Beware of Thin Ice (Make That ALL Ice) - Wow Photo Wednesday

In the depths of winter, Colorado's lakes can prove to be an irresistible lure for would-be ice skaters, ice fishermen, and ice cutters, as depicted in this photo captured by W. S. Edwards in 1911. Unfortunately, not every body of water in Colorado  offers as forgiving a layer of ice as this one in Paonia. 

Thanks to Colorado's fluctuating temperatures, especially on the plains, most ice-covered surfaces are barely thick enough to support a child or small animal, let alone a horse and several men. 

Of course plenty of Coloradans enjoy ice sports such as ice fishing and ice skating, but the window of opportunity for these activities is pretty narrow in most places. 

So we urge our readers to exercise extreme caution when approaching ice covered water, even on the coldest days. The Mile-High City is a great place for all kinds of winter sports, but outdoor ice skating on a natural surface is definitely not one of them.

Do you love browsing through pictures of Colorado as it was in times past? If you do, check out our Digital Collections and follow us on Facebook.