Facebook Post on March 1, 2011, 7:33 am, “Ice Dreams”

Ice Dreams (Photo by Mark Lindsay)

Quickly I went through my checklist, threw my gear on and tried to slow my heart rate down!  Anyway, again I got to walk on pure ice!  As pure as the 50mph winds and cold temps from the night before. Folks, again I was surrounded by a glorious grandness. I knelt, I felt and I turned over to lay flat on the ice. I wanted to be one with it.

I heard the crashing of the waves on the shores, so I moved towards, and climbed down the ice wall to the polished stone beach. The ice was gigantic from this perspective. I climbed behind an ice structure to block the waves from my upper body. I hunkered down and tucked my legs in and wrapped my arms around myself, like I was bear-hugging me body. But what I was doing was immersing myself in a moment. Not knowing how long I needed, I closed my eyes and listened to the waves stirring the slush-ice and finally crashing along the shores. It was wooshingly soothing!

“I was not alone.”  That is what I was thinking. You know the feeling. Time must have moved, but it felt so still, so calm. I opened my eyes, I was still here. The ice was so softly white, it was highlighted with a magical light, coming from a setting sun, and as I started to stand, I noticed a couple standing and staring out into Lake Michigan. I was not alone. Rarely am I though!Again I was on the receiving end of a true blessing. Oh What a Life!

Facebook Post on March 1, 2011, 7:42 am, “Ice Breakers”

Ice Breakers (Photo by Mark Lindsay)

The wind blows across the water. The blown water makes a wave. The waves rush to the beach only to be turned away, but in doing so they make the most soothing sounds. They repeat, one after another, almost as if they are never going to stop. On this day, the waves were gentle. They spoke, I listened. The water was moved by the wind, and I was moved by the waves. I was here today to capture beauty and the beauty captured me! It wrapped itself around me and led me to a incredibly peaceful, happy place. All this caused by a little wind! What a Life!

Facebook Post on March 2, 2011, 2:04 pm, “Beautiful Ice on Lake Michigan”

Beautiful Ice on Lake Michigan (Photo by Mark Lindsay)

Mark Lindsay: “This was the tail end of a day trip spent along the shores of Lake Michigan with my youngest son, Jack. We started with a Polar Dip in Empire and traveled south and hit all the simple entry points along M-22. We went to Frankfort for a quick coffee break and there was a snow-cross right down Main Street. Many photo opportunities today and lots of running up and down icy beaches for Jack!! Grand Day!”

Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitors Bureau: “Is this photo for real? Wow! Spectacular is not a strong enough word!”

Mark Lindsay: “It is certainly real, very much touchable and it was wonderful spending some time tucked down below it and listening to the waves washing up little pieces of ice on the shores of Lake Michigan. It was almost like little chimes rattling an awesome tune!”

Photographers, we really love when you post on our Facebook wall to share the beauty of Sleeping Bear Dunes. We also love it when you tell us what it is like the moment you captured it on film (digital card). We welcome any blog articles or Facebook posts like the one above. Feel free to post on our Facebook wall or if you would like to write a blog article (it is really easy to do), email it to info@sleepingbeardunes.com with jpgs of your photographs or we can download them from of Facebook.

Blog by Ileana Habsburg-Snyder and Mark Lindsay

Tags: hiking, ice formations, mark lindsay, photography, Sleeping Bear Dunes, winter, winter photography

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 15th, 2011 at 11:04 am and is filed under Attractions, Hiking, Leelanau, Photography, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Uncategorized, Winter & Winter Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.