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Cumberland Island Backcountry Adventure (Nov 2011)

November 30th, 2011 Backpacking,Cumberland Island

The Big Picture: In early November, we took a small group to my favorite place in America: Cumberland Island, Georgia. I feel so lucky to live so close to such a fabulous place. Often, when planning a Cumberland Island adventure, I worry that I’ll someday get bored with the island. But after fourteen visits in the last nine years, I’m still hooked! On this trip, my goal was to introduce the participants to the basics of backpacking and camping and be their guide in exploring a place that’s close to my heart. Our group of six included four adults and two kids.

Chilly mornings: Though the weather report showed temperatures rising into the low-70s by the end of the weekend, when we woke up and boarded the ferry on Friday morning, it was cold! We bundled up and looked for warmth from the sun in the clear blue sky. Luckily, it warmed up by late-morning and we were able to take off coats, fleeces and hats. The fire kept us warm in the evening. But Friday night was cold and both of our adult participants woke up shivering (the boys slept like rocks, warm as bugs in a rug, somehow). We resolved to use hot-water bottles on Saturday night.

Living in Live Oaks: The live oak trees draped with Spanish moss that grow everywhere on Cumberland Island are the most striking thing when you arrive on the island. There is one particular tree growing about a mile from the ferry dock that I love to climb. When brought the boys to it, they got excited – and then scampered up into its knarled branches. For the rest of their stay on the island, the boys (particularly the 14-year-old) spent most of their time in trees. If his mom (and me) had not said “no,” I suspect he would have slept all night in a live oak above our tents!

The Beach: Perhaps this is a special place because you can walk for miles on the Cumberland beach without seeing other humans? Maybe it’s the wild horses that we’ve several times watched strolling on the beach at sunset? Maybe it’s the amazing number of whelk and horseshoe crab shells that you can find? Maybe its the blue sky and calm ocean? Camping at Stafford Campsite is wonderful because it’s only a short walk across the dunes to the beach, where our participants spent a good deal of time.

Hike to an Abandoned Mansion: On Saturday, three of us took a 10-mile round-trip hike to Plum Orchard mansion – the winter home for the Carnegie family. When we were welcomed to the mansion grounds by wild horses…and by a ranger who led us on a tour of newly-renovated mansion. We had a relaxing lunch in the sun under the live oak trees next to the mansion’s white columns.

Hitchhiking on a Sailboat: Surprisingly, despite the long hike, there were 20-30 people at Plum Orchard. Then we realized that there was a regatta of sailboats from Jacksonville, Florida anchored in the Brickhill River next to the mansion grounds. While talking with some of the boaters, I asked if they would be willing to sail me back to the mainland – I’ve always loved strange hitchhiking stories. The captain of one boat gave a hesitant yes, but I didn’t push the envelope. But someday when I’m on Cumberland by myself, I plan to hitchhike back home on a sailboat!

If I could sum up this backpacking trip in three words, they would be: Tree-climbing, Horses, Exercise

To view more photos from this adventure, visit our Facebook page.

Cumberland Island Backcountry Experience (Feb 2011)

March 2nd, 2011 Backpacking,Cumberland Island

Our season of Cumberland Island trips is now over and what a season it was! This winter, despite the snow in Atlanta, we had blue skies and mild temperatures every day on on the island.

We saw wild horses, dozens of armadillos, turkeys, a couple alligators (from afar, thankfully), and very few humans. We combed the beach for horseshoe crab shells, sting ray and whelk egg sacs, razor clam shells, and of course, sharks’ teeth! We hiked on trails and beaches. We collected wood and built fires. And we climbed trees!

Our February trip was the first backpacking trip for Toby, one of our participants. I love introducing people to backpacking. People often feel that camping is outside their comfort zone, and therefore rule out backpacking entirely. However, our camping and backpacking adventures only differ in how far we have to walk. And it’s a fabulous feeling to know that you are walking into the woods with all you need on your back.

Having backpacked with kids as young as seven, I know that the first day of hiking is never easy. Most kids haven’t carried twenty pounds on their back for 3 miles. We stop a lot and the adults often have to coax the kids along.

This was true on the February’s trip, too. Toby’s mom whispered to me, “Are we going to have to go this slow the whole time?” And we did for awhile. But after a day of backpacking and an evening of sitting around the campfire, storytelling, and beach combing, this 9 (almost 10)-year-old kept a steady pace for our whole hike, showing off his new confidence as a hiker and backpacker. I love watching kids discover their natural abilities.

