Each winter, I look forward to ice along the shore of Lake Michigan, especially the mounds of shelf ice that form during cold, windy periods. For over a week, the area experienced temperatures as low as minus 10 Fahrenheit, and snow as deep as 36 inches.
While the snow has all but melted because of recent temperatures in the 40's, the shelf ice remains. Today, high winds created waves that pounded the outer edge of the shelf ice mounds, possibly creating more shelf ice, or breaking it down - it's difficult to tell with the warm weather. Every few moments, a hollow thud could be heard, and a spray of water would shoot up in the distance onto the ice mounds. This constant pounding is what creates the ice mounds when it's cold enough, and the same action erodes it when warm enough. Only time will tell which is happening this week.
Keeping off the ice, and staying a safe distance from it is the only way to enjoy winter along the shore of the Great Lakes. The shelf ice can be deadly, and even though it's 12 or 15 feet thick, there can be holes and cracks that lead right to the freezing cold water below. The wave action can break off chunks of ice 40 feet wide or more, and roll them right into the lake. Standing on this ice not only illegal, it's really hazardous.
If you decide to visit the lakeshore in winter, remember to view the ice from a distance. One way to easily tell if you're safe -even if the sand is covered with snow - is to look for the slope in the ground. The beach slopes down toward the lake, and the lake begins where the ice slopes up away from shore. Going no further than this valley will ensure your safety, besides, the best views are from the lookouts on the dunes anyway. But walking along the beach is beautiful as well, you no longer can see the water, just ice, but being sandwiched between tall dunes and ice mounds is pretty special.
No comments:
Post a Comment