Click To Enlarge The rough ice near Berens Island created some beautiful, but challenging travel on Tuesday

Tuesday was a rare calm day on Lake Winnipeg, and as the temperature rose we found ourselves discarding our hats and gloves. As we rounded the north end of Berens Island we encountered some of the roughest ice of the journey. Over a hundred miles of frozen lake ice stretched to the north. As this ice expands and contracts with changing temperatures, huge piles of ice are formed, covering the lake's surface. They reminded us of waves, trapped in motion by sub-zero temperatures.

Picking our way through the maze slowed our progress, and we were all exhausted by the time we finished traversing the worst of the maze. In some ways I look forward to more ice mazes and the challenge they provide. Yet, at the same time the easy travel found on smooth ice has its appeal.

Click To Enlarge Some of the pressure ridges were 8 feet tall.

The rough ice slowed travel so much that we weren't able to reach the small village of Berens River. We camped on a small island near shore. A massive block of Pre-Cambrian granite jutted out from the lake's surface, and became habitat for a few hearty willow trees. Today we skied the final 5 miles into Berens River. We will rest our tired bodies here until Saturday. A stiff, unusual southeast headwind and blowing snow made for hard travel today. For the first time on the Bimaadagaako Adventure, we had to break out our ski goggles to protect us from the elements. Through the clouds we could spot a group of ravens circling overhead, completely oblivious to stormy weather.