May 1, 2024
To Hatteras Island
There's light rain this morning and everything is damp, but it feels warm enough for a walk on the beach. There's plenty of time; we just have to get 10 miles down the road to the next ferry by mid-day.
Walking in the waves feels like spa day to my feet. They buzz with the combination of balance challenge and cold therapy. While wading along the shore I meditate on the cascading waves that push and pull at my legs. What a treat it is to start the day this way.
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We do need to get going though. At 10:00 the road is dry, and both the wind and the traffic are light as we start pedaling to the east end of Ocracoke Island.
A few miles in a cyclist headed my way asks "Are you Janice?" It's Don Kass, the WarmShowers host in Wilmington that we hadn't met yet since he was away on tour. Here he is riding south with his brothers and his son on a day ride from their campsite on Hatteras Island where we're headed. We make vague plans to meet up later and get acquainted.
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A little further on we come to the Pony Pen for the Ocracoke Wild Horses. They are thought to be descendants of horses that were thrown off a shipwreck in the late 16th century and found their way to the shore. The herd numbered in the hundreds at one time; now there are less than 20 and they are protected by the National Park Service.
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Long, narrow Ocracoke is as little as 800 feet wide in spots, just enough for the one road along the island past the village. During hurricane season storms wash over the road and cut underneath. On the way to the Hatteras Island ferry we pass a road crew working to stabilize the ground with walls of huge sandbags.
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On Hatteras we fall into the same rhythm as yesterday - a big lunch of baked flounder at Frisco Bay Coastal Grill, then pick up some snacks for the beach later on. This island is not as deserted as Ocracoke. A few colorful beach houses line the roads in the village. Then the road narrows so that we can see a sliver of ocean on both sides.
Plenty of spaces are open in the National Park Service's Frisco campground. I thought the cold showers were just at Ocracoke but it's the same deal here. It's better than no shower.
Once I've rinsed the dead bugs from my hair we set off for the beach again. This time we have a longer trip to get there, starting with a long narrow boardwalk over a salt marsh. It's easy to ride at first where there's a slight downhill slope, but once I have to pedal there's not much wobble room.
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We hoped to hang out with Don and his brothers here but it turns out they are in a different Frisco campground, a private one with hot showers on the other side of the island by Pamlico Sound. Darn. They are missing out on one of the best evenings we've had on the beach. It's deserted and not too windy, just enough to keep the bugs away. The waves are wild and loud and unceasing. I've never spent this much time walking the beach.
We wobble back on the boardwalk to camp, then fall asleep to the sound of the waves.
Today's ride: 28 miles (45 km)
Total: 1,531 miles (2,464 km)
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7 months ago
7 months ago