January 8, 2022 Part One - A Wonderful & Beautifully Strange Morning Hike at Calumet Park

It's a new year. A fresh start. A beautiful blue sky January morning in Chicago.

It is 19 degrees with a steady breeze off the lake. 

My four-legged hiking partners insisted I join them at Calumet Park for a hike.

There is ice on the lake but it is not frozen.

Besides the ducks and the geese, we had the park to ourselves.

It saddened me to see the huge tree at the Rocks had suffered severe wind damage. There were several sections of the tree laying on the ground.

My favorite spot in Calumet Park to rest and contemplate the meaning of life. Damn, who am I kidding?  I sit here and take pictures...of the sun reflecting on the ice and open waters of Lake Michigan...

...the U.S. Coast Guard Station...

...windblown floating ice forced together along the shoreline...

...and ice floating in open waters on the lake.

A group shot of me, Nola and Yeti.

Nola looks intensely at ducks out on the water. 

There was a thin layer of ice on the sidewalk, so I chose to walk on the limestone break wall because I could get better traction. Yeti preferred slipping on the ice.

It was such a beautiful day I decided to sit here and enjoy the sounds of the ice moving back and forth with the tide. I just sat and listened for several minutes of pure bliss. 

Sorry about the sound, you can hear the wind more than the ice on the lake.

My hiking partners also seemed to enjoy the blue sky, the ice on the lake, the refreshingly cold breeze, and the remnants of the latest first measurable snow in Chicago's history. 

But most of all, we enjoyed being outside together. 

We walked north to the boat launches which were beautifully covered in snow and ice.

I walked out on the catwalks and took this picture of the limestone shoreline protection. 

Another shot from the catwalk shows the steel break wall of this harbor.

The north end of the boat launch harbor where the pancake ice is piling up due to a south wind.

There wasn't a cloud to be seen when I got here this morning. I know I did not notice this cloud when I took this picture because I was concentrating on the pancake ice here.

Nola looking into the wind. 

We walked along the break wall to the northernmost part of the park. Some areas had loose ice...

...and some had packed ice. 

Then I turned south to head back to the car. This massive cloud was moving over the park very quickly. 

It was one of the strangest and fastest weather changes I have ever witnessed.

By the time I got back to the car, this cloud was out over the lake and it was noticeably darker. I was so excited that I decided to take the dogs for a short hike here today. Hopefully, 2022 will be a wonderful, beautifully strange year...just like today.

 

January 2, 2022 Our First Hike of the New Year

It's a new year but some things never change. I love being outside with my dogs. Today's hike is at Marquette Park in Gary. It's a brisk 14 degrees with a strong north wind. Yeti is leading the way and he is heading straight to the beach. 

I definitely feel the wind more as we get closer to the beach.

We finally got some snow on New Year's Eve, it is the lastest the Chicagoland area has ever had its first measurable snow of the season since records were kept. Some of the marram grass still has snow clinging to it.

In unprotected areas, the wind has blown the snow off of everything standing upright.

The wind has also blown any loose beach sand inland to cover the snow.

As you can see here, the protected backside of the dune is mostly white with snow. 

My original plan was to walk along the beach to Lake Street Beach then take the Chanute Trail back to Marquette Park. 

But the wind was brutal...

...but the waves were great.

Some of the waves were beginning to freeze before they could recede back into the lake.

A thin layer of ice on the beach.

All this sand is hard-packed, so there isn't any blowing sand now. But most of the snow is covered with sand. Even though the dogs didn't seem to mind the wind, I took the next trail opening in the dunes to walk back into the Marquette Park.

I almost always find something beautiful when I'm out hiking. The dune and swales covered in a mix of snow and sand looked beautiful to me this morning.

Since Yeti was leading the way, he let me know where not to step while hiking. 

These two love being on hikes pretty much in any weather.

I loved the sky in this shot.

Looking west across the dunes.

Looking north toward Lake Michigan.

An old stone wall built by the WPA during the Great Depression. 

The Friends of Marquette Park continue to do wonderful work here. As a history geek, I love these informative signs.

Nola doesn't care about history, but she does love a nice view.

I have no idea what this goofball smells...

...but Yeti disappeared into the snow-covered grass on Patterson Island.

These two spotted some deer across the park. Thankfully they were gone by the time we made our way back to the car.

The bridges are a great place to take photos here. 

The Marquette Park Lagoons are the headwaters for the Grand Calumet River.

We walked through fresh snow on the backside of the Marquette Park Pavilion. 

Back on the park road looking west on the lagoon at Patterson Island and the bridges.

Another informative sign about reversing the flow of the Grand Calumet River.