In Northern Michigan, we are currently “Under Pressure” as ice surrounds us on all sides. It’s beautiful but deceivingly dangerous.
Iced power lines
At moments you find yourself amidst the ultimate winter wonderland as ice glistens in minute detail. Pine needles, branches, and even each blade of grass hangs in their own ice cocoon. One can’t help but marvel in God’s creation at this spectacle.
Ice-cocooned tip of pine limb
But then you hear the crashing of numerous trees falling from a distance, and some very close by. Your heart rate increases briefly at the ominous danger of it all. During the peak hours of this historic ice storm, observers toggle back and forth between wonder and dread. Perhaps this might be compared to the sounds of glaciers randomly calving into the ocean, something we had the privilege to experience on a trip to Glacier National Park in Southeast Alaska some years ago. My husband describes the sound as that of gunfire at a nearby shooting range!
This experience greatly heightens when darkness hits. With overcast skies and no electricity, living in the middle of the woods takes on a new sense of isolation and at times concern. When you hear something brush against your home, and you know you’re surrounded by massive White Pines, and seasoned Oaks, you can’t help but anticipate physical contact with this powerful force. We are blessed to have a generator, with the hum of that machine bringing at least some peace of mind. Barring a “timber” invasion of our home, we will be warm and safe. Accepting the fact that our landscape would most certainly be changed, we say our prayers and drift off to sleep to that sure and steady hum.
When we awaken at daybreak, the sight of our surroundings fills us with awe at the power of nature, yet also gratitude. We know our propane tank is close to vapors and we’d very much like to be accessible for a propane truck to provide a refill at some point. Thus we begin the task of clearing our driveway and easement to the road, which is no small feat at half a mile. We see lines down at multiple points along the way and a few times, once we move forward for the next tree or branch removal, another falls behind us. We continue to hear trees randomly falling and see the white powder of the snow spray into the air as these trees abruptly descend to their final resting place.
Author’s driveway
Later, we make our way into Atlanta to assess the damages and check on my family’s hunting cabin. What we see in town is apocalyptic with trees and lines down everywhere. It looks like a tornado went through. Several homes and businesses fell victim to large tree limbs. We arrive at the cabin, a few branches are down, but none in contact with the cabin. Knowing we have friends more isolated than us with limited generator power, we go inside in search of bottled water. Nothing is open in town at this point so we feel no guilt (Okay, just a little) at searching through the cupboards. I even opened the fridge and removed an opened gallon jug of pure maple syrup. (Priorities… What can I say, we were completely out and I couldn’t fathom the waste of such an essential item.) This looting venture reminded me of the series, “The Walking Dead,” except we weren’t concerned with the threat of zombies, just falling icicle spears!
Village of Atlanta
With this extreme weather, it would seem that nature’s resistance to the arrival of spring might be compared to a child throwing a tantrum in hopes of getting their way, but eventually they’ll get home where they have to pay the piper. And so winter is holding on, trying to claw its way back, but spring is coming, It always does.
With turkey hunting season right around the corner, an outfitter has additional concerns, as in how this extreme weather affects the wildlife population. As we remove debris from our driveway, we see many deer tracks reminding us of the resilience of the Whitetail population. One cannot help but wonder how the many birds fared, including the nesting Bald Eagle. The migratory birds are likely questioning their internal clock and compass when it comes to their spring return. It warms our hearts to see some signs of life. We’ve seen Mourning Doves, a pair of Wood Ducks, and even an isolated Hooded Merganser in our creek since this storm. The waters are rising and there are so many floating and jammed up branches. I have concerns about the safety of the fishing streams, with the opener for trout season just 4 weeks away.
Typical side road near Atlanta
Time will answer these many questions. Once we’ve had a chance to fully assess the storm’s impact, which will take some time, we may find that many of the downed trees are straggly dead trees, such as Jack Pine, thus saving us the efforts of taking them down ourselves. Perhaps the forest decomposition process will be accelerated aiding the growth of new woodland arrivals or juveniles. With the many large branches that have fallen off the taller trees, making them appear as jaggedly broken pencils, will more sunlight penetrate the forest floor and spawn other forms of growth? Only time will tell and it will be interesting to observe. God is in control and what a Master Designer He is!
- Nice Ice Baby! - April 2, 2025
- Bottoms Up! - February 19, 2025
- When Pigs Fly - February 2, 2025