Yet even more weekend ice riding pictures

[R7]

We started the weekend of ice riding out at 10am Saturday morning. We met at a friends house in CT, there's a pond/swamp in his front yard and this was going to be our cold weather track. It's not huge but probably covers 2-3 acres of land.
We spent the first hour or so ripping around the open area of the pond just getting to know the ice again..after that, we started the layout for the track. The pond part is almost shaped like a boomerang (sp?) and there never really is a straight section..you're always in some sort of drift as long as your on the gas After that, we made a trail through the swamp part, a couple nice tight entrance turns leading to somewhat of a back straight..then dumping back out on the main pond at a good pace. It's all ice, there's just a lot of sticks and grass that got chewed up from the studs in the trail part.
Saturday, it was below freezing all day and the ice stayed hard. I was on my Raptor 700, Todd on the YZ 450 and Nate on the YFZ 450. As if my first highside in the first hour of riding wasn't enough, I ended the day taking down a 3" tree with the rear wheel and bending the rear axle while it bucked me off like a rag doll..my day was over.

Sunday, I got a late start. I tried to fix the Raptor with an axle that Nate gave me but it wasn't the same. Hmmm, what was I going to ride then? Nate called and said just show up and ride his YFZ..as much as I wanted to, I couldn't show up with no ride. I got the screw gun out and took the screws out of the rear tires of the Raptor, I put them in a small plastic bucket and put them and the screw gun in the front seat of the truck. I went and put gas in the KTM and loaded it up..
By the time I got there, it was starting to warm up above freezing. Great for riding, no so great for the ice. Nate had plowed the ice off already, I guess they got about an inch of snow last night, and they were already riding. I got to work screwing the KTM in hopes of salvaging some riding time. I didn't quite have enough screws with me though so I had to skimp a little..on the front tire. To many in the rear, not enough in the front...it was OK but I wasn't overly confident in it. I swapped bikes with Todd for a few laps as well, made me miss my old YZ 450. Does the front wheel ever stay on the ground with those things?
My highlight of the day was taking a few laps on Nates YFZ..the thing just rips and handles awesome with the wide MX suspension. Had a few fun laps with Todd in the trail section..though I did get soaked.
It got pretty warm, probably close to 40 and there were a few areas where water was starting to come up on the ice..nothing major though..

That's all, now for the pictures

[a13x]

I kinda like the way it weaves thru the 'swamp sticks' stuff. makes it look like a real track

[ChR1s]

Cool. No ice racing at Sturbridge this season, so I guess that'll have to do.

[theothersean]

So whats the story with the tractor? no plow?

[R7]

So whats the story with the tractor? no plow?

A couple of Nates friends race lawn mowers I guess somewhere, they just brought them I guess because they didn't have a bike or quad!, not sure though. It was actually kinda funny watching them
He did plow the ice first thing sunday morning with a small tractor.

Raptor will handle good now, +2 +4 lonestar axle is on the way This one has a lifetime guarantee against bending and breaking...look out trees

[breakdirt916]

nice pics...but the dirtbike action shots look cooler than the atv ones