St. Vincent Island Hike

[mikecatadjuster]

In this episode of ‘Another Walk with Mike’ you will be treated to a very special rendezvous. Separated from the mainland, we will reach our destination via kayak. Our feet will caress the supple sands of St. Vincent Island, a 49 square mile jewel.

The Florida barrier island is rich with diversity and teeming with wildlife. In studying satellite images of this wondrous place I saw so many things to explore, but I knew that even years of exploration would invariably leave parts untouched. With time being an issue, I set my level of expectations where they needed to be…but still HIGH!

Setting off in my small water craft, paddling across the small pass to the island south of Apalachicola, I smiled, knowing I was destined for something special. I wasn’t sure if I’d witness a large alligator in one of the island’s freshwater lakes, see a red wolf eye to eye, witness the exotic, non-indigenous Sambar deer (native to southeast Asia) or any of the other wild tenants of this great land.

The island also supports white-tailed deer, wood ducks, migrating falcons, osprey and bald eagle, as well as other threatened species such as sea turtles, indigo snakes and gopher tortoises.

Each of these inhabitants is special, but as a collective they create an atmosphere of wonder and excitement. I had trouble containing mine. And with my smile, the journey began.

Once there, I came across many wonderful things. Wildlife was abundant, as were artifacts, beach mice and mosquito. But more abundant than anythig was beauty and my appreciation of it.

St. Vincent is a wild island and even with bug spray you may get clostrophobic with the mosquito enclosing in on you. But worry not, sit back and enjoy it all here, on 'Another Walk with Mike'.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIHL7r7YHAU&feature=channel_page"][U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIHL7r7YHAU&feature=channel_page[/"]YouTube - St Vincent Island NWR West End[/ame]

[aggieb]

you are quite the naturalist.

[Lynnie]

I LOVE St. Vincent Is.!!!

[mikecatadjuster]

I LOVE St. Vincent Is.!!!

It is wonderful isn't it? Last night as I lay down to sleep, images flashed within my mind. The were beautiful. They were from my island hike. I love when that happens.

I remember when I use to fish all day and as I shut my eyes to sleep, the images from the day would surface and take the place of the darkness under my eyelids. The images of St. Vincent island were certainly welcome as they spontaneously came to me.

The texture and colorful hues and varied lines formed from the foliage. The lushness and grandeur. The plant life and wildlife.

I was surprised at the number of beach mice on the island. I believe those may be indangered, but on the island they are plentiful although skittish, scurrying under the brush at every turn.

I will have to take a bike to the island somehow. Actually, there was a shuttle service that claimed to do that but I didn't call. Rather, I relied on my legs. I'll say though, I wished I'd gone a month or so ago. I had times where my hands were red from all the mosquito I was dragging off of me. I've been on islands before and that is just a standard thing. A few times I knew I needed to seek refuge on the bay or gulf side quickly or my fate would be determined by the heat seeking little black darts.

I strongly want to explore the eastern end of the island which would necessitate a very early start and my body to be right, or a bike, or starting from that end. I'm not sure if I can paddle across from St George island? I don't know if there is road access that gets you up close from that end. I hope to find a solution to that soon. I brought my bass boat back to Louisiana when I wondered, and still do, if I could continue to live here. If I had my boat I'd be able to take my kayak and bike with me and play around on the east side.

I'd like to get another few trips in, but I'm not sure how much longer into the heat I'll want to travel there. I know I'll have to make other journeys there next fall and spring though. Discovery. It reminds me of youth and exploration. Passion.

My body hurts from all the hiking I've been doing but its been great. The saying that goes something like, 'Everyone dies, but few truly live,' comes to mind. I feel alive and free when I am doing this sort of thing.

[Lynnie]

It is wonderful isn't it? Last night as I lay down to sleep, images flashed within my mind. The were beautiful. They were from my island hike. I love when that happens.

I remember when I use to fish all day and as I shut my eyes to sleep, the images from the day would surface and take the place of the darkness under my eyelids. The images of St. Vincent island were certainly welcome as they spontaneously came to me.

The texture and colorful hues and varied lines formed from the foliage. The lushness and grandeur. The plant life and wildlife.

I was surprised at the number of beach mice on the island. I believe those may be indangered, but on the island they are plentiful although skittish, scurrying under the brush at every turn.

I will have to take a bike to the island somehow. Actually, there was a shuttle service that claimed to do that but I didn't call. Rather, I relied on my legs. I'll say though, I wished I'd gone a month or so ago. I had times where my hands were red from all the mosquito I was dragging off of me. I've been on islands before and that is just a standard thing. A few times I knew I needed to seek refuge on the bay or gulf side quickly or my fate would be determined by the heat seeking little black darts.

