Winter Camping in a Blizzard: Crossing the Lake

For five days we winter camped on a remote island in Lake Michigan, flying in during a brief weather window before a blizzard rolled in. Between constant wind, challenging fishing, snowshoe explorations, and one unforgettable lighthouse sunset, this adventure became one of the most challenging winter trips we’ve taken yet.

Reaching the island in winter requires a little creativity.

Once the ferry shuts down for the season the only way in is by small plane. When we planned the trip, flights had already been grounded for several days due to inclement weather. The morning we left was the first time in nearly a week that planes could safely fly.

As we lifted off, the view of Lake Michigan opened beneath us in a way you rarely get to see. From the air the water shifted through incredible shades of blue, from deep navy to bright turquoise.

In several places the lake was so clear we could see straight to the bottom. Shipwrecks rested silently beneath the surface, visible from above like frozen pieces of history.

Seeing Lake Michigan from a bird’s-eye view was thrilling and set the tone for the adventure ahead.

Reaching Camp

When we stepped out onto the ice that morning, the lake stretched wide before us. A strong 30 mph headwind hit immediately. It was sunny, but temperatures were frigid, sitting in the single digits (Fahrenheit).

Kyle pulled our sled out onto the frozen surface and I huffed my backpack as we began our several mile journey across the lake.

The thick slush that coated the frozen lake and thick cedars that lined the shoreline made most of the land around the lake inaccessible but eventually we made our way to where we would call home for the next several days. Up a shoreline bank, around a bend, into the hardwoods, marked on shore by a large fallen white birch tree.

Setting Up Winter Camp

For this trip we chose not to use a tent floor, leaving the shelter with a dirt base beneath us. It gave the setup a more rugged feel and made camp feel closer to the woods around us. We even had a few worms join in on the fun.

The dogs stayed home with Kyle’s parents for this adventure. With the weather forecast, we wanted to make sure they stayed comfortable and safe.

It was especially quiet at night without them racing around camp and trying to claim our cots as their bed for the night. We always miss them when we don't bring them along.

Living With Wind and Winter Conditions

The wind was relentless for most of the trip.

Day after day it moved across the island, rattling camp and pushing snow across the lake. Even inside the trees you could still hear it moving.

Fishing was one of the main goals of the trip.

Kyle spent long stretches sitting at the fishing holes, sometimes with visibility reduced to nearly zero as blowing snow moved across the lake. Despite the effort, he caught a single small perch during the trip, but it was too small to keep. 

We stretched our MREs as far as we could.

By the last night of the trip, we had run out of food entirely.

Still, camp life continued with the familiar winter rhythm: melting snow for water, gathering, and cutting firewood, keeping gear dry, and staying warm while the wind moved through the forest outside.

At night it got cold and we could occasionally hear trees cracking in the distance as the temperatures dropped.

Snowshoeing to the Lake Michigan Shoreline

One afternoon after the threat of another winter storm had passed, we set out on snowshoes to explore deeper into the island.

We wound through quiet woods buried in deep snow before eventually making it to the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Massive blue ice heaves stretched along the shore. These towers were shaped by freezing waves and shifting ice, rising and folding into dramatic structures along the coast.

The ice glowed in deep, rich shades of blue and turquoise against the snow-covered sand. We watched snowstorms form around us on the horizon.

Standing there looking out across Lake Michigan in winter, the scale of everything felt enormous. I had no idea there were icebergs in the Great Lakes!

On the last full day of the trip, the big storm arrived.

Snow began falling harder and harder until the wind pushed it sideways across the lake and visibility dropped to zero.

Within moments we were camping in the middle of a full blizzard. The wind remained constant as snow drifted around camp.

Kyle continued fishing despite the conditions, sitting beside the hole while the snow moved across the lake.

Inside camp we focused on the basics: boiling snow for water, keeping gear dry, and waiting out the storm.

Winter camping in Michigan often means adapting to whatever the weather decides to bring.

A Lighthouse Sunset

On our final day on the island, we woke to a calm, sunny morning. The quiet was amplified next to the weather days we'd been having.

We took time to enjoy the peace before packing up and making our several mile snowshoe back to the launch where we would meet our ride. She was a local to the island and a very kind person who surprised us with a snack when she picked us up.

The people we meet on our adventures are always one of my trip highlights.

Although we were exhausted we wanted to make it to the South side of the island for sunset. We rented a car and drove down to The Beaver Head Lighthouse along the south shoreline of the island. We almost missed the sunset due to seasonal road closures but we made it just in time.

When we arrived the temps had fallen and you guessed it, it was windy. The kind of wind that almost knocks you off your feet and sucks your pants tight to your legs as you stand against it. 

But as we looked over the bluff, none of that mattered. Pinks, purples, and orange filled the sky as the sun dropped toward the lake. Standing there watching the light fade, we were re-energized and reminded why we keep coming back for challenging adventures.

The sunset that evening was spiritual for the both of us.

One of Our Most Challenging Winter Trips

This adventure may have been one of our most challenging winter trips yet.

The constant wind, the blizzard, the limited fishing, and eventually running out of food pushed us harder than we expected. But as we have learned these are often the trips that stay with you the longest.

The ones where you adapt to the elements, learn something new, and come away a better adventurer because of it. Sometimes the hardest adventures are the ones that remind you exactly why you keep chasing them.  And when I reflect on this trip now, I can still hear that wind moving across the island.

Trip Notes

Region: Northern Michigan, Beaver Island
Trip Length: 5 days
Activities: ice fishing, winter camping, snowshoeing, survival

Watch the Full Adventure

To see this adventure unfold from crossing the frozen lake to camping through the blizzard, subscribe to Adventure Chasing on YouTube.

That’s where we share every mile, meal and moment.

For more outdoor stories and gear guides, explore all our weekly blog posts here.

For more information about the island check out the Beaver Island Historical Society website.