Gypsy Gulch in Winter
The Living Dune: Mt. Baldy
Marshmallow Snow
Ice Volcanoes Of Lake Michigan
If it's windy when the weather turns cold, the shelf ice mounds up along the shore - often forming these conical formations. If it's relatively calm when the ice forms, the shelf ice is rather flat. If we look at the photos from this year, the beginning of the freeze up was relatively calm because the ice near the shore is flat; then some windy days occurred creating some 15 foot tall mounds a bit further away from shore.
The Growing Ice on Lake Michigan
Deep in French Canyon
KasKaskia's Frozen Waterfall
The Ice Curtain
The Frozen Waterfall of Ottawa Canyon
Located in a blind canyon, the waterfall of Ottawa Canyon dramatically reveals itself as you walk down the canyon. This year was probably the most crowded I've ever experienced the canyons in winter. It was certainly a nice day for winter - temperatures in the 20's and sun - and it was a weekend. I generally visit these canyons on weekdays to avoid so many people, but it's really nice to see families visiting natural sites instead of looking at them on the internet.
The Cold beach
The Dune Point
I suspect in a few more days the ice will form almost as far as the eye can see; it's so interesting to visit in the winter to see these changes. The lake looks more like the Arctic Ocean when it freezes up.
Contemplating
On the Tallest Dune
Central Beach in Early Winter
Ice Formations Along the Shore
Haunting Ice
Ice Around the Pier
The "Hoodoos" of St. Joseph Michigan
The Ice is Beginning to Form
The new year brought some frigid weather to the southern Lake Michigan area, enough to begin the creation of some thick ice on the pier and catwalk of the St. Joseph, Michigan lighthouse. Typically, the ice begins to form much earlier in the season - sometimes in late November - but this winter, conditions weren't right until now.
Conditions include very cold temperatures, winds high enough to churn up waves that crash into the pier and lighthouse, and a liquid lake (not frozen yet) so waves can build up. A layer of ice on the lake prevents the water from splashing up, so later in the winter when the lake usually freezes over, ice rarely builds on the lighthouses.
While the ice hasn't yet covered the lighthouse, it is beginning to freeze the surfaces of the pier, railings, and catwalk. The ice on the railings is already about two feet thick may continue to build depending on how conditions are in the future.
Many years ago, winters along the Lake Michigan shoreline were generally lonely, very few people ventured to view the lighthouses or ice along the shore. In recent years, however, crowds of people brave the cold weather to experience the ice formations. As long as the everyone keeps off the ice, it's a great thing to see.