Behold Leelanau’s ice caves
From staff reports
This Memorial Day weekend, the Leelanau Press will publish a new book by photographer Ken Scott of the rare ice formations he captured this past winter off the shores of Lake Michigan in Leelanau County. Through his lens, the viewer will experience ice caves in early winter, after a March thaw and refreeze, ice balls, ridges, volcanoes and pancake ice in a color spectrum from white to green to blue. Words cannot describe the beauty of these unusual natural ice structures that only a few brave souls have experienced.
Traverse City author Jerry Dennis’ essay sets the mood and jars the senses. Your feet will feel the rumble as waves crash into the shoreline and carve out these ice caves covered in crystals. Ken Scott’s Facebook friend and meteorologist, Ernie Ostuno of Grand Rapids, supplies ice terminology and explanation for what is being viewed.
“Ken and I collaborated closely on our 2000 book, Leelanau: A Portrait of Place in Photographs and Text, but this time the inspiration was all Ken’s,” says Dennis. “He has such an amazing eye and is the most intrepid photographic artist I’ve ever known. He’s out there night and day, in all seasons and all weather, and is constantly trying new ways of looking at the world. When he called in March to ask if my wife Gail and I wanted to see the ice caves with him, we jumped at the chance. We knew it was not just a chance to see an extraordinary natural phenomenon—one we were likely never to see again—but to watch Ken at work, which is always tremendous fun. He’s like a kid at play. And the results are magical.”
Publishing of this book was organized quickly by Scott, publisher Barbara Siepker of the Leelanau Press and book designer Angela Saxon. The book benefited from the generous underwriting of Tom and Burma Powell, Art’s Tavern in Glen Arbor, the Business Helper in Suttons Bay and the Leelanau Enterprise. This hardcover, 48-page book contains 47 photos, six of which are double-spread pages.
The book will be available Memorial Day weekend and can be pre-ordered from the Cottage Book Shop in Glen Arbor, at Two Fish Gallery and Leelanau Books in Leland, from Dog Ears Books in Northport, at the Business Helper and Michigan Artist Gallery in Suttons Bay, at Brilliant Books and Horizon Books in Traverse City, at The Bookstore in Frankfort, or directly from Ken Scott by emailing him at ken@kenscottphotography.com.
Book signings are scheduled for Saturday, May 24, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Two Fish Gallery in Leland and from 2-4 p.m. at the Cottage Book Shop in Glen Arbor, and on Sunday, May 25, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Michigan Artist Gallery in Suttons Bay. For those of us who didn’t view the spectacular ice caves, this book is a treat to behold.
