Michigan winters. Sunless, cold, chronic, filled with lake effect snow, and unpredictable weather patterns. Cabin fever is not an uncommon feeling for many, if not most Michiganders. For me, it seems to peak in mid to late January. And no matter how cold, or how dark it is, I need to get out of the house. [Taking a moment to acknowledge the fact that I’m writing about cabin fever, while we are amid a global pandemic that has forced people into their homes..]
Whenever I’m feeling stir crazy, I call on my best friend Jon. He understands me and my need for adventure better than anyone; and he’s always up for some sort of caper to appease my pent up energy. For both of us, the lakeshore is like a second home. We will venture there no matter the season or the conditions. On this particular night we drove north to Grand Haven State Park. It’s January 23rd, the sun has been down for hours, the lake is covered in ice, as is the pier. None of that intimidated us, as we’ve spent many days walking or scrambling across ice covered terrains. When we’ve put our minds to something, there truly isn’t much that can stop us. Grand Haven, is one of the more picturesque piers on Lake Michigan, with it’s red lighthouses, black metal catwalks, and rows of lights. These features create a very distinct look, and therefore capturing photos of it can oftentimes become cliche. That was not the case here. After walking on the ice for a little while, and venturing out onto the frozen pier, I began eyeing the catwalks. I’m known for climbing things whenever I can, on really anything I can; including but not limited to: trees, walls, fences, bridges, and sometimes, catwalks. We were fortunate to have the pier and nearly the entire park to ourselves that night, making it easier, or simply rather less conspicuous to make our climb up. What awaited us was a whole new perspective; one that hardly anyone ever gets to see. One that hardly anyone dares to see. Once we’d climbed onto the catwalk, Jon ahead of me, I lined up my shot down the pier. The lights of the pier cast a warm glow, the dark lines of the catwalk laid out in front of us, the lighthouse stood strong in the distance, and the cold night sat calmly as we took the moment to breath.