And the best story from the weekend demonstrated this beautifully. All weekend, I had been talking up “my favorite climbing tree” to the group. When we arrived, I remembered that the first stage of the climb is a good five feet above the ground. Not easy if you are only five feet tall! To not disappoint him, I told Toby that I’ve never seen anyone his height be able to climb this tree without a boost (which is true). I assumed that would give him an “out” to be able to ask me for help. Instead, he took it as a challenge, working on climb for 20 minutes while the adults talked. And then, all of a sudden, we heard, “I did it!” And Toby was in the tree, proudly looking down at us. He immediately jumped down and showed us, with ease, the method he had figured out to climb the tree. Very impressive!

Our time on Cumberland island was a ton of fun. Russell, a new Sure Foot guide, came along to learn the Sure Foot system. You can look forward to camping and hiking with him in the future. And though we had only one family join us on this trip, we once again had a blast. As usual, I told quite a few stories (the group heard my entire repertoire of Jack Tales). Fire building was a big hit, too. Toby and Russell worked together and were able to create a roaring fire using only one match.

But what this trip will be remembered for was (of all things) horseshoe crabs. Barbara and Toby found so many horseshoe crab shells that it was unreal. They collected larger and larger crab shells on the beach, until they finally found one so big (and so old) that they were able to discard the others, knowing that they had found the “big mama.” But because they found this crab shell near the Stafford Beach campsite, we had to carry it back to Seacamp – 3.5 miles of backpacking. Luckily, Toby found some netting (see photo) on the beach and he and Barbara were able to fashion a shell-carrying device for the back of Barbara’s pack. The crab shell came back without a tail, but otherwise it made it back to Seacamp intact!

And to top it all off, before we left the island, Russell discovered sea turtle skeleton, which we spent some time investigating. Though my previous trip to Cumberland was all about the land animals – horses, armadillos, and deer. This trip was all about the sea creatures. I love the diversity that is Cumberland and I can’t wait to be back there next fall!

Cumberland Island Backcountry Experience (Nov 2010)

December 7th, 2010 Backpacking,Cumberland Island

Cumberland Island continues to be one of my favorite places in the whole United States. I feel so happy to get to live in a state that contains some of the best mountains and perhaps the most beautiful seashore.

So, though only one family joined us on our November Cumberland Island trip, I was very excited to get the opportunity to spend some time on the island.

Mina and her son Jesse came with me to Cumberland to learn to backpack, explore a new ecosystem, and celebrate Jesse’s seventh birthday. We all met up in Kingsland, Georgia, had a good night’s sleep at the Comfort Inn, and then drove to the dock to meet the ferry on Friday morning. It’s so unusual to get to travel to an island that is only accessible by ferry! It may only take 45 minutes to reach the island, but to me it always feels a world away. (read on…)

Kingfisher Cumberland Camping

March 3rd, 2010 Camping,Cumberland Island,Kingfisher Academy

I couldn’t resist the alliteration in the title of this post!

Last week, Ms. McGinnis (a middle-school teacher at Kingfisher Academy) and I took a group of twelve 9-13 year olds on a 4-day, 3-night camping trip on Cumberland Island National Seashore on the coast of Georgia. For those of you not familiar with Cumberland, it is my favorite place in the United States. From the jungle of live oak trees, saw palmettos, and Spanish moss to the wild horses to the pristine beaches, Cumberland is an exquisite place to be outdoors.

I’m always excited to introduce new people to the island, and this group of students from Kingfisher Academy were in for a treat! February is one of the best times to visit Cumberland because the gnats and mosquitos are not out yet and it is still sometimes warm enough to soak in the sun at the beach. On this trip, we experienced the best day possible: 75 degree temperatures, full sun, no bugs, and an island virtually to ourselves because the ferry doesn’t run on Tuesdays.

Though rain was predicted on Monday and Wednesday, nature smiled on us and only produced a slight drizzle both days. Enough to get us damp, but not soaked to the bone.

Despite this good fortune, this was still a most difficult trip. Not only were these students relatively young (four days out is a long time for 9-10 year olds), but this was the longest camping trip most of them had been on, the first camping trip for some, and the first time away from parents overnight for one or two. As a result, our group had to learn a camp routine and develop comfort sleeping and living in the woods. We were not without a good deal of complaining, but I saw a lot of growth in the kids.

Some kids refused to wear “dirty” clothes, insisting on changing into “clean” ones (sometimes twice a day), but on our last evening when the temperature was dropped into the mid-30s, all the kids quickly put on multiple layers when I asked them to – no matter if they had any “clean” clothes left.

