Lake Effect

Beginning May 1st, anyone crossing from the U.S into Canada will be required to have a passport. This will undoubtedly increase the time it takes to get to Montreal by a significant amount. We live a little over two hours from the border and have had, on several occasions, the opportunity to venture into Quebec. From the cuisine to the architecture, to the staunch refusal of the natives to speak anything but Quebecois, you would think the body of water you crossed was the Atlantic and not the St. Laurence. In February and March, Quebec also happens to be the destination of thousands of Vermonters who prefer the vast lakes and backcountry areas for snowmobiling. One can evidently go for days and not see another soul. And if that weren't reason enough, there are also vast stretches of lakes and fields upon which riders can reach speeds that they would be prohibited from reaching in the States. One such party of hopefuls made the excursion two weeks ago. After trailering their sleds across the border, they parked their vehicles, loaded their provisions onto the machines, and headed north for a five day adventure. Days one, two, and three, went by with no outstanding activity. They were blessed with good sunlight and increasing snow depth as they ventured north. The morning of the fourth day they were treated to a sunrise over a lake with no name and, from their camp, no apparent terminus. After breakfast, they determined that they would try to cross the frozen expanse at the fastest speeds their sleds could take them. Two miles out, their spedometers were reading well over 150 mph. It was at that point when one of the riders realized that the surface of the lake had changed. Instead of the ice they had started on, there appeared before them a broad expanse of water, still with no end in sight. The rider who noticed radioed to his companions, and all three no doubt began to mull thoughts of eternity.
The story ends well enough. It seems that momentum and speed override mass and weight and in Canada, where you are allowed to move faster, you are allowed to use these physics to live a bit longer. Fifteen minutes later, with shaking hands upon the throttles, the adventurers finally reached the other side of the lake. Upon their return to civilization, where they were able to retrace their route with the aide of map and distance tools, they were astounded to learn that they had 'skimmed' across five miles of open water. Quite a feat when you consider the combined weight of sled and rider to be greater than 900 pounds.
By the way, this story, regardless of its truthfulness, has about 10 different morals to it. At this point in the evening, I'm too tired to explain any of them.