Group Camping: Cumberland Island: Part 2

I  I worked quite hard for this badge

If you didn’t catch the beginning of the story it can be found here. 

After lunch, our groups switched, and my group began the short hike up to the Brickhill Bluff Campsite where the previous group had taken their boats out of the water. After everyone got situated in their boats, we headed off to Plum Orchard via the Brickhill River and Mumford Creek.

We had a lot wind at our backs which made it difficult to keep the group together, but we made it just fine. It was a chilly evening, but very comfortable paddling weather. We arrived at Plum Orchard just before sunset. Fortunately, dinner was waiting, and we were able to enjoy freshly grilled chicken laid over a bed of pasta salad.

Plum Orchard Mansion Hiding Behind the Oak

 

 

 

Day 3

The final day began with a hearty breakfast of oatmeal with brown sugar, raisins, and bananas to provide us fuel for the day ahead of us. After breakfast the group received a tour of the Plum Orchard mansion. As I have shared in past posts, the mansion at Plum is a strange site to behold in the midst of a designated wilderness area. However, this does not detract from the beauty of this 19th century home or the wilderness that surrounds. This fact, arguably, adds to the beauty of the home and the wilderness.

Upon arriving at camp after the tour, Keith and I had lunch that was ready to be devoured by the hungry group. On the menu was a made-from-scratch soup that Keith and I prepared early that morning along with bits and pieces of the previous days left-overs. As lunch wrapped up, the large chore of breaking down camp took center stage. After disassembling the tents and stuffing the sleeping bags into their appropriate sacks, we began to pack the kayaks for the journey home.

We had wind at our backs again, and that means working hard to keep the group together. It is imperative to maintain a tight grouping in heavy winds, especially during our crossing at the Intracoastal Waterway. Without paddling, the wind was pushing us at 3mph. This made for a hectic paddle as a guide. It is hard to hear when the wind is rushing past your ears, but we managed.

Though we did have a capsize, Keith had the hypothermia kit which kept our wet paddler warm. We approached the Crooked River boat ramp after only an hour and forty-five minutes in the water. That is good time for a group of 30+ people.

The smell of rain was in the air as we reached the boat ramp, and thick, dark clouds loomed above us. We hurried to pull all of the boats up and unload them and managed to avoid the rain. Everyone had a great time, and we managed to complete a three day trip without any serious injury.

The Paddling Route