Quick Ice Update 12-18-10

We went out for a walk today on the ice and things are improving. While there are still plenty of areas of water and slush beneath the snow, there have been spots that have firmed up. Snow is settling some, and walking conditions have gotten easier because of this. Minimum thicknesses we found today were 6 inches, with 6.5 to 7 inches average under the snow. Expect to find much thicker totals of ice where the slush has frozen on top of the original ice. Our staff has beaten a path with snowmobiles into Waconia Bay making it much easier to walk, as well as use machines. Once you get off the path, if you don't find frozen slush to drive on, be prepared to potentially get stuck in the numerous areas that slush exists under the deeper snow. In the spots we've checked, Waconia Bay remains your easiest spot to get to. The walleye hole between the marinas isn't too difficult to reach. Cemetery Reef remains the toughest haul, due to tougher walking conditions because of some expansive slushy areas along the way. At this time, we are allowing 4-wheelers and snowmobiles thru our access, but we are asking that permanent houses not come through here until further notice.