Ice Shoves On Lake Winnebago

Today was a good day.  The average high temperature in south central Wisconsin for this day, February 17, is about 30 degrees.  Today it was 57 degrees.  It was sunny and felt so warm.  The downside of these temperatures is it affects the sturgeon spearing season.  For a 16 day period in February the sturgeon spearers cut holes in the ice of Lake Winnebago and the upriver lakes which include Butte des Morts, Winneconne and Lake Poygan.  Lake Winnebago is a huge fresh water lake located in east central Wisconsin.  It is 30 miles long and 10 miles wide.  Sturgeon spearing is a family tradition for many local families.  They cut a big opening in the ice, watch through the opening for the fish and then spear them.  If the yearly quota is reached earlier than the 16 days, then the season is over.  One fish per person.  This year the ice is deteriorating rapidly because of the warm temperatures.  I wrote a little more about sturgeon a few years ago.  Here is the blog.  http://www.thecabincountess.com/2013/02/sturgeon-spearing.html  For safety sake, many people are giving up before the limit is met.  There are some big ice fishing festivals that have been cancelled and the snowmobilers are not happy either.

The upside besides the warm temperatures was that we were able to view some ice shoves that happened on a portion of Lake Winnebago.

Ice shoves are giant chunks of ice that have been forced to shore by strong winds, current and changes in temperature.  This is very early to see these shoves.  Some people call them ice heaves or ice surges.  They can cause a lot of damage if they push against solid objects like houses, shoreline walls or even lighthouses.  There is a lot of power behind these huge pieces of ice.

We were able to walk out on the ice to view the shoves up close.  I was a little uneasy at first.  I knew I was walking on the lake, and we saw quite a few cracks.

Cracks in the ice.

Then I saw a person drive a pickup truck out on the lake so I felt they would go through the ice before we would.  The ice shoves are massive pieces of ice that a piled up on top of each other.  I took photos which describe them better than I can.

The view as we started walking out on the ice. 

 

My husband standing in front of one of the ice pieces to give perspective.

 

I know these unseasonably warm temperatures will not last.  We still have a couple weeks of February and all of March to get through, but the next week looks awesome.  We will enjoy it as much as we can before winter rears its ugly head again.

The Spring of 2026

I am a born and raised Wisconsin girl. Whenever I run into anyone from the southern states who have never visited here, I get the same response. They think I live in the Arctic and have only cold weather all year long. Wisconsin equals Tundra and the Green Bay Packers. They think we never see any warm weather. Little do they know that we really do have four seasons. Summer can get very warm, sometimes a 100 degrees. Fall is usually nice with beautiful colored trees and mild temperatures. Winter is cold but we usually don't have a ton of snow here in south central Wisconsin. We have wonderful efficient heating systems. I go by how many times I need to have my driveway plowed. I usually only need it plowed twice in the winter and then there is spring. Spring is a mixture of all of the seasons put together. There is a saying in Wisconsin that says if you don't like the spring weather just wait a couple hours. 

This spring is no exception. We have had it all. The month of March has been a challenge. We have had temperatures in the mid-sixties which felt like 80 degrees to us. We have had migrating birds show up. 

We have had sunny days and foggy days. Then when we get comfortable and think our winter is over, BAM we get hit with a big snowstorm. It usually happens around the state basketball tournaments. This year it was the girl's tournament. Fortunately the worst of it didn't happen until after the games were completed. 

The full moon was on March 3. It was clear and beautiful. This was the Worm Moon because it usually coincides with the ground thawing. That means the earthworms can emerge. 

There was still a little snow and ice on the water but it felt like spring was in the air.  The Sandhill Cranes had returned and the world was coming to life.

On Monday of last week it was a beautiful day. Temperatures were in the 60's and it was nice and sunny. I opened all my windows to air out the house. I sat on my deck and had coffee. Life was grand. I watched as the Sandhill Cranes were picking out a nesting spot. The Wood Ducks, the Ring-necked ducks and the Hooded Mergansers were resting after a long migration. The ice was out so they had a landing spot. The Canadian geese and Ring-beaked gulls were also busy flying around.

 

 

Tuesday March 10 was also a nice day. When the weather warms up quickly and there are high winds the ice on the lakes and rivers breaks up. Sometimes it pushes the ice to the shore. They are called Ice Shoves. I heard that there were ice shoves on Lake Winnebago. Lake Winnebago is the largest inland lake in Wisconsin and it is about 45 minutes east of where I live. I thought I would take a drive. It is always amazing to see the beauty and power of the shoves. I wrote about them in 2017. https://www.thecabincountess.com/search?q=Lake+Winnebago The shoves that year came ashore as big sheets of ice. This year they looked like large ice cubes.

