Today's hike: beautiful, ghostly, fog ice crystals
With microspikes, Karen and I hiked above Squilchuck State Park in fog from the winter inversion. It was ghostly in the woods with fog ice crystals on trees and bushes. Felt like being in a refrigerator.
With hard ice on the trail from snowmobiles, microspikes kept us from slipping.
Tomorrow wind will blow away the fog, followed by snow. Hooray!
I love the second photo because white ice crystals contrast with the dark tree trunk. Love the curves. It's the first shot I took.
For Christmas, I asked my daughter Claire for an inflatable sit-upon from REI for winter hiking. No more frozen butt.
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10 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Sorry I did not have a CAMERA 26 years ago when we saw a frozen spray of ice resembling an ice coated tumbleweed shot out up between Mississippi River giant ice chunks below the Bellvue Lock&dam where eagles fish in moonlit water
Larry68Feminist
Level 7
Dec 14, 2019
1
@ADKSparky, @Trumpeter, @CS60, @heymoe2001, @bobwjr, @ToolGuy, @glenlab, @Aurora62, @hankster, @RoyMillar,
We noticed ice crystals were larger in open areas with more air circulation.
LiterateHiker
Level 9
Dec 12, 2019
3
Beautiful frost crystals. 🥶
ADKSparky
Level 8
Dec 11, 2019
1
The cold, moist fog created ice crystals.
@LiterateHiker We get them under the right conditions in the fall through early spring. They're beautiful.
Up here in AK we had pouring rain followed by a freeze a few days after a foot of snow so we are able to walk on it like it was tarmac because the rain gave it a rough texture. Even though the side roads are covered in ice I can walk on it like it was asphault. As someone from the southeast this is wild for me.
OrbitalResonance
Level 4
Dec 11, 2019
1
Great pics! What a lovely hike it must have been.
heymoe2001
Level 5
Dec 11, 2019
2
Thank you!
@LiterateHiker thank you all for sharing
Micro spikes! Thanks. Did not even think of these until your post. I walk to work every day. Monday was raining thought nothing of it since it was above freezing, wrong. One little patch of frozen sidewalk and I went down on my arm and side like a bag of cement from a two story building. Sore arm and bruised ribs for sure and maybe a fractured rib. Be sore for a couple of weeks and winter is just starting. Could have been worse so I just ordered a pair and will be wearing whenever snow or icy sidewalks call for it.
Mark013
Level 7
Dec 11, 2019
1
I sewed Velcro straps so I don't lose microspikes in deep snow.
Collapsible trekking poles help, too. Even using one pole gives you three-point stability.
Sorry you slipped and got hurt! You could have easily broken a bone. Whew.
I used to love the designs the ice fog at Fairchild (Spokane), we used cold fog dispersal, so the ice fog would stick to any thin surface. The chain link fences would have a lattice like attachment several inches out from the fences, the trees were all frocked and because they used propane to disperse the fog, the roads were slicker than.. pretty much anything you can imagine.
glennlab
Level 10
Dec 11, 2019
1
Sounds like it was a great hike for you two,more beautiul pics ,love your adventure and pics ,winter wonderland up there
RoyMillar
Level 9
Dec 11, 2019
1
Thank you!
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