Ice Out: Version 2022

Dreaming of open water…

You may have been wondering “Isn’t it time for the VBL ice out contest?”. It is, and I apologize for the somewhat tardy nature of the start to “Ice Out 2022“. I will fill you in on why it was impossible to start earlier later on in this blog post, but first, the rules of the contest!

As in the past…

…the contest is based on who can be the first person to pick the date of ice out for Vermilion Bay, as determined by the VBL judges (Gord & Susanne). The strategy, should there be any, is to either rush to pick a date so you can be the first one on that date….or bide your time and carefully monitor my updates on the ice conditions and then strike. Caution: should you wait too long and be the second or third person to have picked the correct date, only the first person to pick it will be declared the winner. What do I win you may be asking… Well, besides the obvious brag factor, the winner will be able to pick anything out of the VBL bling closet, which will include a totally new selection of lodge garments and hats for this coming year! The contest is open to anyone who reads the blog, the only stipulation is the winner must pick up their prize at the lodge. Want to put in a guess? Send your guess to Gord at vbay@drytel.net. All guesses will remain secret till the end of the contest. You only get one guess so choose wisely, and good luck!

Meanwhile, down in the Baja…

You may have guessed that Susanne and I have spent the last few months lounging around in the Baja….more specifically the small town of Los Barriles on the Sea of Cortez. This has made contact with guests more sporatic and unreliable. If you’ve tried to reach me and didn’t get a reply, my apologies. The internet and the computer I had with me made it more difficult than usual. For those that made contact, I will be following up with you shortly (emailing confirmations etc). Here’s a brief photo montage of the past few months…

Back to reality…

A few projects remain to be finished this spring, including the addition of a screened porch to cabin #5. We’ve had a ton of snow this winter so it looks good in terms of normal lake levels this spring. This will make docking much easier than last fall! On the regulation side of things, border restrictions are beginning to relax. No covid test will be required which should make things much easier for all our guests. I would still predict that having proof of vaccination will still be part of the process for 2022. As we get closer to opening I will update everyone on any further changes. One thing to note, no bait will be allowed crossing the border (once again), including crawlers.