Ice Skating the Eastern Sierra
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Regrettably I did not think to bring my speed skate blades (long track). I’d probably get up to 30 mph on this ice. But I did have “bowling” with chunks of ice.WIth a storm moving in the next day to end this glorious snow-free autumn, the outstanding ice skaing conditions on all the high country lakes will be obliterated by snow. What a special year to have been able to hike the high country snow-free up to 12000 feet!
Dana Lake as seen below is 25 feet or so lower than at its peak height in June. The water level was dropping 1/2 inch or so a day now (much faster in prior weeks, the underside of the shore ice shows the evidence), leading to stress-relief booms every few minutes or so audible for the length of the lake—loud and quite scary at first!
[location “Dana Lake 1”, altitude 11200 ft / 3414 m, 28°F / -2°C, polarizer=Zeiss, "last clear ice before the storm"]
Hasselblad H6D-100C + Hasselblad HC 50mm f/3.5 II @ 33mm equiv (50mm)
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As can be inferred, my inured knee is fairly well operative again, though it still swells and bitches and moans after a hike. It recovers quickly and continues to improve.
[location “Dana Lake 1”, altitude 11300 ft / 3444 m, 28°F / -2°C, polarizer=Zeiss, "ice 5 inches thick at least"]
Hasselblad H6D-100C + Hasselblad HC 50mm f/3.5 II @ 33mm equiv (50mm)
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[location “Dana Lake 3”, altitude 10900 ft / 3322 m, 45°F / 7°C, polarizer=Zeiss, "lake inlet still unfrozen", diffraction mitigating sharpening]
Hasselblad H6D-100C + Hasselblad HC 50mm f/3.5 II @ 33mm equiv (50mm)
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[location “Glacier Canyon”, altitude 10700 ft / 3261 m, 20°F / -6°C, "very cold in the shade in the morning"]
Hasselblad H6D-100C + Hasselblad HC 50mm f/3.5 II @ 33mm equiv (50mm)
[low-res image for bot]
