Cumberland Island End to End

“I'm starting to plan a trip to Cumberland Island for this October. 3 or 4 days long. Not a typical walking trip but I plan to walk fast and even maybe jog at times to be able to cover the whole Island. I've been as far north as the North Cut trail and as far south as about a mile past Dungeness. Hopefully see some gators when not on the beach.
Any takers?”

“He's alive!!!

Like you friggin need to jog as fast as you hike......shaking head”

“hahaha. Yep. Got the urge to do another bust ass trip to accomplish what most have better sence to try.


As far as the trip, (for those familliar with C.I.);

Day 1 - make tracks for Brickhill Bluff camp but taking side trails along the way and looking for gators.
Day 2 - Bunky trail to Northcut trail. hit the beach and jog north to Long Point. Hang for a bit and soak it in. Then jog down the beach to Stafford Beach Camp.
Day 3 - Cruise in and set camp at Sea Camp. Head to Dungeness and then to the south end of the island (Pelican Banks).
Day 4 - Chill out till the boat comes.
last edited: 7/28/06 8:25:28 PM”

“Gators on CI?
Naw, couldn't be.
lol”

“I figure 40-45 miles for the whole thing, depending on side trips. Should be very easy.”

“Maybe I'll try to pet one this time. hahaha!”

“Hell, I thought you were going to try and ride the last one.
lol.

I won't be able to make this one though. I'm in the process of moving to Charlotte.

Good seeing you here again.”

“... to Charlotte that is. We'll plan a trip. Need some more folks for the week-ends.”

“Oh, HPM's there in CHarlotte all week and every other weekend, now.”

“I don't understand. Just when the State gives recognition to your area(Jacksonville) with a set of pictures on the latest state roadmap, you two up and leave. Than's no show of gratification at all!
last edited: 7/30/06 5:24:16 AM”

“hey, richdude, good to see ya!

I was last on Bunkley Trail in November of 2003 (or '04?) It was really grown up. Worth asking about its condition.

Cool to go to Long Point!

So... have you been to Table Point? Don't think you've seen the island unless ya been there. hehee... And take the road back down to Sea Camp. Just a possibility for something you may not have done.”

“Hiking Cumberland in October is likely to be a HOT proposition.

I have enjoyed Cumberland every time I’ve been there and it has always been a good experience to meet different people hiking. I love kayaking there, but I’ll pass on the hiking unless it’s in winter. I don’t know what your home front schedule is like Rich, but holding off until mid-November would be a better option.

I hope you have a great time whenever you decide to go.”

“Lizs,
I've been to Table Point. I've also been to the Warf Ruins, Plumb Orchard, and the Settelment. Lots of cool places to visit out there for sure.

Arclite,
The last time I went there it was in October. The bugs were pretty bad but the temp wasn't that bad. I may take your advise and wait till November. Thanks man.”

“The bugs are always bad on Cumberland Island!”

“Tick City at Brickhill Bluff.
I think it's all those dang horses.”

“No problem, Dude.

October can go either way. The same with late Spring. Strider and I were there the first week of May (I think it was). It was getting too hot to hike. I really felt for the groups of kids that were going out that weekend. But the weekend before was cool and beautiful. I always figure that we get our first cold night on Halloween. It’s kind of a reminder that Fall is finally here. I always remember to have a warm costume. November can be really, really awesome down here. The humidity dries up and the nights are pleasantly cool.

You go at a reasonable time of year, and I'd love to meet you there. That’s a threat.”

“Yeah man, It would be good to see you again.”

“Whoa, wait, wait... I can't keep up with all the name changes here and my memory has never been what it used to be.

I just looked you up! Walkindude! Oh yessir, it would be very good to see you again. I've always enjoyed your company. If you're planning a trip, I'll make a special point of trying to follow through with my threat.

We're planning a three-day trip on the AT, starting at Roan Mt., the first week of September. You're always welcome to join Simba and me again.
last edited: 8/01/06 3:20:53 PM”

“ooo...i liked cumberland island - that was a great trip with you all, Arclite and Stove! I would like to see the southern part, but would be kayaking in most definitely. Would be really cool to practice a beach landing! hehehhe!”

