Frozen Peas

Well, that's what they looked like to me. On our quad ride to Tony Lake last Saturday I found some very interesting snow, ice or frost formations while I was walking in the forest.

There were lots of little piles of round, peas-shaped ice. I thought maybe it was snow that melted and refroze, or maybe some type of hoar frost.

I tried a Google search and didn't come up with any answers. Do you know what this is called and how it is formed? I'd be very interested in getting some additional information. - Margy

Spontaneous Combustion

... or so it appears.

This time of year it often rains heavily overnight, but clears when morning arrives. If the clearing includes a sunny dawn it often produces evaporation or steam fog as the moisture on surfaces warms, begins to evaporate, but meets the cooler air above. This log on the boom around our cabin really gave off a dramatic display earlier this week. -- Margy

Santa's Beard?

On Christmas Day, Wayne and I went for a quad ride. Our destination was the nearby Blue Trail. Along the way, I saw something very unusual. Periodically, along the side of the trail, I saw what looked like the most amazingly white, fine moss. From the seat of my bike, it looked like pieces of Santa's beard strewn across the forest floor. It was growing on small sticks by the side of the trail and on larger fallen trunks further into the bush. I stopped to take some pictures.

Wayne came up to see what I was doing. He touched the "moss" and said, "Silly, that's just snow." I touched it, and sure enough it was cold and crumbled instantly. It didn't look or feel like snow, what could it be?

When we went to our friends Dave and Marg's house for Christmas dinner, I asked them. They said it was frost and it was found typically on alder sticks and trunks, especially ones that had fallen earlier in the year. Of course, I Googled it when I got home and here is what I found.

I wasn't too far off thinking it looked like Santa's beard. It's called a frost beard. That's a form of a frost flower. Dave told us how water gets under the bark of fallen alder trees and branches. It is then squeezed through the pores in the stick and bark into long thin strings of ice that make it look uncannily like a white beard. Dave says he's only seen in on alder in our area. Here's an interesting video by Country Scientist on YouTube of how frost flowers and beards are formed. I'm just glad it wasn't the result of reindeer gone wild! -- Margy

First Snow

We've had lots of wind and rain here in Coastal BC this week ("Sunshine Coast" RAIN and WIND Warning). Because Powell River is at sea level and the weather is moderated by our coastal location, we hardly ever get snow. But not too far inland and up in elevation there's snow already.

I finally got up to the cabin after my bout with a bad cold (flu?). When I woke up the first morning, I was greeted with a beautiful sunrise highlighting the first snowfall on Goat Island.

What a beautiful sight it was before it clouded over and the rains began again in earnest. -- Margy

Stuffing the Woodshed

Winter on Powell Lake can be cold, especially when a storm blows in on a strong southeaster. Because our cabin floats on the water, it also gets damp. Starting in early fall, our Kozi wood stove becomes the heart of our little cabin. Consequently, a large supply of firewood is needed for winter heating.

Powell Lake provides for our energy needs. Chunks of firewood are carried right to our doorstep. A morning chore in summer is to walk around the deck and retrieve floating wood. It comes in all sizes from kindling up. We collect the kindling in large plastic tubs with holes drilled in the bottoms to allow water to drain. Friends on the lake also donate wood from deck and cabin construction projects. For example, thanks to Peter's old fir decking we had lots of hot fires last winter.

A few tubs of kindling are stored in the cabin for easy use. A few more are under the front porch and the remaining ones are stored in our tool shed on shore. Extra firewood is placed in a recycled dinghy. As one tub is emptied, it is refilled with the waiting wood. We've learned to be careful with tubs from the shed. Occasionally, a mouse has taken up residence. Transferring the wood to an empty tub before bringing it into the cabin has solved this "little" problem.

We are selective when it comes to the larger chunks of wood. First, they must be lifted out of the water for cutting. This limits the size to ones Wayne and I can haul aboard. We like skinny chunks that do not need splitting, but do get fatter ones if there are only a few knots. I hate holding the axe while Wayne wields the sledge hammer and it resounds off a knot.

We store wood on a separate wood storage float. This keeps weight off the cabin deck which would cause the float structure to sink lower into the lake. The float has a roof that keeps our wood dry. The open sides let in the sunshine and fresh air, which also helps to keep the wood dry in our moist climate. By cutting and loading the wood before the end of summer, it's dry, ready to burn and stays that way.

We use a shelf I constructed for wood storage inside the cabin. It handily holds about five days worth of wood near the fire. If you want more information about how to make the shelf click here.

Thanks to our end-of-summer wood work, we'll stay warm this winter. -- Margy

Winter 2009 British Columbia Snowpack

This week we had a cold snap with a light dusting of snow.

