A winter visit to Lake Michigan would not be complete without a visit to some lighthouses. While the Michigan City East Pierhead lighthouse is rarely covered in dramatic ice, it's always beautiful nonetheless. A lot of the Michigan lighthouses are covered annually by thick layers of interesting ice created by high waves and wind, but the MC lighthouse is surrounded by boulders in the water that break up high waves and prevent powerful splashes. These splashes and sprays are what eventually cause the thick ice coatings on the lighthouses and the piers. Here, they only cover a bit of the catwalk uprights and the pier surface.
Just a few hours before this photo was taken, Trail Creek was full of pancake ice. Here, the winds blew the ice far out into Lake Michigan, leaving only a small amount trapped in the bend of the pier. This ice can be mesmerizing to watch as it rises and falls with the waves. The pier can be very hazardous when it's covered in ice. The surface is sloped to water washes off easily, so this incline can be very slippery in winter, and falling could result in a slide right into the water. Even though you can see how dangerous this could be, families with small children were walking on this ice to get closer to the lighthouse.
The view from the shore was dramatic as well in the early afternoon sun. The ice was brilliant white against the blue water and sky. What took only a week to create in the cold weather, is probably gone already after three days of warmer weather.
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