Apostle Island Ice Cave Adventure
Lake Superior is one of my favorite places on Earth! We decided to head
to Duluth, MN for the evening & have some dinner before heading to
our hotel in Superior. Below are a few beautiful pictures by the bridge
& lighthouse in Duluth.
FYI: This post is a little bit of picture overload, but I wanted to show you how beautiful & amazing these ice caves really are. We had our two small children with us, so we didn't even get to all of the caves, but the first three were amazing!
Lake Superior's Apostle Island Sea Caves were open for the first time in YEARS. Every year the caves are frozen, but it hasn't been this cold in a long time, therefore the lake was never frozen far enough or deep enough for people to walk out onto the lake & into the caves. This year's polar vortex has made the sea caves a beautiful wonder for all to see!
What are Ice Caves??? They are intricately carved sea caves along the Mainland Unit of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. As ice was forming on Lake Superior, waves splashing against the rock began to freeze on the sandstone cliff. In addition, water seeping between sandstone rock layers froze to form a variety of features similar to limestone caves. There are large icicles and formations hanging off of the cliffs, curtains and columns of ice, and abundant ice crystals.
There are intricately carved sea caves along the Mainland Unit of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. As ice was forming on Lake Superior, waves splashing against the rock began to freeze on the sandstone cliff. In addition, water seeping between sandstone rock layers froze to form a variety of features similar to limestone caves. There are large icicles and formations hanging off of the cliffs, curtains and columns of ice, and abundant ice crystals. {Information via}
There are intricately carved sea caves along the Mainland Unit of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. As ice was forming on Lake Superior, waves splashing against the rock began to freeze on the sandstone cliff. In addition, water seeping between sandstone rock layers froze to form a variety of features similar to limestone caves. There are large icicles and formations hanging off of the cliffs, curtains and columns of ice, and abundant ice crystals. {Information via}
The Adventure Begins...
We started out waiting outside in line for an hour for the shuttle bus in Cornucopia, WI at Ehlers store. We travel to Cornucopia every summer and I have never seen so many people in this small town in my life! I just kept telling my husband over and over again about how crazy this all was. There were cars for miles & miles. People were walking 3 miles just to get to the main Meyers beach area to start the trek to the caves. The first set of caves were 1.5 miles from the Meyers beach entrance. This was a lot of walking on rough & bumpy snow and ice; Especially with kids. We took one sled with us & probably should have taken two. We spent almost 3 hours walking around the caves, playing on the snow, sliding down the ice and taking photos. They were absolutely gorgeous & so pristine.
As far as you can see, there were people walking along the shoreline. This line didn't change all day. There were at least 10,000-12,000 people at the caves that day.
The walk begins...
Our little family on our way back to Meyers Beach
Little miss Amelia slept the whole way back to the bus like this on Daddy's head.
We ended our day back at Ehlers Store, where we enjoyed hot dogs, brats & fresh soup. It was a very long ride home after a busy day outside, but so worth it! I am glad we made the trek to Lake Superior to see the beautiful caves because who knows when this might happen again!
My parents went to the caves just 2 days later. In 2 days time, the caves changed immensely. That day it was 58 degrees, so everything was melting. They said there was water everywhere & pieces falling from the ice caves. The caves went from looking like perfect crystal ice sculptures, to wet, watery icicles.
Sea Caves
Centuries of wave action, freezing, and thawing have sculpted shorelines throughout Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Some of the Great Lakes' most spectacular scenery occurs where these forces interact with sandstone of the Devils Island Formation to create extensive sea caves. Nature has carved delicate arches, vaulted chambers, and honeycombed passageways into cliffs on the north shore of Devils Island, Swallow Point on Sand Island, and along the mainland near the Lakeshore's western boundary. People come to Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in summer and winter to visit the sea caves and witness Lake Superior's ever-changing handiwork.
Centuries of wave action, freezing, and thawing have sculpted shorelines throughout Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Some of the Great Lakes' most spectacular scenery occurs where these forces interact with sandstone of the Devils Island Formation to create extensive sea caves. Nature has carved delicate arches, vaulted chambers, and honeycombed passageways into cliffs on the north shore of Devils Island, Swallow Point on Sand Island, and along the mainland near the Lakeshore's western boundary. People come to Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in summer and winter to visit the sea caves and witness Lake Superior's ever-changing handiwork.
Geology
The story of the Devils Island Formation begins over one billion years ago. At that time, rivers carried sandy sediments from hills in what is now southern Minnesota to a basin where the Apostle Islands are now found. These rivers, known as braided streams, carried sediment that slowly filled the basin, forming a sand flat. That area was covered with many shallow ponds, some only a few inches deep, connected by shallow channels. Sand deposits in this environment were thinly-bedded, fine-grained, and extensively ripple marked. These deposits eventually became the sandstone known as the Devils Island Formation, named for the locality where it was first identified and described by geologists.
The story of the Devils Island Formation begins over one billion years ago. At that time, rivers carried sandy sediments from hills in what is now southern Minnesota to a basin where the Apostle Islands are now found. These rivers, known as braided streams, carried sediment that slowly filled the basin, forming a sand flat. That area was covered with many shallow ponds, some only a few inches deep, connected by shallow channels. Sand deposits in this environment were thinly-bedded, fine-grained, and extensively ripple marked. These deposits eventually became the sandstone known as the Devils Island Formation, named for the locality where it was first identified and described by geologists.
Where wave action erodes and undercuts the base of a
cliff, a feature known as a "reentrant" develops. Sea caves are produced
when a number of reentrants join behind the face of a cliff, leaving
behind supporting pillars and arches. They develop most easily where the
sand layers comprising a rock formation are very thin. The thinly
bedded, easily eroded sandstones of the Devils Island Formation are the
source of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore's spectacular array of sea
caves.
Ice Caves
The caves' beauty varies dramatically with the season. In summer the red sandstone is sandwiched between sapphire blue lake and emerald green forests that grow right up to the brink of the cliffs. Large waves generate plumes of spray and thunderous explosions as they surge into the sea caves. While visitors must enjoy these scenes from a distance, such is not the case when the lake is tranquil. Under calm conditions, kayakers can explore the caves' deepest recesses while listening to the murmer of water against rock.
The caves' beauty varies dramatically with the season. In summer the red sandstone is sandwiched between sapphire blue lake and emerald green forests that grow right up to the brink of the cliffs. Large waves generate plumes of spray and thunderous explosions as they surge into the sea caves. While visitors must enjoy these scenes from a distance, such is not the case when the lake is tranquil. Under calm conditions, kayakers can explore the caves' deepest recesses while listening to the murmer of water against rock.
By February, an ice bridge might connect Sand Island to
the mainland. The lake surface is usually a frozen white expanse.
Lakeshore cliffs form a crimson red border to this arctic landscape.
Pillars of ice extend to the cliff tops where waterfalls have hardened
in place. Frozen lakewater encrusts the base of the cliffs. Inside the
caves awaits a fairyland of needlelike icicles. The formations change
from chamber to chamber and from day to day.
For more beautiful photos from the Sea Caves via CBS news {Click Here}
Thanks for reading & I hope you enjoyed learning about the Ice Caves on Lake Superior!
Choose Happy
~Becky
so so pretty! loved seeing this and learning more about them thanks to you! xo
ReplyDeletethe well-traveled wife ♥
Thank you Emi!
ReplyDeleteoh wow, those are really neat!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Delete