** Note: This is a Works in Progress Gallery **

When Arctic air descends upon the Great Lakes, time seems to slow. The deep cold and long nights stretch the four months from December to March into what feels like an eternity, as vibrant natural landscapes transform into subdued, quiet, monochromatic scenes. Nowhere is this transformation more captivating than in the river valleys. Beneath a thin, fragile cover of ice—variable in thickness and strength—river currents persist, as dangerous as they are inviting.

From early December to late March, the ravines of the Great Lakes region become tranquil sanctuaries, disturbed only by the occasional skater or the muffled whispers of water flowing beneath the ice. There’s a certain magic in this seemingly inhospitable, temporary landscape. The forces of frigid air and unrelenting river currents continuously sculpt shapes and forms that evolve as winter progresses. Layers of ice build, snow comes and goes, and patches of open water release steam in the early morning sun, creating a spectacle worth braving even the harshest cold.

Perhaps this is the true allure: the impulse to venture out, to face the biting frost and piercing wind, driven by a desire to witness the river’s unyielding current shaping its winter masterpiece. As the season nears its end, this artistry reaches its crescendo in the dramatic ice jams of early spring.

This cycle—a fleeting marvel—is reserved for those willing to endure the cold. It’s a testament to resilience, trust, and belief, much like the moment you step onto a fragile sheet of ice, testing its strength and your own.