North Topsail Beach to Haws Run Primitive Baptist Church on Dawson Cabin Road, eastbound
October 28. This was a long one, at 20.5 miles.
I drove to Jacksonville on Sunday afternoon and stayed at the Coastal Motel. The Chinese takeout looks better than it tasted.
Monday morning, Trail Angel Spencer–an active duty Marine!–picked me up at my end point at 6:30am and drove me south to the beach.
Before beginning my hike northward, I stopped to say good morning to the sunrise over the Atlantic.
To cross the narrow bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway, I borrowed my husband’s headlamp for extra visibility. Not for me to see, but rather to be more easily SEEN by oncoming traffic.
When cars came by, I stepped up on that little narrow concrete shelf. The views over the water were wonderful–I counted 11 Great Egrets and lots of Double-crested Cormorants.
The signpost near Rick’s Restaurant & Sports Bar is looking a bit weathered.
The sun is fully up, and folks are heading to work. It’s a five-mile stretch straight up NC 210.
By far the best part of the day was the 3.5 miles through the Stones Creek Game Lands.
So pretty and peaceful!!!
I took a long pause here, because I knew what was coming….
Soul-crushing US 17.
Although the guide says to walk the wide shoulder on the right, I really don’t like having traffic behind me, so I crossed over when it was safe.
You walk this shoulder for 8.5 miles. It was more-or-less safe, but it was difficult walking in the tufted grass, and the roar of traffic was not pleasant.
I began noticing a parallel dirt road, with several access points.
I figured it was a military road, but there were no posted restrictions, except a prohibition on “tracked vehicles” (that is, TANKS). I saw several private vehicles using the road, so I did, too,
The final mile was, however, gated, with a warning about it being a training area, so that section is off-limits. Back to the highway for a while.
At the turn onto High Hill Road I took my sit-down, shoes-off break. I’ve done 15 miles so far, and I really like the feel of fresh socks for the home stretch.
Aggressive barking and snarling, but thankfully, they stayed behind their little fence.
Today, it was afternoon devotions…
Teach me how to take reproofs from friends,
even though I think I do not deserve them!
Back to the car at the Haws Run Primitive Baptist Church.
This was a hard hike, except for the fun going over the bridge at the beginning, and the three miles of game land roads and trails. I’m pretty used to walking alongside busy roads by now, but US 17 is intense.
I’m happy to know there’s only one more mile of US 17 left to complete!
My.Bird.Walks. 
So glad you enjoyed the Stones Creek walk. I share your opinions about Rt 17. We are slowly moving the MST off of the roads in this area, but in Coastal Carolina “off the road” seems to mean “into the swamp”. !
Mike O’Neill, Section 15 maintainer.
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Thanks for doing this- inching along the MS trail, now, from the Atlantic ocean inward. I have seen and walked those bridges, with the concrete shelf, about the same size as the sidewalk, but much shorter bridges.
Aren;t walkers always supposed to walk facing traffic?
Sharing in God’s grace,
Lorraine Boyd Cypress, TX
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