December 9, 2012

Another week with more gray weather, and another light dusting of wet snow on Lake Wicwas.  This front dropped maybe as much as a half an inch!  There wasn't even enough to penetrate the dense foliage of the hemlock trees, which created some pretty contrasts between fall and winter within just feet of each other.

Another conspicuous contrast is the Christmas Fern, appropriately named at this time of year, as it is just about the only non-brown color left on the forest floor come Christmas.  (The moss hangs in there to keep it company.)  These plants are celebrating Christmas along the Red Trail west of the lake Wicwas view point.

Christmas Fern

The lake must be right at 32 degrees, as the ice comes and goes with air temperature fluctuations.  This time around, however, it is taking the opposite approach from last week, freezing over the center of the lake, and leaving the edges open.

Rather dreary looking, isn't it?

But then the sun came up this morning, and brightened up the world with a pink sunrise.

As the sun warmed the air and the wind came up the ice started to retreat, and by noon the entire broad-expanse of the lake was ice-free.

A good week of cold weather would get it completely frozen; maybe after Monday there will be enough cold nights in a row.