Every once in awhile, specific weather conditions cause a lake ice to freeze completely flat and transparent.You’d be a fool not to take advantage of these ideal conditions and strap on some skates, or better yet, like the plucky fellow in this video, take your dog for a run.
The pristine setting is Lake Blanktjärn in northwestern Sweden’s Jämtland region. Aside from smooth skating conditions, the ice also affords a spectacular view of the lake bottom, complete with fish swimming around, oblivious to the activity above.
Why do lakes sometimes freeze this way? It has a lot to do with the speed of the ice formation – the longer it takes to form, the more impurities and air bubbles escape the water. These impurities are what cause the normal translucent look of ice, as they block light from passing through. Of course, any kind of snowfall will also ruin the effect by covering the ice with opaque snow.
For more breathtaking transparent ice adventures, check out this amazing video taken high up in the mountains of Slovakia. Let’s try not to be jealous of our continental neighbours and cross our fingers for some clear ice of our own this season!
![plate_tee_campfire[1]](https://cottagelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/plate_tee_campfire11.png)
