Hank Erwin

The Eyes of the North

I could hear the ice breaking over the hulls of the Great Lakes freighters from 30 miles away. When they got stuck, Coast Guard cutters tried to get them out but even they were not designed for the punishment of this historic winter. One massive ship became completely entrapped and when the crew had eaten all the food on board, an 18-wheeler drove 30 miles out across the solid ice to restock them.