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I should have not done it and I don't recommend it. But it was fun and I knew it was safe - for the most part. I walked across a large frozen pond all by myself. Merry Christmas to me because I made it home safely!
It's OK to hike alone sometimes. But you still have to take precautions. I had my cell phone and I was not too far from home. I had a hiking stick to protect myself and I had warm hiking gear on. But that's about it. I should have at least left a note or called my home to tell my wife exactly where I was hiking. Because if I had fallen through that ice, it would have been tricky to get home alive and dry!
I had hiked halfway around Carr's Pond when I ventured to the pond's edge. It was spectacularly silent! No movement and no sound. So peaceful. Then I walked out to a boulder a few feet from the edge of the pond. I sat on this boulder for a few minutes taking it all in. When I stood up to continue my hike, I cautiously took a few steps out onto the ice. No cracking. No water bubbling up. Nothing. Jumped up and down with rigor. Nothing. Took three steps out, five steps, slid a few times and silence. I wondered if I could make it directly across the pond. I slide out several more times. Wow! Beautiful dark ice. But I was alone and if I did fall through I knew hypothermia would set in quickly, especially since it was only half an hour until sunset. I slid out a few more times very cautiously and then turned around to hike on land. But I knew it was safe. It just had to be. Even though I knew I would lose my phone to the water if I fell through, I turned back towards the ice and started my adventurous slide to the other side.
Did I hear any other stories on the news about kids falling through ice? I don't think so. The ice was dark and so smooth. Every once in a while, I would slide across a small pile of ice and snow and see an ominous crack in the ice but it was evident that the ice was very thick. I did have the knowledge that we had freezing weather for a few days. I did know that moving water does not freeze and that I should look for areas where a spring might appear or where a stream may enter the pond. With observation and sensory levels at a survival all time high, I ventured forth to the middle of the wide pond to take a look at a little island.
After my tour around the little island I found a very shallow beach where I stepped onto dry land with a wide smile. It would have been smarter and safer to turn around and walk around the pond, but beauty and solitude was unbelievable on this Christmas day. And I knew it was safe. If I had an uneasy feeling or heard the slightest crack, by sneakers would have never slid a foot over that ice!
