MST-59, segment 17

Harlowe to Bettie, eastbound

January 28, 2025. After yesterday’s cold, wet slog, today was a welcome relief of pleasant, sunny winter walking–and a much shorter day, at 13.7 miles.

We call this “college breakfast.”

I tidied up the Airbnb, then started walking at 7:20am. I first had to back-track the extra 1.5 miles down NC-101 to re-connect with the MST.

Traffic was not super-heavy, but it was still pleasant to turn off of NC-101 onto the much less-traveled Hardesty Loop Road.

No rain poncho. No wool hat. I’ve even ditched the wool sweater!

The first big hiking challenge was to get from here up to there to cross a large Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.

The route has you climbing up the embankment and stepping over the guard rail to get up onto the bridge.

Made it!

The view of Core Creek was splendid, but the shoulder was quite narrow, so I “made haste” to finish the .6 mile crossing.

The Cedar Island Ferry is the terminus for Segment 17, which I hope to complete in March. We have some travel plans for February, so hiking the MST will be on pause for a few weeks.

Cell phone photos don’t do these birds justice–and they’re in their drab juvenile plumage–so here’s a close-up of this species:

This two-mile stretch was peaceful enough, traffic-wise, for morning devotions.

At 10 miles, I took advantage of the steps of the Mt. Tabor Missionary Baptist Church to rest the feet and put on dry socks.

I’ve arrived Down East!

The bridge over the North River had a much friendlier margin for walking.

Woodville Baptist Church must have a very welcoming reputation, because I wasn’t the only vehicle in “long-term” parking!

Au revoir until March, MST.