It's a cold education! a little info on ice....
Monday, January 28, 2008
route:
length: 1 day
difficulty:
organizer: Jeff McColl
participants: Jeff McColl,
report:
HI folks this is just a little eduactional info to help you stay safe on the rivers. Even though the ice has already gone out twice this winter it can rebuild very quickly. In the gallery I have posted 6 pics. The first 3 are of the ice bridge that formed on Bronte Creek in less than 2 weeks. It built so fast because the ground was still frozen so the when it got cold again the mist began to freeze immediatly. The second set of 3 is of Oakville creek in 2006 spring breakup. Same sort of thing, several breakups through out the winter. The last shot shows how the ice jam formed were it could not break through the anchor ice in a shallow pool and you can see where the water flows over the ice. Anchor ice forms from the bottom of the river in behind the rocks in those micro eddies in the river, the ice keeps getting thicker as the water freezes on top, which is why small creeks can get huge thick slabs of ice. This is what is causing the flooding in Prince George BC. The river may look like there is a good flow, but it's just that the channels have been restricted. If you happen to ski, hike or snow shoe these rivers, the channels can change from day to day. I have been more than lucky a few times, when X country ski training on the Credit at night, then skiing the next day having your trail disapear into water. Sometimes in quick thaws, even though it looks like the ice is out, some pools and eddies will still have ice in them. This is not meant as a lecture but just passing along some info. This has been a hinterland moment. | 
