As I walked across the frozen lake, I couldn't help but bask in the beauty of the light reflecting off the ice, the sound of a nearby creek that refused to be frozen over and the wonder of the lake itself. We were standing on a lake! What could be more fascinating and fun than that?! Well, that's what it felt like since it was my first time seeing a lake completely frozen over to the point of being able to stand on it.

Sure there was still fear that crept into me every time I heard the slightest creak of the ice as I walked on it or the deafening crack as the ice shifted ever so slightly, but those were just seemed like minor worries compared to the vast and open space of lake we were standing on. Hell, we saw a full four wheeler go on and off the ice the night before! It was an incredibly daring stunt, but they were probably experts in dealing with the "Pure Michigan" ice and "Not So Pure Michigan" unforgiving weather.

Our trip Up North was breathtaking and a nice break from the crazy and hectic week that I just had: school projects due one after another, work almost every day and a whole slew of other unplanned occurrences. However, when I went Up North, all of those things seemed to melt away as I took in the quiet and serene wilderness that surrounded me.

But who am I to tell you all of the wonder and beauty of a frozen lake without actually showing you any proof? Here are the images that I captured from my time Up North last weekend.

1.

In some ways, a simple camera doesn't do what I saw justice and you really had to be there to understand the how big it was. But I'll try to do my best in these few images!

2.

Most of these shots are candid and I didn't let my family know I was taking them. It was a beautiful day outside and it was mostly clear

3.

We found some prints in the snow that we couldn't place. We thought it was a bear, but it could have very well been enlarged prints from a different animal.

4.

There were a few significant cracks in the ice, but we were sure to avoid them and we didn't let them faze us.

5.

My mom and my sister look pretty close but they're actually pretty far out on the ice. My dad and I stayed back near the shore while they were a little more adventurous and walked out onto the ice.

6.

My dad managed to crack open one of the waves with a loose rock and this is what it looked like on the inside.

7.

My dog goes Up North with us a lot, but this was her first time up in the winter. She was expecting to run straight into the water, but was met with the slippery surface of the ice instead!

8.

My sister took this picture and as far as I know the leaf wasn't intentionally placed there!

9.

This is me on the ice. Before you ask, yes it was a little cold but it wasn't as cold as the night before. In this picture I could at least feel my toes!

10.

This was the part in the ice where the creek was flowing into. It wasn't completely frozen over since the water was still flowing.

11.

We were heading back at this point, but I still managed to snag one more picture before we headed in!