One girl slept really poorly the first night, laying awake listening to the sounds of the forest. The next night, feeling more comfortable, she slept like a rock.

We developed lots of routines: dish washing and tooth brushing after meals, where to put trash, where to keep our food safe from raccoons, always zipping up the tent when you leave it, etc.

At the end of the trip when Ms. McGinnis asked the students what they were most proud of, and it was a joy to hear their answers: completing a 7.5 mile hike, having a quiet moment watching the bright moon at night, and my favorite, just coming on this trip!

Though we stayed in Sea Camp all three nights, we were not at all sedentary. I’m not sure if you can be with kids this age. The first day, we set up camp and then spent the rest of the day combing the beach for sea life and running. This group ran around more than any other group I’ve been with. No wonder we were all in bed by 9pm each night!

On Tuesday, in the glorious 75-degree weather that I previously described, we took a 5-mile day hike to Dungeness, a ruined Carnegie mansion from the early 1900s. We visited Raccoon Keys and searched (mostly fruitlessly) for sharks teeth. We saw 9 wild horses. We visited the salt marshes on the southern end of the island, and took a long walk back to camp along the beach.

We even got to go swimming…well, sort of. My rule was that no one goes in the water unless I do, and it was so beautiful on Tuesday that I decided it would be okay. We splashed in the waves, got thoroughly wet, and then had to rinse the salt water off our bodies in ice cold showers! But it was worth it!

That night, the kids collected wood, built a pyre, and lit the fire. We roasted marshmallows, made s’mores, and told stories.

The next day we cleaned up camp and tightened the guy-lines on our tents in case of rain and then took a 7.5 mile day hike to Stafford Beach and back. This was not easy for the kids. 7.5 miles is the longest hike I’ve taken them on this year and it started drizzling when were a mile from camp. Prepared, we put on our rain gear and continued. Though blisters, sore ankles, knees and legs hobbled us, we did it! And at least one student learned it’s better to not wear short socks with high-top basketball shoes.

Though the rain soaked some of our firewood, the kids (and me and Ms. McGinnis) were diligent and stashed enough wood under the tarp for a fire on our last morning. The students built a pyre the previous night and covered it with my pack cover. So on Thursday morning, I awoke before everyone and used their pyre to light the fire. We toasted our bagels, drank tea and cocoa, then packed up camp to leave.

We were all very ready to go home, but leaving Cumberland is still bittersweet for me – especially since the clouds cleared and blue skies and sun streamed down through the Spanish moss as we backpacked to the ferry on Thursday morning. Despite the chilly wind, I couldn’t help but sit on the upper deck of the ferry to wish the island adieu. Most of the kids fell asleep on benches in the heated cabin of the ferry.

I can’t wait for my next journey to Cumberland Island in the fall. Be on the lookout for our announcement (in May) of our next Cumberland Island trip open to the general public.

Cumberland Island #2

April 6th, 2009 Backpacking,Cumberland Island

Ideally we would never begin a trip with a 6-hour car trip, a late night, an early morning, or a funny-smelling hotel.

But, then right at the border between Georgia and Florida there’s Cumberland Island. Cumberland – the barrier island where you need to reserve a space in months in advance, that pristine place that scoffs at my notions of how far away a weekend backpacking trip can realistically take us and still be worth it.

And it’s always worth it, immediately. That’s what I kept telling myself last Thursday when we left Atlanta around dinnertime … and then stopped pretty immediately for what became a long dinner.

We had lovely, up-for-anything company: Odette’s a hiker, fried oreo master, and had been backpacking once or twice before this trip. Annie’s a self-taught naturalist, and took her first backbacking trip with us in the autumn. Rachel and Nick hiked up mountains in Colorado with us last summer, and are our favorite board game duo.

Though they didn’t know it, I had an alterior motive for inviting them along: none except for Annie plan on staying in Georgia for the long haul. As a native, I feel an obligation to show off the state’s best sides, so that no matter what they experience in Atlanta’s traffic or smog, they’ll still have fond memories.

At least, if we could stay awake. We ended up pulling into our hotel around 3 a.m. Friday morning, and then met the 11:45 a.m. ferry in St. Marys that would take us over to Cumberland. Here’s a picture of our group:

And then – despite our sleepiness and a strangely windy ferry ride where we jostled with a horde of boy scouts for elbow room – we landed. With one look at the island (and one climb on a favorite tree) we were once again sold.

