Cumberland Island Trip Report

“We saw lots of cool scienery & wildlife and put in many long miles and had a total blast.
I'm tired now so I'll post more tommorrow. Pics will be up in about 3 days.

Rad
I made it from your house to mine in 2 hours & 54 mins.”

“dude, you are a man of few words, lol.”

“it was sweeeet.”

“Sweeeet, indeed.

So, rad - is dude now a Cumby addictee?

Stupid question!
How could one NOT be?

Hurry with the report...”

“wife and I did our honeymoon on C.I., love that place, it does have some big snakes though.”

“Susan want's to go now. We may be back in a few weeks.”

“we'll be back in early june.

hmm, lemme know when you may go.”

“5-2-01
Wednesday Afternoon I showed up at Radalizards doorstep. We drove many hours and listenen to much Metallica & Ozzy on the way to Crooked River State Park. Sometime after Midnight we arrived and met his buddy Wally.

5-3-01
The next morning at 9:00 we hit the Ferry and cruised to Cumberland Island. This was my first time ever on an Island. We took our lesture from some guy there and learned how not to piss off the animals, Don't steal the bones, & other common sense info.
So we head out the Parallel Trail and Saw Skinks, Wild pigs, Buzzards, Oaks covered in Moss, Palmetto bushes, and other cool lookin things foreign to this Tennessee boy. After a quick trip to the beach we headed for the Main Road. Soon we saw some Wild Horses and them Armadillo's. This was my first time to ever see a live armadillo. Very Comical little things. We even saw 2 squished ones on the gravel Main Road. A critter has gotta be STUPID to get squished on a gravel road.
After a long hot walk we made it to Plum Orchard Mansion which was built in 1898. From there we hiked to Table Point and saw more horses.
We got to camp after about 14 miles. Brickhill Bluff Campsite was our home for the night.

5-4-01
I woke at dawn by the sounds of a Whiperwill bird tweeting (Screaming) outside the tent. Lucky for him I don't carry a gun. I also got to see some otters playing in the water right next to camp. After we ate, we headed down the main Road and watched an Osprey hunting for food and flying back to it's nest.
On up was the Warf Ruins where an old Warf an the remains of a boat were a nice place to take a break. a mile or 2 on up was an old Settelment and the 1st African Baptist Church. We ate lunch in the church and tried to not use the "F" word too much in casual conversation. Next we got on North cut Road and headed for the Ocean. Along the way we rested at a little bridge. Nature called so I go out the TP & BP trowel and hit the woods. As I was finishing up I saw there was a Big dead wild hog only feet away. I showed Rad................not the poop site but the Dead hog. I also saw the only snake of the trip there too but it got away before I could get to it. As we got to the beach there was a Gazebo where we took another break. After 30 mins or so I split from them and hiked the Roller coaster Trial to South Cut Road. I hoped to see alligators in that area but there were none. Rad & Wally hiked the beach and we meet up about 2 miles later. I shed my boots & socks as they did and the 3 of us hiked the beach to Stafford Campsite. Along the way I saw Pelicans for the first time ever. The beach hike alone was about 8 1/2 miles itself. That whole day was about 16 miles.

5-5-01
I woke again to the wreched soulds of a d@mn whiperwill squalking outside my tent. If I only had some kinda weapon...............! I hit Pratts Trail and the main Road to get to the Rangerstation so he could get a good site at Sea Camp before the Ferry arrived. Rad & Wally hiked the beach in.
After we got camp established, we took a day hike out to the Dungeness Mansion Ruins. Built in 1884. From there we hit the beach and hiked back to Sea Camp. That was 4 to 5 miles round trip.
After laying around camp I-am-OM showed up. She paddled about 3 hours in her kayak to camp with us. Around Sunset, we all took a walk on the beach and everyone but me went swimming. I'm skeert of the Big water.

5-6-01
We packed and headed for Sea Camp Dock to get on the Ferry. We said good Bye to I-am-OM and loaded on board. She hike over to Dungeness. On the boat ride back to the mainland we talked to GOODLOOKIN chicks and told them about thebackpacker.com.
On the ride back to Rad's house we Jammed on Old Black Sabbath, Ozzy, & Metallica.


If you ever get to go to Cumberland Island, I highly recommend it. I'm from Tennessee and so I got to see lots of plants & animals for my first time. As always, It was good to Hike with the Radman and it was really cool to have met Wally & I-am-OM.

I'm looking foward to Summer to get over with and Fall to take over. Cumberland Island marked the hibernation of my pack till cool weather.

The End”

“The pictures will be up tommorrow.”

“Oh yeah, My only regreat was that I didn't see any alligators.”

