Another False Cape Work and Play Trip 2/28/2012

This past Tuesday our group volunteered at False Cape State Park once again. I asked for help at the park to take down the old boat slips there at Barbour Hill and False Cape Landing boat docks. I threw in a little hike in the afternoon just to help get more volunteers and it worked. We had 23 volunteers there at Little Island City Park by 9:00 A.M. ready to board the bus for the 9 mile ride through Back Bay Wildlife Refuge into False Cape State Park. We saw a lot of swains and a few ducks of all types as we rode through the refuge. Later on in the day we got to see 3 Bald Eagles and some got to see 2 deer.As we made our way to Wash Woods where the shop is located, we met Chuck Butler, the Chief Ranger. He had the trailer hooked to the crew cab truck so all we had to do was pick up the tools that we would need for this job. After talking to Chuck about what he wanted us to do we headed to False Cape Landing Boat Dock. We were suppose to take down all but two of the boat slips and also check out the Maple Leaf Trail for any blow downs that may had fallen the night before. At the park they had strong winds all night and Chuck wanted all the trails checked out to insure that they were in good condition.

On this trip we had Margaret, Diana, Juliet, Jane, Marti, Phyllis, Judy, Natalie, Dottie, and Kama, for the ladies. For the men we had Bill Q., Bob M., Ellis, Robert S., Don, Bob S., Jim, Carl, Milton, Ken, Dewey, Bruce, and a member that we had not seen for a long time Gordon, don’t make it such a long time before you come back again. I asked for 5 volunteers to hike the two mile trail, (round trip) while the rest of us started working on taking down the old boat slips. Some of these had been up for 30 years and it was time for them to come down.

Next we dropped 5 of the group off at The South Inlet Trail and they checked out this trail while the others started working on Barbour Hill Boat Dock. We all got together there at Barbour Hill and ate our lunch and now that we were finish we headed back to Wash Woods to drop off the truck and the tools. Then we all headed for the Cemetery Trail and hike it all the way to the Church Site, then onto the platform which we constructed a few years ago, then onto the Maritime Trail all the way to the beach. We only found one blow down and it was an old rotten tree that we all picked up and walked it off the trail. We hike altogether about 7 miles and then back at the bus we headed north back to the parking lot. Before heading home, of course some had to stop at Pungo Pizza for a great meal and ice cream, we had 21 out of 23 that indulge this time. Another great Tuesday Group day in the sun, thanks to all that help on this day.

Bruce Julian

View Phyllis' photos at: https://picasaweb.google.com/crashneumann/FCSP?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCP6e3Iyone6SjAE&feat=directlink

View Juliet's pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/m.malabad/22812?authkey=Gv1sRgCMnFzJ7K4oOQZQ