Jan 23, 2024 - Climate

An icy stroll through Jefferson Chalmers' canals

Annalise Frank

An ice rink has been made in the center of the snow that covers the canal. On either side of the canal, houses and metal seawalls. — Someone made an ice rink on the frozen canals in Jefferson Chalmers next to Lakewood East Park. Photos: Annalise Frank/Axios

👋 Annalise here. I wasn't sure if our recent cold spell would be enough to freeze the Jefferson Chalmers canals to the point where people would feel safe skating and exploring them on foot.

I was excited to see over the weekend that they were, judging by the footprints, paw prints, ice skate and bicycle tracks denting the snow that covered the frozen waterways.

The canals, frozen over, allow someone who walks through a unique perspective. The houses along the canal are seen from the back, with ice covering the canal itself. — The "high water, slow down" sign on the house to the far right is slightly less useful in the winter.

What happened: My dog, Phoebe, enjoyed zooming around the ice and, oddly, rubbing her cheeks against it.

Meanwhile, we took in the seawalls and canal-front properties from a different perspective than my usual wandering.
A couple of deep cracking sounds along the canal routes closer to Alter Road sent us scurrying back to the comfort of dry land.

Threat level: With the weather warming up, I'm not sure the ice is safe anymore.

Docks are frozen into the ice. — Another view shows a bridge, docks frozen into the ice and, in the distance, the canal-side restaurant Coriander Kitchen.

A house along the canal, with my dog Phoebe in front of it. — Phoebe wanted to enter this canal-side home but, of course, I told her that's not polite.

Houses and garages along the canal. Deep tracks in the snow. — A final canal view.

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An icy stroll through Jefferson Chalmers' canals

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