Every winter, long after the last guests have departed, a ritual takes place at RDC— the harvesting of lake ice. When the ice off the Deephaven shore becomes eleven or twelve inches thick (usually mid January to mid February) the work begins. In one week, 200 tons of ice are taken from the lake by a crew that includes many who have done the job for decades and a few who follow in their father’s and grandfather’s footsteps. The ice will fill the cottage ice boxes in the summer, keeping alive a connection between the camps and the natural environment that surrounds them. Story continued...