By Gary Lee
Not much to talk about weather-wise except that it has been downright cold. No global warming this month, but just wait until July.
All over the country there have been extreme weather conditions: snow down in the lower southern states, above normal snowfall in the Rockies, very little snow in Montana (in fact, bare ground except for the mountains,) snow in parts of New Mexico and Arizona that normally don’t get any, and the west coast getting torrents of rain and mudslides.
We on the other hand have tons of snow that’s going to melt and flush down through the valleys below us when it goes.
The channel in Inlet is frozen, something I have never seen before.
It’s similar to what happened last year when the Great Lakes froze over.
Some water birds that used the open lakes for winter refuge had to go elsewhere to find open water.
There are reports again this year of birds flying down in highways and parking lots because they can’t find open water and have run out of energy to fly.
Among them are common loons, red throated loons and some grebes. Judith Cusworth, a rehabber from Chadwicks, told me she released two horned grebes in open water below a dam by Herkimer.
Most of these birds need open water for at least a short distance to take off.
She said the loons would eventually be taken to Cayuga Lake which still has lots of open water.
In the meantime they were kept in a bathtub and fed fish to build up their energy.
One of the grebes was found near Boonville and turned over to her.
I haven’t had any other reports locally. I’m sure some have come down but have not been found in the deep snow.
The snow is deep. Even with snowshoes it’s slow going, especially uphill.
It took me over an hour the other day to break a half-mile trail that had a few hills but was mostly flat.
It sure was a lot easier coming back out. Sometimes, like yesterday, the trails I’ve made on the lakes get blown over before I go back across.
You need to be careful as there is slush under that snow, and lots of it. In some places there is not much ice under that slush.
I found that out for myself the other day when I sunk through with both snowshoes to the top of my boots.
When I stepped back into the snow it instantly froze to my shoes.
The beaver trapping has been a trial with all the deep snow and ice in some places, but I have caught a few.
Dave Eichorn and Bob Ripley were out on Limekiln Lake ice fishing with a couple friends on Saturday and they got into slush that was at times over their boots. Now that’s a cold feeling at –10 degrees.
They caught a few splake for supper but were still shaking in their cold boots by the time they got off the lake to thaw out.
Until we get some warmer temperatures to knock down the snow pack, that slush will be out there.
Be careful not to go where others haven’t traveled.
If you get off the packed snowmobile trails you might also find yourself and your sled stuck in deep snow.
Some say their snowmobiles will go anywhere, but not so in three to four feet of powder.
Three snowmobilers got in deep powder the other night up above Lake Placid and were stuck for the night.
At –15, I’m sure it was a long cold night before they were rescued.
Many winter hikers have been doing the same thing as snow depths in the High Peaks are four and five feet deep.
As I said before, you don’t travel very far in that deep snow even with snowshoes or skis.
Your trips are going to take you much longer and you are going to expend a lot more energy than you may have planned on, so be careful out there.
With these snow depths you may want to think about your camp roofs.
Many are deceiving as there is very little snow on the lake side but on the back side of the camp the snow may be four to six feet deep because of the wind.
Many of the roofs I have scooped had snow up to my chin at the edge of the roof.
I haven’t shoveled a roof in several years as the snow scoop is the trick. Try it, you will like it.
Think spring and it will come…but that’s another story. See ya.