Move of the Century

I have the task of giving a program about the lighthouse. The 2 interp rangers that are stationed here for the winter both need to have a talk on this topic and it is obvioius why. So that means Jen and I are both working on bettering our programs :) We wanted to make each one different so we both choice different lighthouse topics. Jen is delivering a talk about the light's historic values and how life was for the lighhouse keepers out there on the Outer Banks. I chose the epic relocation project named "the move of the century." After the relocation it was named a National Civil Engineering Landmark which I think is pretty neat!

The lighthouse was moved from its original location to its new home 2,900 feet to the southwest. The move was completed in the summer of 1999 so this year marks the 10th aniversary. This truly was an engineering feat. Most visitors come in amazed that it was able to be moved all in one piece without a single crack in the foundation. The only crack in the lighthouse was caused by lightning long before the relacation project.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse weighs 4800 tons...thats more than 2 space shuttles and is composed of 1,250,000 bricks (The tallest brick lighthouse in the world). At 208 ft it is also the tallest lighthouse in North America. Intimidating?....yes. Those responsible for the project were a chimney moving company out of Buffalo, NY and a housemoving company out if Virgina. Both the principal and double keepers quarters were moved as well and placed at the new site.

Preparation began 6 months earlier. Workers dug down 6 feet from the base of the lighthouse and proceeded to separate the lighthouse from its granite base with a diamond tiped cable saw. As the granite was removed, steel shoring towers were placed underneath to transfer the weight. A straight line was then cleared and paved with gravel creating a move path for the lighthouse. The lighthouse now sat on steal that rested on heavy duty rollers. this is how the lighthouse would move...little by little.

Hydrallic jacks pushed from behind as the monsterous structure made its way slowly down the move path. Steal beams were taken from behind the lighthouse and placed in front like stepping stones as it moved along. After 23 days of slow movement the light reached its new home a safe 1,500ft from the ocean on July 9, 1999. It now stood the same distance away from the sea as it did when it was first built in 1870. Just goes to show how fast our world is changing. The island is being shifted to the southwest at an extrodinary rate. She continues to shine today keeping man-kind safe from the dangerous waters of the diamond shoals and we have returned the favor in keeping her safe from beach erosion for another 100 years.

Some storm damage pictures....you may recognize this house as the house that was filmed in the movie "Nights in Rodanthe" the road closure is curently about 20 minutes south of where I live.

Beached

As I sit here in the Museum of the Sea...in front of the famous light house...at Cape Hatteras National Seashore...I end up thinking to myself " why have I been here for 2 hours and still havent seen a single sole walk in here. This is a wonderful place to visit." Then there is a snap back to reality. "Oh Yeah...no one can get here and the only people who are here have been here twice already because they are so bored that they came back twice.



The road has been washed away and has been shut down since Thursday. So everyone who visited the seashore for a vacation is getting a little more of Hatteras Island than they were hoping to get. As for me, Jennifer and I have been having real heart to heart conversations because there is nothing else to do besides complete stats sheets for which we have no stats. Today we have had a total of one family come strolling through the grounds that managed to get through the road block. As of right now the only way off the island is to travel 20 miles south the Hatteras Village and take the 2 hour ferry trip back to the main land...not for me.

The outer banks continues to be in a "state of emergency" and I guess if I were from a big city I would consider myself stranded. At least we have a grocery store, a roof over our head, and each other for entertainment. For now they are deciding to build a temperary section where you are allowed to drive along the beach past the road damage as long as you have 4 wheel drive. We shall see in the days to come.

In other news I am hurrying through my interpretive writing course at top speed. I have already learned a great deal and look forward to my next assignements include a site bulletin and radio essay. There is the possiblity that my site bullentin will be used here in the park. Everyone who comes in here is wanting to know all about the moving of the lighthouse so I think my bulletin will be on that.

Open Our Beaches!

Things have started to slow here on Hatteras Island. I had the chance to get out and explore several times. The only interpretive staff that we have here are Laura, Rachelle, myself, Mark and a couple of volunteers. Mark will leave in about 2 weeks which is sad because we get along quite well and have had fun. We will be getting another seasonal in on the 9th and I have heard that she will be a good addition.

My exploring has been limited to Rodanthe, Hatteras Village, and I am hoping to get to Ockracoke soon enough. The towns up and down the chain look very similar in that the houses are tall and the boundary between the villages and park land obvious. "Since we cant build out we will build up!" most of the locals don't want anything to do with park service employees but I have found that if you let them know that you have nothing to do with the decisions to close the beaches they will tollerate your presence. There are signs everywhere in town stating things like "open our beaches" or "RIP federal government promises." Needless to say my uniform comes off rather quickly after work before going into town. There are some places that really support the park and welcome employees without a second thought. It is just knowing which ones to avoid is the trick.

This is Mark's brillant idea for Halloween night. " So....I think that one of us should dress up like a sea turtle, another like a piping plover (endangered bird) , and the other can be a park service employee holding a beach closed sign. We then go out for drinks and start closing down sections of the bar and if people get too close we expand the closure. It would either be really funny or end really badly depending on who was in the bar that night!" Hmmmm...I dont think so!