“so, i paddle out against the tide for 3 and a half hours and hunt the 3 musketeers at sea camp on saturday ....it was a perfectly beautiful day.....the place is teeming with oblivious armadillo...choruses of birds (hey dude...i like widdle birdies to chirp me awake! heh)...and amazingly non-buggy......they had chosen a cool campsite that backed up to dunes......you could hear the ocean...good sleeping music....
we went out to the beach, i ate an avacado for supper and listened to the boys as they told of their trail adventures......they covered many miles , wd had seen many new things. and it was fun hearing him tell about it.. .... we were witness to a glorious sunset over the dunes only to turn around and see the full moon reflecting on the atlantic and set after set of waves hitting the shore.......well, wally was the first to be beckoned by the sea, then i gave in and finally radman......i have to say that body surfing in the atlantic at night by the light of the moon.....ya gotta love it.....we walked back to camp...i think all of us were pretty thankful for our surroundings and Being there.....
i had a cup of miso and a cup of tea and talked a little with walkindude.......a heck of a nice guy!....then climbed into the hennessey hammock!....ah..like sleepin on a cloud....and i could look up thru the trees and see the moon...too cool....
a few minutes later i heard some rusting. I had put my food bag in the cache but left the platy water pack on the table....i forgot there was a roll of wintogreen life savers in there....i heard the zipper being opened and thought it was one of the guys ....the next morning i see the pack on the ground and shreads of the life saver wrapper on the ground...i mean a racoon opened up the zipper!.....i am glad it did not rip the pack....anyway , there is a racoon on that island with some good smellin breath!....
as dude mentioned...woke up to the sound of some major bird singing....
the boys were leaving on the early ferry, and i was waiting on the tide going back in (another four hours) so, it was farewell at the dock...and then i headed down to Dungeness ruins....i went thru the museum there and learned about the history of the place and then walked over to Dungeness....like walking back thru time....there was a romantic air about it...//...i walked past several magnolias blooming...probably my most favorite scent.... very cool.......
i hiked back to the yak and made the 8 mile trip back to the mainland...
as usual, driving home , grooving on the trip and having spent good time with the radman and that crazy wally....and finally getting to meet the walkindude...a sweet one , he is.....
i did not take a camera....it was the dude and radman and wallys trip....i cant wait to see their experience...”

“OM
It was great to hear your perspective from the trip. Thanks.

For the people out there that haven't met OM yet, Ya got to. She's a real cool lady.”

“Walkindude, don't hang up your pack for the summer! Migrate up to MI for some easy hiking in the cool North! We're always up for company!”

“That was a good time!

I can not wait to go back - but I will hafta be reeel sneeky so I do not go to the poleece. I think me and my daddy will peddle the leetle bote so we can sleep in the leetle bote.

I am sawry that yall did not see no gaters.

Did yall see Alapoosa and Chest Nut? They are happy nice leetle (BIG!) horseys. Did they say "hey sarabelle"?

Did dogfins try to get yer food or get in yer bote Ms. OM?

A goooood times!”

“No gators?
Hmmmmm!
...it is awfully dry, tho.


Om,
did you put-in at the NPS center in St. Marys?


Dude,
You can now say that you have hiked in Paradise! It is the most unique destination on Earth, IMHO.


Day-yam! I am SOOO READY to get back down there!

Dig this!
I found out over the weekend that there is a job open at a high school in Hinesville - about a half hour from the coast.
I'm thinkin'... I'm thinkin'.”

“sarabelle suddenly got educated, i guess.”

“Lounge Lizard.....I noticed that too. ........All right fess up, did you take the lifesavers? :)”

“Fire ants on Cumberland Island?”

“I don't think so Steve.

I'll have pictures up within the hour.”

“hey sarabelle, i sure did miss you this trip.....the dogfins sure did swim all around my bote on the way back..i sed hay from sarabelle......but they did not jump in........i put the bote in at the same place you and your daddy and mr. rad and i did last time...crooked river sp.....i turned right at green marker 71 next to stafford island....it was ATE MILES....i got toasted by the sun goin back too....my work people thought they got a new boss from some other culture....ifn ya know what i mean.....”

“Wow, OM - you got in some mighty big water, ay?

I'm still thinkin' about a two person yak, btw. Mebbe I should build one!”

“so steve, tell us about this "fire-ant incident" that gets you so worried about them.”

“Great pics as always, WD. I've got to go there!!”

“walkindude & i-am-om, nice trail stories. Dude, those are nice pics. I especially liked the pic of pelicans & osprey, very nice.

I-am-om, that's sounds great that you added in kayaking. Add one more sport in there and you have your own private triathalon, lol. Hubby & I laughed about when we were on vacation and did kayaking in the morning & a strenous hike in the afternoon, then we started jogging on the flat part of the trail to complete the triangle :{}”

“great pictures, man.

i wish i was there again.”

