In Search of an Icy Shore

Yesterday Hunter's Point called.  "Amanda!  Where have you been?  Come see me!"  So Duce and I went.

I didn't have all that much time, so we hopped in the truck.  I drove down North Coast Shores Rd. and was surprised to see it was plowed.  Woo hoo!  So I popped it into third gear and cruised until OH MY GOD!  HERE'S THE INTERSECTION! without enough time to stop.  I spun around 270 degrees to make my right hand turn.  Wooh!  Made it through that one!  Kinda fun!

But as I faced the road to Hunter's Point, I noticed that it was where the plow person banked it all up.  Oh, shoot, Mr. Butters.  That's a long walk down a snowy road.  

I saw that the left side of the 8 foot high pile was fairly low and tracked up by snow vehicles.  I can make that.  So I gunned it.  Boom.  Stopped dead in my tracks.  The snow was almost half way up the tires.  So I put it into 4WD, and rocked it back and forth and back and forth.  Rooster tailing snow in both directions.  I had to reverse it over the little mound I got stuck on.  Back and forth.  

Finally I made it out.  Whew!  Another close one!  So I decided that was enough of that, and headed toward the Marina.  But that wasn't plowed either.  No wonder I usually walk everywhere!  My friend Jeff let me park in his driveway.  Thanks, Jeff!

I then began the hike along Hunter's Point trail toward the shore.  While hugging the west coast, I noticed all the ice fishermen waaaaay out there.  Hmm.  I bet I could walk across the ice!  I wanted to, but, maybe on the way back.  The trail was nice and panked anyway.

Soon I reached the shore.  I was amazed at what I saw.  I didn't expect it to be this good!

Mounds of ice sparkled in the sunlight.  Their humps paralleled the shoreline in a row.  We're going out there, Mr. Butters!  Climbing ice hills was quite difficult with just boots and mittens, but I was determined.  I slid down a couple times before I got to the top.  Here is a VIDEO of what I saw.

Pretty sweet, hey?  I was enamored while I was out there.  Why didn't we come out here sooner???  The shore changes from day to day during the winter.  I sure was pleased to see this change!

As I walked along the banks, I came across a hollow ice formation.  I was in awe, so I shimmied over the edge and held my camera out as far as I could to get a picture of the underside -- without falling in!

Under the hollow ice.

Blue ice on a rock.

On the way back I was feeling a little courageous.  I'm going to cross the Harbor.  I hadn't done it yet this year, but all those fishermen were way out there.  What could be wrong with the west end?

I wouldn't say that I threw caution to the wind, but I didn't get a gut reaction telling me to go back.  I tried kicking through the ice, but it seemed solid.  I scratched of some snow to try to see how deep it was.  I couldn't gauge it at all.  I'm going for it.

Shuffling, I traversed the frozen harbor, looking around me and listening.  Duce pranced right out in front, so I knew I'd be okay.  When I got to the middle, I could see the bubbles in the ice.  Oh, yeah.  It's at least 6 inches thick.  Woo hoo!  So I skated part of the way in my boots.  What a wonderful sunshiny day!

At the shore by the Marina dock, I looked back and squealed.  My first traverse across the Harbor for the winter.  And I didn't go through!