I was super excited to find out that the Captain's Cruise I had signed up for upon arrival would be going to Rock Harbor Lighthouse and the Bangsund Cabin today...AND it would be extended by an hour! Yay! No doubt this was due to the fact all but 3 passengers were part of the National Parks Conservation Association, but who cares, any excursion that is extended is fine by me! On the way out of the harbor the MV Ranger (the largest piece of equipment owned by the National Parks Service) cruised thru the Smithwick Channel on its way into Rock Harbor from Houghton, Michigan (a longer 6ish hour trip, but no doubt a larger ship and probably less likely to cause sea-sickness in susceptible passengers).
After passing Mott and Caribou Islands, we got our first glimpse of Rock Harbor lighthouse. Now....all of those NPCA'ers were planning on going to Bangsund Cabin (home of Rolf & Candy Peterson of wolf-moose study fame) first and then the light. I decided to stray away from the crowd and enjoy more solitude and ventured to the lighthouse first, where I was soon joined by the only 2 others that weren't with the larger group. This was more my style!
On the short hike there, tucked back into some bushes I found a tombstone from the 1870's! Unfortunately, the year of Arthur Lee Scott's death was obscured by the bush but was born on 8-17-1845 and died March 15 1870something. The twenty-something was more than likely a copper miner or fisherman that lived or worked here. I wonder what happened to him and what brought him here from Nineveh, New York and how long he stayed? Hmm...sounds like some digging (not with a shovel...but for info) might be in order!
Just a few steps further I spotted the top
of Rock Harbor Lighthouse. The 50 foot lighthouse started guiding boats to safety in 1855, but a lull in mining activity was the reason behind its closure in 1859. In 1874 mining activity picked up again and it was re lit, only to be extinguished for good in 1879. Thankfully it has been kept in good repair and is still open to climb and has a nice museum of sorts on the ground floor.
At first, it was a nice escape from the heat of the day. But as I ascended the stairs, it became absolutely sweltering! More than likely because there were no open windows or air vents to circulate the air....so I decided to be thankful that I could at least climb it, and stopped whining and got on with it. Oh though how I wished this window could be opened so I could get a little breeze on this nasty day!
At last, 63 steps and 9 ladder rungs later
I was almost to the top!
...only to find the top of the tower was
enclosed in Plexiglas for my safety. :-( Oh well....I did my best to cut down on reflection as I peered out onto Caribou Island and some smaller patches of land.
This is looking onto Isle Royale proper with Caribou Island jutting out from the right of the frame.
As I descended I was grateful to have a chance to get out in the breeze again!
Wandering around in front of the light I found some Fireweed in bloom...
...and another Silver-bordered Fritillary....or is it the same one and it just keeps following me???
One last look and its time to go on
to the Bangsund Cabin! I certainly didn't want to miss that...perhaps all the others in the group would be wrapping it up and would still have some time to climb the lighthouse too!
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