Tourist Encounters Bizarre ‘Candlestick Ice’ While Canoeing in Banff National Park
During wintertime, the town of Banff in Alberta, Canada is a prime skiing location, with multiple resorts in the town's area. However, when the weather heats up, the beautiful glacial lakes and climbable peaks of Banff National Park are open for exploration.
At this time of year, when the weather in Banff is transitioning from cold and icy to warm springtime, some unusual phenomena can be seen inside the park. While canoeing in Banff National Park, explorer Madison Elrick aka @mddyelrck came across tons of the unusual "candlestick ice."
Now that's seriously trippy. Though something looks a little "off" about the glacial waters of Moraine Lake, you can't exactly tell what's going on. But then, as she dips her oar into the water, out comes these countless shards of crystalline ice, like millions of icicles piled together. It looks as if she's rowing through a giant gas station slushie!
So what exactly is "candlestick ice," and how is it forming like this in Lake Moraine? Well, funnily enough, this kind of ice is a perfect indicator of the season's change. Ice doesn't form like that on its own. Candlestick ice happens when the sun starts to melt down thick layers of ice, usually that which covers bodies of water such as lakes. The ice melts unevenly in a sort of honeycomb pattern, causing the remaining ice to form into these column shapes. Due to it being a decaying form of ice, it's also known as "rotten ice"- but personally, I think "candlestick ice" sounds much better.
The candlestick ice floating in Banff National Park's Moraine Lake exists as a last gasp of the cold winter weather as it leaves the area at last. But that just means it's giving way to perfect summer weather for hiking, climbing, and yes... ice-free canoeing!
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