A familiar benchmark for the condition of the Big Sound, PS2 is now ‘bathed’ in ice rather than snow. We have had a few days a little above freezing followed by quite a bit more below freezing at night. Add in a little rain, not too much, and the Big Sound is turning into a skating rink. It’s been too cold to suggest there is much thinning of the ice, but the insulating layer of snow has been removed. It’s still weeks until boating season. The creeks and rivers are starting to open up so there will soon be some cold season kayaking possible.
Month: March 2015
State of the Sound Report – 2015-03-23
The view from the end of the smelter Wharf in Parry Sound, March 22nd. Enough said about current conditions!
Forget groundhog forecasters. Spring, which is defined as the start of boating around here, is still a good 8 weeks away.
State of the Sound Report – 2015-03-12
Not fit for skiing, ice fishing or boating, the Big Sound is a mess. We’ve had about three days of above freezing daytime temperatures and it has basically turned the snow on top of the ice into slush with a crust. It’s pretty much impossible to walk, ski or snowshoe on the Big Sound and snow machines send up a spray as they shuttle around trying to get the ice shacks off the ice. The ice is still nice and thick so it will still be too many weeks before the Big Sound is fit for boating. This the time of the season where you wished you had a hovercraft or one of those air boats used in the swamps of Louisiana.
Making Tracks on the Big Sound (2015-03-11)
State of the Sound Report – 2015-03-06
The Big Sound still pretty much looks like Antarctica. We are expecting a few days of above freezing by the beginning of next week. It could be a cruel hoax, but the thaw has to arrive at some point. It promises to be a slow start to the boating season. Out at Hole in Wall last Saturday the ice was about 60 cm (24 in.) thick, great for sledders and skiers.
What I haven’t seen yet on the Big Sound is snow skiing, in the style of water skiing. Not only should it be possible it should be reasonably safe. A quick internet search turned up a couple of images of sled skiing but not much else. Hmm, I may need to make friends with sledders if the snow and ice insist on hanging around.
JB – Communications Officer
Parry Sound Boating 