A huge misconception about going out and exploring/adventuring is that you have to have other people. I'm not arguing that having other people isn't fun! But it's definitely not a requirement!
Friday 2/19/2016 - "Mysterious Island"
In my neighborhood there is a little known forested area that is public domain that is called "Mysterious Island". So I decided to take my bike out to it just to explore and mess around, the result was a wonderful day that let me escape from my life, even though I was only a mile from home!
part of the trail to the marsh side!
The tides in the low country are very drastic and can be dangerous to kayakers or even bikers if you do not plan your crossings well. Another odd side effect is that the water is both fresh and salt water, leading to very strange fish and creatures! Alligators are a real threat in this area and during the entire trip I kept a close eye out for them.
When I came to the "beach"(it's only a beach at low tide) I hesitated to go down due to the likely nature of the mud being quicksandlike(it was!) but I decided to go down anyways! And I'm glad I did!
My own private "beach"
Marking the water level so I know when the tide begins to flow back
The amount the water moved over a relatively short time (10 minutes or so)
As I wandered around the beach I saw what appeared to be a handle sticking out of the side of the sandwall, so after trudging and tugging hard on the handle I dislodged the object. It was the size of a sledgehammer but due to the shape, I assumed that it was(at least at one point) an ax! I have decided now that it was mostly likely used to chop firewood for a bonfire, as there is a pit nearby and the area has been known to host very rowdy parties. Someone may have drunkenly thrown it into the river. It was covered with what appeared to be stone, which I beat off to see what was underneath and lo and behold my assumption was correct!
The Ax when I first uncovered it
The Ax after a little TLC
At this point I had decided to explore the nearby areas, I found that a sand wall nearby had a tree that went well over the middle of the river. The only problem was the sandwall was muddy, slippery, and very steep! After mulling it over I decided to use the ax I had found as a sort of climbing ax to get over to the tree. I test the tree for sturdiness, and then ventured out onto the end that was hanging above the river. The serenity was unreal, and so I just sat there for quite a while.
Hanging from a wall
I then decided to look down the river for a place to cross with my bike, as it was a good assumption that I may very well be the first person to ever bike in that area! I soon learned that there was good cause for this though! I biked down the side of the stream and made an amphibious crossing(I had to hold my phone in my mouth!) The sand in the area I crossed had been recieving direct sunlight and was fairly hard and bikable, however as I headed up shore I realized quickly that this was all but impossible as my bike was much too have and sank at times more than 5", I then looked in front of me and saw something worrysome...A flow of water going down into the stream! I looked across at my tide marker and realized that the tide was rising. A quickly trudged back through the deep mud to the point of crossing an heaved my bike over the sandbar.
the area I wanted to bike to!
Realizing that "biking" where no one had biked before might have been a bad idea!
The area I had been biking minutes earlier after the tide began to come in
I returned to the main beach area because I saw strange looking foot prints that I just had to check out! they looked almost like handprints and I believe they were the prints of a small alligator!
after loafing around for a bit I realized there was one more adventure that had to be done! An old rope was hanging from a tree and I decided that once the tide became high enough I would give it a go! Bathing suits are overrated anyways
After swimming back from the frigid waters, I decided to take a few more photos and goof around just a bit more! I dreaded going to class just 2 hours later, but the day was pleasant and I definitely was less stressed! In the end we all need to loosen up and let our inner kid take control for a bit!
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