The Spectacular Ice of Lake Michigan ~ 2014

18 Feb The Spectacular Ice of Lake Michigan ~ 2014

GOT SNOW?  If you live anywhere near the Midwest you do, and by now you’ve probably had your fill.  I literally had to stop the truck last week on my way into work due to the extreme white out conditions.

I didn’t jerk the camera; the wind and snow is just blowing THAT hard!

As much as I’m sick of the cold, there is one place I have to visit every winter and that is Lake Michigan.

Welcome to Grand Haven, Michigan!

Winter has been brutal this year all across the U.S. which also holds true in our neck of the woods.  It started snowing before Thanksgiving and just wont let up.

My truck, buried under eight (8”) inches of new snow last night, didn’t even phased me when I walked out to leave the studio.  I was just thankful to discover it was the light fluffy snow this time which is much easier to shovel off the hood.  No, this isn’t my truck but I admire this one on my way to and from work every day.  Isn’t it cool!  If I had this in my yard, I would plant it with inpatients every spring.

I drove home in near white out conditions which has become the norm.  I must have been driving into the wind because the snow looked like it was coming right at me.  You know what I mean?  When it snows like that at night, it’s almost hypnotizing ~ not a good combination when you’re already pooped driving home at midnight.

As much as I hate the cold, I have to admit, the magic of winter is still absolutely breathtaking.  Some of the clearest memories I have as a child are the trips to Lake Michigan in the winter.

The Grand Haven Breakwater Lighthouse

I would have to be on a boat to shoot a picture in the summer because we’re all standing on the lake.  When I turned around and faced Wisconsin (where my cheese-head friend Ann abides :), this is what I saw!

The way the ice freezes on Lake Michigan is truly spectacular!  I’m facing Wisconsin in this picture ~ Hi Ann!

As the temperatures fall, waves freeze into the coolest iced waves.

It’s something you really need to experience in person to truly appreciate it.   I was absolutely in my glory as it brought back so many great memories of my childhood.

I am holding on for dear life here!

The back side of this was steep and solid ice.  I had quite the ride when I let go 😀

Finding a place to park was a little tricky with all the snowbanks!

As you look towards the lake, snow and ice have covered the sand and water.  In the picture below, it looks like water in the distance, but it’s actually the shadows of the snow and ice covering the lake.   The day we were out here, the lake had frozen six miles out.  Down the road a bit in Holland, Michigan ~ the ice went 16 miles off shore.  Isn’t that amazing?  I’ve never seen the Great Lakes freeze that far out!