Ice Day – Sutton, NH
Every winter, the town of Sutton, New Hampshire hosts an annual tradition that offers a glimpse into the state’s past. Ice Day, hosted by Muster Field Farmis a popular family event that showcases the ice harvesting process that was once commonplace in the Granite State in the days before electricity.
The day (usually a Sunday in late January, although this year it was postponed to February 3) begins at 9:00 AM out on Kezar Lake, just outside of the center of Sutton. Volunteers begin the process with a gas-powered saw before switching to large hand saws that anyone is welcome to try out themselves. On this particular day in the wake of the polar vortex, the ice was about two feet thick, so it was incredible to see the massive ice blocks (some of which doubled as benches for spectators) get hauled out of the frozen lake.
Once cut, the ice blocks are guided down a hand-cut channel and pulled from the lake one by one with the wooden ice block fulcrum an loaded into the beds of pickup trucks.
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Some of the ice blocks are transported by a less high tech mode of transportation…
Whether by truck or by cow, the ice blocks are transported up the road to the Watters Ice House (built in 1890) at Muster Field Farm and loaded and stacked by hand. The ice reportedly stays frozen well into the summer and is used for local summer events.
The Ryder Corner School House (built in 1810) at Muster Field Farm sells hot chocolate, soups, and baked goods and is a welcome escape from the cold. Not to mention, the Sutton Historical Society hosts an annual pancake breakfast on the same day. Overall it’s a really fun way to spend a morning and an opportunity to experience a traditional activity that seems totally foreign at this point in time. We’ll have to come back in the summer to see if those ice blocks are still frozen.
Can I visit this place in March?
You can visit Sutton/Kezar Lake any time of year but “Ice Day” is only one day a year (late January or early February). You can probably still walk on the lake in March and you can visit the farm.
Nice post! Thnaks for sharing!
Thanks for reading!