Ice-Out Week 3 brings yet another dump load of white and fluffy

You might think this would be enough to create a trend toward later, not earlier dates among our dedicated ice-out date guessers. Like mid-June, not mid-April?

No way! We have an optimistic bunch out there. After filing dozens of entries this morning, I’d say they were split about 50-50 between April dates and May dates.  And who’s to say the early ones might not be right? We could have a flash melt and end up wading around in slush! 

But who’s to say that was our last snow event, storm, blizzard, whatever of the winter/spring? Maybe there’s more to come. 

Cue the sound track from “Jaws”...

(Bite your tongue! This isn’t funny anymore!)

OK, OK, get a grip. Once again, here’s who can enter and how to enter. 

Everyone is eligible to enter for a chance to win prizes large and small, and we do mean everyone. Young and old; working and retired; conservatives and liberal; any and all genders, including gender-fluid; no residency, income or IQ requirements; and certainly no criminal background checks.

Send in your best guess(es) when Leech Lake’s ice will melt.  Just the date, not the hour of the day.  

This year the deadline for guesses is 11:59 p.m., just before midnight, on Saturday, April 1, 2023. And then we wait.

Entries can be hand-delivered at our office, 408 Minnesota Ave., Walker. But because the drop-dead-line is Saturday, April 1, your last chance to do this will be Friday, March 31 at 4 p.m. (we close early and we’re not open Saturdays.)

Guesses can be emailed to arrive at one of two computers no later than April 1, 11:59 p.m. Emails should go either to: gdeboer@pilotindependent.com or dmorrill@pilotindependent.com.  BUT NOT TO BOTH! That would mean both Dean and I would receive entries, not realizing that the other had a duplicate. Whether intentional or accidental, double-dipping could result in disqualifications. 

It’s already happened once this year, but we weeded out the duplicate.

Faxes are acceptable. The  Pilot’s fax number is (218) 547-3000, also no later than April 1, 11:59 p.m.

And then there’s good old snail-mail, also postmarked no later than April 1. Our address is Pilot-Independent, PO Box 190, Walker, MN 56484

Here’s the info to send:

Your name

Mailing address

Email address

Phone number (land line, cell)

Date that the ice will go out. 

Once the ice starts to melt, we keep tabs on its progress by checking with government agencies, resorts and businesses located around Leech Lake. When the last ice floes have disappeared, we call the date.

Now obviously there’s a finite number of  dates that are reasonable, so  there will be multiple guesses on the correct date. By random drawing, we choose the Grand Prize Winner of the kayak and paddle, donated by Walker Bay Dock, then draw and award prizes to the other correct guessers.

This year, if my math is correct, we have a total of 31 prizes big and small (see list). Even if you don’t win the kayak and paddle, there’s some great stuff there. 

So tell your friends and relatives, spread the word, and let’s see if we can break the thousand entry mark again. (By next week I’ll find that exact total.) 

Dare we hope that we could set an all-time record?