Wednesday through Friday were just normal and quite cool spring days. I heard that we were expecting some snow over the weekend, but I didn't pay much attention. There is always a snowstorm during the Wisconsin state basketball tournament so I should have been aware. The storm was to arrive on Saturday. Saturday wasn't bad. It was sunny in the morning but then the clouds rolled in. It started to rain and sleet and then snow. With the rain we didn't have a huge accumulation. I measured about 5 inches, but phase 2 was on it's way. Overnight we got more snow and then the winds started to blow. By Monday, one week after our nice warm day, we had more than a foot of snow. Places north of me got in excess of 24 inches of snow. It was a whopper of a storm. In one day, this is the progression of the storm.

Now it's time to dig out. Schools and businesses were closed. It was suggested that people not drive on the roads because they were dangerous and the plows needed to work clearing the roads. I don't remember such a big storm in a very long time. The good thing about spring storms is that they melt quickly. It is supposed to be warming up again by the weekend. Hopefully the frost is out of the ground and the melting snow will soak into the ground and not cause flooding. 

It is St. Patrick's Day today. Our usual celebration did not take place this year. It is the first time in many years I did not make corned beef and cabbage. I had the ingredients but it got put in the freezer for a better time. As my daughter's mother in law said, "Leprechauns are tricksters". The trick this year was a snow storm. The celebration will have to be at a later date. The little fellow's house looks pretty deserted at this point anyway. Maybe I will get a Shamrock Shake to tied me over. 

We still have two weeks of this month to go. Who knows what will be in store for us. Hopefully it will be sunshine and flower blooms. I guess we will have to wait and see. 

Grocery Shopping Distraction

This will be a short little blog.  I just want to document the weather today in Wisconsin.  It is September 15, 2017.  By now we are usually turning the corner into fall, but today felt like anything but fall.  I'm not sure, but this could have been our first 90 degree day of the summer.  I guess it is still summer for another week.  I noticed the car temperature was 89 degrees late this afternoon.  No matter what, it was very unseasonable.  We started out the afternoon going to Aldi's grocery shopping, but on the way we got side tracked because it was such a beautiful day.  We stopped at a lighthouse in Fond du lac, WI and walked up four flights of steps to the top.  It is open to the public with no admission fee.  We were surprised how windy it was up there because it was very hot on the ground.  The lighthouse was built in 1933 and looks over Lake Winnebago.  This lake is very large and covers 137,000 acres.  The Upper Fox River flows past our house, travels for many miles and spills into this lake and the Lower Fox River flows out of the lake and into Lake Michigan.  The Fox River is one of the few rivers which flows from south to north.  From the top of the lighthouse we could see out onto the lake.  There was very little activity considering how nice it was, but I imagine most people are finished with their summer vacations and are back to school and work.  We could also see the marina and the beautiful flower gardens in Lakeside Park. 

A view of Lake Winnebago.  A sailboat can be seen in the distance.

A view of the marina.

One of the many flower gardens in the park.

After we left here, we noticed a thrift store that we hadn't seen before.  It was very nice, clean and inexpensive.  So many thrift stores have items that cost as much as a regular store.  I got two good deals.  I got a large pizza paddle for removing a pizza from the oven safely.  It cost $1 and a tripod for $3.  The tripod can be used on a table top or extends to at least three feet.

Finally we stopped at the grocery store.  We didn't need much so it was a quick stop.  It was a great day.  We didn't leave home until afternoon, and returned in time to make dinner at home.  Anything that needs to be done at home can wait. Days like this should be used for fun adventures.

Nana and Papa's Adventure #???-Columbia Park

As long as the weather holds, we are determined to get to places we have heard about but not visited.  Last week when we visited Fond du lac, Wisconsin and the Lakeside Park lighthouse, we were actually looking for another park.  Our grandson Ewan and his other grandparents visited a park with a 70 foot climbing tower.  We couldn't find it last week so we finally got the correct name and headed out this afternoon.  It is about an hour from our house, so not too far.

Columbia Park consists of a boat landing, a camping area, a playground, a basketball court, an open shelter area and an observation tower with a navigational beacon on the top.   Our goal for the day was to climb the tower.  We parked in the parking area.  There was a couple about to leave so we were the only ones there.  As we approached the tower, it looked really tall.   I guess 70 feet is pretty tall.

The Columbia Park Observation tower.

