Hiking in the rain at False Cape
It may have been 100 percent for rain but that did not stop 23 Tuesday Groupers from their weekly outing. We all met at Little Island City Park and I drove the bus with everyone into False Cape State Park. We had Ellis & Marti, Margaret & Vic, Kama & Van, Bruce & Margaret, Natalie & Lou, along with Diana, Angie, Sandra, Brooke, Jane, Dottie, Sandy, and for the men we had Bob S, Bob A, & Bob M, Bill R, Carl A, and the never aging DEWEY !
As Margaret & I drove into the City Park the sun was shining and all the clouds were off in a distance on the other side of Back Bay. Then the group started driving in and as each car drove in, the clouds moved closer and the sun went away. Everyone on the bus we started our long drive into False Cape State Park, first through Back Bay Wildlife Refuge, where we did get to see a few Swain, and about 8 Great Blue Heron.
Stopping at the Visitor Center most bought something from the gift shop. Loading back onto the bus we headed for False Cape Landing where we parked our transportation and headed out for our 5 mile hike. First we hiked down to the Bay and checked out the dock which we had rebuilt a few months earlier. Looking out across Back Bay we could tell that the clouds were not going away anytime soon. Now our hike took us towards the ocean hiking on the Maple Leaf Trail, so name from a Union Ship which was over taken by some Confederate Soldiers, being held prisoner there on the ship. Their escape route was in this area where the trail is located.
Reaching the ocean we had little over one mile, with 4 to go. The surf was up and the winds were blowing from the east but we had enough hard packed sand to walk on so the group headed south towards Wash Woods Road. Picking up shells, talking, and walking some faster than others, we spread out over about three/ quarters of a mile, but we all stopped at the Out Door Classroom there at the Maritime Trail. At this point the rain was starting to interfere with our beautiful hike but with two and a half miles under our belt and only that much left we headed west up and over sand hills and through pine forest until we reach the famous platform we helped build back in 05. Stopping here, a few diehards climbed to the top and tried to see the ocean and the bay but with the low clouds and fog moving in this was almost impossible.
Leaving
this beautiful spot we hiked on west, and soon reached the Environmental Education Center (EEC) there on Back Bay. I open up the center and everyone took off their hiking shoes and we all had a warm dry place to eat our lunch. This took about 40 minutes and then I let everyone know it was time to step back out into the wind and rain for our last mile and a half to the bus. Luckily the rain had stopped, and the temperature was not bad at all, just right for a hike, so we hike on. Reaching Wash Woods Road, all good things must come to an end, it started raining again and the group hike a little faster. We did make it to the bus and everyone was a little wet, but all had a good time, at least that’s what they told me. Heading back out of the park the trip was not over by a long shot, Natalie and Lou had invited everyone to their beach house for, you guess-it, ice cream.
Here we all took off our hiking shoes once again and enjoyed the good fellowship, good friends, beautiful beach view, and of course, ice cream. Some stayed till almost 4:00 P.M. but Lou needed his rest, and the ice cream was gone so we left. This was another great Tuesday Group Outing, but like all of the rest, we had to drive back into all that afternoon traffic and go back to our homes. Good trip and hope we have many more.
Bruce Julian
Pictures by Bill R
To see Dottie's Pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/105914828772447442006/1128FalseCape?feat=email#