by Anura Guruge
on March 1, 2022

I have been walking on ‘Halfmoon Lake‘ since December 28, 2021 of THIS winter. To start with I, for obvious reasons, stayed close to the shore. As the winter progressed & the ice got thicker I ventured further out. Walking conditions had NOT been ideal. Either no snow coverage to provide traction or too much snow making it hard (without snowshoes).

Today, after some light snowstorms walking conditions were tolerable. So, I decided to walk at least a mile. The initial zig-zags indicate my tactics for tackling snow. I walk on ‘packed’ snowmobile tracks. The ‘slightly’ compressed snow limits the amount I sink into the snow. I try to follow the most compacted tracks. I zig-zag along until I find a good track. That is what I did today.

Once I did the 1-mile I was 3/4 of the way across. So, I continued. It was FUN.

We, i.e., Rowen & I, had the ENTIRE lake to ourselves. We like it that way.

by Anura Guruge
on January 10, 2022

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This was NOT the first time we ventured onto our lake, viz., ‘Halfmoon‘, this winter (i.e., 2021 — 2022). We, i.e., Rowen & I, had tentatively gone in a bit on two weeks ago.

Then the lake had not been frozen for long & I wasn’t exactly sure of the ice conditions.

Now, things are different. We have had quite (a brutal) cold spell. It is a shallow lake. It is frozen good. So we ventured out about a mile — straight in. Had the lake ALL to ourselves. That is invariably the case. It is nice to have a whole lake to yourself. Rowen loves it.

It was cold. There was quite the breeze. I think the wind chill, in Fahrenheit, was in the low single digits. But, we had fun.

Now that we have started we will most likely walk the lake multiple times a week. So, stay tuned.

It is fun. Come & join us. No tickets required.

by Anura Guruge
on December 28, 2021

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One of the FEW things that make the bitter & interminable Central New Hampshire winters enjoyable — hiking on empty FROZEN lakes, in this case my local ‘Halfmoon‘.

Today, for the first time this winter (i.e., 2021 – 2022), I saw footprints on the lake. Wow. I, having fallen into frozen lakes 5 times in my adult life, never to be the first to venture onto a frozen lake. I, especially in my old age, prefer others to check out the strength of the ice. Typically I wait until I see snowmobile tracks going way out into the lake. If the ice supported a 1,500 lbs snowmobile it is likely to be able to carry my 150 lbs.

Today there was plenty of snowmobile tracks on the beach & surrounds but none on the lake. Hhhmm. But, there was a lot of footprints. Plus, having lived by this lake for the last 14 years, & swum in it most Summers, I do know it quite well. It is VERY shallow for the first 100, if not 200, yards — & I am talking less than waist high. Moreover, given this atypical shallowness (for a lake) Halfmoon tends to freeze faster, harder & thicker than larger, deeper lakes.

So, I gave it a spin — with Rowen, the Newfie. We didn’t go too far out as you can see from the GPS track above. But, it felt good. As is often the case, had the lake all to ourselves. We BOTH appreciate that.

I went & checked posts from prior years. This about 10 days EARLIER than in prior winters. Interesting.