Friends from Tennessee brought my mother down yesterday for a visit.
This morning we decided to hike down Ft. Pickens Road, into the park area.
It was a beautiful day with a few scattered clouds and a steady breeze from the northeast, mild temps and low humidity.
Pools of water caused by storm surge during Hurricane Ike still stand in some areas, full of minnows.
Gary and Debbie hiking along, gathering a few shells to take back to Tennessee.
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I think I saw your friends this morning while I was doing a bird survey, but I don't remember seeing you...
Our last Santa Rosa nest might hatch tonight (or tomorrow). The Pensacola beach one may be really late -- this one is at almost 70 days!
DJ,
Is anything happening about the road to Ft. Pickens. I thought it was supposed to start construction this fall and open in spring of '09?
Patty
Hey, Kirsten,
I was with them, but I'm not sure you would have been out when we were. It was between 9 - 11 a.m. for us. You are usually out at the crack of dawn!
I did see a ranger patroling the north shore around 10:30 a.m., so if you saw them and not me, I was probably bending over to get a shot of a sea shell or crab. :-)
DJ
Patty, we sustained for damage to the Ft. Pickens Road during Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. I'm not sure what their plans are at this time, but Kirsten may be privy to talks. I'll have to check with her.
DJ
Patty and DJ -
Road plans have been delayed a bit due to changes in the beach with Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. As far as I know, they are still scheduled to being after hurricane season (which we are still in). The actual path the road will take on Fort Pickens will have to change from the plans designed in August - if you've seen the park, you can see massive erosion in some areas, and the asphalt piles are closer than ever to the Gulf. Even the pre-Ivan road is exposed now for about two miles, all in the surf zone.
Santa Rosa is still the priority as it's an evacuation route. Road crews started looking for the existing roadbed about two weeks ago (it's location is on GPS, but there's about two feet of sand on it in places after Ike). Actual construction there should begin soon. As that's mostly patch work, it could be done by mid-winter.
You'd have to double check with HQ, but I do believe the park still plans to have Ft Pickens road open by summer!
Kirsten
ps- I was at FP from about 8am to 11am Saturday as the day started with a hatching nest at Opal Beach... It probably was me on the north shore, and I remember your friends red shirt :)
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