Cross-Island Hikers Explore the Island Off the Beaten Path
The intinerary for the 2015 Cross-Island Hike: 20 miles in eight hours.
The intinerary for the 2015 Cross-Island Hike: 20 miles in eight hours.
The beginning: Chilmark Pond preserve.
The beginning: Chilmark Pond preserve.
The hike started out in Chilmark with 64 participants.
The hike started out in Chilmark with 64 participants.
While most of the hike was on conservation land and easements, some portions required walking on the road.
While most of the hike was on conservation land and easements, some portions required walking on the road.
Enjoying the views, and the hills, of Chilmark.
Enjoying the views, and the hills, of Chilmark.
Passing some cows.
Passing some cows.
Follow the stone walls.
Follow the stone walls.
Group changed along the way, as some left and others joined in.
Group changed along the way, as some left and others joined in.
Sweeping views are the payoff for uphill climbs.
Sweeping views are the payoff for uphill climbs.
Curious horses off Deep Bottom Road.
Curious horses off Deep Bottom Road.
The end: Pecoy Point Preserve. This will be the starting point for next year's hike.
The end: Pecoy Point Preserve. This will be the starting point for next year's hike.
Sixty-four hikers set off from the Chilmark Pond Preserve at 8 a.m. Saturday, a healthy crowd for Martha's Vineyard Land Bank's 23rd annual Cross-Island Hike. In honor of National Trails Day, the land bank hosts a day-long guided hike across Island conservation land.
With land bank planner Bill Veno in the lead, the hikers climbed the rugged terrain of the Peaked Hill Reservation, walked through Chilmark's bucolic farmlands and ambled along the trails behind Featherstone Center for the Arts. The terrain ranged from sandy trails cutting through thick brush to rough bridges over gurgling streams to paved roads and trails.
The group passed cows on Middle Road in Chilmark, curious horses near Deep Bottom Cove, and frisbee golfers in the state forest. A luna moth was rescued from the middle of the trail through the Southern Woodlands, but ticks were treated less kindly. Some hikers were Cross-Island veterans, while others were undertaking the endeavor for the first time.
Several hikers ended the hike during a lunch break at the West Tisbury Town Hall, and others joined or left the walk at breaks along the route. A smaller group, tired but triumphant, arrived at the sandy shores of Pecoy Point, the final destination, just after 4 p.m.