What to do with a frozen lake

[TimMc]

Around here , cut holes in it and spear sturgeon

A few days later the temperature hit the high 40's and the lake turned to a mirror

Before anybody drives out to join the crowd, beware this is not for the inexperienced . Friday night a snow squall went thru and in a couple of hours 14 vehicles had lost their way and fallen into open water/cracks. Each one is several thousand to get out and then typically the vehicle is totaled. Flying a drone from shore is much less risk.

 

[AlanLichty]

Sounds like an excellent time to be using air as a photo platform. Drones don't care about the ice breaking up.

I like the depth in the clouds in the first image - adds to a sense of scale in the frame. Cool sunset in the second one.

 

[TimMc]

On both panos I tried to get up higher, but the wind was strong enough that the drone started putting out warnings. As it is the gymbol could not level the camera. So, as usual, I blame the equipment for any short comings.

 

[AlanLichty]

Sounds like a good time to blame Mother Nature

 

[Ben Egbert]

Neat set

 

[JimFox]

Love both of these Bob! I like the starkness of #1, almost as if you are in the Antarctic. It has such a cold and remote feel to it.

14 vehicles fell in? Hopefully no one was hurt. Yeah, one would have to be very careful. I know even as a teenager back there I would use extreme caution when going onto a frozen lake. The smaller ponds that I would ice skate on as a youth it would seem pretty easy to know when it was safe. But driving a car on top of it? Even though others do it, I think your idea of using the drone instead is very smart!

 

[TimMc]

Nobody was seriously hurt. I don't know if all the vehicles are out. Part of the instructions lately has been to drive with the windows open and have a charged cell phone. If you go in, throw the cell phone out the window first and follow it. Then once on the ice you can call for help. This saved a man earlier in the winter.

 

[TimMc]

Non drone shot taken at the beginning of the spearing season

there are easily over 100 square miles of lake and several thousand fisherman out for the 19 or so day season

 

[Ben Egbert]

Lot of weight on that ice

 

[Jameel Hyder]

Never fails to amaze me that people do this. Many years ago I was in Madison, WI in winter. One of my coworkers look me to the lake where people make a hole in the ice and fish. There was one guy who was in his VW van with hole in the van floor and was fishing from the comfort of his van.

Love the sunset image.