Thaw Encased In Ice

March 7th through 13th, 2022

Lake Lucerne
It's poetic to think of last week as a quiescent Spring pupa surrounded by an ice chrysalis. To those living through, it's just cold, hard, and annoying. The calendar would suggest that such Winter weather should be expected, but there's a palpable feeling in the northwoods that Winter has overstayed its welcome.
Lake Lucerne
At the start of last week, remnants of the ice storm that coated the outdoors continued to encase pretty much everything..
Lake Lucerne
When multiplied by all the trees, roads, and drifts it made for a stunningly memorable sight.
Lake Lucerne
Driving or walking on the ice covered roads can also be stunningly memorable in a more bruise-y kind of way.
Lake Lucerne
The condition of knottlane is passable, but beware the one to two inches of ice that lurk beneath the soft looking snow.
Lake Lucerne
The storm created ice sheets that covered the bar's roof. When they started to slide off, it got cold. The frozen extendo roof is one of those transitory architectural features on many dwellings this time of year.
Lake Lucerne
Some even come with a second row of icicles!
Lake Lucerne
Later in the week, there was a little snow, too.
Lake Lucerne
Following the snow was some wind with gusts that exceeded 30 mph. The resulting snow devils that danced on the lake and pummeled the tired bottle rocket war forts made for some impressive drifting on the North end of the lake.
Lake Lucerne
Many local woodland creatures frolicked and flew over the huge snow piles.
Lake Lucerne
Special mention (or a slap on the head) must given to the late week snow and wind that created extra deep and well sculpted drifts on the bar's driveway.
Lake Lucerne
On the weekend, it got warmer. As temperatures crept above freezing, small patches of road emerged from the ice.
Lake Lucerne
As the ice kind of melted in Spring, feet were joined to the primary sapping ATV.
Lake Lucerne
The sugarmen have spoken. It was time to trudge the hills west of the lake and put holes in maples.
Lake Lucerne
Three sugarpeople started to pick trees and stage the buckets. The crew lost one to a rescue call, then gained 2, then lost one as a pair of snowshoes failed. The white in the woods is exceedingly deep in spots.
Lake Lucerne
By the end of Sunday, 360 trees were staged and 5 had holes, spiles, lids, and buckets. The lack of any sap run from those 5 ended tapping for the day
Lake Lucerne
There's over a foot of very well packed snow under those feet. The snow off trail is not packed and a non-snowshoed step can sink past a knee.
Lake Lucerne
The warmer weekend has increased the activity of the feeder raiding squirrels.
Lake Lucerne
The wild turkeys seem more lively, too.
Lake Lucerne
The forts on the North end of Lucerne look less frisky. The walls are getting thinner and more tippy. Clearly, it's time to get the knottlane annual ice-out contest up.
Lake Lucerne
On the weekend, we drilled a hold in Lucerne to get an ice thickness check. There's just over 2 feet of ice covering the lake.
Lake Lucerne
The top 3 inches is snow that froze into an airy, ice like state.
Lake Lucerne
During the weekend, it finally started to look more like early Spring rather than January. It suddenly was time to celebrate, tap, and post the annual Knottlane Ice-Out contest. Like the song says, two out of three ain't bad. I'll get the contest up sometime this week between holing maples and collecting sap. In the meantime think about your date and check back daily to enter it. Good luck and happy Spring!


-Nemo's gonna repair his snowshoes right after posting this page.