Ice Skating on Tenaya Lake in Yosemite

[Jim Graves]

With Tioga Pass still open ... and Tenaya Lake frozen ... the ice skaters are out ... saw some on the news tonight in Sacramento and found this YouTube video: Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=b7XSFh5rYhI)

[Frank Petronio]

Wow that is so cool.

[Preston]

Slick.

The Yosemite High Country is one of my favorite places in the world.

--P

[ROL]

Judging by the number of recent videos posted on YouTube, this seems to be quite the once–in–a–lifetime fad. I wonder how the ice strength was determined? :eek:

[Kevin Crisp]

By people not falling through. Yet.

[Preston]

The last time I saw Tenaya frozen without snow was in January of 1976. This occurrence is really quite something.

If no one falls through, one could almost say they skated by on that one.

--P

[Kevin Crisp]

I knew somebody would make a crack.

[Michael Gordon]

I posted a collection of Tenaya Lake ice skating videos on my G+ account (https://plus.google.com/114128098947779063486/posts/Emh8vPYfmCP).

The latest TPR closure date in recorded history (http://www.monobasinresearch.org/data/tiogapass.htm) occurred on Jan 1 in 1999. 2012 could set the new record...

[ROL]

I knew somebody would make a crack.

Skate with a heavier partner?

[Drew Wiley]

With some of these slightly deeper lakes in the Sierra at that altitude you can get
warm convection water rising under the ice. It get relatively sunny. Last time something like this happened a few folks tried their luck on Convict Lk and went thru
the thin spots. I think six died.

[Preston]

The incident to which Drew refers occurred in February of 1990. Seven people were killed, including would be rescuers.

Here's the article from LA Times: http://articles.latimes.com/1990-02-20/news/mn-1101_1_convict-lake

Given that Tenaya Lake is much more remote that Convict Lake, it would take a very long time for Yosemite SAR to reach the scene in the event of an accident. Ice rescue is a tricky business, even for trained personnel. Hopefully, there won't be an incident like the one at Convict Lake.

--P

[ROL]

The incident to which Drew refers occurred in February of 1990. Seven people were killed, including would be rescuers.

Here's the article from LA Times: http://articles.latimes.com/1990-02-20/news/mn-1101_1_convict-lake

Given that Tenaya Lake is much more remote that Convict Lake, it would take a very long time for Yosemite SAR to reach the scene in the event of an accident. Ice rescue is a tricky business, even for trained personnel. Hopefully, there won't be an incident like the one at Convict Lake.

--P

Well, I wasn't going to say anything, in hopes of keeping the mood light, but my wife has been hitting me up to tour the high country (TPR) this weekend. It's going to be in the 80's here, and I have convinced her that there isn't a lot to be gained by Yosemite visitation this time of year, sans snow. But in the back of my feeble mind, I know we would end up watching the fun on Tenaya Lake. Someone breaks through, and I am compelled to assist in a rescue because I am there. A whitewater kayaker for 30 years, I have swift water rescue training and always keep a throw–rope and pulleys in my car. Survivability and safe exit, unless extremely close to shore, is in my judgement, nil. This is a recipe for disaster and I will almost certainly be basking in the warm California sunshine at a safe distance 200 miles away.

[Frank Petronio]

I thought that too, wilderness skating... pretty pictures though.

You go first please.

[Allen in Montreal]

That looks rather Canadian....eh??:) :)

Later I will dig up the CDN version of such a glorious place to skate in the mountains out west.
Amazing experince if you have the chance. Are you on your way to town?

Typically here, someone drills a small hole in the ice and measures the thickness.
If it is not safe they put an old Christmas tree on the ice to indicate stay away. Everyone here knows that is the indicator to stay off the ice.

Every year here in Quebec someone drowns after falling the the ice.
This year it was a 6 year old boy chasing his dog.
It is an amazing experience but not to be taken for granted.
Having fallen through the ice as a young boy on our local hockey pond, I can tell you it is an awful experience not to be joked about. I always carry a hockey stick or something that will cross the hole should the ice break.

But skating that surface is no doubt something you wil not soon forget.

[Frank Petronio]

There was this solo mountaineer in the 70s who crossed glaciers with a 20' Aluminum pole strapped to him so he'd be caught.... seems appropriate here, a little less elegant though.

