Beachcombing!

Today, I did three separate short hikes in Back Bay National Wildlife refuge, for a total of about 10 miles of hiking. I will write about them in reverse order. The hikes were a hike along the east dike trail (“Sudden Death from the Sky”), the nature trail, and this hike – beachcombing.

My last hike of this beautiful October day was a two mile down and two mile back hike along the beach at high tide. The fact that the tide was high made walking a little more difficult, because I didn’t have that hard-packed sand to hike on. Unlike my dawn hike of a week ago near here, I wore shoes this time, and so had to be careful to stay out of the surf.

It is such a beautiful wild beach there. There are literally 10 miles of undeveloped beach here that ends abruptly at the North Carolina border, where a series of “McMansions” dominate the area. Thank God for wild state parks and wildlife refuges. But I was saddened by all of the trash washed up on the beach, mostly plastic. I would guess that most of it comes from the sea rather than people hiking on the beach.

Here are some photos from my beach hike today.

Beautiful, wild beach for miles and miles - no condos, hotels, or miniture golf courses here!

Unfortunate fish. To me, he doesn't look too appetizing, but he probably will to some other creature.

I think that this is called a comb jelly.

I sat and watched the surf for a while, and could have for hours, I think.

There are miles and miles of tall dunes , heading south to the Tarheel State about 7 miles from here.

Small horseshoe crab and pretty shell.