“Well that sounds like my preferred method, smoky. The thing I really love about Cumberland is the kayaking. I’ve kayaked to the south end four times. I’ve got some ideas about that if you really want to go.

One idea: I’ve always wanted to kayak up the Atlantic side of the island. Radagast and I tried one year, but we couldn’t get the boats through the surf zone. It was wild and crazy surf with multiple bands of breaking waves. I think we had five foot seas. We ended up dragging the boats through the surf from the south end all the way up to Seacamp. But that was unusual conditions.

You’re a strong paddler, we would have no problem if the seas are three feet (and that’s rough) or less. We could paddle up to Seacamp and lock the boats. Portaging the half-mile across the island is easier than you might think. If we didn’t do that, kayaking up the intercostal is a breeze. It’s about a 2 ½ hour trip from St. Mary’s to Seacamp.


Bringing the packs in is easy. If you can’t fit yours in your hatch, or on your deck, we could trade off some gear. You’ve seen my hatches. I can also strap dry bags into my dive well. If I’m packing, I definitely won’t load my boat down with the kinds of luxury stuff I brought last time.




I agree. I’d definitely like to kayak to Cumberland because that’s what it’s all about. Dude, does your itinerary start at Seacamp or Plum Orchard?”

“My backpack fits in me hatch - this is sounding good! Is there a specific date Richdude has in mind for Oct? Long weekend or? I can probably take a Friday or Monday off and make 3 days of it to tag along for some - Oct. 14 is looking good? It's football season you know - Oct. 21 is out for me ('Bama game).”

“Oct 14 would be bad for me. There's a higher chance of hot weather then. After one 4th of July kayak trip with my step-daughter, I vowed never to go camping here in hot weather again.

I was hoping for some time around Veteran's Day. I already get paid to take Friday the 10th off. Making it a four-day weekend would be easy.”

“I don't see why I can't do Nov. 11th weekend as of right now. I will be able to solidify this date at a later time though! I don't get Veteran's day off.”

“The Sipsey Bushwhack - Eagle and Little Ugly Creeks, (AL) Sipsey Wilderness is that weekend.
Y'all need to come to that. ;-)”

“Let's see what the Dude has in mind.”

“November 11 sounds good. Would Thursday - Sunday be better or Friday - Monday?
My Kayak is only 9 ft so it's not Sea worthy. I'd have to take the fairy boat over.”

“November 11 sounds perfect to me. I'm looking for inexpensive outdoor options this year and this fits the bill. Either end of that weekend works fine for me. You folks tell me what's best for y'all.


Rich, a 9ft boat would easily handle the trip. You’d be slow, but it’s doable. I’d rather cut back my speed on the trail, or on the water, as opposed to rushing to meet a deadline. So it’s doable. Another option would be to rent. We have a place in Gainesville that rents boats for $25/day and the price goes down to $15 after three days. I can fit two boats on my racks (Disclaimer: hopefully they’ve mended their ways, but this same shop rented Strider a leaky boat, and we never got a refund). There is a place to rent in St. Mary’s. I haven’t checked out their prices.

If you decide on the ferry, we can meet you at the island. I have a long cable lock. Smokygirl and I can lock up our boats. I think that the ferry stops at both Seacamp and Plum Orchard. We could meet you at either place and hike back to our boats. Seacamp probably works better because we could stay at their nice campground and shower after the hike. But it’s a longer hike from Seacamp, than from Plum Orchard, to Brickhill Bluff. For whatever dates we choose, we need to make reservation for Seacamp early. The place fills up quickly. It may already be filled for that weekend.


Dude, it’s your idea, I’m flexible as to your plans. Would you like to make the reservations for the three of us? Any combination of campgrounds around those dates works for me. I don’t want to throw wrenches into someone else’s trip, but I’ll help if needed.”

