People often forget that the same lakes, cliffs, and waterfalls Michiganders flock to all summer don’t disappear once the snow falls.

They’re still out there, just frozen, quieter, and—best of all—a lot less busy.

Today, The ’Gander’s Chaunie Brusie will show you where to find some of Michigan’s most stunning frozen waterfalls, as well as give you tips for gearing up for winter hiking and what kind of difficulty to expect before you head out.

Plus: Michigan House lawmakers just passed a bipartisan bill that would ban student phone use during class time statewide. We have the details.

Whitmer announces new clean energy investment in Michigan (MI Advance): Gov. Gretchen Whitmer used her Detroit Auto Show keynote to push for closer US–Canada cooperation in auto manufacturing, arguing that tariffs under President Donald Trump have hurt the industry and that modern vehicles depend on international supply chains. She also announced a new directive to explore geologic hydrogen as a clean energy source, and said it could bring jobs and lower energy costs if proven viable.

Thousands raised for Ford employee who heckled Trump (Freep): A Ford worker who was suspended after shouting at Trump during a Dearborn plant tour asked supporters to close two GoFundMe pages that raised more than $810,000 for him. The incident went viral after Trump appeared to curse and give TJ Sabula the middle finger. Sabula has backing from the UAW and Democratic leaders like Rashida Tlaib and Pete Buttigieg, while Ford says it is investigating and handling discipline internally.

Michigan ‘making progress’ in latest gun law rankings (Everytown Research): Everytown for Gun Safety’s 2026 Gun Law Rankings show a wide gap between states with strong gun safety laws and those lagging behind, with the group arguing that tougher laws are closely tied to lower gun death rates nationwide. Michigan landed at No. 20 this year, placing it in the “making progress” category. The analysis shows that if Michigan had the gun death rate of the 10 states with the strongest gun safety laws in the US, 4,045 lives could be saved in the next decade.

Whether your route is ice climbing, snowshoeing, or a good old-fashioned hike, here are 10 frozen waterfalls in Michigan worth visiting. (Pure Michigan)

By Chaunie Brusie

I was today years old when I learned that people go ice climbing up frozen waterfalls, just like people go rock climbing up mountains. Frankly, I’m not adventurous enough to try either of those outdoor experiences, but fortunately for the non-ice climbers among us, there are still easy ways to visit the wonders that are Michigan’s waterfalls in the winter.

We are lucky enough to live by woods, and I can attest that one of my favorite parts of living in Michigan is getting to experience our state during the winter. There’s just something so beautiful and peaceful about being out in the snow—and as a bonus, you aren’t plagued by bugs along the way.

Having the chance to see a frozen waterfall and hike through these popular Michigan trails sounds like the perfect way to spend a winter afternoon or weekend, so here are some suggestions to get started. (Ice climbing optional.)

1. Canyon Falls

Dubbed “The Grand Canyon of Michigan,” Canyon Falls is located in the Upper Peninsula, and the trail features large canyons and forges that line the Sturgeon River. While the full trail stretches nearly 4 miles long, the falls are located about half a mile in from the road.

Those who have made the trek to Michigan’s Grand Canyon say it’s well worth it (snowshoes and hiking poles are recommended) and that the ice formations that form alongside the frozen falls are especially beautiful to behold.

Reports say that while the gorge is impressive, with a chute of “smooth black rock,” the straight drop also means you’ll need to be careful when navigating the trail to the falls in the wintertime. The trail is relatively easy (and very popular!) in the summer, but winter brings the risk of icy and slippery conditions. Also, be aware of the uneven terrain and possible fallen trees.

Canyon Falls, also known as the “Grand Canyon of Michigan,” can be accessed in the winter, but hikers will want to be cautious while making the trek. (Nathan Miller)

2. Bond Falls

The name’s Bond—Bond Falls. Sorry, we couldn’t resist. But bad puns aside, Bond Falls is one of the most popular and scenic waterfalls in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The trail to reach the falls is a loop style, totalling just under one mile, and the falls are unique because they’re broken up, so you see a cluster of small “mini” waterfalls cascading over the rocks.

Technically, the hiking trail is open year-round, but the boardwalks and trails are not groomed during the winter. That means that while full of beautiful wintery scenery, the deep snow and trees bogged down with frozen precipitation can make the hike a bit more difficult, and depending on the conditions, some of the bridges can even be impassable. If you visit, give yourself plenty of extra time to account for potentially longer hikes through the drifts.

