An Early Spring Walk on the Ice on Sebago Lake
May 01, 2019
Photographer: John Stetson
Summary Author: John Stetson
In the photo, above, my grandson, Flynn, and I are taking an early spring walk on March 26th on ice-covered Sebago Lake, in Cumberland County, Maine. It was captured using a small camera that we attached to a kite and then let the wind take it aloft. Ice-in occurred on January 13th, and the ice right to the edge of the pools of open water remained over 8 inches [20 cm] thick, and so there were no concerns about falling through the ice. Ice-out, the day when approximately 90 percent of the ice has melted and when the lake can be navigated by boat, occurred this year on April 16. Ice-out on Sebago Lake has been documented since 1807. The average ice-out date for Sebago Lake, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department, is April 15.
Note that as soon as cracks appear in the ice, photosynthetic plankton, the beginning of the food chain, wells-up and provides a green tint to the pools of open water.
Photo Details: Camera: GoPro HERO3+ Silver Edition; Software: Adobe Photoshop CS4 Macintosh; Exposure Time: 0.0008s (1/1286); Aperture: ƒ/2.8; ISO equivalent: 100; Focal Length (35mm): 15.