Update On The Great Big Frozen Mudpit

[bart1997]

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[Fred588]

Slithered out to the same place today after work. We had record-high temperatures today so although there wasn't much sunlight time left, I just had to try to get in there.

I got in all righty. And mud is bared...and no waders obviously, since it was almost a hundred degrees...but...

BRRRRR!

Wonder what's up with this? Perhaps those sudden dropoff sinkholes are spring-fed? I got in about waist-deep but my bare skin went numb. Didn't get deeper because, to be honest, I couldn't take the cold...that felt like it was barely above freezing!

The mud that was not by the sinkholes was warm enough...it just wasn't deep there.

I don't think I could ever ask a model to try that although if I had a wetsuit on, perhaps I could film a scene of me.

Very weird stuff it was, too. Kind of a clayish/sandy/peaty mess with stuff floating on top.

It didn't stink or anything, though.

Hmmm.

Nessie

Being spring fed could be part of it but the very fact of their being a sharp increase in depth would act to limit circulation, which would be a significant means for transfer of heat. The main source of heat in any non-volcanic, natural mudpit is sunlight, but that acts only at the surface. The heat has to then penetrate downward by other means. And mud that does not circulate or get agitated is a pretty good insulator.

[PM2K]

I can attest to that. My pit isn't really sinkable until the end of June at the earliest because of the time it takes to warm up... even then it remains cool at the bottom.

There have been times I've hit a thin layer of ice within the mud a couple feet below the surface... in June! But that is thankfully a rarity.

[Nessie]

IThere have been times I've hit a thin layer of ice within the mud a couple feet below the surface... in June! But that is thankfully a rarity.

Whoahh!

Ice in June. No, I can't beat that story.

Although this felt close.

Nessie

[Nessie]

Did you check that particular hole in early spring, when the snow did start melting? I guess that area was the first to be free from snow and ice.

No, I did not venture out into the marsh until things were thawed. I snowshoed around the area a few times to see if it looked likely, and took that GREAT BIG FROZEN MUDPIT picture, but we had such a severely cold winter that I'm pretty sure that walking on it would have been pretty solid.

Then spring came. The whole area flooded. For awhile, you'd have needed scuba gear to get at that spot.

A few months ago i did write in one of your topics that i did find some of my exposed mud and peat-areas in sinkable condition already when the rest of the bog was still covered in thick snow.

I remember that. You're the other Cold Weather Mudder around here. There aren't many of us but it does have its advantages. I really like the fact that there are no bugs.

Nessie

[Nessie]

Being spring fed could be part of it but the very fact of their being a sharp increase in depth would act to limit circulation, which would be a significant means for transfer of heat. The main source of heat in any non-volcanic, natural mudpit is sunlight, but that acts only at the surface. The heat has to then penetrate downward by other means. And mud that does not circulate or get agitated is a pretty good insulator.

That could be. It's, like, I'm walking in a foot or two of mud, and then it suddenly just drops. It's a narrow hole and the sides feel slippery and clayish.

The surrounding dirt is red. So I've got some hopes for this. It'd be awesome if I had a red clayish mudpit out there and it warmed up nice sometime.

I hope to film out there although unless it warms up, it's not suitable for a model, so it'd just be with me. Long-legged wetsuit, or yes, the waders.

Nessie