A natural phenomenon last seen a decade ago, the ice caves off the Apostle Islands reappeared last weekend and quickly became the region’s No. 1 attraction.
The National Park Service had barely announced the caves had formed again on Monday when 2,500 or more people flocked to them — only to have the weather force their closing the next day. The ice shelf that allowed visitors to access the caves was broken up by a storm on Wednesday.
“Will the ice caves open again this winter? The stretch of sub-zero temperatures and calm winds that formed stable ice is unlikely to return before spring,” read a post on the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Facebook page.
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Someone who did get to see them ahead of the crowds is Linda Nervick, who recently became the publisher of Lake Superior Magazine. She told WPR’s Robin Washington about her trek to the caves on “Morning Edition.”
The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Robin Washington: When did you first hear they were forming and that they could be open for viewing? And what was your game plan for doing so?
Linda Nervick: We saw the temperatures dropping. Old Man Winter and Mother Nature were getting together and we had a feeling that this might happen. And then we had an insider who told us it was happening. We went out the day before and did some prospecting for where to see them. And then we woke up real early the next day and made our way over.
RW: And this was before everybody else got the memo?
LN: The crowds were in our rearview mirrors.
RW: You’ve seen the ice caves before, correct?
LN: I saw them at the turn of the century. Back then, you could drive right up and walk right out to them and you might have been one of 10 people. And then the internet happened. I don’t have to tell you about the excitement the next time they appeared in 2015 and were all the rage. They still are all the rage.
RW: What’s your advice for the average ice cave viewer — in addition to patience, patience, patience?
LN: Plan ahead and plan to spend a whole day. I’d suggest staying in the area. Arrive early — I left my house at 4:30 in the morning. The National Park Service Apostle Island website is up-to-the minute with closures and other information.
RW: These aren’t the only ice caves on the lake. Tell us about the others.
LN: There are ice caves located in Michigan and Ontario. There’s the Eben Ice Caves in the Hiawatha National Forest in the Upper Peninsula, near Munising. They’re also in Algoma Country in Eastern Ontario. And they’re open.
RW: The Apostle Islands’ caves aren’t just an attraction when they’re covered in ice.
LN: Right. In the summer, take an opportunity to explore the caves by water. There are even boat tours that can take you out there. Check them out!
WPR reporter Danielle Kaeding contributed to this report.
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