Feb 4, 2012 Baranof
34° CLEAR, 34° SUNNY
A bluebird of a day beckoned us outdoors. This was the first day warm enough to travel without a jacket and it felt so good to shed the layers. We punched our way through a crusty top layer of snow as we snowshoed to the lake. The conditions were appropriate for our snowshoe extension tails which provide better weight distribution, but we hadn’t thought to bring them. As we approached the lake, we saw fog steaming up through the trees and were for anxious to get a better look. We scaled up to the knob, newly dimpled and cratered since our last visit. A thick band of ice fog engulfed the largely frozen Baranof Lake. Extreme humidity combined with below-freezing air coming off the icy lake surface had created a spectacular scene. I had first seen this phenomenon in Colorado’s San Luis Valley last fall and was giddy to witness it again. As the fog slowly dissipated, we realized how impeccable our timing had been! Pete headed back home and I stayed atop the knob to soak up the sun until it nearly disappeared behind the ridge. Then, I headed for the grotto for a solo soak in the woods.
