Ice walkers (17F) - Island Pond Lake, Appalachian Trail

bearthedog · Dec 18, 2013

Jay and I went out for a hike and day camp along the Appalachian Trail. He mentioned a lake and the possibility of it being frozen. I dont think Ive ever seen a lake completely frozen over and I certainly havent ever walked on one!

Started by doing a quick map check

Off he goes

This would be Ice walker 1

Yoda log

Eastern Hemlock

Ice walker 2

Small bridge

Like I told Jay, Id never walked across a frozen lake before

We had gone over 150 yards out when we heard a crack

This isnt the best color to see under feet

Sowe took pictures

And a quick nap!

Long way back

Making a day camp

Just a quick and messy log cabin fire for a bed of coals to cook on.

The chef prepared only the finest spicy SPAM!

Frozen wool gloves

You can see the cold, violent wind

Birch bark serving platter

Hemlock tea

Jay swore it tasted like seaweed. We both agreed to call it Seafood tea!

Only the toughest frozen oak and mapleour tools were up to it!

Warming by the fire

We returned to the lake and observed the ice breaking up

Woods Walker · Dec 18, 2013

That looked fun!

91wm6 · Dec 18, 2013

Beautiful pictures where were they take ? And dude spam?! When you hike in this weather you bring a t bone or a ribeye, or at the very least some bacon lol...

JV3 · Dec 19, 2013

another awesome trip, rb! i'll post up my pics tomorrow.

Woods Walker said:
That looked fun!

with rb, it always is.

91wm6 said:
Beautiful pictures where were they take ? And dude spam?! When you hike in this weather you bring a t bone or a ribeye, or at the very least some bacon lol...

pics taken in ny.

pound for pound, spam has more fat/energy and salt than steak or bacon. no style points here, we're function over form all the way down to food and beverage (either plain water or whisky only)

neeman · Dec 19, 2013

Nice photos

In 78 the Long Island Sound froze
And I snowshoed quite a few miles in to the sound

TheGame · Dec 19, 2013

Looks like you guys had a good time out there. Thanks for sharing!

scruffuk · Dec 19, 2013

That looks a bit nithering as we say here.

Glad you didn't try your luck too much on the lake.

Thanks for taking us along.

bearthedog · Dec 19, 2013

Woods Walker said:
That looked fun!

It was a fun day in the woods, didn't want to leave.

91wm6 said:
Beautiful pictures where were they take ? And dude spam?! When you hike in this weather you bring a t bone or a ribeye, or at the very least some bacon lol...

Try the hot and spicy kind.

scruffuk said:
That looks a bit nithering as we say here.

Glad you didn't try your luck too much on the lake.

Thanks for taking us along.

I really wanted to go the rest of the way.

-RB

lmalterna · Dec 19, 2013

Black Pepper Spam for us

Even better with thick cut bacon and cornbread.

If/When we get hard frozen water- usually mid January.

Bill

JV3 · Dec 19, 2013

thanks, guys! here's my pics. rb on the ny-section of the a.t...with all the places he's been to i'm surprised he never hiked it so i knew i had to bring him there before he left.

the recent snow storm added another 3" or so from the 8" we saw from last weekend's overnighter so we were the first to put down new foot prints.

the conversation went like this: what is it? i don't know. is it edible? i don't know.

i guess we'll find out if it's poisonous

more untouched snow...i'm surprised all the snowshoers in the area have been quiet this year so far. they must've sold it off due to lack of heavy snow the previous two winters. i almost sold mine too but looks like i'll be able to play with it this winter

frozen lake.

how it looks like in the warm months.

i don't know how we went from "i've never done it before so i just want to step on a frozen lake".

...to "the island is so close, we should make a run for it"...to "that is water seeping up from the crack, let's turn back now!". near the shore we tested another area with a hot spring underneath to study the transition of ice thickness...i won't soon forget the sound of that ice cracking...booze wasn't even involved

wildlife hatchet got a good workout...or rather my arms did. frozen hardwoods, i much preferred any of my longer handled axes.

rb brewing up a batch of seaweed tea.

fire-toasted raisin bagels and hot & spicy spam - very tasty combo.

birch bark cutting board.

thanks again rb for the food and awesome trip!

Badey · Dec 19, 2013

Looks like a good trip. I'm just starting to get into cold weather hiking.

scruffuk · Dec 19, 2013

Thanks for the further addition of pics amigo.

That is a beautiful spot to stop, sun or snow.

Btw I think your mystery shrub may be a rhododendron.

bearthedog · Dec 19, 2013

scruffuk said:
Btw I think your mystery shrub may be a rhododendron.

I think you are right. It usually grows near Mountain Laurel and that area is covered with ML.

-RB

willrise · Dec 19, 2013

My blood pressure just triple cuz of that last pix

olybears57 · Dec 19, 2013

Yes, it was a rhodie! (They are native here in the mountains of Washington)

upnorth · Dec 19, 2013

Maybe take an auger with you next time.

daniel4572 · Dec 20, 2013

Awesome as usual!

22-rimfire · Dec 20, 2013

When I was in my teens, my brothers and Dad hiked up to this big dam out in the woods. It was completely froze over and of course us kids just had to go out onto the ice. My Dad was petrified that we would take the chance.... ice breaks and the water is DEEP, if you don't drown right then, you die from hypothermia since we were about 10 miles out in the middle of no where and it was real cold. We kids (knew about the risks) but we just grinned and had a good time out on the ice. That is one of the differences between being a kid and an adult.

I know what it feels like to completely get soaked (broken ice and really get dunked head to toe) and have to figure out what to do when it's 15-20 degrees F out.

upnorth · Dec 20, 2013

22-rimfire said:
When I was in my teens, my brothers and Dad hiked up to this big dam out in the woods. It was completely froze over and of course us kids just had to go out onto the ice. My Dad was petrified that we would take the chance.... ice breaks and the water is DEEP, if you don't drown right then, you die from hypothermia since we were about 10 miles out in the middle of no where and it was real cold. We kids (knew about the risks) but we just grinned and had a good time out on the ice. That is one of the differences between being a kid and an adult.

I know what it feels like to completely get soaked (broken ice and really get dunked head to toe) and have to figure out what to do when it's 15-20 degrees F out.

That's why ice fishermen get ice reports and\or test as you leave shore. There are many, many tips for frozen water bodies. Years when there is an early blanket of snow the ice forms slowly because of the insulating layer etc. Regardless of the fact that safety is an obvious priority, every few years someone manages to sink a truck or ATV around here because they were complacent. I don't intend to be one of them, and many of us have been on frozen lakes for decades without issue.

I suppose if we are from a location were there is a lot of traditional activity on frozen lakes, the experience is normalized or we become acclimated to it. I know that I am also more cautious with a new and potentially dangerous situation, and rightly so that we are.

lmalterna · Dec 20, 2013

On one hand, if BG had been there he would have crashed the ice and jumped in just for sport.

On the other hand, being roped and at least 25' distant is not a bad precaution. I can't think of many people better prepared to deal with the after affects of a dunking than you two but I would really hate to see you risk it all proving that! I have played on lake ice but I admit to being careful enough to stay in the shallow end(less that 4' or water when thawe). I have gone through in water I knew to be less than chest deep and it kind of sucks.

Bill