It's time to scout to the South. South of me is Avon, Buxton (site of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse), Frisco and then Hatteras, where you run out of road and have to take a ferry to Ocracoke Island and the town of Ocracoke, site of the Ocracoke Light. Just after sunrise, I hiked the beach a little and made some shots of the sand dunes -- Here's a shot I made just as the sun crept up over the dunes - a gull obligingly drifted by on morning patrol at just the right time to make the picture!
Just a little later and only ten feet from the last pic, here's the scene. . .
Down on the beach, the shorebirds
are starting to feed.
This is a Lesser Yellowlegs (Family:
Scolopaciae, Tringa flavipes)
Today all I really want to do is
scout out the Hatteras Light and see what the ferry to Ocracoke looks
like. Tomorrow, I want to be at the Hatteras Light at sun-up to take a
few pics and then make it to the Ocracoke Ferry so I can get to the
Ocracoke Light before the morning light disappears.
I make it to the Hatteras Light by
about 8:30 am - it's a 24 mile trip which translates to a 40 minute trip
from my base camp in Waves. I figure that in the early morning, I can
cut that to less than 30 minutes. You can climb the Hatteras Light -
it's only 260 some steps to the top. The National Park thugs charge only
$4 for access - not too bad considering today's economy. I have a
National Parks Pass so skipped the access fee. I took a bunch of pics
and did the climb. The Hatteras Light has an
interesting history - ancient and even recent. The Hatteras light has
recently been moved - not in pieces, but whole -- just like moving a
house. The original location was threatened by erosion from the seas -
if left alone, it was only a matter of time before the tides reclaimed
the land on which the Light was planted. Since the Light was a historic
structure on the national registry, it was decided to move the Light to
a more protected location. After years of planning, the light, along
with the light keeper structures, were moved about 1/2 mile inland.
Here's your typical tourist shot of
the light - also your typical postcard. This shot is really a cliché --
there are better ways. See the later pic.
Here's
a shot of the two Light keeper homes (from the top of the light of course),
also moved with the Light. The double structure on the left housed two
families and the single structure on the right housed the chief light
keeper. It took three light keepers to operate and maintain the light.
Before automation, the light's rotation was powered by gravity - a set of
weights on a chain just like a "grandfather" clock. The mechanism had to be
"rewound" every 2 1/2 hours. At that time, the light source was a flame from
an oil lamp - with three concentric wicks, the largest of which was 4 inches
in diameter. The wicks had to be trimmed once a day to keep the flame from
dimming! The Hatteras Light is the tallest in the US at 208 feet.
Originally, the light was a first order Fresnel lens. That has been replaced
with a rotating 1000 watt beacon and is visible for 20 miles.
From the Hatteras Light, it's only another 12 miles to Hatteras and the ferry to Ocracoke Island. That 12 miles takes another half hour to negotiate in the summer traffic. From the looks of the queue for the ferry, there is a 2-3 hour wait. A shopping center has sprouted up right beside the queue, obviously intended to service those waiting their turn on the ferry. It's not really a shopping center - it's a high-end tourist trap with a captive audience that's been delayed by the ferry. There's the normal cheap touristy gee-gaws, but there's some nice stuff too -- bring your $$. I don't make the trip across because of the wait. This ferry, and most of the other's along the NC shore, are run by the state. This particular one is free. The trip is only a few miles and takes about 30 minutes. There are a few boats running a 30 minute schedule throughout the day. At this time of day, you could expect at least a two hour delay. I'm hoping the early morning runs are less in demand - it's my experience that most of the vacationers don't get up too early!!