High Sierra Topix

Wow, those are amazing photos! It's wonderful to see places that I've hiked through in another light. Too cold for me but more power to you - keep on skating!

Alan

John et al

Great photos. Except for Ostrander which I skate every year even if its not great, just to do it, we had seamless water ice on Gull Lake (road accessible) on Christmas Day, late 90's. It was seamless because there was still open water, so as the lake froze it had an open area to expand into without cracking and buckling. Ostrander frequently freezes up in sections, so if snow falls on part, another area of open water will freeze--this may keep going for a month, or you may get no good days at all. The ice almost always cracks--lakes are weakest at the edges where there is heat transfer, even from logs, but its spookiest out in the middle, alone, when you get a lightning crack under your skates and right up your spine. Still, I've never seen anything but cracks--never a large piece that upends. We test by roping someone up and they whack on the ice with the back of a skate, or walking with boots, which distribute the weight more evenly than skates. No one has ever gone in, or even close, except in spring as the edge of the lake melts out. Have fun--there's nothing like a 25 foot glide on skates.
Howard Weamer

Oh man these are so awesome....

Hey Howard

I know what your saying. Here's seamless 3 inch ice on Ruby Lake this morning. Hope all is well at the hut. http://www.facebook.com/pages/John-Ditt ... 925?ref=mf


JD

'tiss the season once again!

That is so cool!! what lakes are those and how did you get into them?

Thanks John for posting those wonderful shots!

Very nice pics as always John. Thank you so much for sharing them. I have to admit I look forward to these shots each new year!!!!

Thanks, it is pretty fun.

rlown wrote:That is so cool!! what lakes are those and how did you get into them?

Tamarack (Rock Cr) snow free hiking
Ruby and Fourth Recess via Mono Pass (fairly serious post holing)
Duck Lake via Duck Pass on skis a couple of days ago.

Here's a pretty fun video from Topsy Turvy earlier this fall.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri31ZWIX ... nKw9vtQwMw[/youtube]

Unbelievable photos!