Upper Michigan in Early Spring (Winter) Part V

In Part V of this ongoing post, I will show the highlight of my trip and what happened to be the ultimate goal of it. Photographing the Eben Ice Caves. If you remember in Part II I mentioned I was stranded in Marquette, MI due to a late season snowstorm. The roads up there alone are not a picnic, but they are even worse after a snowstorm. Think of a washboard road you have been on and multiply it by five or ten in terms of severity and then add slushy mud. Remember I only have a passenger car. So I was lucky to even arrive after the hairy ride out there. I had mud on the roof of my car because it was so bumpy. Once I arrived at the "parking area" (basically where a road curves) I noticed I was the only one who didn't have a 4x4. When researching the area, it suggested bringing snowshoes. They weren't kidding. The trail out to the Eben Ice Caves is about a mile and a half with steep slippery hills. Mind you I was carrying thirty pounds of photo gear on my back. But as you shall see, it was well worth it.

So at this point you might ask: What are the Eben Ice Caves? Basically it is wide, slow moving waterfall that freezes into place in the winter. What makes it unique is the vast array of colors presented in the ice due to the various minerals found in the water. Definitely not something you would think you would see in the Midwest, or for that matter in the United States.

As you will notice in the picture below, it definitely depicts a frozen waterfall. But the magic is not revealed until one goes inside the ice cave and see what the backlighting does to the ice.

This is where the magic begins:

Ice wall up close and personal. It doesn't get any better than this!

A waterfall within a waterfall

From the perspective in being inside the cave looking out

That is the glory of the Ice Caves. I felt I was meant to arrive there. Even with the treacherous weather I encountered in Marquette the day before I new once I arrived I was supposed to be there. When I arrived at the Caves I was all alone. All the owners (all locals) of the vehicles I encountered at the "parking area" were on the way back as I was heading out there or just leaving as I arrived. On my way back from photographing, I went through the same cedar forest that I in through. I can't remember the last time I observed the silence like I did at the moment. Nothing but a light breeze was all I heard. A silence of winter. A silence of being all by yourself surrounded by nature. If you interested in seeing larger versions of the images in these posts head over to my website: Click on this link to take you there. All images are for sale or stock usage.