Sure, When Hood Canal Freezes Over

Looking across the ice towards the Great Bend

Okay, so no one says that but they might as well... I mean, whoever heard of a body of salt water this far from the poles freezing? That’s what was going through my head as I drove our 20’ aluminum boat into the icy sheet last winter.

It started out as a normal, albeit cold, field day for the Oceanic Remote Chemical Analyzer (ORCA) team.  We launched the M/V Mackinaw at Twanoh State Park and drove out to our research buoy in Lynch Cove to replace the CTD package and repair the winch control box.  We thought we were prepared for a cold day on the water, armed with extra layers, beanies, scarves and multiple pairs of wool socks, but then the snow started.  I always seem to forget how difficult it is to do precise, mechanical work on cold metal instruments with cold metal tools, while constantly being splashed by cold, cold water.  The work was taking much longer than anticipated with all of this cold on cold.  When we eventually finished the required maintenance I pointed the boat toward the ORCA Hoodsport buoy where we were scheduled to work on the router.  As we turned around Sisters Point I noticed a definite line on the water surface ahead of me.  “Weird, that looks just like…”  CRUNCH!!!  

Standing on the bow of the M/V Mackinaw as we try to push our way through the ice

Before I could even finish my thought we were startled with a sudden crash as the Mackinaw tried pushing through a sheet of ice.  I slowed down and carefully backed us out through the path we had just cut, and then motored along the margin to see if there was any way through.  No luck.  A flock of seagulls stood on the ice and watched us while we made a call and sent photos to our incredulous supervisor at the University of Washington.  There was no way we’d be able to continue.  We couldn’t see the end of the ice sheet and even if we made it through we’d lose too much daylight to get any work done.  After a few more minutes playing with the chunks of ice that had broken free of the sheet, we headed back to Twanoh to get our boat out of the cold water.

Snapping some photos while we wait for confirmation to call it a day

Encountering ice in Hood Canal surprised our group but apparently it’s not that strange.  Fresh water that flows from the Skokomish River into Hood Canal tends to float on top of the denser salt water, creating a thin fresh layer.  When temperatures drop this layer can freeze, just like any body of fresh water.  If temperatures stay low for long enough, the ice sheet can reach from shore to shore like we witnessed... I’ve even heard stories of people driving wagons across the canal in previous centuries!

Holding up a piece of our Hood Canal ice sheet