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Snowshoeing to the mainland ice caves for some spectacular views
It’s been ten long years since the mainland ice caves in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore have been open for exploration from the lake surface. Conditions since then simply have not been safe enough for the National Park Service to permit access.
What’s the next best thing? Hiking the Lakeshore Trail that takes you from Meyers Beach to some spectacular views above the caves. Friends board member Neil Howk did just that on a sunny January day. Click on the photo gallery to see the spectacular photos that go along with Neil’s poetic description of his adventure.
Friday was calm and sunny with barely any waves,
So I snowshoed the trail along the cliff above the mainland caves.
The chunks of ice upon the lake were broken into packs.
A ledge of ice along the shore held a line of coyote tracks.
From atop the cliffs I could see the shores of islands Sand and Eagle.
The sights that I enjoyed were so amazing it was almost illegal.
The sunlight on the shoreline created a dramatic and colorful view.
The sandstone was red, the ice was white, and the sky above was blue.
Above me a flock of redpolls twittered in the tops of the trees.
While ice chunks floating on the lake tinkled like glass in the breeze.
Looking over the edge from the top of the cliff was a little frightening.
Some icicles that formed on the cliff looked just like bolts of lightning.
A few isolated pine trees were growing right along the edge.
Below them shrubs encrusted with ice dangled below the ledge.
The rock walls around the “garage” were totally covered with ice.
The natural bridge above the crevasse also looked very nice.
It’s still early in the season, the lake ice is just starting to grow.
How much the lake will freeze this year is something no one can know.
The last time we could walk in the ice caves was more than 10 years ago.
But the view of the caves from the top of the cliffs is still a very good show.
Neil Howk began working as a park ranger/interpreter for the National Park Service in 1978. He worked at a number of different parks over the years and served as the assistant chief of interpretation at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore from 1993-2016. He now serves as a board member of Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.
Additional topics related to this article | Interpretation | Meyers Beach | Sea Caves | Visitor Stories
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