Split Rock Lighthouse Weblog

Yes we are open

niemijv — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 16:09:01 +0000

We have received several calls from folks who are travelling north and are wondering about accessibility to the North Shore. Interstate 35 is completely open. Heading north on Hwy 61 there is a detour around Knife River. Trails are pretty chewed up but are accessible at SRL. I would encourage you to check out your travel route as you head north and give yourself plenty of time. You can always call 511, MNDOT travel information. The flood warning remains in effect until 4:30 today, Friday, June 22nd.

http://www.weather.com/weather/alerts/localalerts/55616?phenomena=FA&significance=W&areaid=MNC075&office=KDLH&etn=0011

http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/

Safe travels to all and please remember that even though rivers, streams and creeks are receding that the water can still be dangerous after so much rainfall.

Hummingbirds

niemijv — Mon, 28 May 2012 19:23:43 +0000

We are trained as Historic Site Interpreters, to know the vast history of Split Rock Lighthouse station; however at times we find ourselves a “Jack of all trades”, like the Keepers before us. We each bring with us unique talents spanning the geography, phenology, entomology, hydrology, meteorology, ethology and ornithology (to name a few) of the area.

Recently, our talents at ornithology were tested when a hummingbird found its way into the Fog Signal building and could not figure the way out. After several hours of frantic flying and no food the little one eventually succumbed to her exhaustion and was captured.

She was extremely lethargic, in almost a torpor state, and had cobwebs wound between her wing and foot, holding them tightly together. First, was getting some sugar water to try and re-hydrate the wee bird. Next, was slowly and gently getting the cobwebs off her wing and unwound from her foot. She was finally free of cobwebs but still not very responsive. She was cupped in hands to keep warm; the temperature had dropped. What next? Well, after a few minutes of having a wing and foot free and taking in a little bit of sugar water and warming up, the humming bird began to perk up. She actually stuck her beak out between my fingers. Upon opening my hand the hummingbird took flight into the birch near the feeder. They are nothing if not resilient creatures.

We are not sure if the little hummingbird is among the throngs coming to the feeder, but we would like to believe that with a little human intervention she is doing well.

This save happened because of our dedicated staff; Alex, for bring the hummingbirds plight to attention and Vi and Matt for the initial rescue.

For more information on the Ruby-throated Humming bird, please check out the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby-throated_Hummingbird

Duluth Pack Items Now Available at Split Rock Museum Store

Gloria Rosenau-Stern — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:33:06 +0000

Split Rock Lighthouse Museum Store and the Duluth Pack Store have teamed up and now an assortment of locally made Duluth Pack bags are available with a Split Rock Lighthouse logo leather patch. Available for purchase are Daypacks, Shell Bags, Haversack, Market Totes and Wanderer (the pack chosen by NBC to be featured in Love in the Wild, a TV reality show). We also have the ability to special order any of the Duluth Pack items with the Split Rock patch on.

Moonrise shutterbugs

Lee Radzak — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:05:10 +0000

This may have been a poor winter on the North Shore for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing but it has been a good winter for watching the full moon. Each year, between November and March, photographers line up on the shoreline of Lake Superior in the state park to catch the full moonrise lined up behind Split Rock Lighthouse.

With the lack of snow and the unseasonably warm temperatures this winter more people than ever have set up tripods at sunset to catch the moon rising out of the lake right off of the lighthouse cliff. Last night I spent about an hour on the rocky shoreline with a half a dozen or so shutterbugs who came equiped with an amazing array of equipment. I snapped a few shots then mainly got out of the way. Some of these people are very serious and focused on the sole mission of capturing “the” shot. It was like watching a choreographed dance as the group scampered with tripods across the icy rocks to try to rearrange their equipment to keep up with the rising moon and to keep it in line with the distant lighthouse and cliff.
I seems that there is (or should be) an unspoken photographer’s etiquette, or maybe it’s just a gentleman’s agreement, that implies that a photographer not set up their tripod and camera directly between the subject and cameras already shooting the same scene.
Anyway, it ended up being more fun capturing the activity in front of and behind me along the shore.
The moon will be there once a month, but then again so will the shutterbugs.

New poster in the Museum Store

Gloria Rosenau-Stern — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:34:48 +0000

Just added to the museum store! This great new poster depicting the lighthouse “icon brand”. (available at the online store too!) Split Rock = the lighthouse, trees, waves, highway 61. Romance and nature, captured in a poster.

