Digest>Archives> Sep/Oct 2014

I Survived the Climb, by Jupiter!

By Gaye Buzzo Dunn

Comments?    


You can see an enlarged version of this picture by clicking here.
>> Click to enlarge <<
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Florida.
Photo by: Diana Locke

The living is easy in sunny, southeast Florida - unless you’ve decided to climb the 105 steps of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, a must to experience the best scenic view in Palm Beach County. I looked up at the majestic rise of the red cement and black metal tower awed with its colorful façade: and I knew, despite some trepidation, that I had to make that climb.

You can see an enlarged version of this picture by clicking here.
>> Click to enlarge <<
Gayle Buzzo Dunn

It was October 6, 2008 when I climbed Jupiter’s 105 lighthouse steps, despite being a claustrophobic (fear of confined spaces) and acrophobic (fear of heights). Standing at the end of the visitor line, I trekked up a circular, metal-grated staircase knowing I could never look down -and I didn’t. Halfway up, resting my legs and catching my breath on one of the small landings, I clutched the handrail with a death grip. I was anxious to reach the top and let out a sigh of relief when I did.

You can see an enlarged version of this picture by clicking here.
>> Click to enlarge <<
The stairs at Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse. (Courtesy ...

I stepped out onto the gallery floor still clutching the back side of the door, afraid to venture close to the railing, my camera lodged in my jeans pocket. I circled around the gallery with my back resting against the comforting circular tower behind me. The view was as spectacular as promised. I fished in my pocket for the camera, and carefully ventured partway to the railing, and snapped some photos. I began my retreat back to the door, thinking it would be much easier going down. It wasn’t. From the top of those 105 steps and peering down the long spiral to the bottom, I knew again that I couldn’t look down. I chose to look at the handrails during the descent, again moving to the back of the slow moving queue. My heart thudded in my chest as I held onto the handrail with both hands most of the way down. Feeling braver when I was close to ground level, I looked down and hung on with only one hand. Terra Firma never felt so good under my feet. My confidence restored now that my sneakered feet were again rooted firmly in the adjacent grass, I couldn’t help thinking of how many times a day the lighthouse keeper, in an often solitary job, hiked up and down those steps tending the lights that guided sailors on their journeys and warned ships against the many hazards of the seas. However, now that I completed the climb, I was anxious to return to the visitor center to learn more about the lighthouse and to pick up my well-earned survival certificate. I learned that the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse is the oldest existing structure in Palm Beach County and was first lit on July 10, 1860. It stands on an ancient Native American archaeological site, circa 700 AD, and is 156 feet tall with 105 steps from the base to the top. The light was manufactured in Paris by Henry-Lepaute and is reputed to be the oldest existing first order Fresnel lens in Florida. Operated by the United States Coast Guard since 1939, it was placed on the National Register for Historic Places in 1973 and remains an active maritime aid to navigation.

Since that memorable trip, I have visited many lighthouses, each unique in their designs and settings, but the climb up Jupiter’s’ staircase remains a special memory. It was there that I temporarily overcame my fears to enjoy an unmatched experience and panoramic view. My Jupiter Survival Certificate titled “I SURVIVED THE CLIMB” is still one of my most treasured pieces of memorabilia.

And yes, I’d climb it again.

This story appeared in the Sep/Oct 2014 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

All contents copyright © 1995-2024 by Lighthouse Digest®, Inc. No story, photograph, or any other item on this website may be reprinted or reproduced without the express permission of Lighthouse Digest. For contact information, click here.


Subscribe
to Lighthouse Digest



USLHS Marker Fund


Lighthouse History
Research Institute


Shop Online












Subscribe   Contact Us   About Us   Copyright Foghorn Publishing, 1994- 2024   Lighthouse Facts     Lighthouse History