Wild Ice in the City

Over the cold early months of 2021, I have had a lot of fun on clear and perfectly smooth ice that naturally formed in our neighborhood in the wind-sheltered bays of Lake Ontario. It is incredibly rare to experience wild ice skating conditions in Toronto. Wild ice skating is an adventurous activity, as people skate on frozen lakes with newly-formed, clear, thin ice. Marvelously smooth, 2-3 inch thick ice offers not only a rare glimpse into the depths of the lake, but it also “sings” beautifully as it cracks underneath our skates. Before every such outing, however, diligent preparations and precautions have to be taken. Discovering new ice, understanding local conditions, measuring the thickness of the ice, and taking many other factors into consideration is half the fun. In short, wild ice skaters prepare as if they might fall in.

Unfortunately, my fun time on the ice was short lived. As usual, people who have no idea what they are doing spoiled the wild ice-skating fun for the rest of us. People falling through the ice or performing various irresponsible acts and then posting their own stupidity on social media caused a serious backlash from city officials as well as from the ordinary people who feel compelled to call 911 or 311 without any understanding of ice conditions, skating, or mother nature in general. Not only did the city make it illegal to skate on any naturally formed ice within the city limits, but also, even an experienced and well-prepared person on the ice is automatically considered to be an irresponsible idiot by many. Ahhhh, really? From a distance, we look the same as the unprepared and reckless idiots and so we are equally badmouthed on the media. So sad. I can’t wait for this Covid-19 pandemic to be over so I can take my adventures back to the remote wilderness where there are no people to make quick judgements about somebody else’s actions.

Right! 2 skaters fell through the ice on Grenadier Pond and had to be rescued. The city prohibited skating on natural and man-made bodies of water everywhere in Toronto EXCEPT Grenadier Pond! Really? That’s pathetic.

I can’t wait for this Covid19 pandemic to be over so I can take my adventures back to the remote wilderness where there are no people to make quick judgements about somebody else’s actions.

January 31 – Marathon on Skates

To prepare for my wild-ice skating afternoon, I put on my drysuit (just in case I fell in), tied a 10m-long rope around my waist to trail behind, put my skates on, and went to explore the “wild ice” in my backyard. Occasionally, I sampled the ice depth with my ice screw. I measured 6-8cm (2-3in) which turned out to be plenty for a fast-moving skater. I was alone on the ice. Bright blue sky. Beautiful sunny day. Ice quality better than any Zamboni could make. Solitude. Ice singing to me constantly as it was cracking under my skates. Just wow! What a day.

While I was at it, a motivational thought came to my mind. Marathon! I hadn’t skated for more than 20 years. In fact, I bought new skates two days before. I had them sharpened and I tested the skates for 30 minutes at the Col. Sam Smith skating trail. So why not a marathon on skates – cold turkey? 42km should be a piece of cake. And so I did it – nothing to it. It took me slightly over 2 hours and 30 minutes, nonstop, at 16.7km/h average speed. It is ABSOLUTELY UNFATHOMABLE to me that the best marathon runners, both men and women, would beat me relatively easily.

February 1 – Skating on Ice Floes

Next, I upped the ante by skating on ice floes. Not for long. Somebody from my neighborhood evidently didn’t like my action and I was escorted from the ice by police. But those 20 minutes on the ice were worth it. The ice floes were moving under my feet. I jumped over open water cracks from one ice sheet to another. 2-inch gaps can be skated right over without any special moves. Smaller sheets of ice would start slowly tip and sink as I was skating towards the edges. Small jump to the next one and off you go. Lots of fun – and safe! The ice was thick (3 to 4 inches edge to edge) and I was again skating in my drysuit, prepared to dunk. But … people obviously know better from afar.

February 2 – Paddling an Ice-raft

I was just vegging out on my personal ice floe and enjoying the sun. If ducks can do it – I can do it. Who needs the Caribbean?

I took a paddle with me to see how maneuverable an ice sheet would be. Not much. But you can paddle it wherever you need to go, depending on its size. It was fun, actually – except for a verbal exchange with an angry guy who shouted at me from the shore threatening to call 911 right away. “And what for sir?” He backed off eventually.

February 3 – Swimming Amongst Icefloes

Ironically, if I swim in the cold water among the ice floes, people don’t seem to question my actions, and they go peacefully about their own business. About time! 😊 I swim nearly every day and so maybe that’s why.