Wednesday, October 12, 2005

AMC October 8-10

People always ask why members of the Appalachian Mountain Club come to Sedge Island. Little do they know that the common bond for this group is a love of sea kayaking. As usual the group began their experience on Friday afternoon by paddling to the island in their own boats using paddles they had carved themselves. Saturday morning as we paddled through the relatively calm waters of small creeks and mosquito ditches we had good views of the peregrine falcons diving at birds sheltering in the Spartina grass. These birds were hunkered down in an attempt to avoid the high winds generated by yet another hurricane passing off shore. We too avoided high winds when we wisely decided not to paddle into the waves in Oyster Creek Channel out to Gull island (Later that day we measured the wind velocity up to 35 mph!)

FOOD, FOOD, FOOD! Meal coordinator, Betsy is an incredible cook. Our Friday night meal consisted of butternut squash soup and a huge freshly baked Ruben hoagie with blond brownies for desert. Cold cereal for breakfast? Not on your life - Puff pancakes with pear compote was the early morning fare. Other members stepped up to the challenge producing incredible stews, and even baking two fresh fruit pies.

On Sunday the wind diminished so we paddled the 3 miles to the dike. We stood on the highest point overlooking Barnegat Inlet to see incredible waves rolling into the beach near the point where the geo-tube is exposed. Eight members of the group seized this incredible opportunity to kayak surf. We portaged our boats over the dike and launched in the small shore break. For several hours we caught wave after wave sometimes riding hundreds of yards on unbroken rollers. It was without question the best kayak surfing I have ever experienced! Later we paddled along the edge of the Oyster Creek Channel around the extreme southwest end of the Marine Conservation Zone. Since we had an incoming tide and the nasty weather had all but eliminated boat traffic, we took a detour to Gull Island. The only signs of the thousands of gulls we encountered in the spring were the crab, clams and other shellfish remains. We finished with a circumnavigation of Sedge Island. Wow, can this group paddle!

Since this was the last group to stay at Sedge this year, we began the task of closing down the McLain House. This required an even greater amount of work than usual as Tony has plans to repaint the entire floor. We spent our Columbus Day moving mattresses, taking apart bunk beds, packing books and equipment and carrying furniture into the boat house.

I can not begin to thank this wonderful group of people for the work they did. They have promised to return in March to reassemble the beds and restore the McLain House to normal prior to the arrival of the first official group. I promised to start a “Friends of Sedge Island” organization to recognize the work that so many individuals and groups do to help out. The Division of Fish and Wildlife could not run the Natural Resource Education Center without all of your help. Thank you so much. Jim

PS Please continue to check this web site throughout the winter. Katina and I will post the latest happenings in the Marine Conservation Zone, at Sedge, and even in our lives. Please respond in our comments section! We love to hear from you.

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