In Search of the Giant Ice Pancakes

I haven't run on the Lakefront Trail in over a month. Due to my injury, I was sidelined for over three weeks then last week I ran a total of 14 miles in 2 to 3 mile per day increments. That's not enough mileage for me to run to the lake and back. Then, yesterday, I read Xaarlin's blog entry and saw her awesome pictures and video of the "ice pancakes" that had formed along the shore of Lake Michigan. I knew that I just had to put some bigger miles in, so I could get back on the trail in search of these magical ice formations! So I took off for a long run with my camera to take some pictures and videos of my search for the elusive ice pancakes. That is, if I was lucky enough to come across some!

Once I reached the lake, the first thing I saw some ice fisherman in Belmont Harbor

and then I spotted something in the water...

My first Ice Pancake sighting! but they are kinda small and hard to see...

then I saw the skyline...

and the sun on the lake.

I also saw ice ladders...

and ice ladders and the skyline....

and even ice rocks.

Could these be ice marshmallows?

Then I saw waves and ice posts...

and more waves by the ice posts...

and even an ice cable, but still no pancakes...

What's this? Could it be an ice pancake field?!

Yes! A giant ice pancake field! Chock full o' ice pancakes!

Ice Pancakes as far as you can see..

I even took a video of the ice pancakes in motion:

After shooting that video, I went further north, and I came across this heart-shaped i.p.

Then I found a harbor full of giant ice pancakes. Wow!

My day was complete. I found the incredible ice pancakes!