Fri, Jan 29 2010 - Sapelo Island Atlantic Coast Camping & Beachcombing Weekend (View Original Event Details)
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As expected, the slightly wet weather that had been forecast for Saturday turned out not to be a problem, and it was a shame that this trip went with seven valuable spaces left unfilled after we had offered a spot (by the Tue prior to the trip) to everyone who remained on the originally huge wait list. After setting up camp Friday afternoon we suspended tarps over our cooking/dining area, but ended up hardly needing them—there was a brief shower in the wee hours before sunup Sat AM and a couple more light drizzles during our hike on Saturday, but the clouds began clearing just in time for our Sat. evening happy hour, low country boil, campfire, and eerie "full-moon" nighttime beachcombing. Most of us got up in time to walk together out to the beach for the 7:15 AM Sunday sunrise (plus the setting full moon as a bonus!) and then enjoyed abundant bright sunshine all day Sunday, true to the Weather Svc's forecast.
We kept a roaring campfire going virtually all weekend, making good use of our pickup-truck load of excellent cut oak firewood and "fat lighter" kindling that had been ordered pre-delivered at the fire ring. Our sessions around the campfire were a blast, complete with stories, jokes, abundant "spirit-lifting spirits," bawdy drinking songs, roasted marshmallows and copious other tasty treats. Thanks to everyone in the group for your delicious contributions to our "potluck" group meals and for sharing so cheerfully in their preparation, serving and cleanup! Thanks especially to my AOC co-leader and old friend Bobby Marie who did a great job assisting me with all aspects of the trip including prep & serving of our delicious Saturday Low Country Boil.
On Sunday morning fourteen of us took advantage of an exciting open pickup truck "safari" to Sapelo's north end escorted by Luke Walker, a Sapelo native and cousin of my old friend George Walker. Luke now lives in Boston for most of each year but usually winters on Sapelo and has great stories to tell about growing up on the island, working for Richard Reynolds in the early 60s, etc. Our tour with this incredibly friendly and intelligent gentleman included the "Chocolate" tabby ruins, the Duck Ponds, Raccoon Bluff overlooking Blackbeard Creek, and the historic 100+year-old Raccoon Bluff church. The adventure with Luke included a few heart-stopping crossings of huge mudholes, narrow causeways, and dense thickets, and we paused occasionally along the way to take pictures of ibis, egrets, herons, armadillos, etc.
Also on Sunday about 40 Hog Hammock natives and a visiting Baptist congregation/choir from nearby Walthourville, GA welcomed Bobby Marie and Debbie Hayes to an unforgettable service at their church near our Cabretta campsite, complete with rousing gospel singing and piano playing. The rest of us enjoyed chatting with the friendly red-clad churchgoing visitors and musicians, many of whom who joined us Sunday afternoon for the ferry ride back to the mainland.
Our ferry rides to & from Sapelo Island this time (from the mainland "Meridian Dock" & Visitor Center) were aboard the U. of GA's backup passenger ferry, the "Anne Marie," which had been superseded in 2006 by their larger and faster "Miss Katy Underwood" (now undergoing some maintenance work at the island dock). On Sunday's return ferry ride we got a kick out of attracting hundreds of beautiful sea gulls by tossing bits of crackers upward off the Anne Marie's top deck and watching the graceful aerialists dive and catch the morsels in midair just a few feet from our outstretched hands. Our DNR-provided bus transportation to and from the Cabretta campsite went exactly according to plan—a real plus for groups like ours that camp on Sapelo Island along with the hot showers and optional sleeping shelters!
FINAL SAPELO ROSTER of EIGHTEEN AOCers INCLUDING our E-ADDRESSES:
Cott4Treks@aol.com (Charlie Cottingham), DaisyD90@yahoo.com (Kristina Strane), BobbyMarie@bellsouth.net (Bobby Marie), AriesFN223@yahoo.com (John Ariail), CB@genrich.us (Edward "CB" Genrich), QADeb@yahoo.com (Debbie Hayes), TravelerDirk@yahoo.com (Dirk Bertrand), PKKBowers@mindspring.com (Peggy Bowers), SJelovic@gmail.com (Sandra Jelovic), Bindu.Kandula@gmail.com, Lauren.A.Nicholson@gmail.com, MascuchC@yahoo.com (Claire Mascuch), JBaiyor@aol.com (Joe Baiyor), MomoShakahal@hotmail.com (Yuko Sato), ThomasMelton@hotmail.com (Tom), SRyherd22@gmail.com (Sonya Ryherd), RThomDDS@yahoo.com (Robert Thomas), Fire371@gmail.com (Mike Vitale)
—Submitted by AOC Trip Planner/Leader Charlie Cottingham, Feb 1, 2010
TRIP PHOTO LINKS RECEIVED THUS FAR:
Joe Baiyor's shots: http://www.flickr.com/photos/12024092@N02/
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