Heavy surf creates ice on the support structure for the catwalk leading to the St. Joseph, Michigan inner light. Waves frequently washed over the pier on this day, making it dangerous to walk out to the lighthouse, and deadly to walk past the inner light to the outer light. The waves could easily wash a person over the side and into the 33 degree water.
The constant splashing of Lake Michigan covered the railings of the St. Joseph, Michigan pier with a coating of ice. Two feet thick in some places, but here, just a small amount formed. The sunlight sparkles in the water below.
Waves batter the pier as cold temperatures cause the spray to freeze on the 35 foot tall outer range light and the catwalk. I had hopes of walking out to the tower, but they soon faded as I saw the waves crashing over the pier.
Mid February cold weather and wind are finally in the process of creating a thick layer of ice on the outer range light. The waves were much too high to risk walking out on the pier, so we had to walk part way out on the opposite pier.
High winds and waves batter the 108 year old South Haven, Michigan lighthouse. It's been a warm winter so far, and any ice that builds up from splashes like these soon melts.
Most years, ice builds up from windy days in December, and remains until February or March.
A windy afternoon created some big waves on Lake Michigan, and some huge splashes on the St. Joseph, Michigan lighthouse. The outer light tower is 35 feet tall, and this splash is at least twice that height.
While the temperature was in the mid 30s, the wind made the hike to the beach difficult, and standing out on the exposed dune was almost impossible- freezing bare skin in minutes. Next time, I'll bring gloves.
A fresh blanket of snow covers the Marram Grass growing on the slopes of the sand dunes of West Beach.
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
At the confluence of the historic Illinois and Michigan Canal and the Illinois River, in LaSalle, Illinois, a rusted out barge sits in the middle of the steamboat basin, blocking the waterway. Apparently, this is no longer navigable, and it was easier to simply let the barge sit and rust where it was last used. There's another barge a few yards away that is almost unrecognizable, and barely visible in the water.
A rather insignificant end to the canal that ran over 90 miles from Chicago to LaSalle.
Tired of getting hit by snowballs, Dan gets revenge on his older brother with the biggest snowball of the day. He managed to sneak up on him and get a bulls eye.
Boys climb back up to the top of a sand dune to get ready to sled down the snowy face of the dune. Sledding is not allowed at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, I guess they didn't see any Park Rangers around.
At least these kids weren't sledding toward Lake Michigan.
A hiker uses a make-shift bridge to cross the creek running through Illinois Canyon at Starved Rock State Park. One of the last unseasonably warm days in January, just a few days later several inches of snow would cover this area.
To get to the end of this box canyon (canyon that ends in a dead end) you'll need to cross this creek four times as it meanders back and forth.
The Old Burlington Northern Railroad lift bridge over the Illinois River in Ottawa, Illinois on a sunny, unseasonably warm January day. The approach to the steel span is supported by wooden pilings.
Thorns of a locust tree - beware. A defense left over from the days of the Wooly Mammoth. They're several inches in length and can cover much of the trunk and lower limbs. They will even grow from the roots, preventing animals from getting too close.
A few hundred yards from Lake Michigan, many different environments can be seen from the top of this dune. Beach, grass, conifer forest, interdunal ponds, wetlands, all within a short distance. This is one of the few places this progression can be seen so close and so clearly.
West Beach, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
