Yukon River Breaks Free From Icy Hood

May 3 2011 Pre-breakup

Everyone knew that the river would be late breaking up this year due to cooler than usual temperatures this spring. I predicted the 8th of May and I was pretty close only one day off.

I have to admit my eyes rarely leave the river on the days leading up to breakup, watching the ice go smooth then arc as the ice lifts shedding puddles of water to the edges of the river.I place sticks in the water edge so I can monitor the water level watching as Ducks ,Geese and Swans fly in flocks overhead coming to feed in the plant rich water of Ford Lake.

Friday, May 6 I was on the river bank watching the water come up, anticipating some action.Then I heard the deep short resonant sounds of the pressure building on the ice and I knew the time had come. Just moments later miles of ice slowly advance still in one piece, then it fractured and parted like an earthquake separates the land. At Simons bluff you could see the ice pilling up straight across from bank to bank in hugh chunks. It did not last long. It stalled,just a tease.

Saturday, May 7 you could not tear me away from the river and then at 4:20 pm the whole thing let go. It happens slowly at first then picks up speed like a freight train. The sound is amazing as the massive sheets ice break and shear the banks, crashing and scraping onto the rocky face of Calico Bluff. Then comes the jumble ice just as it is named chunks, crowded,rolling and tumbling and moving swiftly, for about 30 miles this year. With the water so unusually low we were able to get extremely close to the action, totally awesome.

Sunday, May 8 The final stage. The rush is over and the ice becomes less dense. I am always fascinated with the show I sit on the bank for hours watching this extravaganza that is a ballet and demolition derby all in one. It is truly mesmerizing.

No picture can make you feel this awe-inspiring event you have to witness the power it to believe it.

Driving Jeep Down the Yukon River

On April 20th 2011 Andy and I went to Eagle to bring his, worse for wear, Cherokee Jeep to Calico while the Yukon River was still frozen thick.

It all started out well enough, I drove the snow machine and Andy drove the jeep but when we got to the site of the summer sonar camp about 4 miles from home the snow got soft and deep. The jeep got stuck so Andy took the snow machine and went to Calico for lumber to fix the problem.

When he returned Andy built two ramps to help support the jeep over the deep snow. The distance was about 1/4 of a mile to get back onto just ice. He would drive the jeep onto one ramp, then we would move the other to the front and so on. It was a tedious task but it worked until there was a slip of a tire off the narrow boards and game over, the jeep was acutely stuck.

We abandoned the mission for that day and came back the following morning when the snow would be set hard after the below freezing night.

Armed with jacks it took some time but we did get it back on the ramp then about 8 feet at a time we edged the jeep to the end of the deep snow then it was easy going for a nice drive down the river and to it's new home at Calico.