Ice Shelves on Lake Huron -

What Humans Began, Nature Completed!

Last Saturday started out like any other day - the promise of a hike in our local area. Little did we know that it would lead to an experience that we would never have expected!

The Boom Camp Trails, just south of Blind River, Ontario, are one of our frequent places to hike, and we love to swim in the shallow waters of Lake Huron in the many coves that punctuate the trails. Last November, our curiosity was piqued when we decided to follow a road near the entrance of the trails which we had not yet navigated. After a 2 km drive, the gravel road ended where the Mississagi River empties into the Great Lake, and we were surprised by the extended sandy beach area that skirted this part of the coast. We decided that we would return the following summer and see if it was good for swimming.

In January, we thought it would be a good idea to take a walk along the beach, even though the sand would be snow-covered. Alas, when we got to the start of the road, a gate barred our entry, and we could see that the road, itself, had not been maintained.

This last Friday, we suggested to our friends, Julie and Chris, that it would be safe to take their two dogs, Jett and Dexter, for a walk along the road as there would be no traffic allowed along it. We agreed to meet at around 8:30 the next morning. However, when we arrived, the gate was nowhere to be seen. We concurred that traffic would be sparse and the dogs are well-disciplined, so it would be safe to walk to the beach.

Dexter and Jett were very interested in a squirrel that had evaded them!

When we got there, we cast our eyes along the beach and were intrigued by some ice formations about 1 km along the coast. They seemed to be like small hills, and we were determined to see them close up.

The first sighting that created curiosity

Upon our arrival, we were complete floored by what we saw. There was a line of ridges made up of huge crystal-like rocks of ice that had piled up on top of each other. Although it was not as magnificent as the icebergs we had seen in Newfoundland, it was still breath-taking to see the formations that reached heights estimated as high as 30-40 ft.

Almost like huge crystals

We loved the blue tint as the light played upon the ice

We estimated that this pile was at least 30-40 ft high

A couple of people have told Mark that this is an award-winning shot!

We had to take a short movie clip of this splendour...

We spent an hour or so safely exploring them, and taking photo after photo of this unusual phenomenon. (We had seen some ice formations on Lake Superior, but never here, on Huron).

Julie and Chris with Jett and Dexter

The block of ice that Mark is sitting on seemed to be emitting its own light source

Remembering that we had also arranged to meet CJ and Art, some other friends of ours, for an afternoon hike, we concluded that we wanted them to enjoy what we were witnessing, and so we excitedly called them to make arrangements for them to meet up with us and spend some time exploring along the coast a little further.

Nipping back into Blind River to grab a bite to eat, we met with them, and our mutual friend, Kathy, and returned to the end of the road by the beach area.

Sure enough, their response was as full of awe as ours had been upon first sighting of the 'ice mountains'. Once again, cellphones were put into use as pictures were taken. The clear blue skies of the morning had given way to some cloud coverage, but it was still splendid to see the ice formations, and the way the light played upon them showing different shades of blue and green. During the several hours we were there, we only saw about half a dozen people who were out there, taking it all in.

Art and CJ were more than happy that they joined us in the afternoon

Kathy's smile says it all!

The 'motley crew' being socially distant.

Us with a couple of our 'nephews'!

On our way back to the parking lot, we happened upon the Mayor of Blind River, and her husband, who related that they had been out on that trail two days beforehand, and there had been no ice shelves at all. Apparently, an ice breaker had been out on the lake, and the huge dislodged chunks of ice had been worked upon by winds and waves, culminating in the spectacle that we now saw before us. What humans had begun, nature had completed!

We were fortunate to have discovered them when we did as, the next day, the parking lot was filled to the brim, and the approaching road lined up with vehicles. Friends who visited that day told us that it was difficult to get a decent picture without people being included.

Also, on the following day, someone posted a video taken with a drone over the ice formations, showing the channel that had been cut by the ice breaker - a channel that could not be seen from our vantage point. Here's the video clip, courtesy of Northern Playtime:

What had been planned as a brief excursion along a 2 km road and back, turned in to a 7-hour experience, with good friends and our 4-legged nephews, to boot!

As we have often found, to our ongoing joy: the best days are those that have not been planned... the ones that happen spontaneously.