Panguitch Lake Day 2 1st February 2018

Couldn’t, resist the next day too.  Up early and to the lake.  Better skating with some lovely smooth patches.  Chatted to another ice fisherman.  He reckoned there was not much ice there until a few weeks ago.   Craig, Annette and Christina came out to meet me and to have a 'frozen lake' experience.
 Good way to start the day!

Panguitch Lake 31st January 2018

A week and a half later I was lucky to get another skate when we went to Bryce Canyon.   I saw Panguitch Lake on the map and decided to check it out early morning.  Had to walk about 80m onto the lake over snow to get to the hard ice.  Bit bumpy but a good skate with the hockey skates.  Chatted to a couple of ice fishermen.

Eastern Sierra Day 4 Caples Lake again 18 January 2018

Last day and had to head out early before a storm arrived.  Drove up past Caples for a last skate.  Stormy sky weather but good skating.  Wind came up at times.  Met another couple of skaters who said it was rare to skate on Caples because of snow.

Eastern Sierra Day 3 Lundy Lake 17 January 2018

It was an easy call to go back  to Lundy lake as the ice was so impressive.  Ice had hardened over night and was the best ice on the trip - awesome skate and setting.  Hard to drag myself way....

Eastern Sierra Day 2 Crowley Lake arm, Twin Lakes, Lundy Lake 16 January 2018

Warm temperatures for this time of year.  Headed out early to out a couple of spots near Bishop.  Managed a skate on an arm of  Lake Crowley - smooth hard old ice.  Nice setting.  Then to Mammoth Lakes. Had to use the Nordic skates on Twin Lakes (which appears to actually be 3 small lakes...) as the ice had been covered in snow.  Fab setting as I worked my way around the side of the lakes avoiding the water in the middle and under the bridges.  Good fun.

Travelled via a few other potential spots and ended up at  Lundy Lake.  Lundy was great but I was so late in the day the surface had softened slightly but was fine with the Nordic skates.  Spectacular ice and setting.

Lake Crowley arm.

One of the twins... Twin
 Lake

Ice on Lundy

Crowley Arm

Top part of Twin Lakes

Umm....

Twin Lakes - water in the middle

Eastern Sierra Day 1 - Caples Lake Red Lake. 15 January 2018

We visited California this summer in January.  I went over a few days earlier to explore the Eastern Sierra and hoping for a chance to skate on natural ice. Best time to visit would have been before Christmas but because of the lack of snow for the time of year I was able to get some skating in. I took hockey skates and Nordics to cover a range of ice.

Stayed in Mindon, NV near the mountains the first night - and based on a tip from Facebook went early to Caples and Red Lake. Skated on ice that had remelt snow on top.  Great skating on Caples - Red was rough in places.  Good to meet and chat  to a few locals - including ice fishermen. Fab scenery.  Headed to overnight in Bishop (via Bodie) to check some skating spots.  On the way checked out Twin Lakes but very windy and rough.