Lake Absegami, Monday 1/14. Other than just in front of the spillway, the lake seems to be frozen over. But something made this meandering path. I couldn't see any place where the path reached the shore. Our best guess was a duck or goose landed and walked around a bit while the lake was not yet completely frozen. Any other ideas?
What makes these tracks in the frozen lake?
- Thread starter lj762
- Start date
Oh. I was hoping some kind of interesting creature did it... Here's a closer crop, and I increased the contrast.
I'm thinking otter or beaver but there is too much slush pushed around.
I think 46er may be on the right path. After cracking and with the light snow on top, maybe it formed a slushy border along the crack ???
I think 46er may be on the right path. After cracking and with the light snow on top, maybe it formed a slushy border along the crack ???
Appears to be an Otter. I see this all the time. They slide right across the ice.
I agree. He was on his way home from the Pic-A-Lilli Inn.
An otter would be very cool. Did I mention that the path does not seem to touch the shoreline of the lake at any point? That's why we thought perhaps a winged thing. But an otter would be more interesting than a duck or goose.
Look around the banks for otter slides and "otter toilets. " They slide in and out of the water seemingly because it's fun and it probably is.
The otter toilet is where they frequently defecate and the scat will be loaded with fish scales. Even a pile of fish scales shows where they have been since the other material washes away over time.
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Toothy Critter
Guest
Those are great. I can see the tail - or is that the body - dragging along, plus the little feet.
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Toothy Critter
Guest
On Monday, with temperatures around 50, the lake was still frozen, and it had tracks of a different kind: the 2-legged human kind. I don't get why people would take a chance like that, walking out into the lake and back, but apparently plenty of people did. Or maybe the same person several times.
When I was a wee little boy, 8 years old if my memory serves me (1962)...I lived in Hampton Lakes. My younger brother's friend (5 years old) walked out onto the ice and went through. He did not live. One of those things that never leave your memory. Very sad.
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Toothy Critter
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When I was a kid, there was a little pond across the road where people skated. One day I went through the thin ice on a cold day. Fortunately, it was a shallow pond and I got right out. My house was only a few minutes away but my pants were starting to freeze when I got there. I will never forget what a shock that was and how COLD that water was!
I grew up in Passaic County and did quite a bit of ice fishing from there west to Sussex County. We never especially worried about the ice, other than paying close attention to its thickness. How thick it needed to be to walk, drive a snowmobile or drive a truck on was fairly common knowledge among everyone back then. Being on the ice wasn't unsafe. It was not following established rules of thumb that made it risky.