Sudbury and Windy Lake Provincial Park

February Long Weekend in Sudbury and Windy Lake Provinical Park about 40 minutes north. After looking at many pictures from the park, it is now time to see for ourself.
We arrived in Sudbury late afternoon on Friday and the city workers were still struggling with the snow cleanup. The sidwalks and parking lots were a mess. The good news, the forecast for Saturday was 'clear sky'. And they were right.

First stop on Saturday was at the Windy Lake Provincial Park. They have two beautiful cabins right at the lake. This will be on our list next winter.

We were surprised how few people visited the Park. Parking was not a problem. Couldn't say the same for the snow mobiles, there was some traffic on the lake and along the highway.

We brought our snow shoes and they were needed to move over the lake. The previous day dumped about 20 cm of fresh, powdery snow.

The Rules of Icefishing

The fresh snow covered the slushy mess from the days before. As long as we made our own tracks with the snow shoes, not a problem. Walking in the snow mobile tracks did have a few wet spots.
It was amazing, a big frozen lake covered with snow and plenty of spots to start fishing.

First we had to clean away the fresh snow with the shovel.
Now it was time to start with the auger. 18 inches of frozen slush and then about 18 inches of solid ice. It was almost at the limit of the auger.

Now it was time to sink the lures.
One thing I learned in my short icefishing career. It's not about the fish - it's all about the outdoors and enjoy the winter here in Canada.

We came prepared and brought sandwiches. We moved closer to the shore. The trees in the distance did provide some shelter from the wind. There is ALWAYS wind out on the lake. Even with a blue sky, it was still minus 10 and the wind was blowing in our face.

The day was still young and we decided to take Old Cartier Rd just outside the park. The road crossed through Crown Land and it was plowed.

We enjoyed the white scenery. It looks as breathtaking as it does in summer.

Sudbury ice skating on Ramsey Lake
A well maintained skating rink on the lake. The path is about 1.5 km. A perfect finale for our winter getaway.