February 10, 2013

Well now it's looking like winter around here.  The blizzard of 2013 was kind to Lake Wicwas.  It gifted us with about 15 inches of beautiful, fluffy powder, yet even with the strong winds there weren't any significant power outages - both results of the cold temperatures which kept the snow light and not sticking to the trees.  But the wind sure did blow the snow around.  Here's the view looking out the door on Saturday morning.

Callum and I took a snowshoe excursion as the snow was winding down, but not the wind - we were well prepared with warm clothes and goggles.  In the woods the wind wasn't too bad, but out on the lake it was pretty wild.

Back to reality, the work started.

Sometimes it seemed pretty futile,

But Callum was a great help!

And the wind created impressive sculptures.

By late afternoon the sun was breaking through, allowing the late sun to illuminate the pristine snow with a pink glow.

Followed by a brilliant winter sunset.

The storm stole the headlines from what was supposed to be the event of the weekend:  The Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby.  Some hearty soles braved the weather on Saturday, but not us - we waited until Sunday, which brought a beautiful post-Nor'Easter New Hampshire day.  Temperatures were near thirty degrees, the wind was calm, and the sky was clear and blue.  Meredith Bay had turned from a hockey town to a good size village on the lake.

A  Winter  Village on the Ice  (Compare this picture to last week!)

There were bob houses of all sizes, from the elegant and well landscaped,

to the austere (but with a nice front door),

to the large, peaceful, and comfortable - complete with two stories.

We were there around noon time, so there weren't a lot of fish on the board yet, but I'm sure it filled up by the end of the day.  The largest at the time was a 3.8 pound pickerel;  yesterday there was a six pound lake trout.  As a note, all the fish are taken to the Squam Lakes Science Center where they are used to feed the animals there.

Late morning on the Leader Board

There's nothing like a bluebird sky after after a winter storm.

February 3, 2013

Winter fun on frozen water!

The big event in Meredith this weekend was the New England Pond Hockey Classic.  This annual tournament includes 200 teams from every New England state, as well as teams from as far away as Canada, Washington DC - even Florida - and the weather was just about perfect for them.  The frigid weather of the prior week was broken with a 50 degree heat wave and heavy rain on Wednesday.  But just in time the cold weather returned, and the ice conditions on Meredith Bay were beautiful.  We visited the event on Saturday, and it was quite the scene.

2013 New England Pond Hockey Classic on Meredith Bay

20 hockey rinks back to back, with games in progress on each one,

Just of few of the 20 Rinks

except when the sweepers were out clearing a rink that had built up too many shavings.

Clearing the Ice between Games

There were people everywhere, some walking, some on skates;  food of all types being served for players and spectators, and of course, a beer tent (this is hockey after all).

There were cars and trucks and ATVs on the ice.

Back Side of the Food Court

A Plethora of Emergency Vehicles were on Hand

Even a helicopter made the show.

Close Air Support

It was definitely worth going down to see the all the action.  And the bay will be just as busy next weekend, as the ice rinks are taken over by fishermen for the Great Ice Fishing Derby - be sure to check that out if you're in the area.

Over at Lake Wicwas, the ice surface isn't quite as good, as there was snow cover on the lake before the warm weather and rain.  But the snow did saturate sufficiently that one can skate all over the lake, with large glass-smooth sections followed by some careful gliding over the bumpy spots in between. 

A Rare Skating Opportunity in February

A check on the ice thickness showed 12 inches - less than usual at this time of the year.

There was no hockey on Lake Wicwas, but the ice fishing is picking up.  There are half a dozen bob houses on the lake, with a small community growing between Bryant Island and Sheep Island, as well as in other locations on the lake.

Fishing Community between Bryant and Sheep Island

Not to be outdone by Lake Winnipesaukee, Lake Wicwas had its own air force this weekend, with an airplane bringing much needed supplies to the fishermen (more beer?).

The Wicwas Air Force

All this excitement and the derby is still a week away - I expect even more activity then.

