Working on the Lake

Cleaning off the ice - scraping off the snow and 

pushing it into piles with the help of a tractor.  

Man on the right might be riding to add weight to the scoop.

The ice had to be cleared of snow before the scoring
and cutting began with a horse drawn snow scoop.

Scoring the ice to create a field of grid marks -
ice plows usually pulled by horses cut grooves in ice,
 followed by cutting with saws, and broken off into large ice floats.

Cutting with a motorized circular saw - 
quicker than using the hand saws to cut ice floats from the lake ice.

Preparing to break off an ice float - 
after being scored and partially sawed through,
 men use breaker bars for the final separation.  
Saw and pike on ice in foreground.

Looking east across lake - ice float just released from lake ice by cutting.  

Man on right with saw.  

Three others using pikes to move the float toward the gang saws.

One man on ice float directing it into channel toward the gang saws.  

Other work being done in background.  

Ice house back left.

Gang saws seen from the lake side looking north -
 ice float is engaged with the first set of saws.
  The ice house can be seen in the background
 left of center behind the two men.

Between the gang saws - man on wooden plank walkway 

using pike to turn an ice float to prepare it for its pass through the second set of gang saws.  

North bay of lake in background.

Gang saws looking southeast - ice floats were sent through 

the first set of saws shown in the distance, turned 90 degrees, 

and sent through the second set of saws in the foreground 

to create blocks which were then directed to the conveyor.

Men with pikes - directing blocks to the conveyor seen in the background.  

They are walking on wooden planks. Looking northeast.