Early Winter Ice Formations

We decided to stop at Cave Point County Park before we ended our long week-end in Door County and headed south back to Madison and the end of a long and busy holiday season. We have never been to Door County in the winter, and so I’d never had the opportunity to see the legendary ice formations on these limestone cliffs overhanging Lake Michigan. Pounded by the frigid northern waters, I can imagine these icy formations are only beginning to form. Imagine what another eight weeks or so of below freezing winter temperatures will do to these cliffs. I am already considering a return trip in March if the weather stays cold – a rather safe bet in this locale.

I won’t discuss (too much) how I didn’t really get the photograph I wanted, mostly because my Sherpa kept grabbing at my pack and pulling me away from the edge of the cliff. I want to make it clear for the record – at no time was I dangerously close to the edge and I always made sure I had good footing. Even I am not foolish enough to tempt fate on these high ledges. Nor did the icy waters below didn’t appear too inviting for an unplanned swim. But Sherpa has a decided fear of heights – a fear we do not share – and so he was quite vocal about his opposition to my photo plans.

We hadn’t planned on an extended stop, and with the winds already blustery and the temperatures dropping, I agreed this probably wasn’t the right time for a prolonged photo shoot. We weren’t really adequately dressed, plus we had a five hour drive home ahead of us, and we’d been taking photos non-stop for three days. Neither of us wanted to push our endurance before the drive home.

I look at the photographs I did get, and think how spectacular these icy cliffs might become given a couple more months of below freezing weather and the relentless pounding from Lake Michigan’s surf.

Yes, indeed! Another weekend trip to Door County in March is beginning to sound like a great plan.