Icicle delights
One highlight of my foray into Great Hills Park on February 16th was icicles, which our normally mild winters seldom produce. The ones shown here formed on a bank of the park’s main creek in an area called Potter’s Place, which is named after geologist Eric Potter, who carried out many projects in the park. It’s hard to believe how different this stretch of the creek looks in a rainy spring.
In some of my pictures I played up the icicles’ reflections in the water.
© 2021 Steven Schwartzman
Portraits of Wildflowers 
These icicles are fabulous!
Ms. Liz
February 21, 2021 at 4:39 AM
Yes, I was thrilled when I saw all the icicles adorning this secluded little cove along the creek.
Steve Schwartzman
February 21, 2021 at 6:18 AM
They are spectacular!
Ann Mackay
February 21, 2021 at 4:58 AM
Spectacular is no exaggeration. I doubt I’ll ever see that place looking this way again.
Steve Schwartzman
February 21, 2021 at 6:20 AM
I’m glad you were able to get out to see it and photograph it – a chance not to be missed!
Ann Mackay
February 21, 2021 at 11:03 AM
Definitely; that’s why I returned two days later and then two days after that for another couple of hours apiece.
Steve Schwartzman
February 21, 2021 at 11:12 AM
Beautiful photos!
Jonatan Cuadrado
February 21, 2021 at 6:16 AM
Gràcies. Havia oblidat que es diu caramells en català.
Steve Schwartzman
February 21, 2021 at 6:28 AM
Love the ripple effect in the reflection in the second image. Just beautiful.
texasflashdude
February 21, 2021 at 7:58 AM
Thanks. I’ve long been a fan of reflections and was glad to have an unaccustomed subject doing the reflecting.
Steve Schwartzman
February 21, 2021 at 8:13 AM
I love the top image. It’s beautiful!!
circadianreflections
February 21, 2021 at 8:06 AM
You can imagine how I felt when I saw it.
Steve Schwartzman
February 21, 2021 at 8:38 AM
I can indeed! 😀
circadianreflections
February 21, 2021 at 10:26 AM
What a delight to see these icicles with their reflections in the water! Even though they are the result of a disaster, one can still admire their beauty.
Peter Klopp
February 21, 2021 at 8:22 AM
That’s it: it was one good thing to come out of our ordeal.
Steve Schwartzman
February 21, 2021 at 8:38 AM
I’ve sometimes seen little icicles forming along the road cuts in the hill country, but I’ve never seen anything as impressive as these. The reflections in the second image are especially pleasing, although I do like that broader view, too. You not only got much more snow than we did, you got terrific ice (aesthetically speaking, of course).
shoreacres
February 21, 2021 at 8:33 AM
Large icicles had formed on several vertical portions of the creek bank. Because I worked my way only so far into the park (fallen trees blocked the trails in some places), there could have been even more. Not wanting to waste the rare chance for pictures, I returned two days later and again yesterday. Now I’m the Icicle King, photographically speaking. I don’t know how many I’ll be able to get away with showing before people get bored, but I’ll definitely be showing more ice and snow—speaking of which, we got 6.5 inches of the latter.
Steve Schwartzman
February 21, 2021 at 9:33 AM
If people get bored, that’s their problem, not yours. Show away!
shoreacres
February 21, 2021 at 9:35 AM
Thanks for the encouragement!
Steve Schwartzman
February 21, 2021 at 9:54 AM
Wow! Icicles aren’t just for roofs–who knew? Love these shots, Steve, stunning with the reflections in the water.
Tina
February 21, 2021 at 8:33 AM
Not at all just for roofs, though I photographed some of the ones that had formed on our rain gutters as well as the large ones in the park. I first paid attention to the broad array of icicles, then noticed that the reflections presented possibilities, too.
Steve Schwartzman
February 21, 2021 at 9:47 AM
Just now I’m happy to see icicles on pictures only! 😉
Pit
February 21, 2021 at 9:35 AM
As much damage as the weather caused, I’m still sorry to look outside now and see that the icicles that made our rain gutters so attractive for a week have all melted.
Steve Schwartzman
February 21, 2021 at 9:48 AM
Quite a difference from the covering of maidenhair ferns to icicles! Nice capture and comparison.
Lavinia Ross
February 21, 2021 at 3:54 PM
Thanks. I’m grateful for having had the chance to document the astounding difference.
Steve Schwartzman
February 21, 2021 at 5:58 PM
Hoping that you and yours are staying safe and well, Steve.
Johnny Crabcakes
February 21, 2021 at 4:29 PM
Thanks for your concern. We had a rough week beginning with the ice storm on February 12 but things are better now.
Steve Schwartzman
February 21, 2021 at 6:02 PM
Great images, Steve. A rare sight there, I imagine.
Eliza Waters
February 21, 2021 at 6:06 PM
You said it. I spent a total of maybe six hours on three visits to take advantage of the rare ice and snow, with particular emphasis on icicles.
Steve Schwartzman
February 21, 2021 at 6:20 PM
It is pretty addicting, isn’t it? When we get a stretch of cold weather here, its ephemeral nature drives one to get out and capture it before it melts, changes or in our case, gets covered by fresh snow.
Eliza Waters
February 21, 2021 at 6:39 PM
Addicting it is. And we had the rare occurrence of an ice storm followed by half a foot of snow followed by more ice. I really pushed myself physically, twice walking two miles over icy ground.
Steve Schwartzman
February 21, 2021 at 8:51 PM
With no ice cleats, either, I bet. 😉
Eliza Waters
February 22, 2021 at 7:58 PM
No, no ice cleats, but pretty good soles on my rubber boots.
Steve Schwartzman
February 22, 2021 at 9:59 PM
Oh, I love the rippley reflections! Very cool.
Steve Gingold
February 22, 2021 at 4:58 PM
Good. I’m happy to have done a portrait that catches the attention of someone who’s well versed in photographing ice.
Steve Schwartzman
February 22, 2021 at 5:43 PM
Very cool … like stalactites!
denisebushphoto
February 26, 2021 at 11:29 AM
That’s what they are: stalactites in ice rather than stone.
Steve Schwartzman
February 26, 2021 at 12:28 PM