Island hopping

 If it weren’t for a heavy dew leaving my tent drench in condensation, I would have left well before nine.  The whole place still floating in water left me with no other option but to lay my tent out to dry on the newly paved road leading to my site.  The sun did its thing and rolling around 9:00. Before turning onto the main road, I stopped off at the Hatteras Lighthouse for better look.  Having been moved in 1999 due to coastal erosion, I wanted to see the original site. In the process I met up with three park rangers who were fascinated with my bicycling trips.  Asking my permission first they took my picture.  I gave them my card. They want to put my picture and story in their news letter using only my first name.  The park service is always promoting good health through hiking and bicycling and thought I would catch peoples’ attention.

Breakfast came in the way of a delicious bakery on the outskirts of town. Now it was 10:00 and I needed to crank it up to make the ferry in Hatteras.  Just as I arrived at the terminal the departing ferry had loaded its last car.  They let me on and a minute later we were on our way.  The ferry made this huge arc to avoid the sand reefs which in turn made for a one hour ride.  Once on the Island of Ocracoke, fourteen miles lay between and the ferry to Cedar Island.  The last ferry out was at 1:00 or 1:30 and I was bent on getting there on time. With a slight headwind the bike made about eleven mph.  Sands dunes on the roadside kept the crashing surf at bay for the road appeared to be at sea level.  Straining to keep my bike speed up given the heat and humidity,  I arrived at the ferry drenched with sweat. I missed the boat, it departed at 1:00 leaving me on the island until tomorrow’s 7:30 ferry.  Nice try but no cigar. There were two campsites to choose from but first the body needed refueling.  On the steps of  a local funky grocery store after buying lunch inside, I chilled out and topped off the tank. Thinking that I was campground bound,  I just happened to check Warmshowers.  Alas, there was a member on the Island.  Dave Jones answered the phone and took me right in.  Turns out that Bruce and Nancy Nisley had stayed there last night.  Dave’s house is raised up to prevent flood waters from destroying the place. . So my tent rests on his cement floor at ground level seven feet below his first floor. Last year Hurricane Dorian inundated his ground level space with four feet of water, no harm was done.  

With the tent set up, clothes in the washing machine and my body and soul refreshed with a warm shower, I hoofed over to the nesrby brewery for a beer and dinner.  Once back at the house Dave and I jawboned and then than I called it a day.  Tomorrow, the day starts at 5:30 in order to make the 7:30 ferry to Cedar Island.