Although the primary focus of my camera may be birds, as an outdoorsman I love varied experiences which provide me the opportunity to enjoy nature’s beauty. Today as I find my planned bike touring rained out by Hurricane Nate, I am looking forward to Molly and my upcoming service as lighthouse keepers on a remote Lake Superior shore. In eight days we will find ourselves at Crisp Point Lighthouse , which is fifteen miles shy of Whitefish Point near the eastern end of Lake Superior.

Our duties are not difficult. During the day we greet guests, serve as impromptu tour guides, provide security for the site, perform housekeeping chores, and run the small gift shop. Unlike many lighthouses, there is no keeper’s residence. However, far from being a negative, having one’s own private campsite 20 miles from the nearest building of any kind is fantastic!

From a photography vantage point hanging out at a lighthouse is great. Having the combination of the largest lake in the world, Gitchi Gumi, and a lighthouse only 10 yards from the water makes for a great photo subject. My image taken last Fall and shown below is now used by the United States Lighthouses web site as the featured photo for Crisp Point. In total we will serve as keepers for just under a week, but as there is no connectivity of any kind … posts about the experience will have to wait till our return to civilization.

One final note … the Edmund Fitzgerald sank seven miles off Crisp Point … as noted in the lyrics of the song by Gordon Lightfoot.

The searches all say they’d have made Whitefish Bay
If they’d put fifteen more miles behind her

My wife and I just returned to Duluth from the other end of Lake Superior. We just spent just shy of a week as volunteer lighthouse keepers at Crisp Point. This beacon is one of the most remote in the USA. The Lake Superior coastline from which it shines is fourty miles from the nearest town, and requires a 19 mile drive along a poor dirt road. However the reward upon arriving at Crisp Point is fantastic!

Not everyone would like this gig. Unlike other volunteer keepers jobs, there is no residence building. Molly and I camped out in our tent. The waves of Gitche Gumee provided our music by which to fall asleep. Our tent was only 30 yards from the beach. Each night the temperatures would fall to near freezing, and one is off the grid. The closest power line and drinking water is an hour drive away. In fact, the might Fitz sunk just seven miles off this light. I often could hear Gordon Lightfoot’s song in my brain as winds gusted to 30+ mph!

During the core part of the day we ran a small, unheated visitor center. It was fun to explain the history of this location to the folks who were willing to make the long drive, and encourage them to climb to the top of the tower, and even try the catwalk (no charge!). By 4 or 5 pm our last guests would leave and Molly and I would enjoy our heaven on earth … knowing the closest other human were over 20 miles distant. It was now time to prepare our dinner, watch the sun set over Lake Superior, and have the evening campfire.

Molly, who also writes for Lake Superior Magazine, has also blogged about our stay at Crisp Point. Learn more about Crisp Point via its historical society web page. Finally, here are a few photos taken which work one through the day … from the Blue Hour which is approximately 40 minutes before sunrise to our lighthouse keeper campfire!

The Blue Hour

Reflections

Sunrise

Dawn Shadows

Fall Colors

Sunset Moment

Lighthouse Keeper Campfire

Crisp Point Location

My wife and I just finished our gig as lighthouse keepers on a remote stretch of Lake Superior shoreline near Whitefish Point. Crisp Point Lighthouse may only be accessed via a 19 mile long dirt road, and is 40 miles from the nearest town. In short, it is very remote!

Learn more about our experience as lighthouse keepers via my wife’s blog. Molly regularly writes articles for Lake Superior magazine and better describes our experience in words than me!

• An Enchanted Evening
• Good Morning, Lighthouse
• Opportunity Cruise

However, here is the magic of a Crisp Point night in photos … from sunset to sunrise! (access photos directly via Flickr)

Here are two still images / excerpts from the slide show. The Northern Lights shined upon us our second night at Crisp Point, but only after a gorgeous sunset!