Pathfinder seems to have the same kind of ice in the winter.
I had this happen to me years ago at Pathfinder. I had my Niles with me for a back up. ( traveling from Gilllette, I would always pack it with me ).
It went dull in a couple of inches too....
First time that I had experienced this. I finally burned a couple of hole with the jiffy and fished those holes the rest of the weekend.
A few years ago, Fontenelle had very little snow on it and the wind was terrible that winter. The same senero, sand was blown on the ice.
I took my spud bar and chipped down a couple of inches, then drilled my hole. I didn't have any issues that year doing this...
Wyo Ice