Tag Archives: Ice Sculptures

Snow Frost

When the landscape became a beautiful winter paradise with frost covering all it could touch during the first week of this year, I noticed the snow glistening a little more than unusual. Upon closer inspection I saw frost crystals on top of the snow covered ground. Examining these even closer, I noticed a variety of amazing ice crystals and immediately began trying to capture these with the camera. Fortunately I had been keeping the camera in a cold location so it was ready to be used outside. Just grab a battery and head to the snow covered yard.

Frost crystals on top of the snow

This certainly was not an easy, or quick task. Finding the crystals was not too challenging. All I had to do was scan the snow from different angles and let them reflect in the sunlight similar to what you see in the picture above. The more difficult piece was to find them with the camera using a macro lens which only allows you to view a very small area in focus. Once identified with the camera, then it was getting the right angle for light to reflect showing each little groove of these crystals which can be seen in the photograph below. Once the camera was in place, these little ice formations came to life. Seeing each groove showing the stages these frost crystals grew in was extremely interesting. I could just imagine what a time-lapse would look like as these were formed. Then I began to wonder if they were done growing? I imagined so as the sun was out and the temperatures continued to rise.

Ice crystals close up

While scanning the surface of the snow I found an area where melting had started to occur creating unique shapes of clear ice. Looking closer I found this little ‘ice dragon’  which you can see below. I kept working different angles with the camera attempting to find just the right photo showing it’s interesting details. The sun was getting lower in the sky bringing an end to photographing the frost.

It was a lot of fun to see these winter formations and I would have enjoyed spending more time exploring them further but they only last for a short amount of time.

Ice Dragon

Ice Sculptures

Every year St Paul hosts a winter carnival which includes a number of outdoor winter events including parades, competitions, snow sculpting, and ice carvings. This winter many of these events took place under extremely cold conditions but the participants are determined and came out in below zero conditions with strong winter winds to make their beautiful creations. On the last weekend of the carnival things warmed up along with a clearing sky so I made the trek to the Minnesota capital city to see some of these icy art pieces just as the sun rose over the Mississippi River. It was absolutely spectacular – a peaceful start to a rare, warm early February day.

Sun peaking through the ice carved sun

Several other people had the same idea. All in an energetic mood on this beautiful morning exchanging brief conversation as we rotated between the ice sculptures photographing them in the morning light. I’m always amazed at the abilities some creative people possess. Able to envision these sculptures in their minds and transfer those visions to ice blocks in such detail. All of this done in dangerous temperatures where removing a glove can result in frostbite in mere minutes with little sleep while chipping away at these ice blocks for 48 hours. As the sun continued to move above the horizon it lit up this sun carved from the ice making a beautiful backdrop for the rest of this sculpture.

The past and the future

Out of all of the amazing pieces crafted from simple blocks of clear ice, I think this one is my favorite. The details in it are spectacular as with all of the carvings but what caught my attention was the theme. A caterpillar looking through the glass at a butterfly which is staring back. The meaning of it is what really speaks to me. One seeing the future while the other is looking back in history at what it once was. Something I believe we often have the opportunity to do if only we take the time to see it. It can be seen in the generations before us and after us, with our own family and friends and in our ownselvs. That’s what makes these creations so amazing is what each person sees in them that is unique.

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Moving down the line, this was another one of my favorite ice carvings. The details where incredible creating a beautiful ice statue but my interest in watching herons makes this one more personal to me. Seeing the warm morning sun diffracting through the bumps and ridges of theses sculptures is so interesting. Another carving was of a dinosaur. I think it’s a velociraptor but I’m not sure. The snow resting on some of the grooves while others remain clear brings some great depth to the whole piece. Did the carver intend for this and plan it before beginning?

Face of a dinosaur

The final ice statue is called Aquaman Riding a Seahorse. This one won first place and seemed really popular among the viewers while I was there. Only the seahorse is visible in this photo as that was the portion that retained my attention the most. The clarity of the ice and the details of the head were so intriguing with the teeth, eyes, and snout. There were several other ice carvings and all showed amazing artistic skills. A fun way to spend a morning in downtown St Paul.

Seahorse which is carrying Aquaman

Ice Art

Recent cold weather this fall has lead to some interesting ice formations. Walking along a small river in search of otters revealed stumps coated in ice and snow creating some abstract art. The Ice is attached to these stumps at different levels because as things began to freeze the water levels kept dropping allowing for these stair step ice formations. I found these to be quite interesting so snapped a few pictures along the way.