[Drew Wiley]

Snowmobiles are the worst. Each winter a few seem to go thru the ice either on a lk
or stream in the Sierra, often with fatal results. In the old days the stream guagers
walked out in fast icewater with poles, but they were extraordinarily well conditioned for it. Once of them, Orland Bartholmew fell thru ice in the first ever winter crossing of the Muir Trail but survived. It's in an interesting biography by a friend of my father. A
friend of mine who did the first alpine-style ascent of Kanchenjunga, then carried his
passed-out sherpa on his back all the way down from the summit of Everest, was chatting with me and my nephew one day, and casually mentioned that he considered
the Sierra backcountry too dangerous to enter in Winter. But no avalanche hazard yet this year!

[Frank Petronio]

What makes it more dangerous than other wilderness areas?

Is the snowpack more unstable because of all the wet snow on smooth rock or ?

[Drew Wiley]

Good question, Frank. First of all, some winters the Sierra gets some of the deepest
snowfalls in the world. The winters aren't terribly cold, so you get thaw/freeze between the layers, great for sluffing off new layers. The the range is transected with
many steep deep canyons which are unavoidable to cross-country travelers. Experienced backcountry skiers generally wait until mid-Spring until things compact a
bit better, but even then you gotta know what you are doing. Quite a different game
then skiing on groomed Nordic trails, or like me, snowshoeing only in timber. And yes,
the snow generally has a high water content due to the proximity of the range to the
ocean.

[Frank Petronio]

Having been high up on a Tuolumne dome only to have it start to rain... sounds like Winter would be even more fun!

[Drew Wiley]

The upper Yosemite area (Tuolumne) and the Tahoe Basin are about the only two places in the main Sierra where there was a cap glacier, making things relatively flat
and mild with the exception of a few horns and domes. The rest of the range involved
glaciers carving deep river canyons, so is quite a bit steeper once one encounters
sufficient altitude. Last winter in particular created some spectacular avalanches. Once summer arrives, you can see how the trees were not only flattened, but where
the avalanches would sometimes cross a canyon and level the trees in an uphill direction on the other side, sometimes a few hundred feet up. But nothing like some of
the avalanches I've heard about in the Himalayas. Breaking ice dams in the Pleistocene
could be truly catastrophic, and were probably the main reason for the tremendous troves of megafauna bones found on the floodplains at the edge of the San Joaquin Valley below. Mastodons were swept away with just as much ease as pinecones.

[Frank Petronio]

Yeah well you're all nuts living on the Ring of Fire.

[Drew Wiley]

I think of ring of fire more in terms of that humidity back East. I'll take the summer fog
here anytime, and the option to hit the high country. I'm not sure where Johnny Cash
wrote Ring of Fire. A co-worker here in the office grew up in the family bar down the
street where Johnny Cash was routinely bounced out of prior to his music fame. I attended one of his last live performances. The Sierra Nevada is predominantly a fault
block range and differentiated from the volcanic Cascades to the north, although many hot springs still exist and Mammoth Mtn is classified as a live volcano at about mid-range. But that area is sparsely populated. It's Mt Hood and Rainier that are spooky.

[dave_whatever]

With Tioga Pass still open ... and Tenaya Lake frozen ... the ice skaters are out ... saw some on the news tonight in Sacramento and found this YouTube video: Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=b7XSFh5rYhI)

Someone PLEASE play a hockey game on that badboy.

[Allen in Montreal]

Someone PLEASE play a hockey game on that badboy.

not the best video of this cdn spot, but here you go


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6QXMaW9kwE&feature=related

[dave_whatever]

It looks like a hockey game but they're not evening fighting! There's got to at least be a roughing call.

[ROL]

In the old days the stream guagers
walked out in fast icewater with poles, but they were extraordinarily well conditioned for it. Once of them, Orland Bartholmew fell thru ice in the first ever winter crossing of the Muir Trail but survived. It's in an interesting biography by a friend of my father.

