Another hike with the Trail Bandit and Mary

View of the sir Francis drake Channel from the Brown Bay Spur

map of brown bay ridgeline spur

We met at the East End entrance to the Brown Bay Trail. The trail is now in beautiful condition. There’s parking off the road for hikers and the trail is wide and clear. A dirt road near the trail head leads to the police gun range.

Our stated goals for the day are to photograph the ruins on the beach, try to locate the road that must have once connected these ruins to the main Brown Bay Trail (now the only open access is along the shore from the beach), photograph the two overlooks on the Johnny Horn Trail cleared by Jeff Chabot and the volunteer trail crew and find the trail to Murphy’s grave, none of which we accomplished.

The Hrmitage Ruins just off the brown bay Trail

We began in good faith walking up the hillside on the south passing the Hermitage ruins on our right. Interestingly, although I have walked this trail many times over the years I never noticed these ruins that so prominently stand  just a few yards off the main trail until they were cleared just recently. Shows you how easily you can miss stuff in just a little bit of growth.

At the top of the hill where the Brown Bay Trail makes a small turn and begins to descend toward the north, we notice a narrow spur trail heading over a ridge to the south.

As we are standing there we meet another hiker, a local it turns out, who walks the trail just about everyday.

The hiker tells us the story behind this spur trail.

There’s this guy who for several years has been clearing this trail, and this is no easy trail to clear. This area was heavily grazed for many years and the worst kind of scrub has taken over in many areas and I’m talking catch and keep. But he pushes on, following the ridge over three hilltops, we’re told. He does a good job too; takes away his trash; doesn’t leave old, dead catch and keep anywhere near the trail.

Now, cutting trails in the park is against the rules. In this case, it’s obvious to me, at least, that he’s doing no harm. the environment being so messed up by overgrazing anyway, but nonetheless, he’s not supposed to be doing this.

For whatever reason, he’s left alone; no one complains, and he continues his work. He flags the trail with ribbons to mark the route and at the end of the day, he leaves his tools at the end of his trail and goes home.

One day, I think it may have been about a year ago, he heads out to work on the trail and the ribbons are gone. He walks to the end of the trail and his tools are also gone. The hiker telling us the story speculates that this setback as well as talk around town of increased enforcement of park rules leads to the discontinuation of the trail project.

But the trail is there, and although it is no longer being improved or maintained, it is passable and obvious, and it’s obvious that other hikers have been on it since the original trail blazer stopped working.

Intrigued, we decide to leave the Brown Bay Trail for the time being and see where this trail leads.

Catch 'n' Keep

At first its kind of tough going, some of the cut back catch and keep has grown over the trail and needs to be strategically avoided. If anyone else ever decides to hike here, I would suggest long pants, gloves and perhaps a small clippers to cut away some of the catch and keep.

The trail soon takes us to a small ruin, probably the domain of some poor subsistence farmer.

Standing within the ruins it came to mind that this trail, although probably never an established roadway, was possibly a walking or donkey trail used by the residents of what are now the two ruins located on the mountain ridge that the path follows, this one, and a second one located further along the ridge near Princess Bay.

We push on and the thick scrub gives way to dry forest,which is easier to pass through. There are tall turpentine trees and thick mampoos and we even several lignum vitaes.

Dry Forest

Lignum Vitae

mampoo

Overhead we hear the screams of a large Jamaican Hawk circling above. Thinking about the vista he must be experiencing, I notice the potential for incredible views from the hilltops that we pass while continuing on the ridgeline path.

view from north side of trail

Princess Bay Ruins

If any of these hilltop overlooks were ever cleared they would offer almost 360  degree views of some of the most spectacular views in the Virgin islands, Tortola and the islands of the Sir Francis Drake Channel on the north and around to East End and Coral Bay on the south. As it is peering through the bush in those areas where the catch n keep keep you away the views there are some fantastic views to be had.

The ridge takes us to the Princess Bay ruins and from there we bushwhack down the steep hill to meet the east End Road.

It was a really nice hike after all even if we didn’t accomplish what we started out to do. This trail will most likely grow over if it’s not used, so now is the chance to do it if you’re so inclined…

For more about Brown Bay click:

http://www.seestjohn.com/trails_brown_bay.html

http://seestjohn.com/st_john_life/st-john-usvi/st-john-virgin-islands-brown-bay-trail-revisited/

http://seestjohn.com/st_john_life/st-john-virgin-islands-trails/st-john-trails-two-brown-bay-spur-trails/

Fungi Passage

The passage between Whistling Cay and Mary Point on St. John is called the Fungi Passage. Virgin Islands National Park Ranger Denise George once offered to tell me the origin of the name. She said that no matter how hard the wind blows,  how big the ground sea or how strong the tide, the Fungi Passage is always calm. She also explained that fungi is a Virgin Islands staple dish made from okra and cornmeal, often served with fish, like in “fish ‘n’ fungi.”

