Ice Bubbles

On December 4th, after helping to flood the Nordegg Community rink in the morning, I took a drive up to Abraham Lake.  The skies were partly sunny, and the temperature was mild.  It actually peaked at +6c at one point that afternoon.  Considerably warmer than what was to come.

The lake was completely open, and the winds were surprisingly light.  But at the upper end of the lake, where the North Saskatchewan River enters, there was some ice.  There was virtually no snow, and the ice was clear.  There was a large area where quite a number of people were exploring and skating.  The lake level had dropped considerably from its high point a couple months ago.

There were lots of ice bubbles, and in places where there was little open water, you could see methane bubbling out of the mud.  They say it is from decaying vegetation.  The Bighorn dam that created the reservoir, was built 50 years ago.  You would think that all of the vegetation would have decayed by now.  That certainly does not seem to be the case.

Although the breeze picked up from time to time, for the most part it was calm.  I was able to get my view camera out and take a few photographs.  But I continued my struggles with sciatica and a couple of times, as I was climbing up the bank from the waters edge, my leg almost buckled under my weight.