On Saturday last I picked up (at our local SPCA thrift store for ±USD 0.30) a battered copy of James A Mitchener's "Journey" from which I quote : ... he (Lord Luton) said: "Tomorrow (it is midwinter) I must head back (from Fort Norman to his camp on the mouth of the Gravel River) and get our team prepared for the thaw." They asked if he had any conception of what happened to a frozen river when it breaks up and he replied: "I've heard it can be somewhat daunting". "Unbelieveable," they said, "and on this river, the worst of all." Taking him to their front porch atop the rise, they explained a peculiarity of the MacKenzie : "It runs from mountains in the south to very flat land in the north. When the sun starts (coming) back in March, it melts the headwater ice first and starts those waters flowing. Then it melts the high plateaus, setting free whole lakes of water and every warming day it releases more and more water far to the south, while our part of the river up here in the north remains frozen tight". "And then what happens?" the men asked, looking to see if Luton had understood. "Stands to reason, the waters flood in under the ice and dislodge it." "Dislodge is not the word. It explodes the ice from below. It throws it about like leaves in a storm. Chunks big you cannot imagine them are thrown up as if they weighed no more than sheaves of straw." "Believe me, Sir, stand well back when the Mackenzie breaks its bonds. But it is a sight no man should miss" . From your video, that sounds like good advice... Thanks for sharing and BTW try find the book. It is not a bad read...
"The saw more than they've bargained for: They saw,heard the powerful forces of nature,and giant blue blocks if diamond'blue ice gem'stones. 12-14-2021'
On Saturday last I picked up (at our local SPCA thrift store for ±USD 0.30) a battered copy of James A Mitchener's "Journey" from which I quote :
... he (Lord Luton) said: "Tomorrow (it is midwinter) I must head back (from Fort Norman to his camp on the mouth of the Gravel River) and get our team prepared for the thaw."
They asked if he had any conception of what happened to a frozen river when it breaks up and he replied: "I've heard it can be somewhat daunting".
"Unbelieveable," they said, "and on this river, the worst of all."
Taking him to their front porch atop the rise, they explained a peculiarity of the MacKenzie : "It runs from mountains in the south to very flat land in the north. When the sun starts (coming) back in March, it melts the headwater ice first and starts those waters flowing. Then it melts the high plateaus, setting free whole lakes of water and every warming day it releases more and more water far to the south, while our part of the river up here in the north remains frozen tight".
"And then what happens?" the men asked, looking to see if Luton had understood.
"Stands to reason, the waters flood in under the ice and dislodge it."
"Dislodge is not the word. It explodes the ice from below. It throws it about like leaves in a storm. Chunks big you cannot imagine them are thrown up as if they weighed no more than sheaves of straw."
"Believe me, Sir, stand well back when the Mackenzie breaks its bonds. But it is a sight no man should miss" .
From your video, that sounds like good advice...
Thanks for sharing and BTW try find the book. It is not a bad read...
That was so cool to watch. Reading about Alexander MacKenzie got me here. Thanks for posting.
OMG that is unbelievable I wish I could see that live...good work on video!!
Wow lots of power behind that
i love the sound kind of a slushy jingly noise. I really love ice, i love the sound of it cracking
Everybody does it's the sound of Spring
thank you very much for sharing this video 😘
From what I have heard the breakup starts up south which causes overflows further north.
That's it right there, It's on right now be careful.
Wow, my first thought was "Good shootin' Tex!"...My next thought was, I WISH I'D BEEN THERE WITH YOU!
omg!!! thats amazing!!!
I was about to say these are not small pieces of ice either.
Awesomeness
Where on the river did you watch this?
Kelsey Ganpatt Near Norman Wells, Northwest Territories
"The saw more than they've bargained for: They saw,heard the powerful forces of nature,and giant blue blocks if diamond'blue ice gem'stones. 12-14-2021'
This is nature at its best to self regulating system.
Look out down river cause it's coming
It looks like it is about to let hgo anytime now.
How great is God
I hope someone taught you how to zoom in......lol