“In the Virgin Islands,” Denise said, “a good fungi, like the waters in the Fungi Passage, is always very smooth.”

Denise likes to make stories and this one is a good one so lets just say that maybe she’s right.

The island just to the north of the Fungi Passage is Great Thatch one of the British Virgin Islands and the passage between it and St. John is called the Narrows. In the photograph you can see the opening into that stretch of water notorious for a strong winds and currents.

The big island further to the north is Jost Van Dyke, also in the British Virgin Islands. The bay on the east is the main town, Great Harbor and the one on the west behind the four masted schooner under full sail is White Bay.

The photograph was taken from the overlook on Centerline Road at about 9:00 AM on Sunday.

Trunk Bay Trail
Years ago, my friend, John Gibney told me about this old trail that he remembered from his childhood that ran from Trunk Bay up to Centerline Road. I searched for it with him, but we never found it. To tell the truth I never really believed it existed until I was shown the old Oxholm Map of St. John in 1850, which clearly showed a road extending from Trunk Bay to what is now Centerline Road., but I was till convinced that it was irretrievably lost in the bush.

Not that long ago, another hiker, Bob Garrison, known as the Trail Bandit, told me that he was searching for that same trail. I warned him, that he was wasting his time. Gibney had been all through there and I had did a little exploring myself. “Not there,” I remember telling him.

But lo and behold, he found it,  and yesterday I walked that old road with Bob through the beautiful forest above Trunk Bay.

We headed into the bush just a little to the west of the large Trunk Bay ruin on the North Shore Road.

Just about 20 yards from the road we came to a small ruin that had been recently cleared.

Trunk Bay Ruin

Ruin	Stairs at Entrance

Continuing on we made our way further up the valley. The forest was cool and shady and had more guavaberry trees than I have seen anywhere and I made a mental note to pass through here in November when they bear the berries used to prepare guavaberry wine, preserves and pastries, traditional Virgin Islands Christmas treats.

At the higher elevations we started seeing more big trees such as the West Indian Locust or “stinking toe tree” and old gnarly hog plum trees. Also noteworthy were the large rock formations covered with lush anthuriums and bromiliads.

The old Danish road was well defined by the dry stacked stones that served as retaining walls for the track’s lower side. Although the trail could definitely use some work, It is a fairly comfortable hike, not too steep, shady and easy to follow, at least for now.

Trunk Bay Trail

Trail

Stone Wall

There was at least one point on the trail where with a little work, there could be a magnificent overlook. It can be appreciated somewhat right now, but that awesome full panorama view is obstructed by bush.

We continued up the valley until we reached a two foot high barb wire fence just before reaching Centerline Road. The  trail continues on the other side of fence, but runs through private property.

In order to stay on public land and rather than go back the way we came we took an intersecting side trail leading to the Susanaberg Road. This trail is in poor condition but we followed it anyway.

Being that the trail to Catherineberg is in even worse condition, I would suggest that unless things change, as they always do, that you enjoy the Trunk Bay Trail up to the top of the valley and then go back the way you came once you meet the fence.

Newly Cleared Overlook

Yesterday it was off to Bordeaux Mountain and the Bordeaux Mountain Trail to photograph the newly cleared overlook that Jeff Cabot and the volunteers had recently finished.

I hiked down the trail to Lameshur Bay and back up the way I came. The elevation at the top end of the trail is more than 1000 feet. The trail being only one mile long with an additional 0.2 mile track down from the ranger’s house to the bay, is obviously steep, to put it mildly.

Swale

Going down was easy. I found the trail to be well maintained and in exceptionally good condition. Although most of the trail runs straight down the montainside, with a potential for quick and severe erosion with every rain, the trail crews have mitigated this hazard by creating numerous swales across the trail sending rain water off to the sides and into the bush rather than allowing it to run down the trail.

On the upper elevations, the Bordeaux Mountain Trail runs through a shady forest. As the trail descends the environment changes to dry forest and then scrub with way less shade.

As I said going down was easy, birds singing, beautiful trees and tropical flora and outstanding dramatic views. Going up was another story. Let me just say, pace yourself and bring plenty of water.  To borrow the publisher of Marvel Comics, Stan Lee’s, catch phrase, “‘Nuff Said!”

Flora Along the Trail

Bordeaux Mountain Trail, St. John Virgin Islands

Flora on the Bordeaux Mountain Trail: Anthuriums, bromiliads and cactus

Pinguin also known as False Pinapple, beginning to flower

As you descend the trail more views open up, but they are not nearly as spectacular as the one that the volunteers cleared. It is one mile from the trail head to the intersection of the trail and the road to the ranger’s residence. Lameshur Bay lies about a quarter mile further on down the hill, where there are some nicely cleared ruins and the entrance to the Lameshur Bay Trail.

