@outsidemagazine Luc Mehl waited all winter for the opportunity to play with—and learn more about—candle ice. Luc is an ice rescue instructor based in Anchorage, Alaska. Columnar ice forms when the initial ice growth is fast and there are many nucleation points, which results in smaller crystals on the surface of the water. Once the crystals can’t grow larger at the surface, they grow down into the water, forming columns. Candle ice forms when the boundaries between columnar ice melt. The ice rapidly weakens and can’t support weight—very dangerous conditions for travelers. During the winter, Luc visited this lake twelve times to create a mental map of the different ice zones. The payoff was a fun (and cold!) bike-to-swim date with his wife Sarah Mehl Histand. 📽️ : lucmehl via IG #getoutside #ice #frozen ♬ original sound - Outside Magazine
