Layers
By fishtiger58
@fishtiger58 (29823)
Momence, Illinois
February 22, 2016 9:15am CST
A few years ago I went ice fishing with my husband on a back water of the Kankakee River. It was an incredibly cold winter and the river froze. In Illinois no matter how cold it gets you do not walk on river ice. Because of the flow of rivers the ice is never safe. But the back waters are a different story. There is much less flow sometimes no flow at all on a back water so typically that ice is much safer.
What I found so fascinating was as the level of the river went down that winter the ice stayed where it had formed. This shot shows the different layers of ice that had formed as the river froze, and then receded. It shows 4 different layers of ice as the river water receded. The 4th layer was the layer I was standing on. Also if you look at the trees you can see a white mark. This is how high the river got that previous spring. Water is a fascinating thing no matter if it is free flowing or solid ice.
16 people like this
16 responses
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Feb 16
I thought so too, I did more photographing that day than fishing.
3 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Feb 16
Thanks glad you like it. I love that you can see where the water was by the white marks. And of course the ice was amazing.
3 people like this
@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
22 Feb 16
Very interesting photo that fish.
I had seen the other day a photo taken in Finland with ice bubbles.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Feb 16
@TiarasOceanView Oh wow this is just amazing. I have never seen anything like this. Thanks so much for sharing it.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Feb 16
Oh I bet that was cool would love to see that. Thanks.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Feb 16
Thanks so much glad you like it.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
5 Mar 16
So the layers of ice were melting with air between each layer? I've never seen anything like that before. I do know how deep spring waters can get as we have a river in back of the senior complex where my mother lives. A few years ago, when everything melted, the waters of the river encroached over the road in back of the building and up the hill somewhat.
There's another section of the same river that will completely cover a gold course and play area for the kids in the summer. Our city also has a rather tall cement park area for skateboarders. That's been mostly under water in the past too. Maybe I can get a picture of that another year, actually, I did get a picture of the river near my moms when that happened in the last couple of years.But, i'm sure I didn't tag the photo and it could take a while to find it.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
7 Mar 16
As the river froze the water levels were going up. So different layers of ice, separate layers. Then when it receded those layers showed their separation. Pretty cool effect aye?
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Feb 16
Yes fascinating is the perfect word. I certainly was fascinated, this was on every tree down the entire length of the back water. I would say the back water was a good quarter of a mile long.
1 person likes this
@Blondie2222 (28611)
• United States
24 Feb 16
That is amazing. I've never been ice fishing before and won't from horror stories i hear and i'm just not one to be out in the cold anyways. I do love the pictures people show though
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
24 Feb 16
When I first saw the ice like this I was amazed too. I ended up taking more photographs than fishing lol.
@rebelann (111289)
• El Paso, Texas
5 Mar 16
I remember this picture, didn't you post a series of pictures on Gather a few years ago, I'm thinkin 2011 or 2012.
@rebelann (111289)
• El Paso, Texas
5 Mar 16
Yeah, I remember the post @fishtiger58 I think there were about 4 shots in it, right?
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
5 Mar 16
@rebelann I'm sure I did, it's something even I don't see that often. That day I spent more time taking pictures than fishing.
1 person likes this
@BACONSTRIPSXXX (14351)
• West Haven, Connecticut
7 Mar 16
Iv been hearing alot about ice water fishing, sounds interesting
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
7 Mar 16
It's a lot of fun as long as the ice is safe.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40067)
• Laguna Woods, California
23 Feb 16
Water is amazing and that is an incredible photo. I love everyone's photographs, here.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Feb 16
Water is amazing, thanks so much glad you like my shot.
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Feb 16
Yup if there is moving water under the ice stay off it. Thanks glad you like my shot.
@just4him (307405)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
23 Feb 16
@fishtiger58 I doubt it will be very wet this year. We didn't have enough snow for it. Just so long as we don't end up in a drought.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Feb 16
@just4him Some of the banks on the Kankakee river are really low, so it doesn't take much for it to go over it's banks. Thankfully I am on the high side so it rarely goes over it's banks on my side of the river.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Feb 16
Yes it did, as I recall we had a wet spring that year.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Feb 16
It was unusual to say the least. We don't get this every winter, I was glad I went out fishing that day.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
29 Feb 16
I love it when I see this on the streams near my house, Mother Nature is amazing and even something like ice is beautiful.
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
29 Feb 16
This is a flooded farm field last spring where a stream goes through it, the ice was fascinating.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
29 Feb 16
@PainsOnSlate Amazing shot, the piece in the air wrapped around the limb is better than some art. Water in any form is pretty amazing.
1 person likes this
@wasteomind86 (76)
• Cebu, Philippines
24 Sep 16
Good point. I completely agree with you on this. Looking forward to your future posts!!!!
