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Cumberland Island National Seashore Day 3~To the Settlement and Back, My Poor Aching Feet!! [ Home ] [ USA-International Travel ] [ Southeast Travel ] [ Favorite Sunsets ] [ Content ] CI Home Page Day 1-Road Trip Day 2-Long Day AM Day 2-Long Day PM Day 4-Stafford Beach Day 5-Home CI Photo Gallery
Friday, February 21, 2003
Salt water marsh along the Roller Coaster Trail
John lowered our food bag from its perch hanging high from a tree branch (protection against small animals, not bears). It must have rained last night as evident by the water droplets that rolled off the bag and hit him in the face as he pulled on the ropes. We enjoyed a relaxing breakfast which prompted a late start (10:00 am) for our day hike to the north end of the island.
Our roughly
planned route took us on Duck House Road to Lost Cove Trail, right on the Roller
Coaster Trail, left on North Cut Road and to the Settlement. John,
Barbara, Ray Steve and I hiked together for a short distance
but everyone quickly fell into their individual pace. Soon we were hiking
in groups of one or two with Will bringing up the rear
as he fiddled with his recorder and camera. Swamps and salt water marshes lined both sides of the trail; Spanish moss hung low from the trees. John and I stopped often to take pictures and marvel at the beauty of the island.
About the time Will caught up with us, we decided to hike along the beach. This proved to be more difficult than originally thought because our path was blocked by a wide inner meadow river, which ran into the Atlantic. We couldn't find a path around it and without shedding boots, socks and rolling up pants we couldn't go through it so we finally gave up and returned to the Roller Coaster Trail. We consoled ourselves by looking for a spot to eat an early lunch.
A large tree loomed to the right of the trail with green vegetation below. "Great site for lunch," we all exclaimed. John and Will promptly sat down and rapidly jumped up! The ground vegetation was full of stickers and we spent a few moments pulling stickers out of their backsides before hiking on. John, Will and Steve at the site of the prickly thorn attack.
A misty fog settled in around us. Through the fog we could see a barren landscape sparsely dotted with stubby weather beaten pines and scruffy looking brush, very different from the lower parts of the island. The air and ground looked beige. The landscape began to look like an old movie set of Mars. Heck, I could almost imagine us as the only survivors in a desolate, nuclear holocaust sight. Quick, quick, back to reality!!
Finally a stand of pines appeared ahead with a very appealing bed of pine needles covering the ground . Not a minute too soon, we were hungry, tired and in need
of a rest. After lunch we stretched out on the pine needles and took a short snooze. The temperature was quite comfortable and it would have been easy to stay for a while but we still had a long way to go. John and I were up first with Barbara, Ray and Steve behind us. Will continued to doze for a bit longer, comfortable on the bed of pine.
Things began to get tricky at this point. Our group continued north until we arrived at the junction of the North Cut Road. No question, the "sure" way to get to the Settlement was via the North Cut Road. But, after a long study of the map, Ray was convinced that we could cut across a road designated a PRIVATE PROPERTY and get to the Settlement faster. Probably goes without saying that Ray frowns on "no trespassing" signs in national parks so this sign did not deter him. The rest of the group was extremely uncomfortable with the change in plans but like good Jim Jones followers, we followed our self appointed leader down the forbidden path. We cut across the private road to a gated entrance sporting an even bigger no trespassing sign. Ray was single minded that we should be able to cross. The rest of us finally snapped to and broke ranks with Ray, deciding instead to backtrack to the North Cut Road. Ray decided to attempt a cut around the homestead by going through the forest, an effort he was eventually unsuccessful in completing. We later learned that the caretaker of the estate took a real dim view of people trespassing.
John, Barbara, Steve and I retraced our footsteps to the North Cut Road. Finally we reached the Settlement. The first thing that caught my eye was the First African Baptist Church, a simple structure, white in color with green double doors and window trim. The first thing that caught everyone else's eye was Will talking to someone. The group joined Will in conversation while I detoured to explore what was behind the green doors of this tiny island church. .
I put my hand on the door handle and was pleased to feel the worn doors move with my touch. Hidden behind the doors were 11 small pews, a rough wooden floor, a tiny altar and a crude wooden cross. The First African Baptist Church was the setting for the 1996 wedding of John Kennedy, Jr. and Caroline Bessette. Hard to imagine such a glamorous couple in such a rugged setting. (Note: I later learned the church was selected because it is so isolated, offering a rare moment of privacy for such a personal event. The families did enjoy the luxury of the accommodations at Greyfield Inn).
The Kennedys are not the only well known guests to have visited Cumberland Island. In the book "Cumberland Island, Strong Women and Wild Horses," author Charles Seabrook describes the frequent island visits of President Jimmy Carter. The book recounts President Carter's evenings in the Settlement, listening to music and sharing laughter and low country boil with the African American community. President Carter was instrumental pushing through national park status for the island.
So rich in history is this island! As I looked around the Settlement, the homes stood empty and decaying. Though physical traces of the Settlement are quickly fading, the island will eventually revert back to the wild and hopefully remain a rarity among barrier islands...without a golf course, suburb or other such development.
