Ice Bikes of Buffalo

Last year I heard there was something called Ice Bikes in Buffalo. Of course I wanted to check it out but every free weekend didn't work out weather-wise. We were having such a mild winter, I thought maybe the ice was slushy.

This past weekend we HAD to go to Buffalo to pick the Smart Car up from the garage so we decided we might as well check out the ice bikes.

Turns out the bikes are at Canalside, where there is actually an ice rink. I thought it was just a frozen canal but it's a maintained rink so there is more control over the ice. The weather was mild when we visited but the ice was fine. There were lots of people there skating and hanging out.

Buffalo did a really nice job with Canalside. You can rent skates, ice bikes, try curling or even get a snack in one of the tents or a food truck. They have nice heated tents with lockers and seating for changing into your skates.

Back to the ice bikes. They are a very cool invention of a bike mounted on a frame with skate blades.

I really wasn't sure how well they would work but they really cruise along! The bikes are very responsive and easy to maneuver.

The bikes can be rented by the half hour which is plenty of time to get your fill of biking around the rink.

I'm so glad we got a chance to try out the ice bikes this winter. I think they would be great somewhere like the Rideau Canal in Ottawa where you could bike for miles. And I would love something like Canalside here in Rochester! Winter activities help you get through the long season of snow and ice.

 

Winter decorations

We got this star on clearance at Target after Christmas, so it became the January mantelscape. Aaron thought it looked a little lonely there by itself, so I picked out red lanterns from his collection and added them.

The winter kitchen decor is a little toned down with a lumberjack theme. I am ramping up for Valentine's Day decorations!

Mini winter getaway - Lamberton Conservatory

Aaron's mom is in town for the weekend and we took her to visit the Lamberton Conservatory.

It's a great place to visit in the winter because it is warm and tropical inside. While everything is white and ice outside, it's still green and flowering inside.

There are also little critters scurrying around.

There are lots of these button quail. They have become quite tame and you have to watch where you step.

So cute, poufy and round.

I can't get over the cacti collection. They must be a hundred years old to be so large.

Only one of these Aarons can grow a beard.

At first this memorial bench gave me the heebie jeebies but later found out that he is still alive and kicking in Rochester. Ha hah. Well played Leo.

Winter really begins

The first real snow of the season!

Walking in a warm winter wonderland

Maybe it's an apology for the bitter cold winter we had last year but this December has been unseasonably warm. Today is was 69 degrees... breaking records for the area.

I felt really bad taking my window boxes out to make room for Christmas decorations because the flowers were still blooming!

It's so warm, the pugs have traded in their Christmas sweaters for Christmas t-shirts.

First snow

Our first snowfall of the season and the pugs are completely baffled. It's like it's new all over again every year. Although it is weird we have leaves falling on top of the snow.

Ice Volcano

The temperature actually rose out of the single digits and I am finally feeling better from my cold so we took a little road trip. We went to the Glen Iris Inn at Letchworth Park to see the Ice Volcano.

The Ice Volcano was formed during the freezing temperatures from a man-made fountain inthe middle of a pond in front of the Inn. Park founder William Prior Letchworth built the fountain in 1860 and it shoots water 30 to 40 feet in the air.

The Ice Volcano grew to be 53 feet high and 84 feet in circumfirence as the last offical measurement recorded. It's a record size for the fountain.

The Ice Volcano got national attentiona as it was picked up by USA Today, the Today Show and Mashable.

While we were there we went to check out the Middle Falls. It was almost totally iced over.

Aaron leans in to get a better shot.

We hiked up a bit to look at Upper Falls.

It just felt good to get outside for awhile.

Frosty February

February turned out to be the coldest month ever for Rochester, NY. (Chart from Democrat & Chronicle)

In Rochester, the temperature went above freezing for only SIX HOURS the entire month of February!

Thank goodness it was only 28 days long.

Dragging on

Boots on. Coat. Hat. Gloves. Take off boots. Coat. Hat. Gloves. Step and repeat.

Winter.

Cabin fever cure - snowshoeing

When we heard that it was supposed to get above 20 degrees today we got out our snowshoes.

It's been so bitterly cold we haven't been outside more than 10 minutes at a time.

I was definitely starting to get cabin fever, so I jumped at the chance to get outside for a bit.

We packed a bag with hot tea, seats and my camera and headed for Corbett's Glenn.

It's nice to take a break and have a thermos of hot tea along the way.

So happy to get out of the house!!!

Frozen... Lake Ontario

Today after work I grabbed my camera and drove up to the lake with Aaron to see how much of it had frozen. I have always wanted to see the lakeshore in winter. I forget so often that we live on the edge of a Great Lake.

I had heard that Lake Ontario was 75% frozen over. but it did not appear 75% frozen to me.

The only thing that struck me, was that the beach was twice it's normal width. It looked like Hoth in Return of the Jedi.

So I looked into it online. Turns out the lake WAS only about 40% frozen, way behind the other Great Lakes early in the month. All together the Great Lakes were 88% frozen over.

With the recent Arctic blast, Lake Ontario became 79% frozen in a very short period of time. "More than 4,700 square miles of ice formed over the Great Lakes in just one night on Tuesday."

Looking at this satelite map, I can see the ice more toward the center of the lake than the shore (far right). So that explains why it doesn't look 75% frozen from Charlotte Beach.

One thing is for sure... it is bitter cold and it's been that way all month.

Everything seems to be covered in a sugar candy coating of ice with heaps of snow everywhere else. Up by the lake, the snow and ice glows blue and orange as the sun sets.

I am glad we made our way up there to see the sight.

Even if I couldn't feel my legs by the time we left!

Snow pugs

Forget "knee high by Fourth of July". "Pug high when the snow flies" is the new measurement of winter intensity.

The pugs have alternative ways of dealing with snow as deep as they are tall. Hugo springs through it like a baby goat through meadow grass. Oscar however just plows right through it.

The snow is still deep here in the #roc. So deep that the city had to get special heavy equipment - 'The Pug Plow'.

A video posted by Aaron (@aaron_istic) on Feb 6, 2015 at 7:45am PST

This is what the face of determination looks like. This morning we got up to more snow in the #roc so we had to get the pugplow out.

A video posted by Aaron (@aaron_istic) on Feb 9, 2015 at 8:14am PST