The Lake is Changing Daily

The lake is changing daily…. or at least it was. My weather entries from two weeks ago read as such….

Dec. 8, 2012 – AM – Three nights of minus 10 or lower…. north end of the lake is skimming over with a thin crust of ice. The bays to the left and right are filled and a narrow finger of ice joins in the middle out near the point below Devils Club Mountain. The North end (right in front) is still open and the far end (south) is still open water. I can see a faint rippling pattern forming on the water as I write. Indicates the continual formation of new ice on top of water. The thin layer of ice that has formed is supporting the bit of snow that is falling.

Dec. 9, 2012 – AM – This morning the north end of the lake is completely skimmed over and holding snow. The snow has been windblown over the ice forming a beautiful rippling design. There is a thick fog this morning -- can’t see beyond the point to the south end of the Lake. Through binoculars faint darker bands seem to suggest open water beyond the point. It is currently snowing with strong gusting winds.

LATER – During our walk along the lake shore, Charley could venture a short distance from shore, but Dick kept falling through.

Dec. 8, 2012... the ice along the shore was basically solidified slush, notice the dog prints to the right of Dick and where Dick tried to walk near the center of the shoreline.

 2:30pm – As far as we can see the Lake seems to have a skim of ice over all. Need to walk to a better vantage point to see beyond the point. I suspect the Lake might be completely skimmed over on the south end or else the gusting winds would’ve chewed up the edges by now, therefore breaking up the ice. It is still storming - snowing with high gusting winds – the snow is ‘falling’ perpendicular.

Dec. 10, 2012 – Walked along the shore all way to Taylor’s shoreline. Couldn’t make it up their steps because a landslip was blocking my way, so I wasn’t able to get a higher vantage point. But from where I stood on the shore it looks to me, like the South end is all white – indicating ice coverage holding snow. I know I’ve been wrong before -- the south end has a life of its own completely different from our north end… but I think I will call the night of December 9 the official freeze up (the first one so far). Let’s see if it lasts…. hopefully a heavy snowfall or high winds won’t sink or it break-up.

This never happened! By Dec. 16th we were venturing a short distance from shore. Of course we won’t go too far out for a while yet, but if one stays where one knows the water is shallow, there’s no danger. I hope that by early next week, we can go out to drill a few test holes.
 

Dec. 16, 2012.... things are much more solid now.