Walking Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge

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Walking

Walking with the Walrus

Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge 10 KM Walk
Maryland, May 10, 1997

A regular feature by the Walrus, Kevin Shaw
Photos © Kevin Shaw, licensed to About.com

On a partly to mostly cloudy, cool, breezy Saturday, my daughter Robin and my pooches India and Peaches and I headed out for the Eastern Shore of Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay Country Wanderers (CBCW) walk event in the Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge south of Rock Hall Maryland We met our friend Eric in the Annapolis Mall to ride together over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and over several country roads on the Eastern Shore through the quaint towns of Centreville, Chestertown, and Rock Hall to get to the start/finish. It was further than we anticipated, so we got to the start point with only about 5 minutes to spare before shutdown around 1 pm. But this beautiful wildlife refuge was well worth it! Fields and forests full of wildlife and all ablaze with fresh spring greenery make it so!
Despite the clouds, the strong breeze we had gave us great visibility. From the start point at the Ingleside Recreation Area, we could look out and see the Bay Bridge and the Baltimore City Skyline. The breeze also kept the bugs away from us. We had been forewarned about insects and to bring insect repellant.
Registration was well-organized and we were out on the trail quickly. I loved the way the event was set up- you got simple instructions and a map of the refuge with all the trails explained fully and easily.
We had five options; to do 5, 10, 12, 15, or 20 km distances, all in one event. And the way the trails were laid out, you could decide on which distances you could do as you progressed on the walk. We all did the 5 km loop first, walking on gravel/dirt roads out from the start point onto the main paved road to a parking lot then out on a lovely boardwalk through open marshland with plenty of birds flying about, including big buzzards, osprey and even a bald eagle! We walked onto an island and an observation platform, where we could see more of the bald eagle, helped out by Bill of the host club who started talking with us about where the bald eagle was and how to tell what kind of bird it was by the way they fly through the sky. At this observation platform was checkpoint 1, where you used a highlighter of a certain color to mark your start card.
We ambled back to the parking lot, where there was some water and candy available for volkswalkers. Robin decided to only do this 5 km loop so she headed back to the start point from this parking lot. She reported later that she walked most of the way back with a 10km walker named Amy which made it better for her.
Eric and I walked up the road (to the north) a little way to the start of the Boxes Point Trail, about a 1.2 mile out and back trail to the waterline on the Chester River.The trail was really nice, through open meadow and forest. We were fortunate that this area had not had a lot of rain of late, and this poorly drained marshland area would have been really rough to walk through if it had rained more than it had. At the waterline end, another highlighter was found on a tree to use to mark your card for checkpoint 2. The beach was so inviting that we had to go down and check it out, and also gave the pooches an opportunity to cool off their feet with a swim. They really loved the water! They swam with vim and vigor, and splashed about quite a bit!
India and Peaches splash

Back to the main road, we walked southerly this time for about a mile, into a road heading east, where after a very short distance a parking lot and welcome water and candy and a few workers were there to greet us. Not a checkpoint, but a refreshment stop much needed by all. From there, we headed back into the woods once again on the Duck Inn Trail. This one mile segment was somewhat similar to the Boxes Trail. Out at the end, once again was a certain colored highlighter to mark your start card hanging from a tree. Also once again, Peaches and India got a chance to swim in the Chester River. This time we found some driftwood on the shore, and threw pieces out into the water for the pooches to fetch. India was particularly adept/interested in doing this, after not having much luck at retrieving stones and oyster shells Eric was throwing in the water. India just could not figure out where those pieces were going when they stopped moving forward! Peaches seemed to be more interested in attacking India in the water after she got the piece of driftwood. I must have taken about 17 camera shots of the action, it was well worth it! A group of three kayakers approached us as we were getting ready to head back, luckily Peaches did not feel ambitious enough to chase them down!
Headed back to the parking lot and more refreshment, but just before the lot Eric and Bill headed down to the Boyles Wharf Landing on the road heading east, giving them an extra 2 km, or 12 km in all. Eric started jogging, so he could catch up to me before the finish.
Heading out of the parking lot and retracing my steps from previous loops to the finish point, a friendly face from prior walks caught up to me. Unfortunately I can't recall her name, but we had travelled a few times on Mary Ptacek's bus trips. Eric caught up with us and we all walked together into the finish. She was the only walker out after us, so the workers were packing up for the day. There were only about 120 walkers out for the entire day. Sunday will be another day, so if by chance you can read this early Sunday and head out there, you will not regret it! Despite the fact that you can see the Bay Bridge and even the Baltimore skyline from the start point, it really is a longer drive to the start point than you might think, and you have to allow for well over an hour of driving time after you cross the Bay Bridge. But it is worth it!
The trails were described very well in the directions,and signs and markers out on the trail made sure no one was led astray. All the workers/volunteers were friendly and very helpful. Many thanks to all the CBCW members helping out! I met a few fellow walklisters and other familiar faces out on the trail, including Susan and her husband from the Baltimore Walking Club. As usual, Peaches and India helped them figure out who I was! Their picture on the walking homepage does it again!
We got our books stamped, thanked all the workers there for a great walk, and started heading home. The town of Chestertown on the trail back home will have a new seasonal year round event opening up on May 24th, so we may be back here again sometime later this year. CBCW club members think they may return to this Wildlife Refuge again for a walk; I just hope that they will walk while the Chestertown SYRE is also up and running too! Might help improve attendance!
This walk put me over the 3500 km mark in my distance books! And when I got home, my award for 300 events was waiting for me (I was a little behind on this - the walk today was my 312th walk actually!). And Robin just finished her 50 event book! Peaches at 44 and India at 124 are hanging in there with their unofficial record books. With Mother's Day and a flute recital tomorrow afternoon and a late night tonight, it appears that I may not be able to walk a volksmarch tomorrow. But next weekend there are 4 or 5 events going on locally, so I will be back on the trail before long with plenty of vim and vigor! This walk today was extra specially different in a truly unique area of Maryland. I relish these days tremendously.

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