A Walk Around The Point

Yesterday was a bright, warm and sunny day and it seemed a great day for a hike around the point of Cape Henlopen. I had been out to the point last week-end for a few minutes and took some shots of the Lighthouse on the inner breakwater of the Harbor of Refuge. I wanted to have an extended photographic hike, get a little exercise, and breathe some fresh air.

Christina, who enjoys occasional beach-combing jaunts with me, agreed to come along and we headed out for the State Park.

We choose to make the walk from the ocean side around to the bay side. It was low tide, with slanting afternoon sunlight, a hard flat low-tide sand strand for walking, and small waves lapping the shore.

We found good pebble deposits, small crabs washed ashore and left floundering on their backs by the waves, and a few seashells. As usual, we were on the lookout for Conch shells, but had no luck. I don't think this quite the right time of year.

We enjoyed a walk up the sand spit and around the point. We were treated to good views of the Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse and an ever-changing beach/sea interface. The gradual transition from ocean beach to bay beach reaches its head at a spot that forms the point of the Cape itself. Conflicting tides from ocean and bay seem to meet in a confusion of water and sand. From there, we walked into low sunlight that cast things into sharp relief.

As we left the point, we looked back to see the Cape May/Lewes Ferry heading out between the Cape and the lighthouse for its run to New Jersey. We considering running back to the point to see if we could get that rare close-up view, but we'’d gone too far to be able to make it back in time.

Low tide on the inside of Cape Henlopen reveals broad sand flats that, at other times of day, are thriving shallows. We could see where the waves had formed tiny ridges in the sand. Fish egg casings were washing in the water. There were a few clams still sticking out of the sand; we couldn't tell if they were dead or just very patient.

I enjoyed the opportunity to repeat several views of the lighthouse that I'd taken at high tide a week before.

The lighthouse at high tide.


The same at low tide.


We had an hour'’s hike, enjoyed the sunshine, and brought home smooth pebbles and colorful shells to add to our collection.