POINT REYES LIGHT HOUSE

POINT REYES LIGHTHOUSE IS ONE OF THE WINDIEST POINTS ON THE PACIFIC COAST AND IT IS A VERY FOGGY ! -ESPECIALLY IN SUMMER. THE HEADLAND PENINSULA JUTS 10 MILES OUT TO SEA. IT HAS BEEN HERE FOR MORE THAN A HUNDRED YEARS AS IT WAS BUILT IN 1870. IT WAS RETIRED FROM SERVICE IN 1975. OUR FAMILY HAS HIKED A NUMBER OF TIMES TO THE LIGHT HOUSE WHICH HAS A LONG SET OF 300 STAIRS. THEY HAVE A SMALL VISITOR CENTER THERE WHERE THEY EXPLAIN WHEN TO WATCH FOR WHALES AND HOW THE PRISMS WORK. THE PRISMS WERE FROM FRANCE AND WERE CARRIED HERE BY OX CARTS. THE LIGHTHOUSE LANDING WAS BLASTED WITH DYNAMITE. IT TOOK THEM SIX WEEKS TO LOWER THE MATERIALS FROM THE CLIFF AND CONSTRUCT THE LIGHTHOUSE. IT TOOK MANY YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION AND POINT REYES LIGHT HOUSE WAS FINALLY BUILT. SHIPS RECOGNIZE THE LIGHT HOUSES BY THEIR UNIQUE FLASH PATTERN. IF IT IS TOO FOGGY, A FOG SIGNAL IS ESSENTIAL. THIS STILL HAS NOT ELIMINATED ALL SHIPWRECKS. A LIFE SAVING STATION WAS BUILT ON A BEACH JUST NORTH OF POINT REYES LIGHTHOUSE IN 1890. MEN WALKED THE BEECHES FOR 4 HOUR SHIFTS, WATCHING FOR PEOPLE WHO WOULD NEED RESCUE.

THE WORK OF A LIGHTHOUSE IS 24/7. THE HEAD KEEPER WALKED DOWN THE STAIRS TO LIGHT THE LAMP. HE HAD THREE ASSISTANTS WHO HAD 4 SIX HOUR SHIFTS. THEY WOULD CLEAN LENS, POLISH THE BRASS, STOKE THE STEAM POWERED FOG SIGNAL, AND MAKE NECESSARY REPAIRS.

SOMETIMES HE HAD TO CRAWL ON HANDS AND KNEES TO GET BACK UP TO THE WOODEN STAIRCASE BECAUSE THE WINDS WERE SO STRONG. THE HIGHEST WIND SPEED WAS 133 MPH, 60 MPH ARE THE NORM. BECAUSE OF THE ISOLATION AND WIND IT WAS AN UNDESIRABLE POST. ONE KEEPER STAYED FOR ABOUT 24 YEARS!

IT IS A PERFECT PLACE TO WATCH FOR WHALES. IN ORDER TO REDUCE THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT THEY HAVE 6 ELECTRIC CARS AND HAVE INSTALLED SOLAR PANELS A NUMBER OF STRUCTURES, AND IT IS USING GREEN TECHNOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION. THEY HAVE A SIZABLE HERD OF ELK. WE HAVE SCENE A BABY ELK AS WE HAVE BICYCLED ALONG BEAR MT. PATH.

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