Outdoor enthusiasts sharpening their blades

By Martha Bellisle, Reno Gazette-Journal

Making lemonade out of the lemon weather pattern that has brought weeks of cold, clear skies and no snow to the Reno-Tahoe area, about 50 ice skaters converged on Prosser Reservoir in Truckee on Saturday for some pick-up hockey games and gliding fun.

“This time of year, most of these people would be skiing today, but at least we can skate,” said Greg Keziah of Truckee as he tied on his hockey skates and headed out on the ice. “It’s amazing how fast it froze. A couple of weeks of single-digit temperatures, and it’s a good 5, 6 inches thick.”

Experts say ice should be at least 4 to 6 inches thick for safe skating. It’s also important never to skate alone.

Prosser is one of several Truckee-Tahoe area bodies of water that have frozen in the past month; others include the pond in Martis Valley near Truckee-Tahoe Airport; the ponds near Coldstream and Serene Lakes in Soda Springs; and Spooner Lake at Spooner Summit, west of Carson City.

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