Friday, February 04, 2011

Ice Station Roseholme

Tam hacked away at foot-thick ice a bit before mid-day to free up the tree-shaded the side gate; me, I was lazy, and waited until this evening to challenge the front walk. It had been salted before the ice fell and was salted on top today. I took a cheap hatchet and chopped outside the width of the walk to create a fault line, then attacked it with a shovel:("Before" photo here.) Took about a half-hour. How thick is that ice? Oh, 3 to 4 inches.... Whew! Most of the really big slabs shattered when heaved off to the side.

Excellent cheat: I ordered (Amazon next-day delivery: try it via Tam's link) "Yaktrax" slip-over-shoe traction thingies and they really, really work! Not spikes but steel coil springs wound around a stretchy plastic webbing.
at

9 comments:

  1. DrangFebruary 4, 2011 at 10:47 PM

    "Bobbi X took an axe/Gave her sidewalk 40 whacks/When she saw what she had done/She decided this Global Warming crap really sux"

    Hmm, have to work on the scansion a bit...

    ReplyDelete
  2. SendariusFebruary 5, 2011 at 7:50 AM

    YaxTrax are teh AWESOME.

    Used them tramping the trails of Zion, Bryce, and Grand Canyons in January - never slipped, and never fell.

    ReplyDelete
  3. B February 5, 2011 at 9:17 AM

    Next time lay out a few passes of #12 or better bare copper wire on your walks.

    After icing, connect to a battery charger and see the ice melt quickly.

    Amaze your friends and neighbors.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousFebruary 5, 2011 at 9:58 AM

    http://www.amazon.com/Bully-92200-Sidewalk-Chopper-Handle/dp/B000PAQEKU

    Is what we use in the frozen tundra that is Minnesota.

    Note" Not to be used on ice dams that form on your roof.

    Just words of caution.

    Also we are headed for another spell of subzero...which means.....

    ReplyDelete
  5. Comrade MisfitFebruary 5, 2011 at 12:57 PM

    I have a set of YaxTrax, they are the best!

    ReplyDelete
  6. aczarnowskiFebruary 5, 2011 at 1:41 PM

    Winter traction is a very good thing.

    When the wire coils or your YakTrax eat through their rubber centers look for a pair of Stabilicer Lites for about the same price. We've gone through every traction device available here in MN walking two golden retrievers twice a day on Minneapolis sidewalks. The Stabilicers are the only "light" options that have help up to multiple seasons. YakTrax only lasted us a week.

    ReplyDelete
  7. aczarnowskiFebruary 5, 2011 at 1:45 PM

    Oh, and nice job, both of you, saddling up against the ice!

    ReplyDelete
  8. MontieFebruary 5, 2011 at 8:49 PM

    Bobbie,

    When Tam posted about her work on the ice situation over at her site, I commented how I had given up on the problem in the "Great Oklahoma Ice Storm of '09 (damn, there goes that cursed Vanilla Ice earworm again) and bought some ice creepers. The ones I bought are of the same type as aczarnowski mentioned, but I have a number of friends who use the YaxTrax and are equally satisfied.

    I broke a leg 20 years ago stepping out of a patrol car onto ice, and 3 years ago broke two ribs going to my patrol car. Now I wear my Stabilicers any time there's Precipitation coupled with below freezing temps.

    WV: rilycop Which is what I was after falling on the ice.

    ReplyDelete
  9. ToniFebruary 8, 2011 at 9:19 PM

    I have them and always forget where I put them in the spring. Don't wear them in the house. They'll really destroy your hardwood floors.

    ReplyDelete

Comment moderation is enabled. Your comment will not be visible until approved. Arguing or use of insulting or derogatory language will result in your comment going unpublished: no name-calling. Comments I deem excessively partisan will not be published.