On the ice

[MattBurt]

I shot these from my ice skates this evening. Pretty nice out there.

[francois]

Great and the bubbles must give you an impression of hovering over some gaseous and alien atmosphere.
I never tried to skate on a frozen lake/river but with the higher temperatures, the opportunities become very scarce here.

[MattBurt]

Great and the bubbles must give you an impression of hovering over some gaseous and alien atmosphere.
I never tried to skate on a frozen lake/river but with the higher temperatures, the opportunities become very scarce here.

Thanks! Yes, it can be pretty surreal. The sounds it makes are haunting and sometimes pretty scary. Anything from something like a whale song to loud bangs and cracks. This ice quality is a bit low with that texture on the surface but it's thick and safe here and of course there are the bubbles which tend to form in certain areas more than others. Just being out there is a fun experience and some like to just walk on it (with spikes on their boots). This got covered in snow last night so this patch is done for the season. There is still a lot of open water so we'll get more fresh ice as winter progresses. The trick is to hit the window when the ice is thick enough and it hasn't snowed since it froze. That cycle repeats as the 17 Mile long reservoir gradually gets covered in ice in sections.
 
I grew up in Michigan in the 70s and 80s and skated many lakes, ponds, and rivers over the years. Now those don't reliably freeze anymore. But Gunnison is known for being one of the coldest places in the contiguous USA so we still get reliable ice here. I didn't skate for like 25 years and then one year we were having a bad ski season and I tried it on the reservoir and remembered how I used to love it as a kid. I'm a regular skater again now and it's a lot of fun.

[armand]

That ice looks really tempting, photographically wise (no skating for me). With the current winters here I barely saw glimpses on the local lakes, I'm almost envious (almost).

[francois]

I don't skate anymore but when I did, I was always scared by frozen lakes. I didn't trust the guys in charge of verification of the ice solidity or thickness.


A long time ago, on this forum, a user called Didger  was a frequent poster. He used to hike in the mountains very often and then, he stopped posting, for a few months. Later, his brother posted that his body was recovered from a lake or a pond, with his backpack still attached. Apparently, he walked on the frozen surface and suddenly the ice cracked and he went straight to the bottom, weighted by his heavy backpack.

[armand]

I don't skate anymore but when I did, I was always scared by frozen lakes. I didn't trust the guys in charge of verification of the ice solidity or thickness.


A long time ago, on this forum, a user called Didger  was a frequent poster. He used to hike in the mountains very often and then, he stopped posting, for a few months. Later, his brother posted that his body was recovered from a lake or a pond, with his backpack still attached. Apparently, he walked on the frozen surface and suddenly the ice cracked and he went straight to the bottom, weighted by his heavy backpack.

That's a big fear of mine when I walk on ice, now it's even worse ...

[francois]

That's a big fear of mine when I walk on ice, now it's even worse ...

I do understand you... About Didger's tragical end, you can read his brother's comment on DPreview here.

[MattBurt]

Wow I hadn't heard that story. Very sad. I usually carry safety gear when on the ice, a life jacket, spikes, and a throw rope just in case.
People I skate with push the limits of how thin you can skate and go in every now and then. They seem pretty good at getting back out. I'm hoping I never have to test my skills.

[francois]

Wow I hadn't heard that story. Very sad. I usually carry safety gear when on the ice, a life jacket, spikes, and a throw rope just in case.
People I skate with push the limits of how thin you can skate and go in every now and then. They seem pretty good at getting back out. I'm hoping I never have to test my skills.

The circumstances of Didger's death were different (snowshoes, frozen lake/pond covered with snow, heavy backpack, being alone, etc). You're pretty well equipped. It's impossible to be safe 100% of the time, anyway.
Thanks for your stunning shot, I always enjoy them... and stay safe, of course.

[Paulo Bizarro]

Well done, bubbly!