Twin City Photos

The Mississippi is in full spring melt form, roaring over the St. Anthony Falls. You see many items donated by nature floating in the river, those being primarily trees and tree sections. Small craft wisely stay out of the water, not only in this immediate area (obviously), but also further up and down stream, as it’s not the trees you can see you have to worry about, but the ones under the surface.

Unfortunately the viewing platform (on the left in the picture) is still closed for the season. Rightfully so, as we are now in the schizophrenic part of our season, with near 50 degrees and sunshine tomorrow, followed by a half of foot of snow after that.

The Red River flood threat in northern Minnesota has subsided. If interested in that story click here for link to local news.

The Mississippi is finally thawed up here. Just 3 months ago I took this very icy photo. Unfortunately for some the spring thaw brings problems, especially the folks up in Northwestern Minnesota were the Red River, which by the way flows north (one of the few to do so in the US), is predicted to reach record flood levels. Many will have their homes flooded.

The stronger sun is starting to do its work on the Mississippi ice, especially on ‘warm’ days. Parts of the river have water flowing over the ice, other parts underneath. Large ice shelves are intermingled with corn flake ice, my description of smaller ice pieces turned vertically and bunched together.

The ice can be quite dangerous this time of year. I stepped out onto the ice, just a couple of feet from shore. Not where this photo was taken, but in another area where the ice was still thick and solid from the shore some 30 feet out. It was very smooth, and had an ever so slight slope towards the broken up ice and flowing water. As soon as I stepped on the ice I started sliding away from the shore, until I froze all movement. But even the slightest attempt to walk caused my slide to resume. Mind you we’re only talking a few feet from the shore, but I could see how a panicky person could easily end up in the river. The trick was to move very slowly to maintain whatever little traction there was. And then there was my oldest who extended a hand from shore just in case.

Just a few weeks ago a women drowned in the Mississippi in this very area, apparently going after her dog which had probably walked out onto the ice. The dog was found pacing around a hole in the ice. The are many side streams that enter the river in this area, their water being relatively warm even midwinter, as it comes from the storm drainage system, and springs. These side streams cause open areas in the ice, not only where they enter the river, but also sometimes downstream where the warmer water seems to be forced back up after having flowed underneath the ice for a distance.