The lawyers at Herrinton, Menezes & Smathers have for some years walked from St. Ignace to Mackinaw Island over the ice bridge. The ice bridge forms across the four miles of water almost every winter, but the time when it is safe to cross varies from a few days to more than two months. The year long residents of Mackinac Island look forward to the ice bridge forming. Each year after Christmas the residents save their discarded Christmas trees along the shore of the island. The "trail" is then marked with these discarded Christmas trees and will ziz zag a bit as the safe ice is explored. Often reflective devices are put on the trees to aid "after dark" crossings. As you can see from the NASA satellite photo below you actually walk east from St. Ignace Point to Mackinac Island. The bridge is just visible in that photo.
      A walk across the ice bridge, and then around to the town and back, is about thirteen miles. Many islanders and visitors make the trip by snowmobile. (This is rumored to be fun but we think it is cheating, however, cross country sking is okay). There are restaurants, bed and breakfasts and at least one motel open year round on the island. Impatient skiers and other visitors will fly in by the regular air ferry service prior to the ice bridge forming.

We walked the ice bridge on February 19, 1997 with two wonderful new friends who purchased "the tour" at the annual ROTARY charity auction. There was more snow on the island than for many years. Snowmobile traffic was heavy and we recommend walkers and skiers make the trip on weekdays so the quiet and solitude are not spoiled. Crossing the ice bridge is a beautiful and spiritual experience and just plain fun besides. It is also a fourteen plus mile walk in the wintertime.

Mark amid the ice floes	Mark moving plywood to bridge an open water gap in the "bridge"
World's Greatest Bridge, February 19, 1997	Walking down the island roadway
View of the old Congregational Church from the public school	View up the hill of the Governor's Mansion and Fort
World's longest front porch, February 19, 1997	Grand Hotel with sun and fog
The gang who skied down the steps of the Grand Hotel	Marco recording the capture of the fort
Planting the flag at the fort, February 19, 1997	View southeast from the fort
View southwest from the fort	Coast Guard comrades keeping the channel open, February 19, 1997
Mackinac Island Main Street, February 19, 1997	One year the ice started to melt and we had a long, wet, slippery (but safe) walk back
Air sleds, these are loud, fast & cool.	Not everyone walks but they should
2003, Two snowmobilers test the black ice.	2003, The Mighty Mac seen from the "lake."
2003, Making landfall on the island.	2003, Two Brits coming ashore at British Landing.
2003, Arch rock formation.	2003, Town seen from the Northeast.
2003, East harbor from the fort.	2003, West harbor seen from the fort.
2003, Mighty Mac from the fort.	2003, Outside the Village Inn.
2003, Inside the Village Inn, above zero temps, too.	2003, You can walk or you can ride the ferry, which way is faster?
2003, Back at the office, some are warmer.	2003, Planted aquarium.

The "Ice bridge" formed in 2003 after a two year absence. We added some pictures.

The Ice Bridge never formed in the winter of 97/98. El Nino kept it too warm. We missed the trip across. However, Mark was in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 09C-16-05, Traverse City, Michigan. In the early spring of 1998 Mark and Jim went aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw for the annual spring breakout. It was somewhat anti-climatic as there was not much ice. We did sail under the Mackinac Bridge and took some pictures. Here is a slide show of that trip, and a couple of pictures of Cheboygan harbor in the summer.

Ice Breaker Slide Show 
Cheboygan Lock in summer 
Draw bridge at Cheboygan Harbor