pass the beaver culvert north of Tusk, there is a shovel that you can use to clear debris that the beaver uses to flood our road.

Getting better

The washout at Clarke and Africa is improving. Water is not running down the road. It may be possible to drive through it both ways. The first turtle hatching has taken place on the causeway. It seems a bit early. Open water developing north of causeway. In general, the cottage road is in the best shape it has been in the last 4 years. Drainage has been very successful.

Troubled culvert

The part of Clarke Road just before Africa Trail is a BIG problem right now. The road is mushy deep, just barely able to get through with an ATV. The problem seems to be the culvert shown in the photo. Although some water is getting through, it is probably partially plugged. Thus water coming down the hill has been diverted under the road and is pouring out in the middle of the road for some distance. Unfortunatley there is not enough solid road to get around it. Perhaps a rocky outcrop is also diverting the drainage. Since this seems to be a new problem, it is most likely a plugged culvert. Beware until it dries.

Potholes

As the frost comes out of the ground, the road heaves and 'hotspots' produce interesting holes. This area is particularly wonderful.

Road

Road is clearing up by the hour. New road is in great shape. It runs north and south and is well exposed to the sun. The north end at the bend is a bit muddy. A strange washout at the bottom of maple hill. near the Africa Trail cutoff. For some reason, although both sides of the road have ditches that are well flowing, an obvious undercut has surfaced in the middle of the road and it is pouring out! This is a new phenomena. A few muddy areas, but trucks can travel as far as Africa Trail and down Clarke Road. But, Africa Trail to the island is still mostly snow and ice. The one plowing this year pushed the snow well off the travelled road and into the ditch area. This worked out well since the melting snow will drain in the ditch and not on the road. This is quite different from pickup trucks plowing, since they establish a small path and keep the snow close to the road and direct the water onto the main road when melting.

Maple Hill

Maple hill is a difficult area with lots of soft snow. In the early morning when the snow is hard it is an 'easy' climb, but when the temperture rises it is a 'challenge'.

Muddy road

Road from maple to mill hill mostly clear of snow. But snow from top of maple hill to island.

Road in transition

Slush snow from island to top of maple hill, thereafter ice to mill hill. Patches of gravel making snowmobiling difficult. Mill hill ice to the top. Half inch hail in morning.

Geese and chipmonks

Geese and chipmonks both become known March 12, 2012.

Fresh snow

Yesterday 4 inches of fresh snow in the afternoon. One small vehicle drove to maple hill. Lots of snowmobile traffic along cottage road. Lots of vehicles at mill hill turnabout.

Water on lake

Most of the lake is covered in water. Road still good for snowmobiling, but mill hill may be difficult to climb if freezing occurs. Clarke Rd from Africa Trail to the end has had no traffic and is deep snow.

Slushy lake

Some parts of the lake are fine for snowmobiles, other parts have slush hidden under the snow, waiting to swallow up your machine. Road well packed with snow.

Road

Lots of snowmobile traffic from causeway, east along cottage road, past the north end of the new road, along the old road to top of white ash hill and taking a winding bush trail to Baptiste Lake. Less snowmobile traffic along new road to Tusk. Lake traffic travelling is excellent.

Rink covered in 2 inches of slush.

Brief Power Outage

About 6 am power went out for about 1-2 seconds, enough to clear the electrical clocks. Very strong winds with branches down. Snow on roofs very deep.

Enough snow already!

Approximately 8 to 10 inches of snow from yesterday to this morning. Even the moose are complaining.