Stillwater in November

By mid-November I realized that I should have gone to Rap-Shaw early in the month. The weather stormed and snowed, winter seemed to be settling in early, and finally the surface of Stillwater began to freeze. There is a cam, here, so we often check the conditions from home.

Then, yesterday, the skies cleared and the air significantly warmed. The ice began to look soggy and the snow on it melted. 

Monday morning dawned clear and warm. The cam shot looked promising. The quest was on.

Ed and Brenner kept me company on the drive, opting out of the lake crossing. The water level is still low but no where near some of the lows we have seen in other years. It was perfectly lovely to be on the water and the island.

The photo below shows some of the thin ice that was drifting in sheets, blown loose from some far shore or cove. The south wind was blowing fairly strongly.