The morning of the 28th of March was calm and sunny although it clouded up by noon. The calm winds were good for flying a drone and the views were spectacular. The first picture is of Bass Island looking toward Cate Island. The broad area free of ice touches Stamp Act and the two big boulders off the south shore.
A video of the lake on the 28th is available. Click on the image below: At the end of the video, you will get ads but maybe you can deal with that problem……
Still photos are below.
From about over Bass, the patterns in the ice show the ice isn’t in great shape and the area around the Sisters is generally free of ice.
Along the east shore of Stamp Act, there is quite a bit of open water and it is open around Mink and the Jockey Caps.
Oh, a sun reflection in the open water near Cate. Brummitt is seen in its own ice free area.
Looking along the south side of Stamp Act, there is a clear channel to Bass.
Flying over the Heath, it is completely free of ice. The Brewster Heath Preserve is on the right side and it starts in the area of pine that comes out near the water and goes from there up to Pleasant Valley Rd. which is just visible.
Looking along the lake’s west shore, Gull Rock is melted out with a large crack joining it to shore and then going farther out into the lake.
Sister and Poplar Island have lots of open water and the Sister Ledges also have some open water over them.
All islands of the Sister group are seen here, Joe and Flo and Min and Waal as well as Loon, Poplar and a bit of Sister.
A view from over the Sisters looking toward Mink and Triggs.
Very calm but very cold water……
Looking down at the ice, there are still some of the patterns in the ice that were seen early in the season. The circles are probably about 5 yards in diameter.
On the 29th, things were different. It was gray and raining a bit, about a third of an inch of rain had fallen. On a line between point of Pines and Stamp Act, there was probably only about 50 yards of ice that that was floating around so it would be different in an hour.
Looking off the shore of Point of Pines, there is a rock that has acted like an “ice plow”. The wind has been out of the east and the ice is moving but the rock cuts through the rotten ice with some of it piling up on the windward side.
Yes, things are changing rapidly. If you had an ice out guess in the second half of April, you are probably out of luck.
Amazing stuff!