A walk to Springer Point

Everyone associates Ocracoke Island and Blackbeard the pirate. Well, this is the place he hung out, just off Springer Point. Ocracoke Inlet between Ocracoke Island and Portsmouth Island was the best route from the Atlantic into Pamlico Sound and the many colonial era towns on the mainland. Just outside the inlet was a perfect hiding spot for pirates. It was hidden from view from ships entering and leaving the inlet. Ocracoke Island rises up to its highest point near here and there is a little cove, referred to as "Teach's Hole".

Today Springer Point and the nearby forest is protected by the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust. They allow access along a footpath. Live oaks and coastal red cedars dominate the tangled forest. There is no parking at the only trailhead so it is often a private place. Take a walk through with me.

Ocracoke Lighthouse

Not open to the public and never will. The stairs leading up this 75 foot tower go straight up and with a ladder and hatch at the top. However, this lighthouse is my favorite. It is the oldest operating in the US. Right next to it is a small cemetery. The Lightkeeper's home is now a private residence.

Hatteras Lighthouse

This place is a gem. Look at the beautiful base, the tiled floors and the huge two story fresnal lens, now removed.

It is 257 steps to the top. Not everyone makes it. Lots of Americans are out of shape. And it is windy up there. On this day, it was calm on the ground but 25+ mph winds at the top. The next day when Nanci visited, it was almost 60 mph winds and she was the last one up before it closed due to the winds.

From the top you can see the Rodanthe water tower, 25 miles away. You can see the cape and all the fisherman congregated there. You can see the spot where it used to be and the swath that was cut to move it.

Controversy on the Outer Banks

We visited North Carolina's Outer Banks this past week. I was completely unaware of bitter battle raging between residents, mostly on Hatteras Island, and the National Park Service who manages Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Two years ago, the Audubon Society and others sued the NPS over failure to regulate ORV use and failure to protect several threatened and endangered species, including the American Oystercather, Piping Plover and various sea turtles. As a result of that lawsuit, the NPS has begun a process to regulate ORV use on the beaches. This includes closure of beaches to ORV in the vicinity of turtle nests. I viewed a map of the island called a "status map". It showed every known turtle nest. Apparently that map is constantly being updated. I was told that each nest is monitored by volunteers. During critical periods when eggs are about to be hatched, they are monitored 24 hours a day. The hatchlings make a mad dash to the sea, usually at night. They are easy prey for gulls and other birds. Tire tracks can make an insurmountable barrier preventing them from making it safely to the ocean. Additionally, nighttime driving with headlights disorients the hatchlings.

Due to the various beach closures, locals claim businesses are suffering. Fisherman still have 41 miles of beach to drive on but avoid areas with numerous closures. you drive down Rt 12 you'll see many homemade signs making reference to keeping the beaches open. the really nasty signs have all been removed. Earlier this year, businesses were refusing service to NPS employees and posting very pointed and unsettling signs. Rumor has it that a visitor to the area contacted the ACLU which advised the businesses that denial of service to government employees was a felony. This brought down many of the signs.