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There's an upside to cold, snowless New England days — great skating

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

As the climate warms, it's getting harder for people in colder parts of the country to count on the right weather for traditional winter sports, like outdoor ice skating. But in Maine, skating enthusiasts delighted this month in a string of cold, snowless days that froze lakes, ponds and even some rivers. Maine Public Radio's Ari Snider laced up his skates and joined the wild ice bonanza.

ARI SNIDER, BYLINE: Frank Whittier (ph) says he's been hitting the ice near his home in Southern Maine a lot recently.

(SOUNDBITE OF PERSON ICE SKATING)

FRANK WHITTIER: It's truly panic mode. Everybody's, like, texting, where are you going? I have one friend who went three times yesterday, three different lakes, just chasing black ice.

SNIDER: Black ice. Whittier is not referring to the roadway hazard, but rather to smooth, clear ice, unblemished by snow or rain or thaw. For outdoor ice enthusiasts like Whittier, it's the holy grail.

WHITTIER: It is absolutely like a glass carpet out there. It's crazy, crazy, beautiful.

SNIDER: And he's not the only one dropping everything to get after it.

STU STRAWBRIDGE: Are you feeling better?

NINA STRAWBRIDGE: Yeah.

STRAWBRIDGE: This time all year, right?

SNIDER: Stu Strawbridge (ph) has pulled his fourth grade daughter, Nina (ph), out of school for a session on nearby Runaround Pond.

STRAWBRIDGE: I mean, we usually get it once a year, maybe twice, but right now we've got a stretch. It looks like it might last, like, 15, 20 days.

(SOUNDBITE OF PERSON ICE SKATING)

STRAWBRIDGE: You bend those knees, remember? Just like as if you're pushing a chair, yeah. Remember you got some big bumps over there.

(SOUNDBITE OF PERSON ICE SKATING)

SNIDER: On another lake not far off, Marina Gray (ph) is cutting a swift, upwind line across the glassy surface.

MARINA GRAY: It's kind of effortless, almost, and I'm sure you know, once the wind pushes me back, I probably will have to do, like, 10% effort to try to really get some speed.

SNIDER: Gray says she fell in love with outdoor ice skating as a kid. Now she says she's something of an evangelist.

GRAY: I'm trying to get all my friends to go out. My friend with me today, she actually just bought her skates an hour ago.

SNIDER: This is how most information travels in the wild ice community - a tip from a friend, a video dropped in the group chat or a detailed scouting report posted on Facebook. The ever shifting nature of the ice is part of the thrill, but it's also part of the risk. Even today, under sterling conditions, those who venture to the northern reaches of this lake return with warnings of open water. Grey wears a pair of ice picks around her neck in case she breaks through.

GRAY: Just something about being on a frozen lake seems kind of daring and, I don't know, I like to push the limits and enjoy the elements outside.

WHITTIER: Let's stay in touch, 'cause I could easily...

SNIDER: But those elements are changing. Maine winters are getting warmer and more erratic due to climate change. Frank Whittier at the pond near Portland, says he's seen it firsthand.

WHITTIER: We're truly cherishing this moment, but we're not getting as many of them. Our lakes are unequivocally not freezing as much in the winter.

SNIDER: That means when the ice is this good, there's no time to waste.

WHITTIER: All right. So let's see if we can get out of here, get some free wind (ph).

SNIDER: In the waning daylight, Whittier steps onto a sort of skateboard with metal runners instead of wheels, lifts a handheld sail overhead and glides away.

For NPR News, I'm Ari Snider in Southern Maine.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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Ari Snider