Walking to school has helped us learn about all kinds of different sorts of ice. There is the brittle, early fall ice. Snow that is really ice ice. The slightly spongy stuff that is almost not ice and rather enjoyable to walk through, sort of like walking on bubble wrap. There is the sheet of ice that feels like it is hovering over the earth. There is the smooth ice ice that has no grip whatsoever. There is ice with grooves. There is the satisfying ice that shatters as you walk, but only once. What type of underfoot ice do you like best? * Here is a sample of spongy ice.