All the ponds seem to be coming in (for those who aren’t traveling to Maine for early season big ice), all with similar conditions.
Today we hiked up to Halfmile and Smith Ponds, in Enfield, NH. Both were great fun. Both are hike-in only, accessed from the same trailhead on Smith Pond Road, just off I-89.
Halfmile Pond was consistent 3-4+" hard slush ice, textured on top but very skateable. A little bit of snow skim, pretty much inconsequential. The whole thing is in good shape.
Smith Pond was a mixture of that same refrozen slush ice, though slightly smoother, some thinner slush ice, and some newly formed black ice. The black ice was smooth and hard and covered in frost flowers.
Plus some open water still, in the deepest part of the pond. With tonight’s very cold temps and clear skies, it should be excellent skating on Friday or Saturday.
See more details on the Ice Atlas pages: Halfmile Pond and Smith Pond.
— Christopher Boone