Early start for annual ice harvest

Blocks of ice float in Squaw Cove in Sandwich, New Hampshire, ready to be harvested. Photo / AP

The tradition of harvesting lake ice at a New Hampshire campground is off to a cold and early start.

Crews started sawing blocks for the Rockywold-Deephaven Camps in Holderness yesterday, something they've been doing for more than a century.

Last year, the three-day harvest didn't start until February 6 because of rain, warm temperatures and wind. The recent cold snap made for better ice conditions this year.

Instead of refrigeration units, campers use lake ice packed into insulated icehouses that keep the blocks frozen through summer.

If the ice gets to 28cm to 30cm thick, up to 180 tonnes are removed. The 40cm by 50cm blocks weigh between 55kg to 75kg each.

This year, the ice is being removed from Squaw Cove, an isolated spot along Squam Lake.