New Visions of an Old Lighthouse

I have always apprecieated lighthouses and have seen a few in my lifetime. My family and I would travel to the shores of the Atlantic from time to time and I was always interesting to see the lighthouses and marvel at their beauty. However, having never seen the Cape Hatteras lighthouse I was in for a real treat. As I drove in I saw it, rising above me as the car grew closer. The giant black and white striped candy cane stood taller than anyother light structure I had seen. In the October afternoon sun the tallest brick lighthouse in the world did look truly majestic.

Over the years I have gained appreciation for the natural world, hence why I love visiting mountains, lakes, oceans, sand dunes, and geysers. But every so often I get the sence of appreciation for the works of man and accomplishments that are unimaginable. It takes brains, imagination, and determination to create such wonders and the combination can sometimes make magic.

Having been on this sight for 2 weeks I have heard history of the lightkeepers whose purpose was to keep this lighthouse operation. This is a beacon of warning to men at sea, a navigational tool, and a way of avoiding the feared "Graveyard of the Atlantic". Thousands of ships have foundered here in the diamond shoals. It is here where the Gulf Stream and the Laborador current meet in an epoch battle creating some of the roughest waters on the eastern coast and a sense of terror to ships. With a beacon of exactly 7.5 seconds for one rotation this unique pattern is unlike any other altering ships to there location on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

This lighthouse has survived over 100 years of operation and a relocation project deemed "The Move of the Century." The lighthouse was moved 2,900 feet to the southwest in 1999 to save it from the rapidly approaching ocean tides. The importance of this light has gain the respect of millions of visitors and has touched the hearts of those learning its unique history. Located at the original site there is a granite circle engraved with the light keeps names starting from 1870. As any visitor will find, It was tremendaous work to keep this lighthouse running.

At night fall it is a dramatic sight. As I was out running one evening darkness fell opon me. As my eyes adjusted to see the road ahead of me I saw a familiar light coming from the old tower. As I sometimes do, I timed the interval at exactly 7.5 seconds. I felt comforted, and had a sense of place. I knew that even if the road suddenly dissapeared I would be able to find my way. It brought a connection between myself and the history of this amazing place. This beacon has been used for a long time and legacy continues each and every day.

Some people have trouble finding thier place in this world. It is inevitable that you will feel lost sometimes. We all feel this way. But as there is medicine for most things we can somtimes find it within symbols. That is what this light is a symbol, a icon of place. So if you ever feel lost, lonely, confused, or need a sense of place in this big world I suggest visiting a lighthouse. Standing at the base watching the light shine out over the water I know exactly where I am...I am on Hatteras Island.

The Wind Blows Me to the Coast for Winter

Lots of exciting changes are happening. This is the first time that I am able to watch the colors change in Glacier National Park. The aspen's, larches, and dogbane are turning golden as we rapidly approach October in northwest Montana. It truly is a spectacular sight. Eric ( one of my co-workers) and myself hiked up to huckleberry lookout the other day and saw all three seasons in just one hike. This is not uncommon for Montana, mind you. Looking into the northfork was breathtaking. Im starting to recognize that all too familiar knot in my stomach that I get when I know I have to leave this place soon. I will be saying goodbye to Glacier NP on October 3rd and I am trying to enjoy my last week of autumn bliss.

So where will I be going you might ask....I have recently accepted a winter seasonal position at Cape Hatteras National Seashore. One of my former co-workers at Glacier was the one to actually offer me the position as she accepted a permenant position and moved there in July. I am looking forward to working with Rachelle again and also learning about what Cape Hatteras has to offer. I am being brought on October 12th and will work until mid-April. Just in time to return to Glacier!!!!

I am told that I will be giving 2 interpretive programs while I am there. One of these will be a history program and the other a nature walk. A guided walk on the outer banks...how bad could that be?? I will also be working the visitor center, doing projects as assigned, and working a museum. I am looking forward to the new experience, learning a great deal, and meeting lots of new people. so if anyone has free time this winter and is up for some warmer weather, surfing, or yummy seafood give me a shout anytime ;)

Advice from a River

Bowman Creek

Adrien and I managed to spend over an hour just sitting next to Bowman Creek one day. Our intent was to walk up the path a little ways and play around. It felt nice to sit for a while and enjoy the peace. Away from the road, the crowd, the noise was just what I needed.

We sat there for the longest time just staring off down the creek watching the water flow downstream. We can learn alot from water. As I watched it go around the bend taking the path of its own choosing I began to think. Rivers don't ever ask why...they just flow. Coming around that bend they hit obsticles and outsmart them. The river will go where it is destined to go and sometimes the path that looks the easiest is actually the most difficult. The river knows this...and she goes around. Points of chaos equal points of hardship and can be seen on her face as she struggles to stay calm. But sometimes staying placid is too much to ask of her. The further along she mellows out and can relax again as the terrain allows... Rivers do not follow guidelines, or rules, they make their own.

As I continued my weekend up to Crypt Lake I saw yet another stream bed. This time dry and motionless. Even though she has left this spot her power is still there. It can be seen in the rocks that was shaped and changed by the river. Lying motionless it lies and shows a memory of what once was. We shape and change where we have been. That is for sure. Every impact no mater how small is important. And just like the river we leave trails. She is a model for people who feel alone, lost, or confused. She has moved on but has definetly left her mark.