Ice out reported May 14

The Daily Journal staff understands Billy Doughtery’s excitement about his report Monday that he witnessed “ice out” after he arrived at the Kettle Falls Hotel dock at 12:45 p.m. Sunday.
Ice is considered out when a boat may travel to Kettle Falls unimpeded by ice.
But after hearing reports from other community members, Journal staff have taken into consideration the definition of “impeded” in reporting ice out.
Journal staff believe that Doughtery made it to the hotel, but not in a direct route to the hotel, and instead skirted ice flows. Doughtery reported that after attempting to guide a houseboat to Cranberry Bay, he and others used the Canadian side of Rainy Lake — Anderson Bay was plugged with ice — to get to Kettle Falls, leading Daily Journal staff to believe he was impeded in his attempt to make it to the hotel on the U.S. side of Rainy Lake.
Pilot Rick Bolstad reported ice out at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Ice flows were present between Brule Narrows to Kettle Falls when Bolstad flew over the area at noon on Sunday. During two days of rain, he was unable to fly over. During his fly-over Wednesday morning, he spotted a few pieces of softball-sized ice and a small amount of slush.
Earlier, The Daily Journal asked seniors for their prediction of ice out this year.
Clyde Franklin, 88, chose the latest date in the spring among the seniors asked. He had the most accurate ice out day prediction with May 8. He chose that date because, as a Nebraska farmer, he recognizes it as the start of the growing season.