Day 4: The ATV Trail

   Again, when we woke up this morning the winds were going strong. Knowing that we would not be getting out on the water anytime soon we decided to make pita pizzas for breakfast. The rest of the morning was filled with naps until the wind died back down.
   Late afternoon we decided that we did not want to wait anymore. We grabbed our gear and portaged to the north side of the island where the water was a little calmer. We paddled on the north end of Birch Island until we got to the crossing before Oak.
With the wind coming from the southwest we battled the waves until we finally made it to the east side of Oak Island. Tired from the waves and worried about the possibility of another swamp we decided that it would be easier to go through Oak than around it.
   With the decision made, we paddled up to Sportsman’s Resort and asked if we could go through their property to get to the other side of the island. They kindly pointed us to an ATV trail that would take us to Sunset resort.
   Although the trail was clearly marked, the mud was deep and soft. It was a battle to make it to the other side. A final fork in the path lead my co-guide and I to scout opposite directions to see who would find Big Rock Beach first. With night approaching soon, we chose the shortest path to Sunset and had a night paddle to our final campsite.
   Arriving a little bit after 11:00 p.m. we set up one 6-man tent for all eleven of us to share and ended the night cramped and full on pancakes.