The Gap Adventure

Hi!

This morning was awesome. I crossed the somewhat frozen harbor toward the west side of the bay to get to Hunter's Point. From there, I traversed the South Shore Trail to the tip of HP and took this video in the gap for Snack Break Sessions on YouTube.

I haven't crossed the harbor since last March. I mean, the ice hasn't been steady out in the middle where I usually go across, but it was at least a few inches thick toward the west, so I ventured. Here are some pics from the journey.

The Gap destination as seen from the Queen's landing

My crossing entry point from Eight Street Park. It looked safe!

A closeup of the bubbles in the ice, so I knew it was thick enough

The South Shore Trail on HP

This post isn't here to tell you everything about the journey, the rest is in the video above. This post supplements what you couldn't see from the scene at the gap between Porter's Island and Hunter's Point.

You know, crossing that lake is really... kind of... death-defying. I do my best to be smart about it, but, yeow. I prayed! And after my safe crossings, I bowed to the lake. I do not take for granted that I made it across. Both times.

Whew!

The sound the lake made today was unnerving. I have never crossed with so much movement underneath (except that one time. Yikes.)

As I walked, the lake under the ice sounded like a giant tummy growling with hunger. Incessantly. I knew the lake was ready to break up those ice chunks, but I was determined.

I will tell you why I felt safe. For one, I saw fresh-ish tracks from deer and an ice fisherman with no signs they fell in. For two, I could see the ice was at least 5 inches thick. Although there were fissures (that moved as I traversed!) I knew that the ice was not thin enough to let me fall through.

Even if the ice started to pull apart at the fissures, it would have nowhere to go except next to the fissures on the other side of that chunk. In other words, it wasn't going anywhere. I would have had to crack a piece on most of the perimeter and jump on the edge until I went under.

At least that's what I told myself!

But I made it back to write to you, so I'm grateful.

That's enough for now.

Where are you going to venture today?