News Flash: Ice-out at Thoreau's Walden Pond
April 2, 2003
"It has happened. . .the ice at Walden is OUT!" announced Michelle Dumas of Walden State Park Reserve. The official date for Ice-out was April 2 at 7:30 am. Just 12 days ago, March 22, the pond had a complete covering of 4 inches of slush on top of 6 to 8 inches of ice and there were several ice fisherman on the pond!
CONGRATULATIONS to RHAM Middle School, Period E in Hebron, CT! They came the closest with their Walden guess: March 28.
Ice-Out Records for Walden Pond
Collected in the 19th Century by Henrry David Thoreau
- 1845 April 1
- 1846 March 25
- 1847 April 8
- 1851 March 28
- 1853 March 23
- 1854 April 7
.....and in the 20th and 21st Centuries by Journey North students
- 1995 March 18
- 1996 March 23
- 1997 February 22
- 1998 February 26
- 1999 March 1
- 2000 March 9
- 2001 April 12
- 2002 February 23
- 2003 April 2
Five More to Go!
Next in line to thaw should be Lake Minnetonka. This still-frozen lake is located right outside the window of the Journey North headquarters in Minnesota. Read the facts to make your prediction for Lake Minnetonka and all the other official ice-out observation posts here:
Remember to check the Winners Page for official contest results, which will be posted here as they happen!
We said the contest deadline was February 14, but with Walden's ice-out, there are five official observation posts to go. There's still time to send us your answers to this question:
Challenge Question #1:
"What's your prediction for ice-out dates in each of Journey North's six (now five!) official observation posts?"
How to Respond to Today's Challenge Question:
Please answer ONLY ONE question in each e-mail message!
1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge-spring@learner.org
2. IMPORTANT: In the Subject Line of your message write: Challenge Question #1.
3. In the body of the message, give your answer to today's question.
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