August
Walk '04
High
Head to Race Point
Here is a spot where the beach becomes impassable at high tide. It was the only one I noticed along this entire walk, thus for most of this stretch the beach is a major highway.
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August
Walk '04 |
High
Head to Race Point |
| This was one of the walks that had me most concerned. The distance is at least six miles and judging by the map it is one of the most desolate and unforgiving stretches of beach. There are no major paths available to cut the walk short. The only major trail between the two points is the one that is used by the beach buggy tours, and walking that would be difficult. There are large patches of soft sand and it is a long and winding route. So armed with plenty of snacks and water, Arlene and I forged ahead. |
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| We entered by this path from the High Head parking area. |
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| As I was soon to find out, this area is not as desolate as I thought. This area is open to ORV's and we were NEVER out of sight of a vehicle on the entire walk. The tire tracks at Arlene's feet went the entire six miles. If I got tired I could have easily hitch-hiked out. |
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| At the start of our walk there were birds everywhere. Most commonly they were terns, gulls and megansers. |
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| We came upon this dune shack nestled in the sand. There are many of these scattered over hundreds of acres in the Provincetown dunes. These were once private homes that were famous for their use by artists and writers. After being taken over by the National Seashore they were slated for destruction - the theory being to return this area to its natural state. Because of their historical significance, there was an uproar and a non-profit organization now maintains and manages these shacks. |
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| The Provincetown Monument stands as a reminder of our eventual goal. Actually we will be traveling an arc around the monument that will bring us directly to the other side. |
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| You can make out an old ORV trail that used to run along the backside of the ocean dunes. It is now closed and is starting to grow in. |
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| Rose hips in the dunes. |
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| A boat sits just off-shore. Notice the sandbar just past the boat. This bar ran all along this stretch of beach and is one of the features that helps make this a prime striped bass area. |
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Here is a spot where the beach becomes impassable at high tide. It was the only one I noticed along this entire walk, thus for most of this stretch the beach is a major highway. |