This last weekend, I took a short walk through one on my favorite local parks. Running through the center of this particular park is a winding, slow-moving stream that has carved out a small valley over the years. Lining the steeps slopes of this valley are eastern hemlocks, towering oaks, maples, beeches, and more.
During the spring, the floodplain of the stream is carpeted in an extravagant display of wildflowers, wild leeks, onions, and even a few stands of paw-paws. While it is still far too early in the year for these plants to show themselves (or in the case of the paw-paw trees, to bare any fruits), I find this park beautiful at this time of the year as well. After a few consecutive days of off and on freezing rain, we were granted one day of clear blue skies. After weeks of virtually no sunlight, I jumped at the opportunity to get out in the sun.
I will admit that I did not expect to find much of anything on this hike, and I even considered heading out to walk without my camera. In retrospect, I'm glad that I had the good sense it decide otherwise. Shortly after entering the park, I had to follow a steep trail down into the valley in order to walk along the stream. After days of freezing rain, this slope was sheer ice, and I was forced to slide down sitting down in order to not slip and risk breaking my camera. Thankfully my camera made it down in one piece!
As soon as I made my way down to the stream, I looked to my right to see a log jam that I have seen dozens of times over the last couple of years. This time however, something caught my eye when I glanced at the logs protruding from the icy water. Something was shimmering in the light like a gemstone. As I made my way closer to the logs, I was greeted with the most unique icicle formations that I have ever seen. Hanging like delicate earrings, or the ornaments on a Christmas tree, there were dozens of icicles, each cluster shaped more peculiarly than the last. Some lined up in neat rows with nearly uniform bulbs, while others tapered into needle-like spears, while even more formed elongated masses of ice clinging to the log above by narrow connections that reminded my of a group of bats hanging side by side.
I sat beside the stream stunned for a few moments, trying to make sense of how these formations were made. Having lived nearly my entire life in parts of the world that are no stranger to the bitter cold of winter, I have seen countless shapes and forms of icicles, but I can not recall ever seeing something as unique as these formations. If anyone has any idea how something like these may form, please let me know!
I hope that you enjoy these images as much as I did taking them. Thank you for walking with me!
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I went for a quick walk in the neighborhood today after we had snow yesterday hoping to see some icicles and ice on the trees but had no luck
but then I visit your post and see all the cool icy details you found and loved it
Thanks for joining the Wednesday, its always fun for me to visit the walks from all around the world, getting a feel for communities where people live and what they see on their daily walks