Mark Sposito (left) plunges a measuring tape through the ice and into water of Moran Bay Friday, February 5, after Ralph Colegrove punches a hole through the ice with a metal spud bar. The two St. Ignace men have been checking the thickness of the ice regularly in preparation for the U.P. Pond Hockey Tournament to be held in St. Ignace February 19 through February 21. After putting finishing touches on the temporary Zamboni garage in Star Line's parking lot Friday morning, February 5, two men walked and skidded out onto the crystal-clear ice of Moran Bay just offshore of St. Ignace.

Mark Sposito, the lead organizer for the U.P. Pond Hockey tournament, carried nothing but a tape measure, while Ralph Colegrove, another volunteer tournament worker, carried a six-footlong metal spud bar. The two men ventured onto the ice that morning to make holes in the ice that was supporting their weight.

In preparation for the annual hockey tournament, scheduled from Friday, February 19, to Sunday, February 21, the two measured the ice to determine the answer to a question on the minds of many local residents -- will the ice be thick enough this winter to support hockey players, Zambonis, and the thousands of people who flock to St. Ignace for the hockey tournament?

The answer is yes. The main area for the rinks, he said, needs only to be about six inches thick to support the players, although it would need to be at least one foot thick to support the heavy Zamboni machines used to smooth the ice.

"I think we will have that," Mr. Sposito said. He measured six to seven

"This is the best I've ever seen it," he said of the ice, which he also found much smoother and less cracked than usual. The cracks that do exist will easily be smoothed over when volunteers flood the area with water in preparation for the tournament weekend.

"It is as clear as anything right now," Mr. Sposito said. "That is usually the best ice there is."

Monday, February 8, he reported that the ice was even thicker after cold weather over the weekend. Rink-area thickness has improved to 9 or 10 inches, he said.

The heated tent area near Star Line's docks will need to support more weight, Mr. Sposito said, and should have ice closer to two feet thick.

"It is about that right now," he said. "It's looking pretty good. It's so rock hard and smooth outside there, it's incredible."

Organizers will erect the food and beverage tent close to the shore so the heavy propane tanks can be placed off the ice and on the dock.

"Now we just need some snow so we can make the rinks," Mr. Sposito said.

Snow is used for the rink borders, but there is little available.

"After the first big snow, we will get out there and start building the banks," Mr. Sposito said. One possibility he said they may explore if the snow they need doesn't come will be to borrow one of the snow machines from Doc Holle's Silver Mountain, the sledding and tubing hill on Cheeseman Road. Mr. Sposito said he is not certain this would work, but said he hopes significant snow would fall in the coming weeks.

Organizers are also considering hauling in snow from a few piles of unmelted snow in the area, which would then be piled at Star Line's dock and blown onto the ice. If there is not enough snow on the ice already by Monday, February 15, Mr. Sposito said they would consider trucking in the snow.