This all-seasons biker tracks Minneapolis Chain of Lakes’ ice depths for other winter-hardy folks

As Steven Glasford stepped on the ice at Bde Maka Ska, it made a sound that echoed through the chilly air like a “Star Wars” laser.

Glasford was unfazed. The ice was safe and likely more than 4 inches thick, he said. He had drilled a hole with an electric auger and used a coat hanger to measure the thickest part.

“Six and a quarter,” he said. “When there’s no snow [on the lake] it freezes significantly faster.”

Glasford, a Metro Transit bus driver, measures the ice on Minneapolis lakes for 12 hours on his days off. He treks on Lake Harriet, up to Cedar Lake and even does readings on Loring Pond near his home. His mode of transportation is an electric fat tire bike, which pulls a cart carrying his auger.

It started as a hobby two years ago after he was laid off from a job. He wanted to know when the ice was safe enough to cut through on his bike to work and the grocery store. But when he started posting his measurements and observations, titled “Chain of Lakes Ice Reports,” on Reddit the whole thing “blew up,” he said.

“I was expecting maybe 100 views a week, but now I get 25,000 views,” he said. The comments on his social media posts are filled with people thanking Glasford for his service.

“This is so epic — thank you for your commitment to keeping the community safer!” said one commenter.

The lake with the best ice right now is Bde Maka Ska, Glasford said. Smaller water bodies like Lake of the Isles formed ice early in the season, but the growth was slowed by the insulation from accumulated snow.

Bde Maka Ska, in comparison, froze over slowly, so much of the snow melted in the open water.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board measures lake ice throughout the season for rink construction and events such as the Art Shanty Projects on Lake Harriet, Park Board spokesperson Robin Smothers said. The agency does not post the measurements publicly.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources recommends the public stay off ice that is less than 4 inches thick.

Glasford said he understands why the Park Board doesn’t take weekly measurements; the endeavor takes a lot of time and there’s the risk of falling through the ice.

He bought an electric auger for about $350 and an anti-exposure suit that retails for more than $500.

In one report, Glasford demonstrated how the suit protects him — as well as what to do if you fall through the ice — by dropping through the ice himself. He said he felt warm and even a bit sweaty in the frigid water. It felt as if he could have stayed there for hours.

“If you’ve ever had a swimsuit and had clothes over it, it felt like that,” he said. “It’s a life preserver for the whole body, the arms and legs have foam similar to a standard life preserver and there’s a special hood that surrounds your head to keep it from getting wet.”

Glasford grew up in South Dakota and in the Brainerd area. He later moved to Boston,then came back to the Midwest a few years ago because he missed the climate.

“I’ve always been accustomed to having deep, harsh winters,” he said.