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Where the Zombies Weren’t — Spring 2014 |
Caines Head had been on my hiking list for a couple of years — finally did it over the weekend. Basically it’s an overnighter, whether you want it to be or not. The hike takes you along the beach for about three miles, and can only be done at a tide of 3 feet or less. So, except in very rare cases, you’re cut off from the rest of the world until the next tide — except for the four bars of 3G coverage. Hard to take.
Caines Head SRS has one of the few military defenses built during World War II, set up to defend against Japanese attack. There is an abandoned military fort/bunker/gun emplacement on the tallest headland, facing the mouth of Resurrection Bay. The fort — bunker — has about 12-18 rooms, ranging in size from large broom closets to a couple of one-car garage sized spaces. Headlamps or flashlights are a must. Outside are two gun emplacements (without the guns).
The hike never gains much elevation, topping out at 650 feet. There is a ranger station at North Beach, with latrines, a large bear box, creek for water, and a pavilion with picnic tables for cooking. For campsites, there are only a couple in the forest, several behind the beach berm, and some in the footprint of the old pier pylons on the south side of the beach. (There’s also latrines at two public use cabins on the beach walk down, and one up at the fort. At the second cabin on your way down is a water source, and another just up from there. Pretty civilized hike.