Shelf Ice - Beautiful But Deadly

I have lived along the shores of Lake Michigan my entire life. It is magnificent and beautiful and I feel so blessed to live here and I'm able to stop by any time I want. I, as well as others who live near any of the Great Lakes learn at an early age that the Lake needs to be respected. As beautiful as she is, she can become dangerous and can take anything in her path.

The photos above were taken yesterday. The hubster and I were out running errands and I suggested we stop by and see the shelf ice so we did. We've thad such a cold snap that I was sure there would be lots of ice. Lake Michigan did not disappoint. It looks like you can climb up the ice and you can, you just may not make it back to the shore. Shelf ice is dangerous because it looks frozen and solid, but it's not. There are pockets under all that frozen stuff and if you fall into one of those pockets, you won't make it out alive.

I've seen so many people on the ice (some have not made it back to safety) and I'm thinking they may be tourists who have no idea what shelf ice is all about. Probably some not very bright locals as well. There are signs everywhere warning of the dangers but not everyone takes it seriously.

I've added some links below if you want to learn more about it. If you are near any of the Great Lakes during the winter, I highly recommend you stop by and see the shelf ice. Enjoy it and photograph it from a nice and safe distance.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelf_ice

https://www.southshorecva.com/things-to-do/indiana-dunes/things-to-do/shelf-ice-in-the-winter/