A Backwoods Walk

 
This week had "Groundhog Day" - a day we all look forward to each year as it symbolizes the coming of Spring and the passing of Winter.

This year the groundhog didn't see his shadow; in fact he didn't even come out of his hole. And that was because his hole was covered with snow and a layer of ice.

Sealed in!

It's been a really weird Winter so far with not too much snow and periods of bone chilling cold weather. And while we've had some freezing rain that temporarily left some ice on the ground; we had a big thaw over a week ago that has left about one centimetre of ice in spots on the ground that were exposed - such as road surfaces.

And that has created travel problems; particularly for those of us who like to go for Winter walks! The problems are created because the persistent cold weather has stopped any snow that has fallen on the ice from becoming sticky and bonding to the ice. It's a problem for driving too because you must always keep two of your wheels on the edge of the road to get traction or you will loose your grip - particularly on hills.

One could say a solution is to simply pay a contractor to sand the roads. Yes, it's a simple solution but it's one that is not only short-lived but one that is very expensive. And once the sun comes out, it heats the sand that works its way into the ice, allowing any surface moisture to freeze over - creating more ice.

Money wasted!

Truly a nasty little problem and very costly! The only real solution is the quick arrival of Spring!

This is the first winter I can recall where the ice on the roads has stayed for so long. The only way to go for walks is to abandon the roads and go backwoods.

So ...into the bush!




The top picture above shows the lack of bush snow on a south-facing slope. (On a north facing slope, the snow depth increases to about 12 centimetres, or 8 inches). The bottom picture shows the view of Loon Lake from the top of a high ridge on the West side of the lake.

Well worth the climb!

And safe.