And then there was this action taking place today:  Motorcycle Ice Racing!

Motorcycle Ice Racing on Wicwas!

A gang (that was the term they used!) set up a good size oval track right in front of the boat landing and was having a grand time. 

Their bikes are set up with some serious steel studs screwed into their tires.

After a few laps the course had to be scraped

before the next round could begin.

Here's a short video of the action.

There's no reason to be bored in New Hampshire in the winter!

I'll close with some quieter scenes that Jack Frost left on the windows this morning.

January 20, 2012

Lake Wicwas has been on a weather roller coaster lately.  How does a 50 degree temperature change sound?  It was 55 on Monday, (though still two degrees from the record high) and then 5 degrees on Friday.  Most of our snow melted, though we received a few more inches on Wednesday;  not enough to ski in the woods, or even to need snow shoes, but it sure made for a splendid sunrise.

Photo Credit:  L. Powell

I did take a nice ski on the lake, at least on the edges.  After the warm weather and open water just a few weeks ago, I'm still not willing to bet my life that the middle of the lake is safe.

Along my trip, I came across a marker obviously staked near an active beaver lodge.  It was clearly put there intentionally, and well marked.  When I saw a second near another beaver lodge, I figured something was going on.  I checked two other lodges, and they also had similar markers.  What's up?

Today, I got my answer. On a walk around the lake we came across a couple of people at one of the markers.  They are trappers, and I learned a lot about beavers and trapping.

Trapping season runs from November through April;  starting in November, beavers grow a layer of soft fur, which makes this the best season for pelts.  There isn't much of a market for beaver pelt;  he sends the pelts to Idaho for tanning, and is collecting enough to make a bed cover.

A small piece of poplar wood is used for bait, which makes the trap pretty much a one-species snare - no other animal will be attracted to an old chunk of wood!  Trappers must check their snares at least every three days, so it's a pretty intensive undertaking. 

Trapping to meet the insatiable European demand for pelts completely eliminated beavers from all of New England except the farthest reaches of Maine by the middle of the 1800s.  After their reintroduction in Vermont in the early 1900s, their population has boomed - they have few predators left and little market value.  It is not uncommon for a colony to completely harvest their available food supply, and have to move on or starve.  Land owners in the lakes region will hire trappers to reduce the size of a colony if it is devastating their property.

Lake Wicwas and its surrounds are probably near the limit of a healthy population, based on the observations I've made.  I've identified eleven lodges within the boundaries of Lake Wicwas alone, not including the Chemung Forest or the Hamlin/Eames/Smyth area.  It might sound cruel, but trappers are doing what nature no longer takes care of on its own.

This particular trapper will help people with problem animals, including skunk and raccoon.  Let me know if you need a contact.


On Saturday we took a hike -  no snow shoes needed - up to Arbutus Hill Pond.  On the way we saw deer, moose, rabbit, and fox tracks.

Rabbit Tracks

There are also splendid ice formations on the streams.

We were startled at one point by a grouse that flew out from under cover of a hemlock tree, followed shortly be two or three more.  We followed their tracks a bit;  they are rather narrow, often in a straight path without distinct foot prints except where the snow was barely an inch deep beneath the tree they were hiding under.  Without seeing the birds we never would have identified the tracks.

The ice fishermen were out in force this weekend, at least before the squall came through today.

Ice Fishing on Lake Wicwas

There was once again dynamic weather, with sun on the lake but threatening weather coming over the hills from the west.

Squalls coming from the West

Oh - and then this evening, we had another visit from the flying squirrel! 

They are very bold rodents;  it really takes a lot to get them to abandon an unrestricted food source!  If you've never seen a flying squirrel actually fly, see if you can run this video - it's my first attempt at uploading a video.

A late update:  I captured a beautiful gray fox coming and going on his nightly rounds early this morning.  Keep the trappers away from him - we need the foxes - they keep the rodent population in check!

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