I wandered around to the side of a roughly refurbished barn where John, Will and the rest of the group stood talking to Bob Shoop, a curator of the Cumberland Island Museum. Bob was spinning tales of the island to a very captive audience! Bob and his wife Carol Ruckdeschel are biologists who live on the island and study the habitat. The museum is their home and a "living, breathing" research John, Barbara, Bob Shoop, Ray, Steve and Will at the barn
center. I noticed snake skeletons hanging in the open barn and buckets of what I learned were rotting porpoise heads lining the gardens. Bob and Carol collect dead and dying animals to study. They also study living animals. Aside from their animal studies, they are great defenders of the island, trying to hold development, by the remaining Carnegie family, in check.
Bob filled our ears with stories of the island. He talked about the horses, how they arrived on the island , about their health issues (starvation) and their destructive practice of eating the vegetation, especially the hanging moss. He told us about the wild pigs and how he thought the Park Service biologists were finally going to begin shooting them. The pigs, non native, are rooting up vegetation and generally destroying things. He talked about Charles Fraser, developer of Hilton Head who had purchased land on the northern end and started to build an airstrip. Cumberland Utility, seeing $$$ signs, laid in underground utilities with a wire from the mainland. Unfortunately for them, the land was turned over to the national park service and development did not occur. The utility company is required to maintain the service and utility boxes are visible along the main road.
Bob pointed out the refurbished house next to his property. The Park Service has plans to use the house as a Visitor's Center at the north end of the island. Although not currently in use (2003), I can only imagine the intrusion that he and Carol will feel if the center opens. Right now they mostly deal with daily truckloads of perfumed Greyfield Inn tourists and the occasional smelly backpacker or kayaker.
Bob was also very passionate about the remaining Carnegie family members who want to continue to build large homes on the island and turn Plum Orchard into another Greyfield Inn. Every wilderness needs people like Bob and Carol to fight for protection. Both are in their 60's and concerned about what will happen to the island when they pass on. (Note: Bob Shoop passed away on November 7, 2003 from a stroke). Visit the CI Museum website at: http://www.cimuseum.org/
We could have listened to Bob
the rest of the afternoon but unfortunately we had to leave. We started home
around 4:00pm. We took the direct route although John, Will and I took a
detour to the Brickhill campsite via the Bunkley Trail to see what we had
missed. The rest of the
group remained on the main road.
Bunkley Trail was narrow. Thick vegetation grew along side of the trail and a number of wide, ankle deep puddles in the middle of the trail resulted in occasional vegetation contact as we tried to avoid the muck. We were relieved to finally emerge from the confines of the vegetation to the openness of the campsite.
The Sound side of the island is very different from the ocean side. No sand dunes, none needed. Oaks and pines grow right up to the water. Aside from the sound of our voices, it was very quiet.
The shores of Brickhill campsite We even caught a glimpse of a porpoise as we gazed at the Sound. The campsite did not appear overly crowded. Obviously some of the campers had arrived by tour service as evidenced by the vast amount of equipment including folding tables and chairs, a couple of 55 gallon coolers and other such things. Other tent areas were much less extravagant and had equipment similar to what one would expect to be carried in a kayak. Kayaks were visible on shore but we did not see or hear any campers. After some additional exploring, we headed out to the main road for the long walk home.
The scenery was pretty much the same for miles. Somewhere along the way, 2 four wheelers passed us. It was Bob and Carol who had taken their two visitors from the University of Georgia back to the ferry. Bob stopped and chatted for a few minutes then hurried on. Barbara later told us that he stopped to see if they needed a ride back to the campsite. We were a bit surprised that Steve and Barbara did not accept. Steve's feet were pretty sore and Barbara had a lot of pain in her hips from the pounding on the hard hiking surface. They both decided to gut it out and hike the entire distance. Yeah Barbara and Steve!
We stopped at Plum Orchard to
get water before going on to the campsite. None of us wanted the
temptation to stop at the campsite and then have to bribe someone else to get our water
because we couldn't get up.
John and I walked around the house. One of the things that caught my eye, the water faucets located every few feet along the base of the house. I assumed that this was for fire purposes, especially
Plum Orchard!!
after the 1959 fire at Dungeness. I was also aware that these faucets are not potable water! On the side porch (right side of photo) was an oversized porch swing. It reminded me of something Lily Tomlin's Edith Anne would sit in. The house had a lot of ornate trim, I wish I had walked close enough to look in the windows. I must have been awe struck by the opulence.
We finally gave up our exploration, anxious to get back to our campsite and prepare dinner. We were truly exhausted! Mileage calculated for the day was about 14.0. Oh my aching feet!
Day 2 AM ~ Part One of a Really Long Day Day 2 PM ~ Part Two of that Same Really Long Day Cumberland Island Photo Gallery
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Hanging our food for critter protection
Will ran into a couple of park
service biologists who were living in the house, two guys and a girl. One of
the guys spoke to Will about the horses and how they have become so popular that
the park service can't get rid of them but are hoping to be able to corral the
horses at the southern end of the island. He also talked about the process
of eliminating the wild pigs.