Tethered together by a rope, two friends stepped off Edgewater Beach and into the frozen abyss of Lake Erie with only headlights illuminating their path. A Feb. 21, 2015, report of the 20-inch-thick ice gave Mike Sutadji and Ariel Travis the courage to haul a tent 2 1/2 miles from the solace of shore to sleep on the glacial lake. But fear slowly cracked their composure. "We checked the ice charts. We were pretty positive it was going to be OK," Sutadji says. "But it was a little scary to think there could be some parts that are a little unsafe." With the temperature dipping to 10 degrees, the thrill-seekers trudged through 9 inches of snow and cautiously climbed over jagged peaks of ice. While three layers of clothing and low-temp sleeping bags made the bone-chilling campout bearable, Sutadji was too excited for proper shut-eye. Weariness made the trek home arduous, but Sutadji says every shiver was worth the astounding view. "That was really rewarding," he says.
Frost Might
Friends embark on a bone-chilling adventure onto the frozen abyss of Lake Erie.
