The Eastham Hiking Club will conclude its 2018-19 season this month before taking a summer recess.
Below is the essential information for the group, which hikes the woods, dunes, beaches and dirt paths of Cape Cod from Yarmouth to Provincetown. Most of the hikes in the area from Wellfleet to Provincetown.
Hikes are led by group leaders Don Light, Mark McGrath, Bob Rabenold, and Chuck Thompson.
EHC hikes Wednesdays, beginning immediately after Labor Day until the week before Memorial Day. The Club is an informal group that is free and open to anyone. EHC hikes every Wednesday at 9 a.m. No signup is required, just show up. Contact information and other details are below.
May 8 — Eastham - Nauset Light, North. Leader: Don. Rte. 6, R at Visitors Center, 1.6 mi. to end, L on Ocean View, 1 mi. to Nauset Light Beach Parking Lot. Hike past Nauset Light and through the Eastham seashore woods and return.
May 15 — Brewster - Nickerson Park / Flax Pond / Bakers Pond. Leader: Chuck. Route 6A to state park. Take first left off entrance road to end of Flax Pond Road. Hike mostly woodland trails past five ponds including Cliff, Little Cliff, Higgins, Eel, and Baker's.
May 22 — Eastham — Doane Rock, Picnic. Leader: Don. Rte. 6, R at Seashore Visitor Center, 1.0 mi., R to Doane Rock parking (2nd lot). Walk through woods to Nauset Light & Coast Guard Beach, return on beach. End of Season Picnic: Bring a picnic lunch and maybe something to share.
Most hikes are 2 hours with some extending to 2½. Participants walk at a decent pace to get a fair amount of exercise. The normal hikes have from 35 to 70 hikers.
Carpooling is encouraged. Drive on your own if you wish. On hikes that are beyond Eastham the club will schedule general carpools that will leave from the Stop & Shop near the Orleans rotary. As you enter the main parking lot at Stop & Shop, the meeting place is first area on the left. The schedule will state carpooling and give a time. The time on the schedule is the time that you should leave the Stop & Shop. Arrive at Stop & Shop before the designated time. There will be no leader there so make your own carpools. If there is no one there proceed to the starting location on your own.
CONTACTS: Don Light — 508-247-9887, VKLight@comcast.net; Mark McGrath — 508-432-3775, markmcgrath@verizon.net; Bob Rabenold — 508-255-6983, robertojrabenold@gmail.com. Chuck Thompson — 508-255-8081, ctorleans@yahoo.com. E-mail markmcgrath@verizon.net for bi-monthly schedules and/or weekly hike report with maps.