Contest: Predict the Death Date of the Big Brown Mountain
About a month ago, my fellow blogTO writer and photographer Joseph documented the strange winter phenomenon that is urban snow mountain making.
I suppose a lot happens in over four weeks time, because the massive snow mountain near Kipling station has melted down a bit but more surprisingly yet is that it's undergone a major colour change from white to dark brown. And this isn't an April Fool's joke.
That's right - the brown heap depicted above, that looks like a giant mound of soil is actually nasty, dirty snow that's been collected from locations in and around the west end of Toronto.
As you can see here, the thing is still huge. I put it at about 50 feet tall at its highest point, and have estimated it's area on this Google map.
To see the thing in its full glory, check out these two panoramic stitches:
- panoramic 1
- panoramic 2
Just for fun, let's see who can predict the date (without going over) when the complete melt of this big brown mountain occurs. I'm going to throw out a (totally uneducated) guess of May 8th.
Make a comment below, stating the date at which you think the mountain will see its final day.
I'll head over there once a week to check up on things, and as it gets smaller and the weather warmer I may visit it more frequently so as to not miss the final moment of the snow mountain's existence. I'll let you all know when it happens, and announce the winner.
Winner gets bragging rights and the glowing admiration of your fellow blogTO readers.
April 13th - UPDATE:
It's still there, and still huge.
April 24th - UPDATE:
It's still there, and still huge. It barely looks any smaller than it was in the photos above, taken on April 1st!
Comments (43)
What has caused the snow mountain to change colour? Is it the dirty air that we have to breathe or is it partly due to the exhausts of all those transit vehicles?
I'd like to know the answer.
My guess is that as the snow melts, it leaves behind the solids (most of which are likely sand and dirt used for snow removal/control by the city). Exhaust and oils from vehicles is probably also a factor.
There are also a couple of bins nearby that presumably are used to pull off more substantial solids as they reveal themselves (shopping carts, car parts, and the like).
Will the layer of dirt speed or slow the melt?
I'm gonna pick a way later date... I say it'll be completely gone by... June 15th.
I imagine the brown residue will speed up the melting process? Since the darker colour will absorb more light/heat?
Snow melts, dirt caught up in the snow stays behind... snow ends up brown or black. If you dig into it you'll find it's white (or mostly white, anyway) under the surface.
A mountain that big will take a long time to melt. Mid-June is a good guess. Back in the day, ice blocks covered with sawdust for insulation were the cooling system of choice...
I want to see some thermodynamics guru put an equation to this and win the contest.
And maybe we should run a separate contest to see who comes closest to predicting how much change (coins) is in the heap ;)
I'm somehow getting the feeling this is an April Fools Joke. However I'll still throw in my two cents :): I say April 29th
I swear, this isn't a joke. The brown snow mountain is real, and the photos are real! If you want to see it with your own eyes, find the location on the Google map included in the post.
I predict June 5th. The day I was born, and the day that mountain will die....and I'll have a kegger to honour both!
@James
LOL. I was wondering how long that would take for that to be referenced.
@ GMD
June 28th?! No way!
There are several of these giant snow/dirt mounds all over the city including the one in the Don Valley near the Bloor/Danforth exit from the DVP. McNasty.
May 2nd.
I can't see it lasting through the month of May.
All the rain we'll probably get will kill it faster.
We used to get a mountain about that size every year on Lebreton Flats in Ottawa.. It was usually gone about mid June. It rains more here though, so let's say June 1.
Incidentally, Ottawa's Lebreton snow mountain this year is out of this world. I won't be surprised if it's still going in July. I seriously could not believe how much snow was on the ground when I went home for easter.
I'm gonna say April 23rd. I can't see it making it to May. Today's heat wave killed off most of the snow in our yard.
I have been watching this mass as well. I am concerned about the toxicity of the melt. Yikes. wiper fluid, salt, ground squirrel, oil etc. I wonder what they do with the leftovers?
June 12.
When I was taking photos of the pile in Feb the workers said they had spotted one of those massive concrete curbs in the pile. Who knows what else is in there. They were thinking about putting bets on when it would finally melt as well, I'm thinking May 18th. I feel bad for all the apartments that live right near there looking out onto that thing!
When I was a kid we used to regularly check out a giant heap of snow like this each Spring. The snow came from the mall parking lots, and as it melted, we found all sorts of things that the shoppers had lost - including money and jewelery.
Fools! Try late June/early July.
Back in 1999 (yes after those massive January snowstorms) the snow mountain down on Unwin Ave. near Cherry beach survived into August. Yep, all that dirt acts like a Thermos to keep the cold stuff cold.
I feel like picking July 1 - showing some Canada love.
But I don't think the dirt will insulate... it's a dark colour, so it'll trap the heat from the sun and warm up the snow/dirt clump of... ummm... goodness or doom? I can't decide yet.
Ok, so any late April or early May guesses appear to be WAY off. Was there today and it's still HUGE.
I'm gonna guess August 5th (even though I sort of assume its going to be there till next summer)
but man that things HUGE!
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