The Pressure Ridge

Sometimes things seem to pop up overnight.  Usually, it's as simple as a new idea, or some other such thought.   Occasionally, it is actually something physical.  A few weeks ago, a pressure ridge popped up in front of the lodge, creating an obstacle that prevented anyone from accessing the lake via our boat landing. 

     It's typical to see these ridges each winter.  They usually run from north to south, created by the heaving and cracking of the ice as it contracts and expands.  This is the first time we've seen one running east to west, and it followed our shoreline closely, for quite aways down the lake. 

     While our landing is no where near as busy in the winter as it is the rest of the year, it is still a vital pathway.  Fishermen come by snowmobile to access the good fishing holes down to the east.  Traveling up and over a pressure ridge can be dangerous, as there can be open water near them.  At the least, they can cause nasty slush.  At the most, a snowmobile can slip through into the lake.  That did happen last month, but fortunately, it was near shore and the rider and snowmobile both made it out safely.

     On this particular day, Greg went down to the lake, ready with tools and a video camera, to figure out what could be done to clear the way out on to the ice.  This is how he did it:

The Pressure Ridge: What Would Greg Do?

     This video should include the disclaimer "Don't try this at home!"  But since most people don't have their very own pressure ridge in their yard, I think we can skip that.

Next week, we'll share some video of what things look like inside the pressure ridge.