SOUTH WELLFLEET I was in the trail trailer crunching hiking data and potato chips, when Compass, my new robotic trekking dog, began singing opera and barking in Finnish. I placed a Beef Byte snack on his snout sensor, he rolled over, and the screen on his belly revealed the following message:
"Hey, I would love a long loop hike with some beach action. Do you know of one?"
This was fortuitous, but slightly nerve-wracking. I had been thinking along these lines, but I wasn't clear on the route that would get the job done. I wanted to walk inland from Lecount Hollow Beach in South Wellfleet to Marconi Beach, then use the beach to get back to the start. Was it possible?
Town-by-town:Cape Cod Hiking Guide and helpful links
It was time to find out. I whistled for the Curious Prius and we made the quick journey to the Lecount Hollow parking lot. Another amazing Cape Cod fall day was in full bloom and that gave me more courage than a shot of whiskey. It's hard to walk away from a Wellfleet beach, but that's what I had to do to make this work.
I moseyed along Lecount Hollow Road for about half a mile and took a left on Wireless Road. Someone once told me that this way was used by Guglielmo Marconi to bring in equipment to yell at England. The street quickly turns into a fire road and it heads straight toward the Cape Cod National Seashore's Marconi overlook site.
That means it goes right by the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp trail and I couldn't resist looping out along the boardwalk. The sun was high, so the creepy vibe was low. But if you head there late in the day, when the shadows are long, it can be one of the spookiest places on the Cape. Somehow, I always imagine deceased weirdos reaching up out of the water, so I zig-zag to confuse them.
Heading to the overlook, I met a woman on a white horse. It was a stunning sight! I was a little nervous that she had been sent to take me to the Land Beyond, or maybe Poughkeepsie. She leaned back in the saddle and said, "I'll do this bareback when I'm 90." I was impressed with her plan and wished her well.
More Curious Cape Cod:The stinky era of pot smugglers
I paused at the overlook to drink in that fantastic vista. Sure would be a great place for a food truck! But now things were going to get tricky. I needed a side trail to avoid walking all the way back to park headquarters. And there it was, about 1000 feet up Marconi Station Road!
I entered an incredible landscape of gnarled pine, beach grass and shrubby humps, all backed by the blue Atlantic. You've got to be careful and stay on established trails to avoid crushing vegetation, which has a tough go of it out here. It seemed like the beautiful middle of nowhere, so I was stunned to see a sandwich container under a rock.
What a discovery! I opened it up and read a note on the inside cover: "A community notebook on the Dune... for you to add to: a Sketch, Poem, Thought, Wish, Prayer, whatever." There was also a pen and a bottle of hand sanitizer.
And part of a Mary Oliver poem, titled "When Death Comes," that reads: "When it’s over, I want to say: all my life/ I was a bride married to amazement."
Looking to explore over the bridge?:Top 5 day trips to take off Cape Cod
A beautiful moment on the dunes! I now had the strength to keep going. And the wonders kept coming: I saw a woman on a bike toting a dog in some kind of backpack. I reached Marconi Beach and saw a biplane. I started up the beach toward Lecount Hollow and found the World's Greatest Bucket!
It was a 5-gallon beauty with a picture of a lobster. The logo said "Worcester's Lobster & Clam Bait." The former contents? "De-Haired Beef Hide." Turns out a guy from Maine named Bruce Worcester came up with this unusual bait alternative and has a following. He lists five reasons to use the beef approach instead of fish bait.
Here's reason number four: "It is cleaner and easier to handle. Like carrying a suitcase on the boat in the morning."
Other Curious Cape Cod hiking trails:
- Serenity rules along an amazing trail
- Epic loop hike in Truro
- Is this the most beautiful trail?
I picked up the bucket, I mean suitcase, and headed for home. It was an awesome souvenir for a six-mile, three-hour hike. But it kind of stunk up my car!
What do you want to know about Cape Cod? To ask a Curious Cape Cod question, email me at ewilliams@capecodonline.com. I'll do my best to figure things out!
