Brad Dokken: Beware of the dreaded 'S' word -- slush -- when on the ice

Dec. 23—GRAND FORKS — Mere mention of the word strikes fear into people who spend time on the ice:

Slush.

The dreaded "S" word has popped up with a chilling frequency since last week's barrage of wet, heavy snow.

Ice on many lakes and rivers was only a few inches thick when last week's barrage began, and the resulting blanket of insulating snow will prolong the wait for safe ice.

"The wet snow and sleet that fell across much of the state this week has created heavy slush-ice," the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources warned Saturday, Dec. 17, on its Facebook page. "Wet, heavy slush adds weight on top of the good ice, which means it will not be able to support as many bodies, gear or equipment as it could without the slush. It's important to be extra cautious of walking on slush-covered ice. If you do go out, be sure to measure only the good ice, not the slush or snow that has settled on top of it."

Several northwest Minnesota DNR conservation officers also mentioned slush issues in Monday's weekly report from the DNR's Enforcement Division.

Cold weather should help the situation, they said, but personally, I wouldn't count on that being the case everywhere. The effects of wet, heavy snow on relatively thin ice can linger for quite some time.

Some of the worst conditions in the past week were reported in the Detroit Lakes area, which received between 15 inches and 20 inches of snow, DNR conservation officer Jake Swedberg said.

"Area lakes are full of slush and water, and several inlets/outlets have opened back up, creating dangerous conditions," Swedberg wrote.

In that area, at least, the problems caused by heavy snow didn't stop on the ice.

"Area snowmobile riders also report somewhat challenging conditions on area trails as heavy snow/ice has damaged trees and made some trails impossible to go through," Swedberg wrote. "Area clubs are asking for assistance in knocking off snow and ice from branches as you go down the trails and report any hazards that you find to their respective social media pages."

I've written about this before, but by far the worst slush incident I ever encountered occurred on Lac des Mille Lacs west of Thunder Bay, Ontario, during a junket for outdoor writers I attended way back in March 2001.

I can picture it like it happened yesterday.

There was a lot of snow that winter in northwestern Ontario — like most winters in northwestern Ontario — and we hit a nasty patch of slush while traveling by snowmobile to a fishing spot the organizers hoped would be more productive than the first place we had set up that day.

Driving a borrowed sled, I was far enough back in the pack of snowmobiles to see what was happening and stop before I drove into the slush and buried my sled, too.

We weren't in any danger — there was at least 3 feet of ice under the snow, and the temperature that cloudy, snowy day was relatively mild — but trying to free the machines that were mired in some of the nastiest slush imaginable was a big job even for the half a dozen or so of us who were sharing in the adventure.

Here's how I described it at the time:

"Wet with sweat, slush and snow, we push and pull and swear and heave and watch swirls of coffee-colored water fly up behind the spinning tracks. This would have made great spectator sport."

Fortunately, we had a good-sized crew that day, and we got the stuck machines free after about an hour of pushing and pulling and swearing and heaving.

I can only imagine the outcome if this had happened to someone traveling alone on a day with subzero temperatures.

I've had other encounters with slush over the years, too, but nothing to rival that March day on a snowy lake in northwestern Ontario. I've closed my eyes and punched the throttle on a snowmobile more than once, but I've managed to avoid getting stuck in slush.

My goal is to keep it that way.

A lot can change between now and the end of winter, but if the past week is any indication, this is going to be a tough winter for slush on many bodies of water in both Minnesota and North Dakota.

Even plowed ice roads can fill with slush if they drift shut in a storm. Slush is nothing to mess with, so be careful out there.