 Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, a thick sheet of ice formed on the lake, thus allowing snowshoeing across its surface from late November through late April.But in subsequent years warmer winter temperatures and February rain showers led to thinner lake ice, making trips across the lake treacherous and unpredictable.Without year-round neighbors or a phone in cases of emergency, LaBastille elected to stop spending winters at the cabin.