“Thanks yall! I just added another picture. Click on the "Show All" to see the last pic. I may add more later. I shot 4 rolls all together.”

“as usual, OM looks great, too.”

“OM does look great. I missed her and her glow in the dark frisbee at the Gizzard.

Sure wish I could make it to Cumberland Island sometime. I loved the pictures! Looks like a really cool place. :o)”

“great stories and great pics! Wish I could've gone.”

“Dude, I'm just not right today. I totally missed the pics of the armadillos, horses, buzzards and otters, great pics dude. I like the pic of the trees hanging over the walking path. I liked the area you picked for your tents under that interesting looking tree.”

“Wow, looks like a scrump-dilly-ishous time! I gotta check that place out! Glad yall had fun!”

“Hey, I thought there were plans to remove the horses from the island. I thought I read that somewhere...”

“Thanks again everybody. I'm very proud of the results of these photos.
LH, Those are Oak Trees hanging over the Campsite.
I'd never seen a place like CI before. Much of the wildlife and plants were all new to me. If you get a chance to go I strongly recommend it!”

“damn, i called for reservations to go back and they said they were booked for most of the rest of the summer.




this place sucks!

and the beach sand is FILLED with BROKEN GLASS!!!!

TONS of bugs!

and the HEAT!!!! it's sweltering!

there are GADZILLIONS of FIRE ANTS!!!!

and the HORSES will EAT YOU in your sleep!!!!




if you have reservations, take my advice and CANCEL THEM IMMEDIATELY!!!!”

“Lounge Lizard, dude's trip report was so good I made reservations. They said I was the last reservation they were taking :{}

dude, your pictures make me want to go.”

“There's no one fire ant incident, there's billions, no zillions of em, and they're everywhere. I saw em at Savage/Gizzard, tho the bastards weren't as thick as down here.”

“They'll eat the ass out a cow in no time. Lectric boxes, too.”

“well, keep 'em in looozy-anna, dood.”

“They swarmed a hospital patient's head a few years ago, killin him.”

“dude....wow...nice shots....man, that otter looks HUGE!
you captured all the facets of the island....osprey landing is sweet....those armadillos....their cute little heads dont match their bodies.....creator had a sense of humor there...
radlizard...heh....flattery will get you another sixer of coronas and lime.....dude must be expert with photoshop.... I love the one of you using your pole to get unda the armadillo......

..you guys covered that whole island!!!.......too kewl......

lipstick hiker.....gojo and i talked about the triathalon idea last trip....six mile paddle, ten mile hike, eight mile jog on the beach or swim......yeah...backyaking is quite a marriage of outdoor passions....

sunshine....pack those kids into the car and you are welcome down here,, i am two hours away from cumby...and it is a great place to take kids camping.”

“I can't believe I totally forgot to mention in the trip report about how I-am-OM brought Beer for them and I even got a couple of 7-ups. OM is a real Trail Angel!”

“tequila, salt, coronas, and limes. she is the cinco de mayo goddess.”

“oh pleez...send me a mothers day card ok? geez...i transcended from beer wench to angel and goddess status.....i can die happy now......lol
u all are too much...”

“OM
Will you be my 7 Up Wench? LOL !!”

“rosey -
The push for the horse situation is to remove them from the wilderness area, and keep them confined to the southern end of the isle. I personally do not see how they could be confined w/o fences and roadway/trail gates.

Total removal of the horses is what I would like to see. They are exotics that devastate the island. They are probably the number one attraction, so public demand would prolly prohibit their total removal.

The hogs, too, are exotics, and do even more damage than the horses, ie, raid sea turtle nests, and they root EVERYWHERE. The NPS is currently in the process of removing the hogs, but they are multiplying faster than the NPS can "legally" remove them. The dead hog that dude mentioned was prolly lying where he had been shot by the NPS.

Cumberland Island National Seashore and Wilderness is a very complex issue, and I could write volumes about - and I'm nothing close to an expert on the subject.

I fear the worst may happen to her...


BTW -
Good shots, dude!”

“i took a pic of the dead pig.

and a long dead horse.”

“You mean there REALLY are wild pigs on the island and not just gojo? LOL!

Great pics. Wish I could have been there with you guys!

gojo, if you are interested in a tandem kayak let me know. I have one that I' thinking of selling.”

“the weather and bug-conditions were the best i have EVER seen there.

sweeeeeeeeeet!!!”

“Pamster -
No way!
...really?

Seriously - you have a tandem yak??!!
Kewl!

The last trip to Cumby sold me on kayaks (Om's).
I need a tandem cuz of the 'ol dog-n-chain...

Lemme know...

I've decided to do a two-niter canoe trip this summer, but I can borrow a canoe.

Do you have an an online photo, perchance?”