Landing on a frozen lake

I've always called Minnesota "the land of 10,000 emergency runways" in the winter. It always seemed so simple: Lose an engine, just put it down on a frozen lake.

Then, in February, my wife and I went up to Backus, MN., for a weekend of cross country skiing and we stayed at a cabin by a frozen lake, so I decided to go take a look. And that's the last time I'll consider landing on a frozen lake. There were drifts hip-deep and it was clearly no place for a pilot to want to be.

Did I say the last time I'll consider landing on a frozen lake? I take that back. This recently posted video from Alton Bay, NH might be the lone exception.

Lunch at Alton Bay, NH from j3adventures on Vimeo.