Sunday, January 31, 2010

An Icy Excursion

My husband and I went for a stroll in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park yesterday. Here's a covered bridge that you can find in the park:

It was pretty cold and we saw lots of icy crystals in interesting shapes:
and patterns:
You can find the remains of an old sandstone quarry in one part of the park. One of the quarry walls is in the background below. The stacked stones here, I think, are spalls - the parts that were trimmed off of larger blocks in the sizing process and left lying around:


Sharp crystals laced the tops of frozen ponds, streams, puddles and rivers:

Some tumbling blocks of Berea sandstone:

Sandstone steps leading nowhere in particular:

We didn't follow the steps today, maybe we'll go nowhere in particular some other day : )






4 comments:

jo said...

Oh Linda,
Those photos really speak to me.
The Tumbling blocks with the snow and the steps leading nowhere.
Wonderful images, and so clear.
What a walk you had.
BTW, what is the rationale behind covered bridges? To protect them from snowfalls? Or are they also in States without snow?
We don't see those over here.

ricki - sprig to twig said...

Your photos might have been ripped from the pages of a book on Andy Goldsworthy's art.

ICQB said...

Hi Jo!

I think covered bridges are mostly in the northeast, where there is a lot of snow. And yes, covered bridges last longer than uncovered ones - the road surface is wood. I guess it was a cost factor way back when. Wood was cheaper than stone and lasted quite a long time if covered from the elements.

The bridge in the picture is closed off now, only foot traffic allowed at this point.

ICQB said...

Hi ricki!

I wasn't familiar with Andy Goldsorthy's work until I read your comment and googled him.

I can see what you mean - Goldworthy must draw inspiration from the natural world. I wonder if he's ever seen the little circular spots of crystals wringing around a hole in the snow over a frozen river - like the the ones I took photos of. It seems like he probably has.

How interesting!