Seg #37 The False Cape State Park Trail; A Survival Ride

Seg #37 False Cape State Park Sand Ridge Trail  5/9/14  Back Bay Nat.Wildlife Refuge

End	North Carolina Border	N 36.51490 W75.87583	N-S miles 11.1
Start	BackBay Entrance	N 36.67447 W75.91716	Trl lgth 21.2mi Ride21.2mi

Ride hr 3:02

AVS 1.2

MXS  mph 6.7

DST 21.2

Tmp65-85

Kcal 1753

This is the start of the False Cape Trail. It ends at the North
Carolina border at the beach. A tough trip for the Maze Boys

We headed out of the Richmond Days Inn sometime after seven. Given Google Maps said it was over two and a half hours driving time so we had to kick it in the tail-feathers it to get to Virginia Beach and False Cape State Park by 9:30 a.m. The trailhead was somewhat remote but Trixie, my GPS Queen, got us to the north gate of the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge before ten. The park ranger said it was a four mile ride to the Visitors Center at False Cape State Park. You can't drive into the park so we rode the four miles to the park  plus another four or five miles to get to the beach via Wash Woods Trail. Pushing our bikes through sand dunes is no cup of tea but that is what we did for a half mile.

Chris is the red dot near the top of the dune. This sand is too
soft to ride and a challenge to push a bike.

I was astounded that once we got to the beach, there was not a human being insight for as far as I could see in any direction. Never have I been on a beach, at noon, on a sunny warm day and not see anything but birds and rolling waves. We were able to ride for about a mile but as the tide started to rise, the and the previous packed sand started to dry into a weak crust, it was impossible to ride the bike. We kept walking our bikes thinking we would find areas we could ride but after another two miles of struggling to get to the North Carolina border, I was out of gas. Chris was more than a mile ahead of me by the time I  decided I would be in big trouble if I kept going. Especially trying to get back to the car. Flailing my my helmet to signal Chris to stop and return was not working---he was too far from I guess. Even though he later told me he was going to get to North Carolina come hell or highwater; and the water WAS getting higher;

I could ride this sand for less than a mile. We were headed
to North Carolina (it is beyond what the eye can see over
my left shoulder). Chris made it to the border but I must
find another trail in states I have yet to ride to pick up  latitude

Rebecca and her crew saved us on that day on False Cape
Beach. I look better than I feel. Damn that was hard on us.

Chris is no where to be seen.

 he said the fence at the border was like a mirage. He just kept going. It was nearly impossible to read the screen on my phone but I tried to phone and text him. No answer. No Wonder, he left his phone in the car. It was nearly ninety degrees and drinking water was gone. Chris was dead set on getting to the border even though I was not going to make it. I hope I can make up the missed latitude somewhere close to other trails. I am not driving 2,500 miles just for three miles of latitude. Chris finally made it to the border and started back toward me but he was out of water. Dehydrated, he became dizzy and confused. Thank goodness I had a couple of swigs of water left. But we were in no shape to get back.

Water! WATER!!! YES WATER!!!! Chris is pretty much
dehydrated so he is a bit goofy not being of clear mind
and nauseated to boot. Thank the lord we got a ride.

Was it a mirage or did we see a pickup truck a couple miles down the beach?  We headed toward the truck and found the nicest people in the world, especially since we were in such tough shape. They were park workers installing gypsy moth traps in the sand dunes.  After catching his breath, Chris went ahead and signaled them down.explaining our dilemma. Rebecca, the ranger and team leader was willing to haul us back to the Sand Ridge Trail. Wow, was that ride a lifesaver. They gave us water and hauled us through the soft sand until we could ride on a firm surface. This was the best ride I have had in years. Just not having to struggle through two or three miles of soft sand was a life saver. At the Visitors Center we were able rehydrate on Gatorade and rest. We got back to the car at three o'clock, an hour later than planned. Lucky for us, just a few miles out of the wildlife refuge, we found an excellent restaurant for crab cakes, grilled cod and a couple of cold beers. After a great meal and some rest, we headed toward Weldon, NC to stay the night and ride the Roanoke Canal Trail to Roanoke Rapids, NC.