Let's make this clear right away: In no way is it a good idea to trek from United States to Canada via Lake Erie, which is currently a frozen wasteland of ice, wind, and snow.
But perils aside, is it possible? Especially considering that, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 95 percent of Lake Erie is now covered by ice. That's an enormous amount of ice: The lake's surface area is around 9,940 square miles.
The hike has been done before. Or, at least, people have claimed to have accomplished the trek, which at its narrowest approach is around 25 miles across. One such account can be found in a 2007 issue of Cleveland Magazine. The author, Dave Voelker, recounts how in 1978 (a year Lake Erie had 100 percent ice cover), he traversed the expanse alone over two days. At night, after his first day of walking over what looked like a frozen desert, he recorded this scene.
The wind had died down to a dead calm, and my thermometer read 20 degrees. The stars were out in full force, and I could see shimmering lights on three shores. Except for the drone of an occasional invisible plane, the silence was complete and overwhelming. It was a peaceful, striking image, and as I beheld the rare beauty of a frozen lake in the dead of night, I felt possessed by a satisfying and impregnable serenity.
It's sounds incredible. But it's also profoundly dumb.