Subj : For 13 years I wintered h
To   : AUGUST ABOLINS
From : Rob Mccart
Date : Fri Aug 11 2023 00:55:00

RM> I used two roughly 2 gallon pails as my water supply so
RM> they had to be refilled pretty much every day. The box on
RM> the ice insulated the hole somewhat from the outside air,

AA>I have a friend in the Muskokas who relies on a creek a few
  >hundred feet from the cottage for supplying water. He mentions
  >how sometimes the road crew might plow over the opening he uses
  >for to access the water, and how sometimes he has a fair amount
  >of ice/snow to dig thru to get to the moving water.  Perhaps
  >some kind of covering like another pail would serve to keep the
  >ice from forming too fast.  I'll mention the idea.

A covering helps slow freezing and makes it stand out so it's less
likely someone would accidentally do anything to it. Not sure what
you mean about a plow covering the hole unless he has it right
beside a road. Being a creek I'd think he could just move it a
little further along. Generally the bigger the hole in the ice
the slower ice re-forms on it. I make the hole about 30 inches
across and the box I have on it is 1 inch thick wood maybe 40
inches on a side and 20 inches deep. Wide open on the bottom
and a removeable lid on top. It freezes to the ice pretty quick
with splashing from dipping pails so it doesn't move until things
start to warm up in the spring without a lot of work.

Funny thing that used to happen. Lots of Foxes around in winter
and they are more curious than cats. My box would be 150+ feet
from shore with nothing around it and I'd come out and see Fox
tracks going across the ice, up on top of the box, and carrying
on off the other side. I'd also frequently find fox tracks up
the steps onto my front deck. Just checking things out..

AA>I have some land in the Parry Sound area.. but it's to the East
  >and surrounded by the Bear Lake Peatland Conservation Reserve.
  >No proper road access.  Building something on it would have to
  >be delivered by helicopter or something.

AA>I made a glorious 22km round hike to the property and back to
  >my truck in May this year.  I hiked crossed a 100m beaver damn
  >in the Crownland part to reach my property from the East.

There's nothing quite like the wild country..

AA>Similar situation here too. Snow removal is the biggest hurdle
  >for me, but I have a neighbor across my small lake who
  >volunteers to clear my driveway and make some space for a turn-
  >around.

Yes, you often find neighbours are a little different up here than
in the cities, more willing to lend a hand..

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 * SLMR Rob  * Childhood problems can be handled with love & duct tape
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