Roll of D'ice

I like the saying "No man steps in the same river twice. For it is not the same river and he is not the same man" The "good old Verm" Always the same yet always different. I find it hard to believe that the ice didn't clear but it's been fun watching it ever change this week. The ice dams are entrenched. It's going to take alot to move them. I'm really impressed that Tuesday night's level didn't take them out! The one at the top of Triple Drop has a pool backed up behind it. If you look at Thursday's photos you can see there wasn't any drop to Fishermans. Today the water has receded to "bunny" level and the ice is reforming. I'd like to get back to my other winter sports but the thaw really ended things. Kiting, XC skiing, etc. If it works out I think it's time to head north and canyoneer some rivers up there again.

Thursday Morning

Looking down at Donut and Fisherman's. To get an idea of the level click and enlarge this photo and look for the big rock in the river right eddy by Donut. I could just see the top of it thru the ice.

This is what I like to be sitting on come Valentines Day!

S Bend looks a little chunky.

Ah well...it was a very cold winter. I'm still hoping for Saturday's paddle but it doesn't look like it's going to be. To make things even more #$*&^% the Cannon river didn't have any ice on it and I was told the Kinni is clear and running high. It did make for a very nice hike this morning and just for fun I rock climbed out.

Wednesday 11:30am

RR Pool. Click on photos to enlarge them.

Ice jam at the top of Triple. Also lots of foam.

The foam is really gross!

We'll I stopped this morning and was surprise to see as much ice as I did. The water level is a bit lower than last night. I'm REALLY hopeing it'll be good to go for Valentines Day. The foam below the falls was really huge! Big pieces of it was floating in the air like conffetti.

Verm Watch 09

Ice out is coming early this year. I think it's going to be a great year on the Verm. Monday it was completely ice. Today at 1:30 the water was running over the ice about a foot to two feet deep. I checked it tonight and the volume has more than doubled and the speed is like Wausau on crack and steriods!! There are still piles of ice shoved up in the middle of the river so it isn't quite safe to paddle yet but it should be by tomorrow...I'm guessing. Game on!! Who Hoo!
Monday

Tuesday

Light and SE

I headed to Pepin this afternoon. The wind was light but I was able to get about an hour in before it fell out of range for my kite. The ice is over 2 feet thick but it was emitting "ice thunder" as it was cracking. Still it was perfectly safe...just freaky. Better wind forcasted for tomorrow.