Fog and Thermodynamics

Winter has arrived at Bear Lake.  So far my predictions of above average snow made by observing the number of pine squirrel invading my yard is holding true.  I am just relieved that I don't need to hear about drought and climate changes when the news stations have nothing else to report on.

Winter in Bear Lake has a number of characteristics that don't change from year to year.  The fog is the most prominent one.  Now a quick lesson in thermodynamics.  As the surface water temperature on the lake is warmer than the air temperature condensation starts to occur.  Lots of people will say "the lake is steaming" which is incorrect.

 Vaporization occurs when a liquid is heated to its boiling point at which time the liquid turns into a gas.  Condensation is when a gas turns to a liquid by cooling.  On a cold winter morning,  evaporation is occurring on the lake as long as it is liquid not ice covered.  Evaporation is when a water surface turns from a liquid, directly to a gas.  Another unique characteristic of water.  The water from evaporation is turned into a liquid from gas by the cold air.  These little droplets or ice crystals form the fog we see.

We will see this cycle occur frequently as the winter progresses and the lake approaches freezing.  Depending on the day, wind and temperature the whole Valley will be filled with "cotton" as you look at it from the over look. 

Some days, the fog will hang over the valley, drift to the valley floor during the night and when it lifts in the morning everything is covered with hoarfrost.  Hoarfrost occurs when condensation (when the lake is evaporating and cooling) freezes to solid items whose temperature are below the dew point.  That is why when we have these spectacular mornings with hoarfrost on everything you can actually determine which materials hold heat better.  Dark limbs have less than light colored limbs and so on.

One last observation.  Most of us have seen Grandma hanging out her clothes in the middle of the winter only to have them freeze solid and then dry.  This dynamic activity is called sublimination which is when water goes from a liquid to a solid and then due to cold from a solid directly back into a gas.

You get to experience a lot of things living next to a large temperate lake.  Luckily water is such a unique matter and a more extensive education in physics and thermodynamics will help you understand why.  Yea, I know, we all hated physics.  I hope you look a fog and winter days differently now. 

              

 I am sure that everyone is getting ready for the Holidays.  That means I will once again be involved in the Bear Lake Christmas Bird Count.  Over the last ten years, a small core group of birders from Cache Valley come over to participate with a few of us from here.  The annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count is a national event that covers most of North America.  It was started years ago by the Audubon Society in an attempt to develop trend data on regional bird numbers using volunteer birdwatchers.  Different areas were established and people went out, observed, identified and counted birds

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                                                                  Virginia Rail

Dennis Austin, a wildlife biologist from Cache Valley, now retired, started the Bear Lake Count.  He felt that it was important to document what species of birds were wintering here at the Lake.  Trying to get participants has been a challenge over the years.  There just doesn’t seem to be many bird watchers here.  You don’t need to be a member of the Audubon Society, just someone interested in birds.  The count will occur December 27,  regardless of weather.  We have done them in the sun, blizzards and when it is so cold you can barely make it out of the truck.  You count the birds in your area, but nowhere else to avoid duplication. 

                                                                     Sawhet Owl

I know that lots of people feed birds around the lake and in recent years these numbers have been included.  At the end of the day Dennis collects and tallies the count information and submits it to the Audubon Society.  All of the bird counts from all over are then combined and published in a magazine.

Obviously the species and numbers  change throughout the years with environmental conditions but every year we see new species, don’t see birds we had seen before and generally have a  good time, outside, with our binoculars.  It even helps me with my infamous weather predictions associated with wildlife.  We are always looking for volunteers and we will be happy to train.  Just let me know.

                                                             Black Capped Chickadee

Rain

It has been a while since I updated this blog.  I would like to say that I don't have time but in reality nothing jumps to mind about something that would be interesting to others.  I keep trying to to write Cisco's Sonar for the Rich County Community site and the updated Bear Lake Times site,  Since I never get many constructive comments I don't know if what I am writing is relevant or just fodder.  I will use the blog for my inner feelings whether you like them or not.

I love rain in November.  We have already had two snowstorms which I thought would leave the white stuff for the duration, but it is gone now.  I look at my shabby lawn that continues to grow and try and fill in the spaces with new grass in the moist soil.  I love the smell of the willows when I go down to Big Spring Creek to set a few minnow traps visualizing that I might go fishing one day and checking out to see if there are any ducks.  I think of the 100,000's of gallons of pure water that falls on the lake which we will enjoy next summer.  I watch the magpies at the feeder, soaked to the hide wondering if they have any more sense than Maggie, who will sit out all day in the rain waiting for a duck. I smell the pure air and look out across the lake and think of the Oregon coast, one of my favorite places.  I drive through the puddles trying to wash the bottom of my filthy truck which will just get more mud on it as I head down another road.  Our summer visitors have left, gone back to where they call home.  They rarely see days like this.  The rain percolates through the soil, wetting the dry particles left from last summer.  Hopefully we will get a good snow cover so the earth doesn't freeze.  The water will be there next spring.  If there is a lot of snow the saturated soil will allow for surface runoff, filling out lakes and streams.  Regardless, we have captured the moisture.  They have always said that there was a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.  I personally think rain is much more valuable.

