The Eastham Hiking Club continues its 2019-20 season in November and December.
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, Chuck Thompson, and Susan Goodspeed.
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.
Nov. 6: Truro — High Head, East Harbor (Pilgrim Lake) (2-1⁄2 hrs.). Carpool, 8:15. - Leader: Chuck. Exit Route 6 at High Head Road. Take first left fork onto dirt road to parking lot at end. Soft sand, over dunes along the back side of East Harbor to vista, past dune shack to ocean view return.
Nov 13: Wellfleet — Marconi Beach, Fresh Brook. Leader: Susan. Rte. 6, R at Marconi light, continuing straight to Marconi Beach parking lot south side. Hike past remains of Wellfleet’s old Fresh Brook Village along trails and past ocean overlook.
Nov 20: Provincetown - Beech Forest, Clapps Pond (2-1⁄2 hrs) - Carpool, 8:10. - Leader: Don. Rte. 6 to Provincetown, R at first traffic light onto Race Point Rd. Beech Forest lot 1/2 mile on left. Walk Beech Forest, high dunes, smallpox cemetery, and around Clapp's Pond.
Nov 27: Provincetown — Beech Forest, Beeches and Berries. Carpool, 8:10. Leader: Mark. Rte. 6 to Provincetown. R at first traffic light on to Race Point Rd. Beech Forest lot 1/2 mile on left. Is there any foliage or are there any cranberries left? We’ll look for them in the dunes and forest.
Dec 4: Truro — Ryder Beach, Hopper House, Poor’s Hill (2-1⁄4 hrs). Carpool, 8:20. Leader: Chuck. Rte. 6, L on Prince Valley Rd., Right at T on to Old County Rd., 1st L onto Ryder Beach Rd. to parking at end. Hike on bay beach, past the Hopper House landscape, Poor's Hill, and old South Meeting House site.
Dec 11: Truro - Pilgrim Heights, High Head. Car Pool, 8:15. Leader: Don. Rte. 6, R at Pilgrim Heights National Seashore sign to parking lot near gazebo. Hike Pilgrim Heights to High Head view, over dunes to dike and Pilgrim Springs.
Dec. 18: Brewster - Nickerson Park, Main Entrance, Cape Cod Bay. Leader: Susan. Rte. 6A to Nickerson State Park entrance. Park in lot on immediate right. Hike west side of Nickerson and out to Cape Cod Bay and return.
Dec. 25: No hike.
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. Susan Goodspeed — 407-929-2442, susan.goodspeed.53@gmail.com. E-mail markmcgrath@verizon.net for bi-monthly schedules and/or weekly hike report with maps.