22 X 28 poster that fits standard size frames!

Minnesota Mittens are Here

Gloria Rosenau-Stern — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:06:48 +0000

Cold weather and a little bit of snow! We are please to announce the addition of Minnesota Mittens, Mittens with a Mission to the Split Rock Museum Store! The traditional wool/cotton mittens are manufactured from recycled yarn or fabric. The are made at a regional rehabilitation center in Winona MN. The mittens offer comfort and warmth for your hands and heart! Come shop and check them out!

National Landmark status for Split Rock

Lee Radzak — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:23:48 +0000

On June 23, 2011 U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced the designation of Split Rock Light Station as a National Historic Landmark. Split Rock has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1969 but designation as a national landmark denotes a much higher level of historic significance.

During two world wars and beyond, Split Rock Light Station served as a vital aid to navigation to iron ore carriers carrying iron ore shipments across western Lake Superior from the vast iron ranges in northern Minnesota to the lower Great Lakes for processing. Split Rock is also a highly intact example of an early 20th century Great Lakes light station.

Split Rock is the twelfth light station in the United States and the second light station on the Great Lakes to receive national landmark designation. The light station, an active navigational aid from 1910 to 1969, is now a Minnesota state historic site and is open daily to the public for tours from mid-May through mid-October.

The Shutdown is Over!

Lee Radzak — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:11:51 +0000

After 21 days, the State of Minnesota goverment shutdown is over! Split Rock, and the other Minnesota state historic sites will be open tomorrow, so we can get back to business. The shutdown was frustrating in that it came at the time when so many people are traveling on the North Shore and wanting to visit all of the sites and state parks, all of which were closed. The shutdown created an unfortunate situation with the closing of all the state parks and state historic sites, such as Split Rock Lighthouse. Tourists had to walk in to the parks as no vehicles were allowed. This caused some traffic congestion at the entrances to places like Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock Lighthouse State Parks.

With no one allowed on the historic lighthouse grounds during the shutdown some of the wildlife got a little bolder and made themselves at home. A young cow moose dined on the Virginia creeper planted near the lightkeeper’s houses on a couple of quiet mornings. This will change tomorrow when the site reopens for its regular hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day.

: This moose was as curious as nervous as she browsed on the Virginia creeper.

Summer road construction

Lee Radzak — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 21:17:55 +0000

While the North Shore Scenic Drive, or Highway 61 as it is better known, has amazing scenery and is an awesome drive the road itself does need some help from time to time. The four to five miles of Hwy. 61 that runs through Split Rock Lighthouse State Park is receiving some well-deserved reconstruction during a highway project that began in the spring of 2010.

For those of you who are planning a trip up the shore and to Split Rock Lighthouse this June you will likely have a few minutes delay for the construction work which is now going full tilt. MNDOT and the contractors are promising to keep delays down to 20 minutes so this should just give motorists a better chance to slow down and enjoy the view.

All traffic should be on the new alignment by the end of June and work is scheduled to be completed by August of this year. A real plus is that this will open up some new vistas of Lake Superior and the lighthouse as up drive along the new alignment.

Photographing the January full moon over Split Rock

Lee Radzak — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:05:28 +0000

The full moon breaking through the parting clouds a half hour after sunset.

Each year more and more photographers are wise to the fact that the January full moon is the best moonrise of the year for catching a full moon rising out of Lake Superior behind Split Rock Lighthouse. On Wednesday afternoon about a dozen people, some like me who are not professional photographers waited in anticipation for the clouds and frost smoke over the lake to break and the full moon to show itself.

A break in the clouds as the sun sets gives a glow to the lighthouse cliff.

This tradition began in 1983 when Paul Sundberg and I skiied down to Little Two Harbors from the lighthouse (that was away back before any roads or trails were developed in the state park). We had it all to ourselves on those January nights for the next few years. By the 1990’s we were noticing other photographers picking up on the idea and the cooperative and scenic full moonrises of January.

Come prepared and this is a special time to visit with other photographers and folks who like to take pictures, who like the quiet of the frigid open waters of Lake Superior at sunset, or the view of the lighthouse from Pebble Beach and Little Two Harbors. Dress warm, bring extra camera batteries and a flashlight, and you are often treated to some good conversation or some amazing solitude and scenery

Not all of the good scenes include the lighthouse. Ellingson Island in the dusk.