Catching Fish

It has always been a joke with my family that if there is someone who pays a guide to take them out fishing and never catches any fish it is me, the infamous fisheries biologist.  I have spent 1000's of dollars all around the Caribbean, Mexico, and Oregon trying to catch many kinds of fish with only marginal success.

Well my luck finally changed last week.  I had booked a guide in Tillamook Bay to fish for Chinook salmon. I was just going by myself but then he called me and said he had to go to a meeting and could he schedule me with another guy.  I said sure and showed up in Girabaldi at the appointed time.  The stars must have been right because we caught seven Chinook ranging up to 38 pounds.  What a fun day.  I was sure the jinx had been broken and went out with friends and our old guide the next day.  Not a bite.  Maybe all this time it was the guide's fault, not mine.

Cisco's 2012

It is with great relief that the summer of 2012 at Cisco's Landing had come to an end.  I am grateful for three things.  The Cisco Kids worked their guts out this summer.  They may not know it now but they brought a lot of happiness to countless people and they were safe with only minor cuts an bruises.  I want to personally thank Lindsey, Tyler, Brooke, Coley, Lynzee, and Whit.  I couldn't have had a better crew.  I want to thank my customers who didn't destroy too much of my equipment but were safe all the same.  I am glad that at this point I haven't been threatened with any lawsuits which proves how competent my employees were.  I also want to show my appreciation for the Cisco Carp who provided countless hours of entertainment for tons of people and consumed 300 pounds of fish food in the process. We also appreciate Lee and Dixie Levitt of Lee's Marine for keeping everything running.  I also want to thank my wife, Doreen, for washing a million cleaning rags and keeping me in line.  After all the bills are paid if there is anything left over it will be a bonus.

Cisco's Landing is an interesting place. We try to meet everyone with a smile whether they are customers or not.  We try to learn as much as we can about the seasonal slip renters and support them, who form a great community on the docks.  As a concessionaire, we also try to provide a positive experience at the Bear Lake State Park Marina.  We appreciate their employees, especially Bill, who is a fixture there.  We pumped thousands of gallons of gas, moored hundreds of boats patched tubes and taught a lot of East Indians how to drive boats.

Now I have to pull, winterize and store over twenty watercraft.  This will go on through October when my thoughts will shift to salmon fishing and waterfowl hunting.  Let's hope for lots of snow this winter so the lake will come back up and we will all meet next spring with a smile.

Lakers

For years I looked at the spawning activities of lake trout  Salvenitus namaycush  (mackinaw) and assumed that they  typically spawned in mid to late October over large rubble.  That is what the books said and it was verified with gill netting and fishermen snagging lakers off the marina during the deer hunt.

In the last two years my observations on lake trout behavior has changed.  I now need to admit to something.  Fish biologists educated at universities with advance degrees don't know shit.  Their knowledge is based on what the "literature" says.  I was one of these guys but as I always knew down deep inside, the good fishermen knew much more than we did.  What I have learned is that lake trout begin the spawning process in late August, stage in deeper water and eventually move into the spawning areas that have the proper substrate which is large rock.  They spawning activities are a good effort but basically in vane in Bear Lake because the endemic species which are eggs predators suck up the eggs before they hatch.  Natural recruitment of lake trout is negligible in Bear Lake.

If you know right area, the depth, know the speed and use the right lure fishing is great in September.   We let them all go for another day.

Cisco's Sonar

Well, the Rich County Times has come to an end.  Amber McKee put her heart and soul into this publication which lasted for eight years.  It provided readers with local news, high school activities and general information.  For that we can not thank Amber enough.  Her selfless efforts resulted in more community involvement and understanding.  The Rich County Times was a true public service.  People can not be expected to continue things forever just because we want it.  I support Amber in her decision to cease publication and pursue other things in her life.  I am sure her decision was not easy but there was no one willing to take on the task of continuing the paper  I have mixed feelings.  The paper provided me a platform to ramble on about things I thought were interesting, but there were times that I really struggled for something to write about.  The pressure was always on every two weeks.

I will put more effort into my blog when something that I think that I have something other people would be interested in.  Bobby Coray has taken on the responsibility to put the Rich County Times online.  Just email her at rctonline@gmail.com to become a subscriber.  I will try to submit articles as time permits.

You know, there are a lot of people that are willing to criticize what others are doing. They are a dime a dozen but theey think they are so important.   In my long career in public service I have come to the conclusion that there are doer's and whiner's.  Amber McKee is a doer. We all owe her a debt of thanks and who knows, maybe someone will have the ambition to start a paper again.