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From: Jim Tynan <kayakbound_at_att.net> subject: [Paddlewise] Trip Report: North Carolina Outer Banks [long & late] Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2000 21:54:44 -0500 · This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:12 PDT

Five months later -- the trip report!!!

=======================================

My brother and I had planned a four-day, one-way, 60-mile-plus journey along
North Carolina's Outer Banks for Nov. 15-18. The route planned would be from
Harkers Island to the Cape Lookout lighthouse up to Portsmouth and then to a
pickup point on Cedar Island. We intended to make the decision to paddle in
the Core Sound or in the Atlantic a day or two before the start of our trip
pending weather/water conditions.

Our preparation began about four weeks before our scheduled start. We
established an equipment checklist and menu, and amended both numerous times
via e-mail and telephone as the weeks passed. As it turned out, we were very
well prepared for our journey in spite of what turned out to be some
challenging weather conditions. Two days before our scheduled departure an
"arctic" front descended into the South and North Carolina. High temps for
the first three days wound up in the low to mid 50s with night temps
lingering in the low 30s. Water temps dropped about four degrees into the
high 50s and the winds kicked up to 10-15 mph out of the northwest.
Fortunately, we planned for this possiblity and were well equipped with
layer upon layer of fleece, Goretex jackets, paddling jackets, neoprene
shorts and booties, etc. Only one item we went without [and ultimately
wished we had] -- Farmer John's. I didn't own one at the time and was unable
to purchase one on the drive down to Harker's Island from Fayetteville, and,
as a result, Bill decided to leave his behind.

We arrived at the island ranger station at about 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov.
15 and had to make a last-minute change to our itinerary. The gent who was
going to pick us up at the end of our one-way sojourn was unavailable. We
opted for a 40-mile round trip from Harkers, over to the lighthouse, NE to
New Drum Inlet [south of Ocracoke Inlet] and then back to the island.  We
also chose to remain in the sound for the duration of this trip due to the
wind and cold [and lack of Farmer Johns].

We put in from a small beach on the southeast corner of the ranger Station
at about 3 p.m. I was paddling my Current Design Solstice and Bill was in
his Meridian SK.  From there we paddled out to the Cape Lookout Lighthouse
in a little over an hour and decided to call it a day at that location. A
good thing we did! Otherwise it might have been incredibly ugly that night.
Neither of us were very familiar with the South Core Banks prior to this
trip. If you look at the chart, it shows, for the most part, nothing but
marsh/sea grass on the west side of the banks for miles starting from the
lighthouse north. As it turned out, the knee-deep muck and saw grass would
have been impossible to portage through. Had we left the lighthouse area
that night -- in the wind and cold -- there would not have been a take out
for at least eight miles. We set up camp, and then had a fine meal and a
great night's sleep under the guiding beacon of theLighthouse.

The next day we set out at 9 a.m. after a great breakfast of hot oatmeal and
raisins, and coffee, and paddled for about 8 miles into a 15-knot headwind.
To find our take-out spot, we wound up having to paddle through a mile or
more of a marshy maze-like group of inlets surrounded by towering sea grass
until we spotted a 6-foot-wide area deep in Johnson Creek suitable for
taking out. Once out, we portaged our kayaks about 150 yard to the east side
of the island and camped out on the beaches bordering the Atlantic. Though
incredibly beautiful and remote, we were a bit disappointed by the fact that
every 20 minutes or so until late evening a four-wheel-drive truck or camper
would rumble up the beach. Unlike Shackleford Banks, the state allows trucks
and campers to be ferried over to the South Core Banks for fishing and
camping. Regardless, it was still a beautiful spot and the sunrise the
following morning was absolutely incredible.

The next day we set out at about 9 a.m. for New Drum Inlet. Again, we were
forced to do battle with 15-knot headwinds. It turned out to be the coldest
day of all. Though not extremely uncomfortable, by the time we had paddled
the 10 miles to New Drum Inlet, the cold had settled into my feet and hands
[in spite of the 2mm neoprene paddling gloves I had on and which worked
superbly for the most part].  I was more than ready to call it a day. The
marsh/sea grass situation was not a problem near the inlet so finding a
place to take out and camp was not an issue. It was a challenge, however,
finding dunes tall enough to block the winds for our campsite. We finally
set up in an area between two smaller dunes that served us fairly well. That
final night proved to be the one with the most beautiful of all sunsets --
generated by an abundance of cirrus clouds that had moved in high above.

The fourth day was our "marathon" day. We took on a return trip of about
17-plus miles. We put in at about 9:30 a.m., paddled hard and fast, and
arrived back at Harkers island by 1:30. It turned out to be the most
hospitable of all the days weather wise. Temps rose into the 60s with
nothing but sunshine. The wind all but calmed down, except for a gentle
tailwind now and then. That day alone would have been enough to make this
journey a memory milestone -- especially after crossing paths with a pod of
15 or so dolphin about mid way through -- but there was just so much more to
this journey for both of us!

Equipment notes:

-- Oregon Scientific weather radios passed the test.  Reception wasn't great
from the banks, but, once positioned correctly the reception was good enough
to understand all reports.

-- Cellular phone passed the test.  Made a couple of calls to keep family
members informed of our progress.  However, as expected the battery died
after the third day.  For a longer journey, the extended-life battery would
be the way to go.  After the 5- or 6-day mark -- without recharging -- the
cellular phone option is a non-player!

-- Will bring a VHF radio with alkaline backup for an extended trip such as
this one in the future.

-- Campmor's 2mm Aleutian gloves for $23 worked great for me though the
inside thumb area on the left glove wore through late on the third day.
Will try a different pair with an additional palm/finger support next
cold-weather paddle.  [For the record, Bill used a pair of nylon
leather-palmed fingerless cycling gloves that suited him just fine!]

-- Nylon fleece-lined pogies proved to be a waste of money [$35]!  Once
soaked through, the added weight caused major arm weariness.

-- New Spyderdo rescue knife sustained excessive spot-rusting after three
days of salt/water expsoure.  Removed rust with steel wool and WD40 after
trip.

-- North Face's Cat's Meow is an awesome bag!  Never a cold moment - with or
without fleece!

-- I was a dried fruit/beef jerkey/Power Bar/water-Gatorade-Guinness kind of
a guy before this trip.  I am now a hot-food oatmeal-raisins/shrimp
gumbo/blackbeans with rice/hot coffee-water-Gatorade-Guinness convert!

-- Salamander "kitchen sink" worked superbly.

Jim Tynan
Pike Road AL

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