The information on the sign said the tower was originally built as a water tower for a Fond du lac factory.  Then in 1936 it was moved and erected at this harbor on Lake Winnebago by the WPA.  It was to be used as an observation tower and navigational aid.  Over the years it deteriorated and needed to be rebuilt.  About 25 years ago the tower was restored with metal stairs, landings and observation decks.  From the top of the tower you can see a panoramic view of Lake Winnebago and the surrounding areas.  We actually climbed to the top without much trouble.  We briefly rested about half way up, but did well.  I got seven stairs on my Fitbit.  While we were standing on the top a gentleman joined us on the top.  He said on a clear day you can see Menasha and Oshkosh.  It was a little overcast on the horizon, but we could see very far.

View looking toward Menasha WI

Boat coming into the harbor.

Leaving the lake, there is a channel with a 900 foot harbor wall leading to the boat landing.

Wind energy is important but these turbines kind of spoil the beautiful view.

Coming down was easier than going up.

But it was still nice to be back on ground safe and sound.

About 3:10 we left this beautiful park.  We needed to get to our grandson Dylan's soccer match in Berlin Wisconsin which was about an hour away.  On the way out of the park, we saw the roadside was lined with these Wild Aster plants.  They are gorgeous this time of year. 

We spent the next hour watching Dylan play soccer.  He played the whole game a little bit injured but still did a great job.  It was a beautiful night for a game.

Another afternoon adventure in the books.  Let's see where else we can go in a few days.

Sturgeon Spearing

For anyone familiar with Lake Winnebago and it's connecting rivers in Wisconsin, this weekend is a big deal.  I had no idea what a family tradition it was or how important it is to many people in the area.  This weekend begins the start of Sturgeon spearing season.  Sturgeons are carefully managed and can only be speared during this short season.  Because of the strict regulations there are now more Lake Sturgeon in the Winnebago System than anywhere else in the world.  They are Wisconsin’s largest and longest living fish species.   They are a prehistoric species, with fossil records dating back 150 million years. 

The Menominee people relied on the sturgeon for food and medicine.  Their spiritual and cultural connection to the sturgeon was so great that a special dance is performed for the sturgeon called the "fish dance." The Menominee Indian culture still has a sturgeon ceremony and feast in the spring.  

Before opening day, cars and trucks pulling ice shanties drive out on the ice to choose the perfect spot.  They choose a spot that has good water clarity and a predetermined depth depending on the weather.  Then they cut a large hole in the ice.  This year the ice is a little unstable and I wouldn't want to drive my car out on it.  Then early on opening day morning, they sit and watch for a fish to swim by and they spear them.  Some of the record breaking fish weigh over 200 hundred pounds.  I can't imagine it myself, but generation after generation of families have this as a tradition.  Over 12,000 spearing licenses were sold for the 2013 season.  The season lasts for a 16 days or until a specified number of sturgeon are speared.

Sometimes the sturgeon travel down the rivers that connect the Winnebago riverways to spawn.  This usually happens in early spring after the ice has melted.  We see them in the Fox River in Princeton where we live.  My daughter has seen them in the Fox River near their pier and took these photos.  It is illegal to remove them from the water or catch them at any other time of year. 

For some more information from the Wisconsin DNR
http://dnr.wi.gov/news/features/feature.asp?id=9&article=1
 

An Eagle's Nest

Yesterday I wrote about the Princeton Wisconsin Flea Market.  Across the street from the flea market is a large antique mall and next door was a restaurant/supper club.  It is out of business and for sale now, but here is the sign.  I believe that the restaurant was named after the large eagle's nest just down the street from this restaurant. I posted one of these photos on Facebook the other day, but I thought I would explain a little more about it.

Eagle perched in a tree outside our house

Princeton has the Fox River flowing through it.  The Fox River begins as a little stream near Pardeeville Wisconsin and flows north.  It flows through the towns of Princeton, Berlin and Omro and on until it meets up with the Wolf River on the northern part of Lake Winnebago.  It goes into Lake Butte de Morts and on to the Bay of Green Bay and then Lake Michigan.  The area along these rivers is a perfect habitat for eagles.  They have big trees to nest in and plenty of food from the river.

The Wolf River has several eagle cams where you can keep track of the eagles nesting. http://www.wolfrivercam.com is the website.  This year one eagle's nest is being occupied by Bonnie and Clyde, a pair of Great Horned Owls.  They probably saw this big beautiful nest in a tall pine tree and decided it was easier to move in than build their own.

We live on the Fox River.  The first time we noticed a huge eagle's nest was when we took our canoe out on the river.  Just outside of Princeton we noticed a circling eagle and followed it to a nest in a large tree right on the edge of the river.  We haven't been on the river for a while to know if it is still active, but last year we noticed this one not too far from the first one.  This nest you can see from the street.  I took photos of the nest earlier this spring and then last week we saw an eagle sitting in the nest.

If you ever see a big nest like this through the woods, it's probably an eagle's nest.

We will be keeping an eye on this nest this summer and see if we can see young ones.