PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio \u2014 There\u2019s an expression about walking on thin ice. But what about the thick ice coating Lake Erie right now? Rachel D’Alessandro sees an invitation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe lake is pretty frozen right now,\u201d she told News 5. \u201cIt\u2019s about 12 inches thick of ice.\u201d<\/p>\n
So why not drive on it?<\/p>\n
D’Alessandro spent the weekend on the lake. Not in a boat, but on a snowmobile. She met up with a group of adventure-seekers taking full advantage of this bitterly cold winter. She\u2019s called Put-In-Bay home for four years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the first time that I\u2019ve been able to experience the ice this thick,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The North Olmsted native was eager to see our lake from a whole new perspective.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we were driving back, I was looking around, and I was like, \u2018Oh my God, I\u2019ve been kayaking out here in the summer, and now I\u2019m driving on it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
She met up with a group who organized on social media. They share when and where to meet. Anyone who needs a ride can hop onto someone else\u2019s. Those rides included ATVs, Side-by-Sides, and snowmobiles. On Saturday, the group glided over to Middle Bass Island for lunch.<\/p>\n
\u201cBetween the islands, it\u2019s pretty shallow, so it freezes really thick,\u201d D’Alessandro said. <\/p>\n
She doesn\u2019t take safety for granted. She said she\u2019s never the first one out there. She comes prepared, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of us will wear these ice picks that we wear around our necks,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you fall in, those picks will help you get yourself up out of the ice.\u201d<\/p>\n
It also helps when you\u2019re with the right people.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of the people that come with us are actually EMS and firefighters, so I do feel a little bit better about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
D’Alessandro said one woman in their group measured that 12-inch thickness while ice fishing. Power of 5 Meteorologist Allan Nosoff explained that there\u2019s plenty of ice for the job.<\/p>\n
“ATVs can be going at about six inches, and once we get to a foot of ice thickness, we can actually have cars driving on it,\u201d he reported Monday.<\/p>\n
But ice thickness isn\u2019t the only thing to consider.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really a matter of how consistent that ice is,\u201d Nosoff said.<\/p>\n
This group stuck to a path marked by those brave enough to go out first and light the way.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey use old Christmas trees,\u201d D’Alessandro said. \u201cIt\u2019s like a Christmas tree highway.\u201d<\/p>\n
After her snowmobile adventure on Saturday, she heard from a friend who found a great spot about a mile off the island.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe grabbed me, I grabbed my skates, and we went out there for sunset, and it was unbelievable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then, one more invitation she couldn\u2019t turn down: An ice party.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe brought some drinks, we met right by the boardwalk,\u201d she said. \u201cThere was a bonfire, we had hot dogs, we made soup, there was drinks, snacks. We literally had a cookout on the ice.\u201d<\/p>\n
And she means it. The bonfire was on the ice.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt gets a little slushy around it,\u201d she said. But it all worked out.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a pretty big fire, but it honestly was just fine the whole time we were out there, and we were out there for four or five hours.\u201d<\/p>\n
D’Alessandro said she\u2019s loved her experiences on the ice so far. She knows they were successful because of the people around her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely wouldn\u2019t suggest going out by yourself, ever,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
She\u2019s not done trying new experiences on ice either. Next up: Ice fishing!<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely see myself at least trying it out this winter.\u201d<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll give you one more reminder: safety first anytime you\u2019re considering testing the ice. D’Alessandro said the people in her group have lived on the island for many years and have experience with a lot of types of ice.<\/p>\n
We Follow Through<\/p>\n
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