[Leica] IMG: Hudson ice

[lrzeitlin at gmail.com (Lawrence Zeitlin)]

We missed the major East coast storm but the very cold weather left the
Hudson River frozen from shore to shore at Cold Spring. The Hudson is more
than just a placid stream. It is actually a fjord, longer than Norway's
longest, and has 3 ft. tides at this point. The tidal current flows both
ways at about 3 kts. It takes a long cold spell to ice up.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Larry+Z/Hudson+ice.JPG.html


Freezing of the river has been an unusual event in recent years but this is
an unusual winter. About 25 years ago the river froze sufficiently to let my
son and I walk completely across, counting the boats that were frozen in the
floes. In the late 1800s, before there was enough ship traffic to break up
the ice, the river froze completely from Peekskill to Albany, creating an
unbroken 100 mile long highway of ice. Large iceboats, some as long as 70
feet, raced the NY Central trains up and down the river and often beat them.
Top speeds were about 100 miles an hour. Now the ice is only about 6" thick
but it used to be much thicker.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Larry+Z/Hudson+ice+detail.JPG.html


Still the ice is strong enough to let seagulls stand around wondering why
they can't catch fish.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Larry+Z/Hudson+seagulls.JPG.html


Another storm is promised for Tuesday night, carrying at least a foot of
snow for this area. I can't wait. I wonder how much real estate costs in
Alacante?


Larry Z