Pictures are worth 1000 words

The pictures below were all taken at Oxtongue Lake, today, March 31, 2006. This is not an April Fool's joke! We still have lots of snow and lakes are frozen solid. I was wandering around on Oxtongue Lake taking pictures and barely made a footprint in the surface snow! You probably can't see her but the woman entering the store at the moment I took the picture was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. It is that kind of day.

Algonquin Outfitters' Oxtongue Lake store - lots of snow left to melt!

We get many phone calls at this time of year, from people in warmer climes, wondering if the lakes are open yet. It is still too early to call but as you can see from the next picture, there is no shortage of ice. Lakes in Huntsville are still frozen. When Oxtongue Lake opens up, lakes in the park typically are ice-free a week later.

The Hwy 60 bridge over Oxtongue Lake. Ice from shore to shore on March 31!

Remember the blog about Quinzee building? Two of our fearless staff members, Todd and Jeremy, helped out by Thomas from down the road, built a Quinzee at our Winter Assembly. Quinzee-building conditions were tough. The day was cold (high of -15 C) and the good snow was hidden under a hard crust. They perservered and built a fantastic three-person Quinzee. It is a testament to solid construction and the surprising strength of snow that the quinzee is still standing today.

Quinzee constructed on Feb. 18 still standing on March 31!