February 22, 2018
Cold River
Every winter after an extended period of sub-zero weather brought by an influx of cold air down from the Arctic, ice builds up on the Flathead River in this location which is about 150 miles south and west of Glacier National Park, a few miles from where it flows into the Clark Fork of the Columbia River. It’s always worth a visit.
The ice cakes form over an area of several miles upstream where the river is smooth and slower moving. When it reaches this canyon, the river narrows and becomes quite deep and fast flowing and the ice cakes that have formed above collect and pile up on the river surface in the canyon. In many parts of Montana ice dams similar to this can cause problems with flooding, but this one causes no trouble.
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Montana Outdoors 
Great pictures of a yearly event. At least this particular one doesn’t cause massive floods.
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Comment by Malcolm R. Campbell — February 22, 2018 @ 3:11 pm
Yes, this one is just enjoyable to look at. With a stiff breeze blowing upriver, it was pretty cold though. Also got to see an otter on the ice, but couldn’t get a picture.
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Comment by montucky — February 22, 2018 @ 3:59 pm
Wow! I’ve heard of this but never seen it. That must be quite a force.
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Comment by Pat — February 22, 2018 @ 3:16 pm
A huge amount of force there. In past years I’ve seen it stand ice cakes up on edge four feet high. Don’t know if it will do that still this year.
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Comment by montucky — February 22, 2018 @ 4:00 pm
Cold, but beautiful.
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Comment by wordsfromanneli — February 22, 2018 @ 3:42 pm
Yes, both. Winter is much nicer when you get out in the weather.
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Comment by montucky — February 22, 2018 @ 4:01 pm
I was going to say that it looked like an ice jam waiting to happen. I’m glad it won’t cause any harm if it does.
You got some excellent shots of the ice!
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Comment by New Hampshire Garden Solutions — February 22, 2018 @ 4:46 pm
The water under the ice is swift and deep so it doesn’t build up a lot of pressure. There will be ice cakes floating down the Clark Fork for weeks as this thing breaks up. I go outside in the evenings and listen to the roar of the ice hitting the rocks in a rapids a half mile below my house.
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Comment by montucky — February 22, 2018 @ 4:58 pm
I’d love to hear something like that!
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Comment by New Hampshire Garden Solutions — February 22, 2018 @ 5:26 pm
I sure enjoy it. In summer when I can keep the windows open I hear it too, but the sound is much gentler than with the ice.
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Comment by montucky — February 22, 2018 @ 5:39 pm
I can just imagine the wind howling down that cold valley!
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Comment by de Wets Wild — February 22, 2018 @ 8:26 pm
And it does, too!
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Comment by montucky — February 22, 2018 @ 8:35 pm
Terry:
Wonderful photos. Were these take along Hwy 200 at the turn-out for the trout fishermen?
Chad
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Comment by Anonymous — February 22, 2018 @ 10:28 pm
Hi Chad! Yes, at the fishing access site just at the western border of the Reservation.
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Comment by montucky — February 22, 2018 @ 10:31 pm
I never think about the sounds of the river. Our land is so flat, and the rivers so slow (generally) that there isn’t much sound to them. Even in flood, they’re not sufficiently contained for that kind of rushing sound to develop — they spread out over miles of land instead. But now that I think about it, I can remember the sound of ice creaking — it must be something to hear as that beautiful ice breaks and heads downstream.
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Comment by shoreacres — February 23, 2018 @ 6:51 am
It is normally very quiet here and so the sounds of the river are noticeable and pleasant, usually the only sounds in the late evening besides the calls of the owls. It has remained cold here (3º this morning) and so the break-up of the ice may be gradual.
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Comment by montucky — February 23, 2018 @ 8:55 am
Wow so beautiful! I love it 🙂
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Comment by annicaaktiv — February 23, 2018 @ 1:04 pm
Thank you!
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Comment by montucky — February 23, 2018 @ 3:12 pm
fabulous! makes me want to take the drive there!
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Comment by Tammie — February 23, 2018 @ 4:49 pm
Can you tell me the closest town, I am having trouble spotting it on a map.
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Comment by Tammie — February 23, 2018 @ 4:53 pm
It is along Hwy 200 just southeast of Paradise a few miles (or, about 15 miles southeast of Plains).
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Comment by montucky — February 23, 2018 @ 5:00 pm
Thank you!
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Comment by Tammie — February 23, 2018 @ 5:27 pm
If you do drive down you might expect ice on Hwy 28.
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Comment by montucky — February 23, 2018 @ 5:52 pm
Those ice cakes are fascinating. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them in person, maybe on Lake Michigan when I was a kid but I don’t really remember.
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Comment by Candace — February 25, 2018 @ 8:49 pm
The ice will start to break up over the next few weeks if we don’t get another surge of Arctic air again. It’s nice to watch them float by on the river below my house and hit the rapids.
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Comment by montucky — February 25, 2018 @ 10:13 pm
What an amazing spectacle!
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Comment by Jo Woolf — February 26, 2018 @ 10:33 am
It’s worth a short drive to see this. This particular collection of ice does no harm, but in eastern Montana (about 300 miles away) similar ice dams build up and cause flooding in the low-lying areas and in some years they have to use artillery shots to break up the ice.
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Comment by montucky — February 26, 2018 @ 10:39 am
I scrolled up and down many times, when admiring Your beautiful photos.
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Comment by Sartenada — February 27, 2018 @ 1:26 am
It’s interesting to see that buildup of ice, isn’t it!
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Comment by montucky — February 27, 2018 @ 9:20 am