Ice Bubbles

At one location where there was a small damn several areas of the water had frozen with water flowing underneath again creating interesting ice shapes. I can’t help myself. I have to attempt to capture some fun pictures. Still some work to be done on that. The patterns created by nature can be so intriguing. Hopefully there will be more opportunities to capture more ice art.

Enterprise in Ice

Going to the Beach

Ice Covered Beach on the North Shore

Usually when someone thinks of going to the beach in the winter they have images of a white sandy beach in the Caribbean, Hawaii, or the Seychelles.  I had a slightly different opportunity to start the New Year. A trip to Northern Minnesota to view the picturesque shore of Lake Superior. It was a beautiful January afternoon with temperatures just above 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-15 degrees Celsius) which felt warm compared to the cold of the previous days and days to follow which where anywhere from 10 to 30 degrees colder with brisk winds. Yes, I did take a quick dip in the lake since this is a beach with open water (if you consider sticking my hand into the water, which was warmer than the air this day, a quick dip) even if the beach is ice covered.

Ice Covered Shoreline of Lake Superior

This was the first opportunity I’ve had to take in the North Shore of Minnesota during the winter and it was worth the effort to dress appropriately for a couple of hours in the cold. Surprisingly, I was not the only person on this beach this day. One of my neighbors joined me in climbing ice covered rocks and exploring this winter wonderland. We did encounter other people also taking in this winter wonderland that was missing it’s snow blanket exposing the many colors contained in this rocky shoreline.

Icicles Adorning the Shoreline Cliffs

Large waves had made their mark here earlier evident by the ice covered rocks and shrubs but on this day Lake Superior provided a relaxing, calm motion in the water giving great opportunities to explore the shoreline. Icicles hang abundantly off of the rock ledges from all of the water running towards the lake before this area became a frozen spectacle.

Ice Covered Shrubs

I could only imagine what it must have been like to be in this area when the waves where large enough to come crashing over the shoreline high enough to coat everything in a thick layer of ice creating these amazing ornaments only visible during winter time. In reading other accounts of the ice sculptures created by Lake Superior I could not fully appreciate what they were writing about. Now those experiences have become clearer and much more exciting to see.

Ice Sculptures Created by Lake Superior

Only a couple of miles to the north there was 6 – 8 inches of snow on the ground and to the south there was an inch or two but here…. snow was missing on this day. For me it was fortunate to be able to have the contrast of the ice and colorful rock all around. I’m sure there is a whole different beauty here when it’s all covered in fresh snow.

North Shore Winter Wonderland

Lake Superior always gave away it’s location during these colder days because of the constant cloud cover created by the steam coming off the warmer water. A mile inland could be sunny but there were always clouds on one of the horizons. Fortunately there was just enough wind to blow this cloud cover away from the shore allowing the sky to clear a little overhead during these afternoon hours. It didn’t last long.

Calm Waters Colliding with the Rocky Cliffs

For a few minutes while the sun was out I was wishing for a comfortable lawn chair to be able to set up on the beach and just take in the quiet, calm solitude of this incredible landscape. These blue waters just begged to be touched and so I obliged by removing my two layers of gloves and soaking my hands. Sure the water was a little colder than I prefer but it wasn’t unbearable. It helped that I was kept warm by climbing up and around the boulders and trees of this shoreline before testing this water. I don’t recommend wading or swimming during the winter but a quick rinse of the hands is typically harmless.

Shoreline Highlighted in Ice Near the Water

While hiking through the woods this member of the local wildlife kept posing as if to tell us it was alright to take a picture. We were mere feet away and it just sat there like we were of no concern. Why would I pass up such a situation? I pulled the camera from it’s case and snapped a few photos. After a couple of shots it was time for red squirrel to move on to his daily routine.

Wildlife Posing for a Picture

After hiking for a few miles we came to this point, looked out over this Great Lake and decided it was time to begin our trek back.

Icy Evidence of Higher Water and Waves

On the return trip we noticed the clouds on the horizon appeared to be bringing snow and we were due back to our camp shortly so making our way to the vehicle became a little more hurried. Once snow covers the roads it can greatly increase the difficulty in traveling so using the dry roads seemed like a good idea. A few miles north we encountered this snow along with colder temperatures and increased wind. Yet, passing by this area again later in the week showed the snow never reached here. The beauty of Lake Superior is such a privilege to be able to take in and winter appears to be no different and with a lot fewer people joining you.

Approaching Snowstorm