Haines skaters could see substantially more ice this winter.
A rink at the fairgrounds set up previously under Payson’s Pavilion is being replaced by a larger one volunteers are setting up in Raven Arena, the horse corral west of Harriett Hall.
“Hopefully, it will be more ice and for a longer period of time,” volunteer Greg Schlachter said this week. Ice there may be ready for skating by the end of the week, he said.
Alaska Power and Telephone donated lights and three light poles that went up around the arena in recent days. Volunteers moved a shack from near the demolished schools to a hydrant at the fairgounds, which should keep the water flowing.
They have 200 feet of one-inch line for flooding the arena, which measures about 70 feet by 100 feet, or about twice the size of the former rink at Payson’s Pavilion. Lutak Lumber donated lumber for boards which will serve as a border.
Built on earth, the arena rink should stay frozen longer than the pavilion rink that was set up on a concrete slab that warmed quickly during thaws, Schlachter said.
Without a roof, however, the new rink will need to be plowed of snow. “This is an experiment, for sure. We’ll have to build it up enough for it to support a plow.”
Getting a surface smooth enough for skating requires multiple applications of thin coats of water, he said. Work renovating Harriett Hall moved fair’s winter vehicle storage to under the pavilion, precluding its use as a rink location.