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A major restoration project that no normal person, except perhaps a physical fitness nut, would want to undertake is being completed on the 308 eight steps that lead to and from California’s Point Reyes Lighthouse.
The steps at the lighthouse, which are the height of a thirty story building, were first built of wood and then replaced by stone, finally became worn out by the elements and by the use of the stairs by the tens of thousands of people that visit the lighthouse.
Although rich in natural beauty, this was not a popular post for lighthouse keepers who had to make the trip through all kinds of weather; sometimes even crawling in an attempt to fight the high wind.
The task is no easier for the crew that is restoring the steps, an even harder job when you need to bring a wheelbarrow up and down or hand carry buckets of concrete back and forth to rebuild the stairs. Their job finally got easier with the addition of motorized wheelbarrow that slowly climbs up and down the staircase one step at a time.
The restoration is part of a $1.2 million restoration project that will include not only replacing the steps but also painting the tower, installing new water lines and repairing the other outbuildings at the site.
This story appeared in the April 2003 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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