Coincidentally, I have a signed copy of the book Drew refers to, High Odyssey (http://www.amazon.com/High-Odyssey-Winter-Assault-Whitney/dp/0831071087/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325200626&sr=1-2), penned by Gene Rose, a local newspaperman, and Sierra historian. It is a good read, for those who care. Gene wrote an article about me back in the 80's. I pay homage to Orland on my site (http://www.rangeoflightphotography.com/Yosemite-Winter/Clearing+Winter+Storm%2C+Half+Dome.jpg.php). I am often astonished at the brazen, unsubstantiated claims of today's johnny–come–lately internet "heroes", of firsts of all kinds: ascents, descents, crossings, yada, yada, yada. Especially, when I realize I bested them some 30 years or more ago. And even at that time, in many cases, I was under no elusion that I (and partners) was first. Back in the day, claiming just wasn't done, unless it was truly significant. When everything is of importance, nothing is. But such is the nature of instant attention grabbing celebrity in the wacky weird www. Some people even claim to be "master photographers/printers", with nothing more than tiny electronic switches to back them up. :o

[Drew Wiley]

Unfortunately, I never met Orland personally. But my older siblings went to school with his kids. I've had my own share of dunkings in ice water over the years. Your
shot of Lk Reflection is my very favorite of that spot. Hope I can see the real print
someday.

[tgtaylor]

Stream gaugers, ROL, Orland...pffftt - all wannabes! Snowshoe Thompson is the man in the Sierra Nevada and he has never been bested. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowshoe_Thompson

Thomas

[Drew Wiley]

That does sound like an impressive guy, Tom ... only problem is, that ain't the real
Sierra up thar in Tahoe country ... jes gopher mounds with a little frosting. The REAL
Sierra starts well south of there (though I am jes gittin to traipse around some of them thar gopher mounds mysilf in th last few summers - sure different from what
I'm used to ... but to up the ante ... In my youth spoke with aboriginal Monache who crossed the REAL Sierra high passes barefoot, nearly naked, and just considered it commuting to work!

[tgtaylor]

Imagine climbing countless flights of stairs for three consecutive days with little rest and a 60-pound pack on your back to boot. This is the level of rigor Carson Valley legend John A. Thompson endured on each of his expeditions while delivering mail from Genoa to Placerville, California for nearly 20 years in the mid-1800s...

In 1856, Thompson set out on his first mail trek. The route ran from Genoa (formerly Mormon Station) to Placerville, a 90-mile journey. He flew down the mountains at a whopping 60 mph, conquering 7,500-foot passes and enduring 80-mph winds. Thompson was routinely spotted zipping down the mountain in his mackinaw jacket and wide-rimmed hat with a charcoal-covered face to prevent snow blindness.

He carried a long pole that he held horizontally across his chest, which helped him balance and aided his movement through the risky snowdrifts. Thompson dedicated little time to rest, but if conditions were particularly dangerous, he was known to clear snow from a rock and do a Norwegian folk dance to stay warm before moving on. The only personal items he carried were matches, a Bible, dried sausage or beef jerky, and crackers or biscuits. Surprisingly, Thompson never carried blankets, guns, camping gear, or a compass, mainly to lighten his load. Although he was void of important personal gear, Thompson was always willing to bring essential supplies to isolated residents during his return trips. Some of these items included medicine, clothing, books, and tools.

Thompson also played an integral role in exposing the Comstock Lode. On one of his routes, Thompson carried a rock sample from Virginia City to Sacramento to be assayed. It was confirmed that the material was rich in gold and silver—the word spread fast, and the rush to Nevada began. Moreover, Thompson is credited with aiding the establishment of Nevada’s first newspaper, Virginia City’s Territorial Enterprise, because he carried type case and newsprint on his voyages.

These heroic acts are what got fanatic Bill Bowersock, president of Genoa’s Friends of Snowshoe Thompson organization, interested in Thompson. “If it weren’t for Snowshoe, the Comstock Lode might not have [taken off], there wouldn’t have been a mint in Carson City, and Nevada might not have become a state,” he says. “He was a linchpin for the [Western U.S.]...”

http://www.nevadamagazine.com/index.php/issues/read/snowshoe_thompson/

Showshoe Thompson. That's all you gotta know Drew.

Thomas

[tgtaylor]

More about Snowshow here: http://www.thestormking.com/Sierra_Stories/Snowshoe_Thompson/snowshoe_thompson.html

Thomas

[Jim Galli]

What makes it more dangerous than other wilderness areas?

Is the snowpack more unstable because of all the wet snow on smooth rock or ?

It's in California :p

[Allen in Montreal]

More about Snowshow here: http://www.thestormking.com/Sierra_Stories/Snowshoe_Thompson/snowshoe_thompson.html

Thomas

Great story, thanks for the link.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Just got back from 5 days in the valley and people were talking about this. Funny thing in the valley this time of year is that on the north side during the day it was 45 degrees and if you went to Bridalveil you could photograph the ice cascades in the creek and the temp was 31! Some great ice in the Merced as well.