I strongly want to explore the eastern end of the island which would necessitate a very early start and my body to be right, or a bike, or starting from that end. I'm not sure if I can paddle across from St George island? I don't know if there is road access that gets you up close from that end. I hope to find a solution to that soon. I brought my bass boat back to Louisiana when I wondered, and still do, if I could continue to live here. If I had my boat I'd be able to take my kayak and bike with me and play around on the east side.

I'd like to get another few trips in, but I'm not sure how much longer into the heat I'll want to travel there. I know I'll have to make other journeys there next fall and spring though. Discovery. It reminds me of youth and exploration. Passion.

My body hurts from all the hiking I've been doing but its been great. The saying that goes something like, 'Everyone dies, but few truly live,' comes to mind. I feel alive and free when I am doing this sort of thing.

From St. George, I think you'd deal with too strong of a current since the 'cut,' but I like the way you're thinking. Drop in at Apalachicola.

We ran out of gas right smack there in the water next to St. Vincent's. Funn day! I opened another beer and decided to sun myself while my BF had to hop out and go for help! Lots of interesting sounds out there when the sun goes down.

[mikecatadjuster]

From St. George, I think you'd deal with too strong of a current since the 'cut,' but I like the way you're thinking. Drop in at Apalachicola.

We ran out of gas right smack there in the water next to St. Vincent's. Funn day! I opened another beer and decided to sun myself while my BF had to hop out and go for help! Lots of interesting sounds out there when the sun goes down.

Volunteering to stay with the boat and uh... the beer. Now that is good thinking.

You know, I could always just paddle the bay side of the island and get there, even entering a bayou that goes to the interior of the island. I'll see. But right now its recovery. I have a friend coming to visit me, possibly next weekend and I was thinking that maybe we'd go out to the island. He's a pretty rugged hiker so he shold be okay with it. But I'm hesitant have others along on some of my excursions because sometimes it gets downright tough and demanding.

Good chatting with ya. I love talking adventure.

[Lynnie]

Nice chatting with you, too.

Let us know how the next hike/adventure goes!! Cheers~~~~~~~

[Tdupe]

I wanted to be doing something great today, but I finally found out what some severe pains I was having are from. I was dropped to my knees several times, feeling like in the movie Alien where the alien was inside of the astronaut. That's what a kidney stone can feel like. Ouch!

Maybe I should film myself moaning and crying. Now that would be great television.

[mikecatadjuster]

Btw, that's me up there under 'tdupe' name. I was on a friends computer and left a message. I couldn't be by myself last night with the pain.

[Miss Kitty]

Btw, that's me up there under 'tdupe' name. I was on a friends computer and left a message. I couldn't be by myself last night with the pain.

...kidney stone? Did you get to the ER?

[mikecatadjuster]

...kidney stone? Did you get to the ER?

Well, first I called my brother who is a doctor, who told me he was sleeping. Then I moaned loud enough for my neighbor to hear and he drove me toward Bay hospital, where he said it would be cheapest. The one by Mack Bayou is so much closer though.

Then, in the parking lot, my doctor-brother called back and said that in the ER, all he'd do was give the patient a Cat scan, tell them they have kidney stones and send them home to pass it with Pain meds. And he said that would cost me a couple grand at an ER.

Because of, well, that little thing called money, I chose not to continue with the ER visit. I went to a friend's house to sleep, because I worried about blacking out from the pain...plus he had one pain pill. I swallowed that with some advil and other things, none of which came remotely close to cutting into the agony at all. Not even close.

I'm not sure if the stone found an exit to be honest. I don't know if I've had multiple stones over this past week, because that same pain has happened a few times, it's just that this time it lasted for well over an hour where I felt like I had a large animal moving around in my back and stomach.

My entire back is so sore right now, in fact. Every time I get a feeling I worry that the surge of pain will rejoin my world and I, well, want to cry like a baby. But of course, being the strong, virilent man that I am, I grin and say, 'bring it on.'

But I won't be hiking today, that's a given.

[Lynnie]

Go see a doc.

[mikecatadjuster]

Go see a doc.

I think the worse may be behind me, if all the stones are out. I have a friend coming to visit so I sure hope I'm ready for more adventure. We may head out to some springs as I doubt my ability to hike too much. But I'd love to get back to St. Vincent island and show my buddy what the area has to offer.

But regardless of where I head, I'll have my camera along to record the action.

[Lynnie]

I think the worse may be behind me, if all the stones are out. I have a friend coming to visit so I sure hope I'm ready for more adventure. We may head out to some springs as I doubt my ability to hike too much. But I'd love to get back to St. Vincent island and show my buddy what the area has to offer.

But regardless of where I head, I'll have my camera along to record the action.

Keep the audio on so we can hear you groaning from pain! Hope you're feeling better soon!!

Cheers~~~~