18-Miles Of Hiking In South Alabama
In the middle of the summer, in the Deep South, along the Gulf of Mexico most people go to the beach to escape the heat and look for some cool water to beat the heat. I guess that I’m not most people as I go looking for a great hike. Now hiking in the sand isn’t fun for most people, but “type A” fun suits me as do the great views, sunshine, and cool breezes.
At the bottom of Alabama sits Dauphin Island. This barrier Island is 15-miles long with 9-miles of undeveloped land on the Western side. There are a few ways to get there by driving but they all end with a high bridge that gives views of Mobile Bay and the Gulf. Along the way you might pass through Bayou La Batre, of Forest Gump fame. Or you might want to take the auto ferry between Fort Gaines and Fort Morgan across the bay on the way to Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge and Gulf Shores … the beaches are pristine.
Regardless, the West End Public Beach on Dauphin Island is the start of an epic hike that will change in beauty as the seasons unfold. The Gulf side is filled with thick white sand that packs a little harder after a nice rain. It’s not really possible to walk for long in the foam of crashing waves as the drop is at a harsh angle. The back bay section of the hike is calm, the sand is packed, and quite often you are wading up to knee deep for short sections in the clear brackish water. There is some rock hopping across stone breaks that stop erosion, and there is a section of tall grasses pouring from a small marsh that you navigate around.
My last hike there, I lived about an hour away for many years, was a hot August day. Sunscreen, a hat, a long sleeve shirt and small pack with plenty of water were in order. I started on the back bay and took off my shoes once it was possible to walk in the cool water for a bit, but once I started weaving in and out of the jetties and dunes, often making my own path, I put my shoes back on. Sitting there catching a break, watching the many birds that float on the sea breezes, I drank in the water and views. There is something about water that brings peace. The vastness and blue clashing with the desert like landscape of browns and greens, white clouds that only offer fleeting shade … I find the same beauty in the desert, the mountains, and rivers that flow through them.
I marched on into further solitude as the beach houses grew smaller and smaller behind me until they disappeared. A cross made of driftwood stuck out of a dune and I was quickly reminded of a regatta that was smashed by a storm a few years back with several sailors losing their lives. It’s beautiful, but the ocean and turn on you quickly. I said a quick prayer for the families and moved on. Shortly after I meandered through some dunes to the Gulf side and the end of the island … it just grew narrower and narrower until the sand dipped under the water never returning.
The thick white sand was heavy and rough on the legs. “Maybe I should head to the backside again,” I thought. I quickly dismissed the idea knowing that the struggle is often just part of the journey. I found a large, weathered tree that I sat on and finished the rest of my water. The beach houses were now specks again and a goal that never came quick enough. If you have never walked for long stretches in sand, just know that your calves will hurt, your feet will hurt, and your muscles will hurt. The large crashing waves were a calming sight, and the sound was a type of deafening that fills your soul. The thought of a fire at night and sitting with friends, listening to the waves, sleeping till morning made me smile … but it wasn’t to be that day.
As the hours faded by, I came back to the end of my journey. I took my pack off, shed my drenched shirt, socks, and shoes, turned and wadded into the surf. The cool water brought my temp down and pulled my mind back to life. It was a great day. A lady on the beach let me know that a shark had swam though earlier … they always do. I stayed in for a few minutes longer and then headed back to the car, stopping only to let some fresh water from a beach shower clear the salt away. Driving across the bridge looking back to the West I said goodbye. One day I’ll go back … how couldn’t I.
