KB et al:Fort Peck Reservoir, MontanaI think this is near an Indian Reservation.
Just last week it was 40 below in Calgary, Alberta.
Hope warmer now where you are…and that
you get smooth ice and some wind.
LG

I hope you are warmer in Montana.

On Jan 21, 2020, at 1:24 PM, Karen Binder <karenbinder> wrote:

<image.png>

Dear Friends,

Writing from the shore of Fort Peck Reservoir, Montana. Apparently, there is more shoreline here than the California coastline and I’d have to believe real estate prices are lower. Racing is to begin tomorrow, but we are all a bit concerned about forecast and ice conditions. While the picture makes the ice look nice and smooth, yesterday’s practice session found lots of Styrofoam like snow drifts no matter how far we sailed out.

The best ice was actually closer to shore right where the little ice huts are located. I stayed out kinda late yesterday and used the huts as my windward mark. The occupants inside didn’t come outside to complain that I was bothering the fish, but I do wonder if fish mind the sounds of rumbling ice boaters above.

We are all hoping the warmer temperatures today will melt off the snow. The challenge today is no wind. Our boats are already rigged and we are all just waiting.

Competitors have come from as far as Halifax, Martha’s Vineyard, and North Carolina. The challenge of getting to this remote location has everyone in good spirits. The landscape is stunningly barren and beautiful.

But, the bottom line is that we all really want to sail and get racing!

Think Ice,

Karen Binder DN 5630

Dear Friends,

Writing from the shore of Fort Peck Reservoir, Montana. Apparently, there is more shoreline here than the California coastline and I’d have to believe real estate prices are lower. Racing is to begin tomorrow, but we are all a bit concerned about forecast and ice conditions. While the picture makes the ice look nice and smooth, yesterday’s practice session found lots of Styrofoam like snow drifts no matter how far we sailed out.

The best ice was actually closer to shore right where the little ice huts are located. I stayed out kinda late yesterday and used the huts as my windward mark. The occupants inside didn’t come outside to complain that I was bothering the fish, but I do wonder if fish mind the sounds of rumbling ice boaters above.

We are all hoping the warmer temperatures today will melt off the snow. The challenge today is no wind. Our boats are already rigged and we are all just waiting.

Competitors have come from as far as Halifax, Martha’s Vineyard, and North Carolina. The challenge of getting to this remote location has everyone in good spirits. The landscape is stunningly barren and beautiful.

But, the bottom line is that we all really want to sail and get racing!

Think Ice,

Karen Binder DN 5630

Eric, Eben, Karen, and T trying their best to be good while passing through the Bad Lands of ND Sunday.

While our intrepid shake the road dust out of their hair and start tuning up for the DN North Americans at Fort Peck MT, we have Winni coming into season.

Initial reports are good and the locations will be scouted Tuesday morning by Lee Spiller. Stay tuned for reports here and on the CIBC’s iceboat.me.

If things turn out as planned we could be on this lake for a few days of fun and some potential races. Lay your gear out, pack and get ready to roll.

Stay tuned,

John
DN5023
john@neiya.org

P.S. Bantam has skimmed over and maybe sailable for the weekend. Eyes are on it. Any other places out there leave a comment.

Hard to say who got here first after the Great Migration to the NA champs- BUT Jodi, Peter and Trey were the first to plant the flag at the launch site- not a bad Neal Armstrong impersonation!

As Trey paraphrased JFK at breakfast: “We choose to go to Montana not because it is easy, but because it is hard!”

This is from Peter Van Rossem and Colin Duncan, somewhere in Montana… look at the shadow and look in the rear view…. nice….

Oh sure, when you do these long trips you see all kinds of wildlife, scenery, stars, weather, people…. that’s one thing.

But you are sure to see these too. Nothing like a fresh hotel waffle to start your day….

Jeff Kent sends this photo from somewhere south of Rapid City, SD. Big Country indeed.

It’s ON! Take a look- even if you aren’t attending you’ll live Dan Hearn’s prose…

https://www.idniyra.org/2020/01/18/jan-18-pm-update-twenty20-dn-championship-called-on-for-fort-peck-mt/

…we see Jim Hadley training hard to blaze off the line at the next event in our time zone!

Go Jim! Drive with the knees! Give those kids a ride they won’t forget!

Hi Friends,

Eben, T, Eric and I departed yesterday from Connecticut at 11: 30 am in T’s big old Ford Transit with two DNs on the roof and two in a trailer. We made it through Pennsylvania with no issue, but the snow started falling heavily just outside Toledo, Ohio. By that time we’d heard that registration was delayed highways in Iowa and west of Minneapolis were already closed. We decided to be prudent and holed up in a motel/no tell off Rt. 80. By the time we woke up, things had turned to rain and as I type we are now heading into Chicago traffic.

We have heard from Jeff Kent, Charlie Blair and Berndt Zeiger (G-107). They took the far southern route…driving through Maryland across southern Ohio and Indiana. They missed the snow and drove through the night. They are currently in Iowa…will they drive into Nebraska next?

Apparently, the roads are still closed in North and South Dakota. This is quite the adventure and we are all kinda thinking it makes sense to keep driving towards the big state of Montana. The video of Fort Peck from yesterday looked pretty good. We all wait for the official site location.

I’ll keep you posted!

Think Ice,

Karen Binder, DN 5630
NEIYA Secretary

Hello All- Here is the latest on the DN NA champs- the weather is making things interesting to say the least….

One thing I like about IceBoating is it’s a good excuse to see places you’d otherwise never think of visiting; seems like we may be doing a bit of that!

Click for info and stay tuned…

https://www.idniyra.org/2020/01/15/jan-15-pm-update-twenty20-dn-championship/

The NEIYA was asked to participate in the Andover Massachusetts  Winter Fest and they gave us top billing!

NEIYA locals Peter Boynton and Frank Morse have volunteered to bring a couple boats and hopefully a sailing demo on Pomps Pond. It’s kinda small and hopefully, the boats can get on the ice. Peter and Frank will act as ambassadors and look forward to welcoming new iceboaters into the fold.

If your interested in the sport of ice boating, in the area or just want to hang out with other winter enthusiasts do drop in on Sunday, January 26th, 10-2pm Pomps Pond, 147 Abbot St, Andover, MA.

Put it on your calendar rain or shine,

Think Ice,

John
DN5023
john@neiya.org