Bordeaux Mountain Trail

View of the Valley from Overlook

View of Lameshur from Lower Section of the Trail

View of Lameshur Bay from Ruin

Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, British Virgin Islands

But women and water are in short supply
There’s not enough dope for us all to get high
I hear it gets better, that’s what they say
As soon as we sail on to Cane Garden Bay
From Mañana by Jimmy Buffet

Callwood Rum Distillery, Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, British Virgin Islands

Getting there is half the fun
The weekend get-off-the-rock excursion brought our little gang, Max, Michelle, Ezius and I to Cane Garden Bay on the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. We left Great Cruz Bay in what’s been dubbed by my brother, Mario, “The Volvo,” a 15-foot Carib hard bottom inflatable powered by that trusty product of Japanese technology, a 60 horsepower Yamaha four stroke. I love this boat!

Being out at sea in the Virgin Islands never gets old for me. I’m getting kind of tired of all those adjectives to describe our islands, so let me just say that its unbelievably beautiful.

Leaving Great Cruz Bay we head north past the barge landing and Frank Bay and Gallows Point and out little town of Cruz Bay. Rounding Lind Point we run along St. John’s north shore passing beach after beach of the best beaches in the whole world, Salomon, Caneel, Hawksnest, Trunk, Cinnamon, Maho while on our left dozens of cays and rocks enhance the amazing seascape backdropped by the big island of St. Thomas in the west. Next we pass through the Fungi Passage separating Whistling Cay and Mary Point, the rocky cliff side on St. John where it is rumored that the last holdout of rebellious slaves from the 1733 St. John Slave Rebellion committed suicide rather than surrender.

National Park Service Ranger, Denise George. once told me that Fungi Passage got it’s name because like traditional Virgin Islands Fungi, (a dish made with cornmeal and okra and often served with fish as in “fish ‘n’ fungi”) It’s smooth! Maybe she made up that story, but it’s a good one and the passage is invariably calm.

Next we run up the Narrows with the dramatic cliffs and steep hillsides with their stands of tall elegant tyre palms on the St. John side and the island of Great Thatch, named after Edward Teach, or better known as Blackbeard, on the other.  And then we cross the channel to Tortola, passing Belmont Bay, also known as Smugglers Cove, then we continue on Tortola’s north coast passing Long Bay and the surfing Meccas of Apple and Carrot Bays and on to out destination fro the day, Cane Garden Bay.

Cane Garden Bay
I remember sailing into Cane Garden Bay some thirty years ago for the first time. The long stretch of white coral sand beach, protected practically it’s whole length by a reef lying about 50 yards offshore was practically deserted. Two commercial establishments offered amenities to locals, tourists and visiting yachtsmen (or to be politically correct should I say yatchtspersons or perhaps yachts men-and-women?) Towards the center of the bay was Stanley’s Welcome Bar with the iconic tire swing hanging from a palm tree and serving fresh Caribbean lobster nightly and on some nights offering music and dancing. Rhymers on the east also had a restaurant, plus there were showers a general store, and rooms available for rent.

Over the years the beach became more and more developed, but notwithstanding it by and large kept its Virgin Islands’ flavor and ambiance. I always thought that the development there was a good thing. A place where you had the opportunity to experience something more than just the normal beach stuff like swimming, sunning and snorkeling. at Cane Garden Bay you could also find real native restaurants, water sports rentals and live music even  big concerts with well known artists every once and a while.

We on St. Thomas and St. John didn’t have anything like it. Development of the beaches on St. Thomas was quite another matter. Big condominium projects and hotels bought up the beach fronts, which became their exclusive property. On St. John, the best beaches had become the property of the Virgin Islands National Park with only carefully controlled park concessions on Trunk and Cinnamon Bays, protected but lacking any semblance of Virgin islands native culture. So the moderately developed beaches on Tortola offered a pleasant change and positive addition to the beach experience.

Now, however, a new dynamic has come to play on Cane Garden Bay, as well as some other popular beaches, namely White Bay on Jost Van Dyke and the Baths on Virgin Gorda. We’re talking cruise ships!

On this visit to Cane Garden Bay, when I saw the line of beach lounges three rows deep from one end of the beach to the other, I guess, for me, the development I had once appreciated had become a bit too much.

Talking to some locals, I was given to understand that there is a certain appreciation for the cruise industry as far as the boost it gives to the BVI economy.

On the other hand, many locals worry about the stress cruise ships have on the infrastructure, the environment, the culture and the people of the British Virgin Islands.

Meanwhile for those of us who care, there is no shortage of undeveloped beaches, forests and mountainsides to enjoy not only on Tortola, but also throughout both the British and American Virgin Islands.

What a cool place to call home!!!

G