“Dude... I got a 17 footer and a 15 footer - once I confirm this trip with y'all and my neighbour doesn't come along, then you can use my 15 footer. (The 15 footer is half-owned by my neighbour so as long as she doesn't want to go. And it's no problem hauling two boats. Will let you know!”

“I didn't know the ferry stopped at Plumb Orchard. I thought it only stopped at the ice house and Sea Camp.

I always like to stay at Sea Camp the last night to grab a shower and have a close walk to the boat.

I'll probably still take the Ferry to the Island and just meet yall there. We could meet at Brickhill Bluff camp for the first night”

“Oh yeah, I know you two are strong hikers but just as a reminder, I plan to do some pretty fast moving on this trip so if anyone else comes, I just want to make sure they can keep up. Either that or everyone can do as they please and we can just all regroup at a preplanned campsite.

I'm good with whatever cause I'd enjoy the company. I know the past two times I've done the beach hike I just felt like taking off and jogging.”

“I think I'd rather kayak to Seacamp. That way Smokeygirl and I could try something different. Unless Smokey has any better ideas.

We'd better make reservations as soon as we all decide if we're starting/ending at Seacamp. I'm not kidding, Cumberland fills up months in advance.

Rich, it's your trip. You know the itinerary. I don't want to step on toes. If you need my help in making the reservations, let me know.”

“How about Friday - Monday. Seems we'd have a better chance of getting Seacamp on a Sunday night.
I'll double check the calendar at work and make sure it's open. I'm 99.9% sure it's good.
So how is Radagast? Is he still around here? Done any trips with him lately?”

“Friday-Monday works for me.

Smokeygirl, do you want to see if we can paddle over Thursday and stay at Seacamp? Or do you want to paddle over really, really early on Friday? Low tide is at 6:22am. Friday. We’d need to be paddling by 5:30am. and we’d need to paddle directly to Seacamp in order to meet Dude on time.

High tide on Thursday is at 12:10 PM. We could leave in the early afternoon and take our time. We’d have time to paddle up the Atlantic side if you’d like to try that. I’d prefer that if we can stay at Seacamp Thursday night.





Rad? We email every now again, but I haven’t done anything with him in a while and I miss the boy.

He got himself a bike and I think he's spent a lot of time riding. We've talked about doing some trips, but I'm going to have to wait a couple of years before I'm riding again. I'd love to just plunk down twenty grand, but I can't justify it now. I've got to save for a while.

I just got a deeply discounted Vanson Lightning (Solar). Next comes finding the Schuberth C2 on-sale. Fourth is the new bike. I rode for many years, but haven’t had a bike in while now. They forgot to grandfather my motorcycle license one time when I renewed and I didn’t notice it until it was too late. So number three will be taking the private riding course in order to get my motorcycle license back. Then I’m gonna travel. I want to ride the spine of the Rockies from New Mexico up into Banff and Jasper. Then I want to come back along the west coast. I’d probably trailer over to New Mexico because of time. So much to do, so little time.”

“I've been thinking about taking lessons to learn to drive a motorcycle. I checked out a local shop and after passing the class you take the certificate to the DMV and get your license. Plus get 10% off Insurance.
I looked at a Honda Shadow and liked it the best so far.”

“Poop. I might have to think on this a little. It takes me 8 hours to git down there so...
First known: If I go to Cumberland Island, I definitely want to paddle to Seacamp.

First unknown: I can't take off Wed, thurs, and Fri. Crap. I know I must commit to this if I want to go because of Seacamp reservations.
It doesn't look like I can plan it to meet up with Dude - You might have to write me off for now? Don't let me hold up reservations, but would love to make it! Will just have to see for now...Sorry i am wishy-washy. :(”

“Plans are still flexable. What about Saturday - Tuesday?”

“shadow is a great touring bike. just be careful man.

how is your bro?”

“He's good. He's back on night shift and digging it. Don't know if you knew but he got divorced a couple years back and he's got him a new house not too far from me. I'll tell him you ask about him.”

“He told me. last I heard he was still working on it. right by the river, right?”

