Slocan Lake doesn't freeze. It is so deep that no matter how cold the air is, unless the wind is incredibly still for weeks on end, the 50-degrees-Fahrenheit water hundreds of metres down is continually mixed with the surface water. At most only the still edges of the lake freeze. While the occasional small lakes that are up near mountain passes do freeze, the snow falls heavily there, and in amongst the peaks the winds are not sustained enough to blow the ice clear. So it's unusual to get a clear glassy surface on lakes around here. But it happens once in a while and when it does it's absolutely magical.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Rare ice
Slocan Lake doesn't freeze. It is so deep that no matter how cold the air is, unless the wind is incredibly still for weeks on end, the 50-degrees-Fahrenheit water hundreds of metres down is continually mixed with the surface water. At most only the still edges of the lake freeze. While the occasional small lakes that are up near mountain passes do freeze, the snow falls heavily there, and in amongst the peaks the winds are not sustained enough to blow the ice clear. So it's unusual to get a clear glassy surface on lakes around here. But it happens once in a while and when it does it's absolutely magical.
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