[Thad Gerheim]

I know this isn't in Yosemite, but thought I'd post it anyway. I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned the other worldly noises these big high lakes make while freezing. Its truly amazing to sit and listen while the ice cracks, pops and then the echos reverberate thought the depths trapped by the ice. The best times to listen are also the best photo times. I think it must be from the air temperature changes as the sun is coming up and right after sunset. Go to: http://www.sawtoothskiclub.com then trail reports for December 20th.

[Drew Wiley]

Yeah, thanks again, Tom ... I did momentarily stop atop the pass one day and read
the legend. There are a lot of incredible tales in those hills, though my own backgrnd is further to the south. We used to get miffed when some Sierra Clubber claimed a first ascent up some peak or another which the locals had routinely gone
up for decades. It's amazing how tough some of those old-timers were. During a
particularly snowy backpack a year ago, my hiking companion asked, At what point
does someone cease being human and becomes a marmot?

[tgtaylor]

You're welcome Drew.

It's amazing that he carried the mail across the Sierra Nevada "at least twice a month" during the winter months for 20 years AND that he did it without being paid a nickel of the renumeration promised in the job add that he responded to. And he never sued. Amazing!

Thomas

[Robert Oliver]

I had a blast passing the puck and skating across tenaya, but had even more photographing at last light.... cant wait to process my film from Thursday

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Robert, were you in one of the meadows in the valley on Thursday about 1 PM? I was heading out and saw someone with LF and what looked like another camera set up at what may have been Sentinel dome? I had people following me or I would have stopped. I did one last 8x20 at the river and headed south. I saw no other LF shooters in the park until then.

[Robert Oliver]

On Thursday, I took the back trail up to vernal in the morning but didn't shoot. I was at Gates of the Valley with an 8x10 at 1 before heading up to tenaya for ice skating and pics.

I saw the 4x5 guy shooting sentinel and there was an 8x10 pointed at yosemite falls while i was on my way to gates but didn't stop.

Hope i wasnt tailgating you.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Who knows! I didn't see but one other film shooter for 5 days in the park starting Christmas day and she was in camp 4. She had a Hassy with her. only saw the 4x5 on the way out. I brought the whole arsenal with me and was all over. You could not miss the 14x17 and the other smaller ones when I set up.

[Vaughn]

Hey Jim! Great to hear that you had a good Yosemite trip! Jealous!

In my younger and somewhat foolisher days, a friend and I played frisbee on Lower Cathedral Lake wearing nothing but our shoes. The frisbee would float forever through the thin air. Wonderful experience. Breaking through had a high, very high probability of death, of course.

It was a May in the late 1970's. Good thick ice, snow all around. Winter had extended into Spring that year, and that ice was damn solid except by the outlet where we did not get near. I had post-holed the whole way to the Upper Lake while my much lighter friend stayed on top of the snow. Camped along the Lower Lake and hiked out by following the outlet down the mountain. We worked our way over to the Tioga Pass Road and hitch-hiked back to my car up in the Meadow.

So we were perfectly safe. I hope my kids don't do something stupid like that! :eek: :D

Vaughn

PS...but part of me hopes that they will...

[Frank Petronio]

That guy who wants $170 view outfit would do well to stand around the Lake for a free one.

[Jim Galli]

In my younger and somewhat foolisher days, a friend and I played frisbee on Lower Cathedral Lake wearing nothing but our shoes.

We worked our way over to the Tioga Pass Road and hitch-hiked back to my car up in the Meadow.

Vaughn

...

Hitch hiking naked?? Wait 'til the boys read 'bout this:D:D

[Vaughn]

Creative editing, I see! :D

[Robert Oliver]

http://robertoliver.zenfolio.com/img/s3/v40/p616673042-4.jpg

http://robertoliver.zenfolio.com/img/s11/v30/p235128755-5.jpg

http://robertoliver.zenfolio.com/img/s11/v35/p1027170927-5.jpg

Can't wait to process the rest of my film from this day...

[Preston]

Lovely, Robert! Just lovely! Mt. Conness is just glowing in the first one, and I really like the third one. Sweet!

--P

[vinny]

Nice shots Robert!

[Brad Rippe]

Nice work Robert! I agree with Preston, the light on Conness is like a gem in the distance. I'd love to get up there. I think the record will have been broken for the closing date of the Tioga road.