Perfect ice conditions draw skaters to Twin Cities lakes
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During the dry cold snap, lakes in the Twin Cities and around the state turned mirror-like with smooth surfaces of clear ice. Consistent cold temperatures, calm conditions and a lack of snow created perfectly natural ice skating venues.
On Tuesday at Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis, dozens of people wearing hockey and figure skates did laps on the city’s ice rink, which is set up on a sturdy part of the lake. Others laced up their skates as they prepared to move across the picturesque frozen lake as daylight faded.
Luke Hampton was going for a walk and decided to bring his ice skates along after noticing that the lake was completely iced over. “I was like, ‘oh great, I could just skate over it halfway home,’” he said. “It was like a fun walk/skate combo.”
Hampton’s instinct is to stay cooped up inside when it is cold and wintery. But he said it feels good to move around outside in the fresh air.
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The Minneapolis park system maintains ice rinks that are illuminated every day from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. They’ve just reopened after closing earlier in the season due to warm weather. The solid lake ice provides another incentive to get outside and explore on skates.
“It is a good way to get out in the winter where you can get the heart rate up and get moving and just enjoy the outdoors,” said Jack Bartsh, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board interim director of recreation services.
People who are active outside in the winter report having less anxiety and stress, and experience more positive emotions, like enjoyment, wonder and appreciation for the natural world, said Sarah Kaja, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
“People also report better sleep due to improved circadian rhythms and light exposure and maybe a little bit of a boost to serotonin and melatonin regulation from being outside in the winter,” Kaja said.
She added that skating at different speeds can also improve cardiorespiratory fitness, and physical activity is an important behavioral tool to both prevent and address mental health concerns in all age groups.
“There are definitely cloudy days in Minnesota in the winter, but even when it's cloudy, getting outside is good for light exposure,” Kaja said.
On Lake of the Isles, skaters spread out and glide over the expansive clear ice. Corinne Bellot and Henri Parenteau were out with their dog, Teeter. They usually go to the dog park but did not want to pass up the opportunity to see fish through the ice.
“I have always loved skating but usually there is snow on the ice so you can't skate,” Parenteau said. “It is really exciting to actually go out onto a lake and skate. I feel like that does not happen too often.”
On her first day ice skating this winter, Catherine Jett felt free and alive as she zipped around.
“It feels like a discovery because I can go anywhere on the lake instead of being confined in a rink,” Jett said. “I just feel really happy being on the water.”
Correction (Jan. 9, 2025): An earlier version of this story misstated Jennifer Schuster Jaeger’s name in a photo caption. The above story has been fixed.