I am tired…. I am tired of the snow on the ground…. I am tired of always having to wear a coat
and long pants…. I am tired of looking out over the ice covered lake…. Most of these things are out of our control
and are part of living in Bear Lake which I never get tired of.
The ice is on everyone’s
mind. First people want to know when it
will freeze. Once that happens, everyone
is content until March. Then it starts
again, when will the ice go?
Many people assume that as
the weather gets warm, it makes the ice soft on the top and it eventually
melts. That is true is small bodies of
water but on Bear Lake things are different.
The rain and heat affect the ice surface but the water below needs to
get warmer than 32 degrees. The inflow
from the Bear River and tributaries account for this impact. This ice melts from the bottom up. As the lake level increases it opens up a
ring of water around the shoreline. The
lake then starts to get darker which means it is melting. The wind starts pushing the huge ice mass
around, it cracks and the blocks crash into each other. More water opens up and one day, all of a
sudden, it is gone. It may push up on
shore as a result of wind, but it will be bathed in a warm rain or just
disappear. I sure hope it melts before
May.
Sure signs of spring are
here The turkey vultures have returned
to Randolph, calves are frolicking around, turkeys are gobbling and the deer
are nibbling the "first green bite"
Enjoy.
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| Ice Melting on the Lake by Bryce Neilson |
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