More Newbie Questions (Clear Ice & Early Shoveling

[HaleSkater]

So I filled 'er up on Thanksgiving night...Had a little sheen of ice on top of the "shallow" end by morning and covering the full surface by mid-day. We are up to about 1.5" in the "deep" end according to my coat-hanger thickness strip (thanks for that idea).

Weather looks to be holding for the next 4-5 days with lows under 20. Also saw another rink in the neighborhood that must have been flooded the same night, so I'm feeling pretty good...

Here are my two latest noob questions:

1) I am surprised to see that my ice is absolutely crystal clear. If I had put a newspaper at the bottom of the 9" deep end before flooding, I'd be able to read it with ease through the ice right now. Will it turn hazy as it gets thicker, or after a few skates, or after snow? Is this normal?

2) What happens if we get measurable snow before the rink is skate-ready? Do you just do the best you can to clear snow with a blower, or some other unorthodox method if it accumulates on the rink but the rink isn't ready...? No snow in the forecast, but I'm curious.

Thanks all,
Bob in Mpls.

[Joe]

Clear ice is an early season gift from the rink gods, if you're lucky. You don't always get it. One year I used a clear liner and it felt like we were skating on grass in the shallow end. Another year we put the liner down on stop of an inch of wet snow, and for the first skate you could see every footprint from when we walked over the snow. After a skate or two (or some snow), you'll lose the clear ice for the rest of the season.

Measureable snow (and actually, even a thin layer) on a surface that won't bear your weight is not enjoyable. Your two options are to wait it out and hope it's cold enough to freeze thicker, or remove it without getting on the ice. My first-ever fill day was during what was supposed to be a small storm. We ended up getting over a foot, and while the early flakes melted into the ice, I ended up with about 8" of snow on top of slushy water. No good. The snow actually acts as an insulator, and with so much of it there, I was forced to use a roof rake to scrape as much as possible off. Once it was exposed to the cold air, it froze and we were skating in a week. But it was not fun. I suspect that if there is only an inch or two, it would freeze eventually given cold temps. But for my situation, it was just too much snow.