Richards Middle School 8th grade students make their way up to the second floor to their lockers during their first day of school at Richards Middle School in Fraser on Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. (USA Today Network)

By USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

State lawmakers in the Michigan House of Representatives passed a bill to ban student phone use in classrooms, following in the footsteps of many states with device policies to curb the impact a proliferation of screens has had at schools, from distractions to cyberbullying.

The bill introduced by state Rep. Mark Tisdel, R-Rochester Hills, to ban smartphones and other wireless communications devices such as laptops and tablets for K-12 students during instructional time passed with wide bipartisan support Wednesday, Jan. 14.

“Every parent knows that phones are addictive devices. We’ve got to give kids their childhood back,” Tisdel said in a statement.

It marked the first vote of 2026 in the divided Michigan Legislature following a year that saw some marquee bipartisan policies pass but stood out for the historically low number of bills signed into law and its fierce partisan fights. If signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the phone ban would take effect for the 2026-2027 school year.

The new year saw Michigan’s minimum wage rise to $13.73 thanks to a law signed by the state legislature in 2018 (although the controversy surrounding that law is an ongoing issue). It’s set to go up again to $15 in January of 2027.

In the meantime, we wanted to know:

Do you think the minimum wage rise is enough to cover the current cost of living?

Here are highlights of what you said:

“If an individual worked 40 hours a week under the new minimum wage in MI they would earn $550/week pretax. With housing and heat costs (not mentioning food) so high, there is not much money left to pay transportation, insurance, etc. According to what I figure out, households would need two minimum wage incomes to survive moderately if there was a family involved. Sadly, as a minimum wage increases, so do the cost of the goods. Stores and restaurants and other businesses would have to increase the cost of their products to cover the increase in salaries. Housing costs, utilities, food, healthcare and insurance costs (to name a few expenses) must come down if minimum income, Social Security recipients, and they ‘American Dream’ is going to survive.” — Pastor Sheila Baker

“In order for it to be a livable wage, especially with astronomical apartments, the minimum wage needs to be north of $20/hour!” — Deb McClellan

“Yes, with the current national inflation rate near 3%, and America’s seniors getting a 2.8% COLA bump in their Social Security checks, I most certainly think that a 9.25% increase in the minimum wage is more than fair from a cost of living adjustment perspective. From a more core wage perspective, whether $31-32,000 annual income (based on 40-hour work weeks) is sufficient. This is probably more than adequate for a single individual, but less so for a single-income family of 3 or more.“ — David Hughes

“I think minimum wage is NOT supposed to cover the cost of living. These are entry level jobs… not jobs to live on. Increasing it doesn’t make a difference because what happens is that small businesses that can’t raise rates much go OUT OF BUSINESS and those that can stay in business just raise their costs to cover payroll. Me… I can’t keep up anymore… so I will lose staff… and will likely close this year because of it.” — Paula Chorazy

“Public Utilities and private utilities, including DTE should be banned from funding Michigan elections or other state and federal elections. I strongly opposed the Citizen’s United Ruling by the Supreme Court. Since that terrible ruling, politicians are beholden to their donors and do not engage with their constituents like in the past. Also, incredibly large donations are influencing Michigan and Federal contracts and government spending decisions. A candidate who wins a seat and has been funded is beholden or expected to award the donors, this makes the rule by the few instead of many an unequal and unfair advantage. Business dealings should always be done without political contributions and we all need to overturn Citizen’s United as well.” — Janet Swierkosz

“Maybe for a single person just starting out, $600/week ($2400/month) would cover the basics, if they shared an apartment and relied on public transportation. A couple, if both worked, would be able to get by and maybe save a little. But once you factor in children and child care, it would get increasingly difficult to get by. Rule of thumb used to be 25-30% of income should go to rent, now it’s closer to 50%! More emphasis should be placed on post secondary education in the trades or college courses, so our young adults can succeed in life.” — Kathy Bolden

“Minimum wage was designed as a wage floor, not a guarantee that every job could support the full cost of living. Its purpose was worker protection—especially for entry-level and younger workers—and to prevent exploitation. The larger cost-of-living challenge involves housing, inflation, and economic structure well beyond hourly wages alone.” — Christine A Zammitt-Snow

“According to the MIT Living Wage calculator, the living wage for a single person with no dependents in Michigan is $20.97.” — Falon Rena Wolfbauer

And if you have a question you’d like me to ask our community, send it my way. I might feature it in a future newsletter.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Karel Vega with stories from Chaunie Brusie and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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