Winter Ice

Man, I was cruising down Long Beach Road the other day and noticed how the ice had built up over the winter. Back in the sixties I would walk out on this ice half a mile toward Jessup's Neck. When your young and stupid, you don't realized that if you fell through, it would be all over in a couple of minutes. But as far as i know, no one ever fell through. I am told that back in the 30's people would drive their cars from Sag Harbor to Cedar Point lighthouse ON the ice. Apparently the winters back then were so cold that the formation of ice would permit this. Today it would be a insane stunt. Getting back to the 60's and ice skating, Trout pond on Noyack Road was never safe due to springs. It is fresh water, but never froze to an extent to permit safe skating. Otter Pond, use to have gates on the bridge which were closed in the winter to keep salt water from the cove from entering the pond. It was used for skating till the early 60's. The metal gates are long gone and so is the ice skating. Round Pond and Fore and After nearby were popular ponds and safe for skating. In North Haven Ryder's Pond has been popular forever. Rounding out the ponds, Long Pond was little used. There are several more ponds in the area and those interested in this great old pastime should view Google satellite maps of the Sag Harbor area as an aid to locating little known ponds that might make an excellent skating spot!
Waiting for the thaw at Long Beach the other day