Friday, February 28, 2014

In pictures: Ice caves of Lake Superior

The Telegraph


Apostle Islands National Lakeshore of Lake Superior, the world's largest freshwater lake, to the sea caves  near CornucopiaCrowds of people are flocking to northwestern Wisconsin to trek on a frozen-over Lake Superior to reach dramatic ice caves accessible on foot for the first time in several years, courtesy of the long frigid winter. The ice caves on Superior's shoreline are carved out of sandstone by waves from the lake and derive their name from the icy freeze in winter that makes them glisten with hoar frost, icicles and ice formations.Picture: REUTERS/Eric Miller
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore of Lake Superior, the world's largest freshwater lake, to the sea caves  near CornucopiaReachable in warm weather by boat, the caves are accessible in winter only by walking across ice when it is thick and stable enough. It has been five years since the ice caves were last reachable in the winter, officials said.Picture: REUTERS/Eric MillerApostle Islands National Lakeshore of Lake Superior, the world's largest freshwater lake, to the sea caves  near CornucopiaAbout 35,000 people have hiked over a mile across the ice in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore since officials declared the ice a 'low risk' on January 15, park spokeswoman Julie Van Stappen said...Picture: REUTERS/Eric MillerApostle Islands National Lakeshore of Lake Superior, the world's largest freshwater lake, to the sea caves  near Cornucopia'We have never had this number of people coming,' she said. 'It has been a bit overwhelming, but it has been great for the local community, and they are gorgeous.'Picture: REUTERS/Eric MillerApostle Islands National Lakeshore of Lake Superior, the world's largest freshwater lake, to the sea caves  near CornucopiaIcicles and hoar frost form on the ceiling of an ice cavePicture: REUTERS/Eric Miller Apostle Islands National Lakeshore of Lake Superior, the world's largest freshwater lake, to the sea caves  near CornucopiaA cool autumn and early winter combined with polar vortexes helped lake ice build up weeks earlier than normal, said George Leshkevich, a researcher for the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory.Picture: REUTERS/Eric Miller Apostle Islands National Lakeshore of Lake Superior, the world's largest freshwater lake, to the sea caves  near CornucopiaThe Great Lakes in the last week reached its broadest ice coverage in 20 years at 88 percent, with Lake Superior at about 95 percent, according to the research laboratoryPicture: REUTERS/Eric MillerApostle Islands National Lakeshore of Lake Superior, the world's largest freshwater lake, to the sea caves  near CornucopiaVan Stappen said the round-trip trek to the caves can take three hours or more over a well-packed and slippery path with little cover to break the sometimes fierce winds. Still, the number of visitors was expected to surge over the three-day Presidents Day weekend, boosting tourist activity in such towns as Bayfield, about 18 miles west of the caves.Picture: REUTERS/Eric Miller Apostle Islands National Lakeshore of Lake Superior, the world's largest freshwater lake, to the sea caves  near CornucopiaApostle Islands National Lakeshore of Lake Superior, the world's largest freshwater lake, to the sea caves  near CornucopiaApostle Islands National Lakeshore of Lake Superior, the world's largest freshwater lake, to the sea caves  near CornucopiaApostle Islands National Lakeshore of Lake Superior, the world's largest freshwater lake, to the sea caves  near CornucopiaApostle Islands National Lakeshore of Lake Superior, the world's largest freshwater lake, to the sea caves  near Cornucopia

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