Frozen Ponds of Otter Creek Valley
After record breaking cold of minus 1 degree, the ponds in Otter Creek Valley have all frozen over. Above is Otter Pond. A light snow fell overnight, dusting the ice with corn snow.
Hunter and Buddy are not phased by the bitter cold. Otter Pond is in the background.
High Lodges Pond further up the valley has ice almost a inch thick. The light snow was even more pronounced here.
The shadow around my glove gives a hint of what lies under the ice…
Because there are no natural lakes or ponds in the North Carolina Mountains, all of these bodies of water are manmade.
This frozen stream feeding High Lodges Pond creates a small pool where it enters a culvert leading under the area’s only paved road.