Despite the welcome quiet, we kept busy for the next three days — walking along the beach and trail and road, roasting marshmellows over a camp stove, watching birds and alligators and horses and armadillos, touring the Carnegie mansion called Plum Orchard, eating, and, of course hangingupside down.

Of course, it turned out we weren’t the only ones hanging by our toes. The last night Jonah woke up to the distinct sound of a raccoon trying to get into our food – even though it was suspended from a tree with a rope. Before I could say “huh?” he was out of the tent, watching a raccoon try to grab at our food bag with his front claws while it hung from the tree with his rear legs. Jonah quietly scared it away, and we re-hung the bear bag out of raccoon-reach. Then, back to bed.

In all, we hiked more than 23 miles in three days (11 on the last day alone!) and it didn’t rain once. It was another late night back home, but I think we all agreed: the trip was so very, very worth it.

Cumberland Backpacking

March 17th, 2009 Backpacking,Cumberland Island

In late February, we took Nancy Smith on her first-ever backpacking trip. Cumberland Island National Seashore was the destination because of the mild winter weather, the flat terrain, and its sheer beauty.

From the moment we stepped onto the island, this trip was heaven (but then again, it always is on Cumberland). We had a bit of a scare when the ranger told us that Stafford Beach campsite, our first night’s destination, was full. Would we have to stay two nights at Sea Camp (the full-service campground)? Would we have to hike 5 miles to Hickory Hill campsite? Would we have to lie and sneak into Stafford after dark? Luckily, the ranger understood our situation and allowed us to camp near the boy scout group that had Stafford.

Nancy was a brilliant hiker–carrying 20-25 pounds, she kept a steady pace, was patient while I climbed trees, and asked for what she needed. Here are a few excerpts from her journal of the trip:

“My tent was pitched between two low hanging live oak branches that were like embracing arms around it and me, between the fire ring and the bathroom facility.  Jonah & Dana’s tent was in a semi-secluded spot next to the fire ring, and the bear bag was hung high across from it. …

“We took naps, then Dana & i went to refill the water containers at a tap a short way further down the trail and purify it. We gathered firewood, which the scouts had picked over pretty well including from the area right next to our tents. Jonah woke up after we got the fire going and we cooked red beans and rice with summer sausage on the camp stove (no MREs for us – surefoot adventures does gourmet meals!) …

“When it got dark, we walked over to the beach to stargaze.  Even more beauty, as the stars away from the city are always brighter.  We could hear the surf from our tents all night (when we were awake) – Cumberland lullaby.  When we got back to our campsite, we were too tired even for hot cocoa (i had brought my special Ghiradelli mix). So we tied up the bear bag and went to bed.  It was only 8, but it is dark in the woods and what else is there to do? …

“At about 4 AM, I woke and knew my blood sugar was low. I should have had some cocoa.  I was hot and felt weak.  Glucose meter said blood sugar was 59.  Problem:  the glucose tabs and all the snacks were up in the bear bag for safekeeping against the raccoons.  I managed to get it down on my own even tho the pots crashed noisily to the ground, waking the sleeping campmates.  They were good about it, calling out to see if it was me or a raccoon and was I ok, but did not get up til I couldn’t untie the knots and called Jonah over.  He came willingly, and when I didn’t need his help anymore, went right back to sleep.  The whole trip was like that – concern, but never oversolicitousness, from both of them.  Confidence that I could handle whatever came up and that I would ask for help if I needed it. Anyway, I took the tablets and some raisins and other snacks back into the tent with me and kept them there for the rest of that night and the next.  Settled back down and slept til 8 or so. …

“The next day, after we broke camp, we hiked up the beach about halfway to Sea Camp.  it seemed to go much faster for me – was getting acclimated.  Yesterday seemed to take forever. … For dinner, we had the long-awaited four-cheese tortellini, and it was worth the wait.  Superlative!  After cleanup, we had hot chocolate before retiring, for the sake of my blood sugar levels.  The sleeping bag and I were even on better terms.  (I could get good at this camping thing in time!) …

“It is good to get away from everydayness to a place where it is easier to notice the holiness of all things, to connect, appreciate, get in touch with the soul, with Spirit, to find an altar in the world.”

I couldn’t say it any better, myself. We got to watch silly armadillos bumble about, I jumped in the ocean comfortably in the middle of February, there was tree-climing galore, and the sky was blue and clear. This trip was a joy – seeing Nancy enjoying the wilderness and getting to explore a place that I love, and I look forward to visiting Cumberland again soon!