This does not sound promising for the lower flyway?

[tupe]

Wisconsin ferry running in January!

Talk about a mild winter!

The state has cut loose the Merrimac ferry to carry cars and trucks over the Wisconsin River at the start of January — a month after shutting down for the season due to ice at the onset of winter.

Once the ferry ceases operations, it normally doesn't resume service until spring.

But not this year.

With temperatures reaching 50 degrees, the state Department of Transportation decided it was warm enough to let the Colsac III ferry resume service about 2 p.m. Wednesday, carrying vehicles on state Highway 113 across the river.

The service typically closes from early December until March or April, although the schedule varies with the winter. Records show the latest date for the service to end for winter was Jan. 13, 1997.

Ferry travel at the site can be traced back to 1844, DOT spokesman Michael Bie said. It has operated as a free ferry service since being acquired by the state in 1933.

In 2005 the Colsac III, which operates on submerged cables, carried 280,000 cars in nearly 50,000 trips across the river.

Bie said the ferry will continue the trips back and forth across the river, 24 hours a day, until the weather causes it to cease again.

"The ferry is not designed to be an ice breaker," Bie said. "The cables and the gears cannot operate properly when it gets icy. You can have a situation when the ferry becomes stranded in the middle of the river. The ferry has to be free of ice all day and all night."

The National Weather Service predicts daytime highs through Saturday of 38 to 50, but overnight lows could drop below freezing as soon as Saturday night.

"It's just day to day, basically," said Dave Huntley, a DOT maintenance supervisor. "Who knows — we could get a real cold snap and close it down in the matter of a day or two."

The ferry is docked on one side of the river in winter, plugged in to keep its electronics working and generating the heat needed to keep the surrounding water from freezing, he said.

Chuck Ritchie of Merrimac was glad to take the ferry after its startup Wednesday. He said it would cut 35 miles off his work commute between Merrimac and DeForest. His pickup truck, he added, "isn't a gas economy vehicle."

___

Information from: Baraboo News Republic, http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr



Lets hope that cold front comes soon.


Tupe

[bigwater]

[Bankermane]

Been bustin' snipe. Takin' light load this weekend for doves. Could have killed 500 mice in the camp.

[1deadduck]

bigwater-
Regarding the "running weed" thing,maybe we should hook up. Been flying since '77 and have access to a cessna 180 taildragger, {good for short take off and landings and large PAYLOADS} Buenos' Dias, Senior !

[mudsucker]

[1deadduck]