If I could get them past the door here, I'd be scratching a long-lived itch to get a pair of Nordic skates. The dearth of snow in the Arrowhead and this report only exacerbate the "irritation" I'm feeling this fall.

From the SNF Facebook page:

"Week 1 of Superior National Forest Seaplane Base ice report out! We are excited to bring you a weekly feature of ice conditions out of our Seaplane Base, which is located in Ely, MN.
"The aircraft and pilots need at least 6 inches of ice before they can put skis on the aircraft, and 8 inches before they can fly off the lake. Usually, this depth is reached right after New Years, but we will have to see how it goes this year!
First measurement.... drum roll....5 inches! ???? Yeah-yeah-ice! Thank you to our fantastic Seaplane pilots for bringing these images and information to us!"

I knew there was a good reason why I took the racks off my SUV today.

Nordic Skater is offering great deals on blades. Quite a temptation.

Banksiana: " Nordic Skater is offering great deals on blades. Quite a temptation."

Not seeing any deals at the link?

Sorry, it was 20% off storewide and free shipping when I posted. They are fairly cooperative shop if you called they'd probably give you the deals.

Still no snow. Nordic Skater is currently offering 20% off skate gear, including bindings. I bit.

A stunning and a little bit terrifying video on this topic.