Michigan Lights - Lower Nicolet West Range

Sunrise seen on the Neebish Isle Ferry. 10/8/24 dwm

 Our first attempt to visit the light on Neebish Island was October 7, the same day I shot the Frying Pan and Little Rapid Cut lights.

 We joined a short line waiting for the next ferry. When I looked at the schedule, I misread it, thinking it left at 10. When nothing happened at 10, I re-checked, and learned the next trip was at 11. That was too long to wait, but now knowing the correct schedule we planned to return the next morning at 8.

 There were quite a few of us waiting to cross the St. Mary's, including a dump truck. It's a narrow channel, but deep enough for ocean-going freighters. We crossed in less than five minutes from start to finish. 

The easiest part of the hike to the lights. 10/8/24 dwm

This island has 90 year-round residents and a number of cottages used during fishing and hunting seasons. There are no tourist-oriented businesses on the island. It's clear that if they need something, it's coming by mail or they take the ferry.

Unlike other island ferries we've taken, the fare to use the ferry covered the round-trip, so if you make it to the island, you have paid to get back to the mainland.

It was a short drive to the one-mile path to the light. We saw a house where the road came to a dead end, I didn't know it then, but it was the original keeper's house, a mile east of the light. The walking path was marked by somewhat shorter grass that ended at the gravel road.

The Lower Nicolet West Range light. 10/8/24 dwm

 The first stretch of the trail was an easy walk but it quickly transitioned to a path made with a four-wheel All-Terrain-Vehicle except the left wheel and right wheel tracks alternated being higher or lower than the other side.

 Trees and shrubs were knocked over or cut down, leaving stumps that made for tricky footing. About half-way to the lights the grass was hip-high.

 One more thing, this area of Michigan is known to have bear, which might have been nice to see from a distance, but I didn't want to scare one, so I sang as I walked.

The key-hole opening shines north for south-bound ships. dwm

I walked almost straight west for the first part of the walk, when the trail turned right, I saw the St. Mary's River in the distance but didn't see the light.

This stretch became spongy, it wasn't marshland, thanks to the summer drought probably, so I wasn't getting wet. That would have forced me to turn back.

I kept walking, more deliberately, checking my footing and battling through tall grass after the ATV trail disappeared.

There were trees and uncertain footing in front of the light, so I only got 15 to 20-feet in front. On either side of the light tower skeleton towers outfitted with day-mark boards can be seen during the day by south bound freighters.

One of two day-mark boards.

 Neebish Island splits ship traffic, with Lake Superior bound ships going north around the east side of the island while Lake Huron and Atlantic Ocean bound boats stay west of the island. This set of lights directed ships around the island.

 When I turned to get shots of the light, I saw another light flanked by two towers of day-mark boards, making these range lights (photo below). When I walked to the light, I was looking for it to be near the water. The rear range light was a quarter mile south of where I turned north.

 The steel tower was made in 1907. A stair goes up the outside of the tower. There are doors at the top and bottom where a light could be lit at the bottom and pulled up with a rope an pulley.

 Keepers worked the lights and other nearby navigational aids from 1895 to 1943 when the lights were automated.

 My smart watch broke two days earlier, so I didn't know how long it was taking to hike the treacherous trail, it felt like I was going fast but I couldn't go faster. 

The rear range light and day-mark board. dwm

A mile walk doesn't usually take me more than 20 minutes, but these weren't normal conditions. 

I had a slight advantage of being familiar with the path on the way back and tried walking faster, but it was tough going. 

When I reached the short grass, with a few more strides I saw our car where my wife was reading a book. I wasn't sure what time it was but had a feeling we missed the 9 a.m. ferry.

It was 9:15. It may have been 8:10 or 8:15 when I started the walk. I didn't take many pictures because there weren't a lot of opportunities and I was trying to get out and back as quick as possible. After the fact, I'm guessing it was a 25-minute hike each direction.

On the return trip. 10/8/24 dwm

 As I finished the hike, I was thankful for good health and thankful for the safe passage I had to getting out and back without any trouble.

 Since it was 9:15 at my return and the next ferry crossed at 10, we drove south on Brander Road, which splits the island north to south. We passed the community firehouse and saw a well-kept Presbyterian church with a sign out front advertising services every Sunday.

 We returned on Brander and East 15 Mile Road to the ferry landing, stopping near a large open space with a great view of the river and the ferry landings on either side.

 The timing of this trip worked out well. We stayed in Sault Ste. Marie two nights, going to the island during our full day in the Soo Locks City. When we crossed back to the mainland, we returned to town so my wife could shop in the afternoon while I rode downtown to take in some of the local attractions. 

Photos below were taken while crossing east to the island and on the trip back.  10/8/2024 dwm photos