Hair Ice

To stumble upon such delicate beauty in the midst of our winter hike we felt almost like stepping into a fairy tale.

Imagine the crisp February air biting gently at your cheeks, the muted colors of the winter landscape all around. Then, your eyes catch it – a patch of what looks like spun sugar or delicate silk threads, clinging to a fallen branch. It’s hair ice, each strand a fragile filament, shimmering subtly in the diffused light.

What makes it so enchanting is its ephemeral nature. It’s not quite ice as we typically know it – solid and robust. Instead, it’s this fleeting, almost organic formation, a testament to a precise and delicate dance between moisture, temperature, and the fascinating role of fungi within the decaying wood. The way the thin strands seem to grow, almost like a ghostly bloom, is simply mesmerizing. It’s a reminder that even in the starkness of winter, nature holds these hidden pockets of exquisite artistry, waiting to be discovered by those who venture out…