Winter roads are different here. Not only do we have to contend with ice and snow, we have a lot of water and mud that matters. There are no all-weather roads here. Improvised roads are constructed each winter on ice and portages. It is worth the effort because of the relatively high cost of air freight compared with trucking. At the same time, ordinary folk get an opportunity to drive into Winnipeg for shopping, visiting and fun.
The heavy trucks require several feet of ice to support their weight. To thicken the ice, snowcover is cleared in a wide strip, about 200 feet across. On the portages sometimes driving is restricted to lower temperatures so that quagmires are frozen. Most of this week, the road will be officially closed because of warm temperatures. The next week it closes for good. “Official closure” has important legal consequences. If you total you rig while closed, you have no insurance. I knew a guy who wrecked a new pick-up when it rolled on a portage.He travelled one day after official closure and had no insurance.
I thought I would go for a walk on the ice in the cool of the morning to take these pictures. I saw only a few vehicles on the road and the ice was in excellent shape, no signs of break-up although it has had some puddles. There is a picture of a rig that brought in sewer pipes. There is a picture showing the cracks in the ices. Some appear to be quite superficial. Others go down a foot or more. When the ice is thinning there will be a longitudinal crack under the path of the big trucks. They have to drive slowly to avoid making waves.
Cottage by the Lake Near the Winter Road
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