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Home My WebLink AboutJuly 03, 2003 - A Hither Hills exporlation The Suffolk Times • July 3, 2003 • � 1 er i s . ex ora �on � y j�,. `1.. ��. � � � �s � ! � � �. 3�� : �� _ � `'° � _�� bf � � � f�FTER SPENllING TIMF,1ri energy � `� � �'_ �� : � y � �' getting family boats ready and into the i � `` �`` �� a k:;: � ' `��,� �� water,we changed gears and packed u �� ,� �- our fifth-wheel camper and headed out �� to Hither Hills State Park in Montauk '� �'�,�� R ` to spend a week on the ocean beach. �,,. � As long as we can remember,we have �' �F '" � spent time there before kids,with kids, °`� � �`z then grandkids,and here we are again, ' �4 �" � ` just the two of us,back camping. - ,..; $ ° � Our trip over was uneventful except � ��'� for seeing two beautiful paulownia or � `aa �� _ .� `� "princess"trees in full bloom with thei '�. 3 , .h� 3� ' St '�. � A�. :'� 3 %�' clusters of fra- � � . � �'' �� -�� grant purple ��-�� Q � F�C V$ blossoms.This �' tree originated i � ,�ua. � �� , �N 3� " �£�� ancient China. � '� �� NATURE Eventually it �� : : :< ,� .. - �� }' � ". Pau Jaund its way to �' � Stout nburgh pan,where it ��' became part of � �" � � d the ritual of mar Y" - � ': ��'" � � riage.An example of that is when a a= baby girl is born,a paulownia tree is �"�� "' planted.Since it's such a fast-growing �� , tree,by the time the young girl is old enough to wed,the tree is big enough to cut down and use to make a hope chest for the bride. In Russia the paulownia tree was named for Anna Paulowna,princess of the Netherlands,thereby getting its name the"princess tree."It's a beauti- Times/Review photo by Paul Stoutenburgh ful tree and carries much history and Here you see a whelk or conch with Its egg case anchored to the bottom. r�lklore with it. Usually we find these egg cases after they've broken loose and come ashore and drled. Next time you find one, open up one of the Iittle egg cases and you'll be surprised at what you see. a wonderful area to explore,but,as Point to camp.Then t ere were no always,you must be tick conscious. four-wheel-drive vehicles and the place We found a place out of the wind was pristine and wild as it could be,but behind a dune where we could sit down All our wa over the rain weather it was hot.I remember picking beach and relax.The beach pea was in blos- 3' � Y som all about us.The camera came out la ed the ame of"on a ain off plums in the boiling sun to take heme p y g g � and record pictures were taken for again."We knew we were getting close to make jelly.When we ate,it was so future use.The beach pea will later have to our destination when we headed hot we pushed the boat off-shore and a miniature pea pod with tiny BB-size across that long,straight road that leads sat with our feet dangling over the sides peas that taste just like the peas you eastward to Montauk.Soon we could to cool off. buy.It's always fun to open them and see the 200-foot radio tower that acts as It was Labor Day weekend and all taste that fresh pea taste.I've never a landmark.There were actuall two of through the night we heard sirens and y saw flashin li hts wa off in a distance. seen the blossoms so prolific and beau- them years ago when radio was just g g y tiful. starting.Now there's only one.My eyes Next rriorning we drove into town and Back at the campground the wind searched up and down,and sure found people lined up waiting to buy a enough,there it was,an os re nest newsgaper.There on the front page was had come up and driven all the people P y Montauk.What had happened was the off the beach,leaving their sand castles about a third of the way up.It's been and dreams for us to enjoy.We found there as long as I can remember.I won- Pelican,a party fishing boat,had cap- ne interesting item while beach comb- der how it made out in all the wet sized with disastrous results.That hap- '11g:the egg case of the waved whelk. weather we've had. pened over 50 years ago.Some of you mi ht remember that terrible tra ed It's sort of a round cluster of egg cases Setting up camp was quite simple.We g g y' that once had little whelks inside.Years detached the camper from the truck, Today there are car tracks up and ago these egg casings were collected by cranked a few stabilizers down and down the beach where we once were read for our sta at the ocean camped.They take away from that sailors and people close to the water y y wonderful open-beach feeling.It can and used as scrubbers.When used with beach.Since we had gotten a late start, et wind in this ba as we know from w'ater,they actually work up a lather. it wasn t long before darkness fook havin anchored our bi famil boat in You don't see too many of them on the over.Seeing the park doesn't have any g g y ocean beach,for the come from far hookup facilities such as water and here during a storm many years ago. off-shore. y ower.,we lit our asli ht and read to Boats in the area broke loose from P g g heir anchors that night ar.d went Most people are probably more the hissing sounds of the propane light. familiar with the e cases of our com- We were weary and tired and went to ashore.It was a wild night.I had to put mon channeled whelk and the knobbed bed earl .The last thin I remember two anchors out to hold us. y g I was pleased to see a boat specially Whelk.These have long strings of disc- Barbara saying was,"Can you hear the > like e cases.When ou o en them, - ocean?"I'm not quite sure if I said yes rigged for fly-fishing.It s become quite ou can see the tinie t of helks or or no.Sleep had taken over by then. a sport out here in Napeague Bay.A conches inside.Kids love to find these The next day found us needing a few structure is built over the motor that dried and o en them u to see the tin thin s at the store,or at least it seemed the operator stands on.The boat goes P P Y g whelks.'The channeled and knobbed like a good excuse to drive into the vil- upwind,the motor is cut and just the wmd moves the boat.Up in the bow Whelks give us the scungilli that is used lage of Montauk and then down to the the fly fisherman tries his luck at hook- in salads and other interesting seashore docks to watch the boats come in. ing into a striper or bluefish.It was ��shes.You'll often see buoys out in our The party boats were all lined up good to see the art of fly-fishing being bay that have conch pots at the�ottom. with people standing around watching �;1�d in saltwater. Uur week was cut short(as it was for the striped bass being cleaned.They We didn't go into the walking nes many others)by the weather.When we were all a nice size.One was a monster because time was running out.The left the campground there were 85 of 48 pounds.How easily the men fillet- �,alking dunes,for those of you who are empty campsites abandoned by ed the fish.I should take some lessons not acquainted with them,are remark- drenched tent campers who had had it from them. able in the sense that they have been with the rain.With continued predic- Another day we revisited an area created over a long period of time by tions of rain for the rest of the week, that brought back old memories—the �,indblown sand.The drifting sand w'e decided to head for home and come walking dunes that are just north of the moves slowly to the south.It actually back another day.We had spent a few state park.It was here when we were covers trees and leaves behind the dead evenings around the campfire,toasting first married that we trailered a small remains of previously covered trees.It's marshmallows,watching beautiful sun- boat over to Napeague Bay,left the car sets,walking endless beaches and just in the parking!ot (you could do that enjoying ourselves.We'd be back.You Chen) and went off in t�he boat to Goff can count on that.