Ice Skating issues

We had been looking forward to another Sunday of skating at Lynden tomorrow, February 13. However, we have been having some ice problems: after the heavy snow the ice (now 17" thick) began to sag in the center of the lake, allowing water to flood over the top. We began to develop two things: a very uneven surface as slush formed and froze, and double ice--places where water is trapped between the thick under layer and the thinner (and not terribly stable) upper layer. When we were finally able to remove the snow, the ice rose back up and beyond level, so that even as we try to flood the skating area to create a smooth surface, the water slides down the sides of what is now a bit of a dome.

We don't know if the warming today will provide any remedies, but we will be posting updates here. If skating is your interest, please check there before coming up tomorrow. We will be open from 12 noon to 5pm, and there is still much to do in what promises to be warmer weather: the conditions are excellent for a snowshoe walk around the garden, and even high boots (and a willingness to walk through snow) will work. Inside the house, you can see our Pop Prints show and the new work from our collection throughout the first floor.

If we can find a way around the ice problems, we'll re-open the skating next Sunday and for the Winter Carnival on Saturday, February 26.

Polly