Man bikes across Lake Superior recording sounds of shifting ice

WASHBURN - A northern Wisconsin man is biking across the frozen surface of Lake Superior.  He took off for the week–long Apostle Islands Bike Expedition from Washburn Monday.

Marlin Ledin of Washburn is packing up to venture onto the frozen surface of Lake Superior in search of the sounds of the ice.  "Growing up here, I’ve always heard these sounds out here, these booming sounds underneath the ice and I’ve always wanted to record them," said Ledin.

Ledin will cover about 150 miles over the next 5–7 days on his bike expedition, his goal, to come back with several sound recordings of the shifting ice.  "I think with the warm days and the cold nights, the ice will be moving around a lot and expanding and contracting and making lots of noise so there should be a whole array of sounds for me to capture," said Ledin.  "I usually go by where there is a pressure crack or where it looks like there might be a lot of turbulence."

With digital recording equipment and a hydrophone, he'll seek out these unique sounds on his bike made for going where there is no trail.  "It’s surreal at times because you see it in the summer and its waves and water, it's generally really easy to ride and you can close your eyes and ride for 5 minutes at a time," said Ledin.

He’s been planning the Apostle Islands Bike Expedition, a solo self–supported trek for 2 years.  "I’ve been waiting to do this a long time, any natural sounds, I just love listening," said Ledin.  "It’s almost like ice fishing, just waiting for sounds."

While this isn't his first trek across Lake Superior in the winter, it will be his longest.  "The ice conditions aren't great but I should be able to avoid any sticky situations by just being cautious," said Ledin.  He carries a marine radio, ice picks and pulls a pack raft behind him as a safety measure.

Marlin will spend his days trying to capture the sounds of shifting ice and his nights winter camping near the shore of an island, it is a cycling adventure.  "This is pretty much it, all ready to go."

Marlin plans to share his experience with the public when he returns.  He’ll put together a multimedia presentation on the sights and sounds from his week–long trek.