False Cape State Park October 2008
I was taking a long weekend trip that started the previous day with Trey at the National in Richmond. The next two days would be spent hiking and camping at False Cape State Park near Virginia Beach. Early in the year I got a bug up my butt to do some beach camping and this was the places I found to do that here in Virginia. I waited to long to put the trip together so I had to wait till fall and the promise of cooler weather to actually get out and camp. Having the Trey concert the same weekend just worked out great.
pine tree
Sunday Morning I checked out of the Crowne Plaza in downtown Richmond from a great nights rest after the Trey show and headed towards Virginia Beach. According to the map I had a good 2:30 hour drive just to get to the park entrance. After that I had to hike into the park. False Cape does not allow vehicle access, to the north you have Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and to the south is the state of North Carolina. To this is strictly hike in/out camping. Something I had never done before, but was excited to do.
Since you have to hike all your stuff in, and then out once you are done, it’s a challenge. You can’t bring that big Coleman stove and regular pots with tons of food. You have to pack smart and most importantly pack light. For this trip I bought a new framed back pack to carry all my stuff, a 15 degree down sleeping bag, new cooking equipment and some odds and ends. With all this gear I thought I was prepared for anything.
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I got to the parking lot just outside Back Bay and finished loading my pack. When I put it on I was shocked at how heavy it was. I was not looking forward to the 8 miles or so I needed to hike to my camping site. But someone once said: “The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.” With my pack loaded and sitting comfortable on my back I started walking.
At the entrance to Back Bay I ran into a National Parks officer that was happy to see someone camping. I also chatted with the guy at the booth taking money. He was happy to see someone camping for the weekend. I guess they don’t get many campers.
Hiking through Back Bay was really cool. If you are a birder this is a must visit spot. There are huge marsh areas and large pools of water for the birds to relax before the next leg in their trip. There are several observation towers in the park as well. One near the Back Bay information center is a nice glass enclosed structure with seats, the whole nine years. Unfortunately for me it was out of season so there was not much activity. Best thing I saw was a small turtle on the trail.
wide open beaches
When I finally arrived to False Cape I checked in and hiked to my camp site. My camping spot was only 3/4 of a mile from the park office. After a long hike through Back Bay it was nothing and I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel so it gave me a little boost of energy. When I arrived at the camp spot I was impressed. It was a small 10×10 sand box basically with a few amenities thrown in. There was a park bench and a pole to hang your food so the Yogi Bear couldn’t get to my dinner. The best think about this site was the tree cover. Not sure what type of trees, but they completly shaded the camp site.
After setting up my camp site I took a little strole down to the beach. My camp site was about 100 yards from the ocean itself. I was amazed when i got down to the beach itself. Never have I seen such a long unspoiled beach in my life. If I looked left or right all I could see was flat beach, the ocean, and dunes. Not a house in sight. I was happy that a place like this still existed, completely untouch by human development. After that little hike I was hungry for dinner. Here is where I found the one flaw in my packing. I bought this brand new small and light weight stove. It was so small in fact that I forgot to pack it. That meant no hot coffee in the morning, hot chacolet at night, oatmeal, or two frozen dinners that I packed with me. I wouldn’t go hungry, but I would really be roughing it at this point.
False Cape night sky
That first night sleeping was fantastic. I must have slept for almost 12 hours. The night air was cool but my sleeping bag kept me warm. In the distance I could hear the crashing of waves on the beach. And even though I was sleeping on sand it was comfortable. I could also sleep in. Usually when I camp I can’t sleep past 7:30 or 8 because of the heat and humidity in my tent. Not this time, both days I got up around 9am. That caused me to miss photographing the sun rise on the beach, but I thought sleep was much more important. On the second night I did get up about 3am to look at the stars. When I was camping the moon was barely out, and even then for just a short time. With the clear skies I could see a ton of stars.
After a long night of rest Monday was my adventure day. I had a bowl of cold oatmeal, ugh, and set out to explore the rest of the park. I was camped near the top and had miles of trails to walk. I found a couple of observation towers that provided spectacular views of the park. This park use to have a town in it so there were some old ruins and a graveyard to explore as well. And since it is a beach park I walked down the beach towards the North Carolina boarder. When I reached the boarder I was shocked to find houses, most looked abandon, but they where there.
By the time I made it to the bottom of the park I started to realize that I underestimated how long the park was. That walk back to my camp site was going to be brutal. I was already tired, my legs acted and my feet were killing me. To top it all off the weather had started to turn. The wind was picking up and the clouds were getting darker. Rain was coming.
Semipalmated Sandpiper
I pushed myself as quickly as possible to get back to my tent. It was almost 7 before I got back to my tent. Not a moment to soon. I quickly through all my gear into my tent and hunkered down for the night. No soon did I finish and the skies opened up. It rained most of the night. Nothing real heavy, just a constant steady rain. With my kick ass tent I was completely dry the whole night. The only thing I was worried about was the wind. Even with that worry I eventually went to sleep…..for another 12+ hours.
The next morning I inspected my tent and camp site. Eveything made it in one peace. The storm had come and gone. Now it was bright and sunny out with only a few clouds. What remained was the wind and cold. There was a constant 20 mph wind coming from the north. Mean the whole hike back to my truck would be into the wind. After another bowl of cold oatmeal I packed my gear for the journey to my truck. This one I was not looking forward to. I just about killed myself walking around the park the day before. This time it would only be about 8 miles, but I would be carrying a fully loaded pack this time.
Step after step I pushed myself towards my truck. Quieting was not an option. I didn’t even want to stop for a few minutes. I knew that as soon as I stopped my muscles would start to tighten up, making it that much harder to get going. Not until I got to the Back Bay information center did I take a small break for food. When I finally did reach my truck, it was right where I left it, it was the most beautiful thing I saw all trip. It meant that I could finally stop walking. All the muscles in my body screamed in joy and then decided to stiffen up. I didn’t care. I didn’t have to walk any more, I just had to sit.
seagull mid-flight
Four hours later I was at my door step. I simply dropped my gear on the floor and headed for the shower. I was washing two days of stink and dirt off me, it felt so good. I must have spent 30 minutes sitting under the hot water. After that hot shower it was lights out for me, this time in my own bed.
It was a fantastic trip and I can’t wait to do it again. I figure I will camp there again in April or May, when the temperatures are agreeable to camping. It also makes me want to camp at other places. To get out and explore this great country of mine. To find some other hidden treasures off the beaten path.