It stuck on the ground long enough for a few good shots against the clearing sky.

A March 11 bulletin from the British Columbia Ministry of Environment states that the snowpack for the South Coast is well below normal (63%). Peak snow accumulation will be over by mid-April, so there isn't much time left.

That doesn't bode well for river and lake levels this summer. Right now, Powell Lake is almost at it's lowest level since our arrival in 2001, and it's only March.

Low water input combined with high water extraction for electrical generation is going to make it difficult for many float cabin owners. Our cabin is in 80' of water, but others have much less depth to work with. Unfortunately, beached floats can be easily damaged. -- Margy

Camouflage equine

Now Available Online - Up the Winter Trail

A Great Book
for the Outdoor Enthusiast

Up the Winter Trail

Coastal BC Stories

Your winter plans won't be complete without a visit to Powell River and its uncrowded winter vacation opportunities. Hike, snowshoe, cross country ski - we have it all and more. Want a preview? Read Up the Winter Trail by Wayne Lutz and start your adventure.

Go to www.PowellRiverBooks.com for ordering information.

"Sunshine Coast" Snowfall Warning

Weatheroffice
Sunshine Coast
10:37 AM PST Friday 26 December 2008
Snowfall warning
5 to 15 cm of snow can be expected today

This is a warning that significant snowfall is expected or occurring in these regions. Monitor weather conditions.

A frontal system approaching the coast will bring strong winds and a mixed bag of precipitation today through Saturday. Strong winds up to 90 km/h ahead of the warm front will prevail over the coastal sections of the central coast through this evening.

But when it's done, Powell River will be a winter paradise that can be explored by hiking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, quads and snowmobiles. Come visit us soon.

Please visit the Sky Watch Friday site. There you will see other sky photos from all over the world! -- Margy

Head Up the Winter Trail

In Coastal BC we are currently experiencing some unusually long, cold, snowy winter weather.

Powell River is a wonderful place to be in the winter. It is easy to get to the snow in the back country for a variety of sports and activities. Of course, right now you only have to go out your front door to experience fun things like boot skating and butt sledding (just kidding).

Winter hiking is possible on many of our local trails. Wayne's book Up the Winter Trail includes many of our favourite winter hikes. The Sunshine Coast Trail Guidebook and Along the Edge of the Salish Sea by Eagle Walz are excellent trail guides. They are available at Coles, Breakwater Books, the Powell River Visitor Centre.

One of our favorite winter activities in Powell River is quading to the snow in the backcountry. Quads can handle quite a bit of snow, but if you have a snowmobile there are even more logging and forest roads open for you to explore.

Other activities include snowshoeing and cross country skiing. Up in the Knuckleheads winter recreation area there are even two wilderness cabins. These cabins are free for public use through the dedicated support of many volunteers.

And then, what would winter be without hockey? The Powell River Kings give us plenty of action at home games. Include Powell River in your winter vacation plans so that you too can enjoy our beautiful land. Coming for the 2010 Winter Olympics? Powell River is just up the coast, but it's worlds away from the crowds and hectic pace.

You can read more about winter activities in the Powell River area in Up the Winter Trail by Wayne J. Lutz available at www.PowellRiverBooks.com -- Margy

Snowy Days

On Tuesday night and Wednesday we got our first snow of the season in Powell River, BC. Cold arctic air has temperatures plunging and there looks to be another cold week ahead.

On Thursday, Wayne and I went up to our float cabin for the first time in three weeks. It was a winter wonderland with sparkling white snow and brilliant blue skies.

The snow was powder fine and crunched under our boots as we made our way to the cabin door. We built a roaring fire in our Kozi wood stove and settled back to enjoy the view of Goat Island and a cloudless sky.

Today we are heading back up the lake to settle back into our cabin. It's always such a good feeling to be back home. -- Margy

December Snow Storms

If you read my post yesterday, you know that we had good traveling weather to drive back to our home to Powell River, BC. However, not long after we arrived the snow started to fall.


When we got up this morning, the ground, trees and roofs were very white. It snowed about 5 cm (2 in) overnight and it's still snowing big wet flakes. We decided to walk to our favourite breakfast spot, Starvin Marvin's. A hot cup of coffee was just the ticket to warm our fingers and noses.

On the way back home, we stopped by the marina to see the boats in their very white overcoats. Here in Coastal BC we don't get much snow, so it's fun. On the other hand, I'm not sure my car will make it up the hill to the shopping centre for some needed groceries.

I guess it's a good thing we don't live in Edmonton. Wimpy, wimpy, wimpy are we when everything gets very white! -- Margy