From Two Harbors up to Split Rock Lighthouse – Lake Superior made us feel welcome and almost at peace with not living anywhere near an ocean.

and the lighthouse that sits atop of it, this time in Black and White.  For more information on this historic lighthouse, click the link on the photo from two days ago.

Overlooking Lake Superior.  Split Rock Lighthouse was built in response to the famous Mataafa Storm of 1905, in which 29 ships were lost on Lake Superior.

This is my favorite shot from the sunrise we saw… You can’t see the sun, but you know its there… bursting over the horizon.

A few different perspectives on rocks and water.

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Last weekend we spent two days hiking the north shore (of Lake Superior) area of Minnesota.  We were centered around Two Harbors which lies north of Duluth. Day 1 was spent at Tettegouche State Park and Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. Day 2 we explored Beaver Bay and Gooseberry Falls. On our first day of hiking, the weather was cold and the fog was so thick you could barely see in front of you.  On the next day, it was sunny, clear and hot.  I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such opposites in such a short period of time   And just in case you think I’m exaggerating, here’s some proof…

Day1 at Baptism Bay on Lake Superior (yes, there really is a lake there where the river ends):

Day 2 at Baptism Bay on Lake Superior:

What a difference a day makes!  Alright, so now I will show shots from the day.  I really enjoyed the hiking but it’s very different from what I’m accustomed to.  The trails were short and easy without much change in elevation and the forest is coniferous instead of deciduous.  It made for an interesting time and I’m really glad we were able to squeeze a couple of days of hiking in during our MN trip.

{Split Rock Light House}

{inside Split Rock Lighthouse}

{Baptism Bay}

{can you spot the crayfish?}

{throwing rocks into water is awesome}

{so many rocks, so little time}

{Tettegouche State Park}

{waterfalls on Baptism River}

Hopefully in the next week I will post about day 2.  Now it’s off to the mountain of laundry and unpacked suit cases.

Canon 5D camera with Canon 24mm f1.4 Aspherical L series lens

This image was made in the township of Airyes Inlet along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. The central element in the image is ‘Eagle Rock’ a local landmark just off shore from the even more famous Split Rock Lighthouse. I used to dream about owning a holiday house in the area, so it’s particularly pleasing to have made this image which is now included in my Great Ocean Road portfolio.

While the Eagle Rock is the main focal point in the image, I also like the contrast between the dramatic sky and the sombre deep tones of the water and foreground bushes. I utilised a slow Shutter Speed of 20 seconds to create the smooth, velvet texture in the water.

Actually I’d increased the ISO from the default 100 up to ISO 200 to bring the exposure time back from 40 seconds. Practical experience had indicated that noise was likely to become visible, with the camera in question, when exposure times exceeded 30 seconds.

The image was made with a Canon 5D camera and Canon 24mm f1.4 L series USM lens.

© Copyright All Rights Reserved

Glenn Guy, Blue Sky Photography

(Photo credit: Minnesota Historical Society)

The Lantern Room of historic Split Rock Lighthouse is Undercover for restoration. The Twenty-seven curved storm windows will be resealed and the Lantern Room will be painted. The restoration of the Lighthouse is scheduled to be completed by May 15 when the Lighthouse reopens for the season.

Restoration of the brick Lighthouse Keeper houses, and the Fog Signal Building is scheduled to be completed by mid-July.

For more information about the Lighthouse, please visit the “Split Rock Lighthouse Annual Re-lighting” post.

Map Location:
For Map Directions, please visit the Google Map of Split Rock Lighthouse.

On the Lighter side of Lighthouses, a Photoshop Artist has painted Split Dog Lighthouse.

Related News Story:
Split Rock Lighthouse getting major makeover

Technorati Tags: lighthouse, Split Rock Lighthouse, Split Rock Lighthouse Undercover, Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, Split Rock, Minnesota ]]> http://lighthousestars.wordpress.com/2007/11/07/split-rock-lighthouse-annual-re-lighting/ Wed, 07 Nov 2007 05:40:00 +0000 Debbie Dolphin http://lighthousestars.wordpress.com/2007/11/07/split-rock-lighthouse-annual-re-lighting/

(Photo credit: Minnesota
Historical Society)

Every year, the original Third-order Fresnel lens of Split Rock Lighthouse shines brightly over Lake Superior to remember the tragedy of SS Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10th and 11th. Twenty-nine men lost their lives when the “Mighty Fitz” sank during a fierce gale that created 30-foot high waves on November 10, 1975. Canadian singer and songwriter Gordon Lightfoot wrote a tribute song called “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”

Ironically, Split Rock Lighthouse was built due to a severe storm named the Mataafa Blow of 1905 that damaged or wrecked 29 ships. The Lighthouse Service was also concerned about the local high concentration of iron ore causing havoc with navigation due to the magnetic errors of compass readings along the shoreline. All the materials for construction were lifted from the vessels up the 127-foot high Stony Point cliff because no roads existed in 1909.

Split Rock Lighthouse was First Lit on July 31, 1910 exhibiting a Flashing White Light every 10-seconds illuminated by a Third-order bivalve Fresnel lens 168-feet above lake level to a visible range of 19 nautical miles.

In 1969, Split Rock Lighthouse was deactivated and the Light extinguished due to Radar and Loran-C navigation technology. Fortunately, the Minnesota Historical Society acquired the Light Station in 1971 to restore, maintain, and preserve this historical treasure and shining Fresnel gem!

The Visitor center and Museum store are open year round.
The Lighthouse is open daily from May 15 to Oct 15. During the winter, the Lighthouse is closed except for the annual Lighting on Nov 10th and 11th which is the best time for night photography of the gleaming Fresnel gem casting a brilliant beam of light over the lake. Autumn colors provide a excellent vista behind the golden-colored bricks of the Lighthouse Tower.

Dennis O’Hara of Northern Images has captured a romantic photo of two Lighthouse Lovers gazing at the reflection of the Light beam! Dennis also has a close-up photo of Split Rock Lighthouse shining bright at night.

Map Location:
For Map Directions, please visit the Google Map of Split Rock Lighthouse.

Technorati Tags: lighthouse, Split Rock Lighthouse, Split Rock Lighthouse Annual Re-lighting, Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, Split Rock, Minnesota ]]> http://manofwy.wordpress.com/2006/06/28/two-harbors-still-a-working-port/ Thu, 29 Jun 2006 02:20:00 +0000 Alan Wyman http://manofwy.wordpress.com/2006/06/28/two-harbors-still-a-working-port/

We were ‘Up North’ this weekend in Duluth with a side trip up to Split Rock lighthouse, Gooseberry Falls, and Two Harbors on Saturday. We arrived in Two Harbors in time to watch an ore boat arrive in the harbor. These huge ships are amazing in how they can come into the harbor and turn in a relatively small area. The St. Clair is 770 feet long and considered a mid-size boat. The boom is 250 feet long and is used to self-unload the boat. The boat was built in 1976.