The “Ice Out” Man on Moose Pond in Bridgton is Going Down

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The “Ice Out” Man on Moose Pond in Bridgton is Going Down


Signs of spring are becoming more prevelant by the day. A quick trip around the northern Sebago Lakes area today found brooks and rivers running pell mell with surging water and swift currents. The edges of lakes and ponds are ice free and there is much open water on the north end of Long Lake, where I live.
Driving across the causeway in West Bridgton one can still see the Ice Man, keeping his happy vigil, waiting for the ice to melt out from underneath him. He won’t last much longer, I think, and someone who guessed a relatively early “ice out” will win the prize this year.
At Bear Pond in South Waterford the pond looks like a field of slush. A month ago, from the same vantage point, you could see a half dozen pick up trucks parked alongside ten or fifteen ice shacks. What a difference a month can make.
I heard on the radio this morning that some guy who flies an airplane around Lake Winnipesaukee says the ice is ready to go out there by next week. He flew over the big lake this past weekend and proclaimed it “ready to go”.
For lakefront property buyers these signs of spring mean it’s safe to come and have a look. Most private roads around area lakes are snow-free and, if they’re not too muddy, can be travelled on. With the ice gone around the perimeters of the lakes, a buyer can make a good visual inspection as to the nature of the shorefront – rocky, sandy, muddy, shallow, bushy etc.
If you’re a lakefront owner, this is a great time to think about fix-ups and repairs around the camp. It’s not hot yet, no bugs, and the days are getting longer.
If you do plan to come up to have a look at a lakefront property, call ahead to make sure the road to where you’re going is navigable. They don’t call it “mud season” for nothin’.

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