“yep. Pretty nice shack. I've kayaked by his backyard a few times.”

“kewl. he said that would be the case.

we gotta hike again sometime.”

“Day 1 - Hike the Main Road the Duckhead trail. Walk the Duckhead trail to the Lost trail. Hike up the Oyster Pond trail and then do the Rollcoaster trail to the South Cut Trail and look for gators. I've not done Killman's Field trail either so I plan to do it also. Hit camp at Brickhill Bluff and call it a day.
I've already done the Parallel Trail, Pratt's Trail, Plumb Orchard, Table Point, and Kings Bottom so I plan to skip those and do areas through there I've not seen.

Day 2 - I've already seen Terrapin Point, Warf Ruins, and the Settlement so I plan to take the Bunkly Trail to North Cut Road and then to the Beach. Jog out to Long Point as far as I can and then head back south. Hike beach to Stafford Beach camp and call it a day.

Day 3 - Hike beach to Sea Camp and claim a site. Hike to Pelican Banks and if possible walk to Raccoon Keys and around to Dungeness. Not sure if it's possible but might as well go for it. Go to camp, take a shower and call it a day.

Day 4 - Catch boat.



I'm considering stashing some fresh water, camp chair, clean clothes, ect near the dock to use at sea camp the last night.”

“Richdude-
Instead of taking North Cut all the way to the beach, I'd recommend you take a little service road across from Rollercoaster's terminus at aforementioned trail. The road leads to a Bellsouth junction panel adjacent to the Christmas Creek saltmarsh. You can follow Xmas cr. to Long and Pointy. It's a cool little departure from the ordinary. It would take no longer, and you can avoid the doubleback at the point. I've seen gators in (salty!) Xmas cr., btw...

No need to cache h2o at Seacamp...

If you don't see gators along the Sweetwater/Lake Whitney complex (Rollercoaster) then something would be amiss. Anacondas?”

“Joe,
I've got two maps and I'm not seeing a road that is near Christmas Creek except the one that goes by High Point and says "No Access" Is that it or is it just not on the map?
The only time I was at Lake Whitney, I didn't see any gators but I've heard other people mention seeing them here. I may hit that area again.

The reason I was thinking about stashing water at seacamp was to not have to drink that nasty sulfer water as much as possible.

So how are you, Sara Belle, & Gizmo doing? Are they still PacPacing much these days? I've not been on TT an a long time. Kinda out of the loop.”

“I didn't think the water at Seacamp was sulpherous. I thought it was treated.”

“tasted pretty #&%!$ty to me.
last edited: 8/06/06 4:25:28 PM”

“This looks like a really cool trip. It doesn’t really look to be that tough, unless you find some real cool stuff and kill allot of time. Then you might have to hot foot it a bit. That’s what is good about being able to hot foot it, messing around late with 5 or 6 miles to hike. I’d like to make this trip, but I would setup at sea camp for the duration and hike out from there. I don’t do just hiking any more all my trips involve the camera. But I do find myself along way from camp with the sun setting. When I looked at your dates I thought NO way, but that is the only weekend I have open from October to January. I thought that to be strange or just one heck of a coincidence. That would only put us at camp the last night, But it is rare for me to have anyone at camp.”

“lol!
I guess I'm not the best judge of what is sulpherous seeing that I grew up on a well with a sulpher taint. It takes a lot of it to bug me.

Now the water between Yakee Paradise and Hickory hill, that was #&%!$ty.”

“Yeah, that water is down right undrinkable. Brickhill Bluff and Stafford ain't that bad compared to Yankee.”

“What HPM said. I wouldn't expect St. Marian municipal water to taste any different from the island's wells minus Hickory Paradise. Even the sulferous stuff from that well gets downright tasteless after a day or so in captivity, tho.

The roadway of which I spoke is not on any map that I've seen. It runs N. off Northcut near Rollercoaster. It may be a short way toward High Point. If so, it'd be only a matter of yards... prolly.
"The leaves lie thick on the paths of my memory"”