Tag Archives: Winter

The Frozen Waterfall

On the last day of February, I decided to take a ride out to a favorite location. It was a cold day and I had hoped to get a few shots of ice around Cucumber Falls in Ohiopyle State Park. The drive out was beautiful. A lot of show had fallen in the preceding days and with it being cold for so long, I was a little concerned about the state of the roads. Fortunately, everything was clear and dry all the way there. When I arrived at the parking area for the falls, I was surprised to see so many vehicles. I didn’t think that many others would venture out on such a cold, albeit sunny, day.  To my surprise, I found that the reason for the crowd was that the falls was completely frozen! Water still flowed through the center, but it was encased in a textured column of ice.  This was far more exciting than I had expected! I made my way down the ice covered steps and took a moment to marvel at Mother Nature’s handiwork.

The Seemingly Halted Flow
The Seemingly Halted Flow

I had planned on the presence of water, so I was wearing my knee high rubber boots (with little traction). It was difficult to navigate all of the ice, but I managed to avoid broken bones while getting good angles on the massive wall of ice that was in front of me.

Cucumber Frozen
Cucumber Frozen

I braved the walk behind the falls to get a few shots of the light coming through the ice. The peril was extremely worth it.

Rock Wall and Ice Wall
Rock Wall and Ice Wall
Behind The Wall Of Ice
Behind The Wall Of Ice
Behind The Frozen Waterfall
Behind The Frozen Waterfall
Soft Pastels Of A Frozen Falls
Soft Pastels Of A Frozen Falls

Few things had escaped the collection of ice. This rhododendron was not one of them.

Frozadendron
Frozadendron

I made my way along the rock wall to another small column of ice that caught my eye.

Made In The Shade
Made In The Shade

I loved the way that the ice was pointed and rough on the top end, but smooth like melted glass on the bottom.

The Slow Fall
The Slow Fall
Capturing The Flow In Ice
Capturing The Flow In Ice

I ventured down to the banks of the Yough river and validated my choice of footwear. I stepped out into the river to grab a few more shots. The water was frozen and fractured in some spots.

Fractured On The Surface
Fractured On The Surface

In other spots it flowed quickly and was disturbed by a few large stones beneath the surface.

Breaking The Surface
Breaking The Surface

I was treated by a contrast of light and shadows on my walk back to the frozen waterfall.

An Afternoon At The Frozen Waterfall
An Afternoon At The Frozen Waterfall

I took advantage of the lack of visitors to lay on my back to grab this image.

Skyward From The Frozen Falls
Skyward From The Frozen Falls

As light was disappearing, I shot a 50 image panorama of the falls. I believe that it stitched well.

The Ice At Cucumber Falls
The Ice At Cucumber Falls

It was a wonderfully surprising visit with the added bonus of not falling through the ice.  I’m really over that, by the way.

On my way out, I stopped to capture the long shadows and blue sky around a little church and graveyard.

A Quiet Place To Rest Your Bones
A Quiet Place To Rest Your Bones

Although I am looking forward to spring growth and warmer temperatures, I’m really happy to have experienced this rare sight and even more happy to be able to share it!