Southern Tier Day #11 Gulf State Park, AL to Dauphin Island, AL

Southern Tier Day #11 April 8, 2021
Gulf State Park, AL to Dauphin Island, AL 35 Miles
Start 5:45 AM
Finish 10:35 AM
Ride Time 4:03
Ascent 98 Feet
Descent 104 Feet
Tour Total 668 Miles
Details at: https://cyclemeter.com/3f1ef27914a4c684/Cycle-20210408-0545-91716

I slept great last night until about 5AM when I began hearing drops hit my tent. I had to water a tree, so I went outside to do my business. The alarm had been set for 6 AM and I could feel the rain getting stronger. It made the most sense to just get up and try to get some mileage behind me. I got the tent emptied out and gear stashed. I quickly folded the tent and footprint. But heavy showers hit before I could fold up the fly. It was going to be a rough morning. It was still dark and I turned on my lights. Cracks of thunder and flashes of lightening filled the sky as we pedaled out of the campground.

I remembered the route back to the bike trail. My phone was in my rear pocket, and I double-checked every quarter mile. The rainstorm was intense, and I felt bad for Blanka. Back at the campground she had disappeared and hid somewhere, ostensibly underneath a nearby RV. We pulled over under a small shelter and I attached the top to Blanka’s wagon. There’s no reason that we should both be wet and pelted by the rain.

I was able to navigate the meandering trail in the darkness. We finally came to a highway and I noticed a drive through bank, and pulled in. Here I took my morning vitamins and put on a pair of waterproof socks. It was warmer than it had been the past few days, and I was wearing my rain jacket, short sleeve jersey and shorts. This was the intersection where the Mobile Alternative Route split apart from the main route. The ferry didn’t run during inclement weather. In that case, it would be necessary to ride a 95 mile route north around Mobile Bay through Mobile.

I still had a twenty mile ride to the ferry slip and the ferry phone operator didn’t open for another hour. I decided to push on. Worst case, we would have to turn around. I was supposed to teach a class on Zoom at 1:10PM Eastern and had a room booked on Dauphin Island. If the ferry wasn’t running I could return to Highway 59 and find a fast food restaurant to set up shop. The dawn light was just beginning and fortunately there was a bike trail running alongside West Fort Morgan Road. I had a flashing red tail light, rear reflectors, and a bouncing red flag, and I felt much safer on the Fort Morgan Trail.

We were riding through the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. It was dark with heavy rain. The morning light was slowly illuminated the trail. The lightening flashes and thunder claps were well-spaced and I didn’t feel in danger. All of a sudden the trail ended. I knew from my maps that it didn’t proceed all the way to Fort Morgan, but it was called the Fort Morgan Trail and I had been hopeful. We were now on a busy two-lane highway with high speed motor traffic. A few miles down the road we were honked at. The road had been recently resurfaced. A white line delineating the shoulder had yet to be painted, but the lane was wide. We were as far right at possible. Why would a motorist honk at us? A few more miles west and a red SUV blasted their horn. We were riding in the rain. We were all the way to the right. We have lights flashing, reflectors, a bouncing red flag. This fat m-f-er is sitting all comfy with the heat blasting listening to his Rush Limbaugh podcast. F him. I seriously hope that he crashes into a telephone pole. Show some compassion dude.

At 7:30 I texted the ferry operator to see if it was operating. I had begun calling the line calling yesterday. I had left a message and received a text. It was nice to have a direct line. The storm seemed like it was tapering, and I heard back that the captain was indeed planning to make the scheduled trips today, although perhaps a bit behind schedule. I was eight miles from the ferry. Thank goodness! I wouldn’t have to ride the long way around. We continued forward through the rain. The barrier island became narrow - like a quarter mile wide between the bay and the gulf. At one point we were riding up against the bay and I could see natural gas drilling platforms out in the water. All of the houses were erected upon stilts.

Five miles out the rain had decreased a little bit. The thunder and lightning had stopped. There were small stilted beach homes as we approached Fort Morgan. At three miles out we finally got our white protective shoulder line. As we approached the fort the road crossed a sea wall. While planning this trip I had imagined being able to explore the fort. I was cold and soaking wet, and visiting the historic fort was out of the question.

We arrived at the ferry fifteen minutes before the scheduled departure. The vessel was pulling in right as I was purchasing the ticket. It was still raining. I was unable to work my phone and noticed that Cyclemeter had crashed a few miles out of the campground. I was soaking wet and cold. I paid the five dollar fare and was told to wait and then take the sidewalk down to the boat. I did as instructed and waited for the motor vehicles to load. There were only three other vehicles. It was raining on deck and Blanka was protected underneath the wagon cover.

It was a small ferry with no indoor seating area. I was told that I could wait underneath an overhead covering in front of the bathroom. I recalled the ferry I took on the TransAm across the Ohio River to Cave in Rock. I recalled the ferry I took on the Northern Tier across Lake Champlain to Fort Ticonderoga. Every ACA cross-country route has a ferry, and this particular crossing, because of the weather, was the most brutal. A colossal container ship destined for Mobile crossed paths with the ferry. We passed numerous natural gall drilling platforms. Seagulls and pelicans plied the air currents.

The rain had stopped by the time we reached Dauphin Island. I was soaking wet and freezing. As I pedaled onto the island we passed a tree in someone's yard festooned with Mardi Gras beads and two small confederate flags. I had arranged with the B&B to check in at 11AM and it was only 9AM. I charted a route to the Lighthouse Bakery where I hoped to get some breakfast. Located in a nondescript house, I never would have found it without Google. We pulled up and leaned the rig against a railing. The place was packed. There was a long line inside to place an order. I had tied up Blanka on the front porch. The line progressed quickly and I was able to order a ham and cheese sandwich on a croissant, a caramel roll, and a large cappuccino. We sat out on the porch as I tried to recuperate from what I had just been through.

We pedaled over to the Dauphin Island Harbor House, a bed & breakfast. I had wanted to stay at the Gulf Breeze Hotel, but they didn’t have a vacancy for a pet friendly room. I needed a room with WiFi with an early check-in. Harbor House was a tad bit janky and had perhaps a little too much Alabama character. They mentioned that they had seen dozens of cyclists come through doing the Southern Tier. It seemed very family oriented, like a Warm Showers host, and I wondered about the $193 rate I was being charged. Dogs were running around and Blanka felt right at home. My room wasn’t ready yet, so I set up my tent in the back yard too dry in the emerging sun. I tapped into the WiFi to get ready for my class. I rearranged the room, took a quick shower, and was in front of my laptop minutes before class was scheduled to begin. It was a good class, and I doubt students had any idea where I was. Because of Central Time I got the hour wrong at our break. The B&B WiFi cut out out and I had to use my remote hot spot. $193. Whatever.

I was exhausted after class. I folded up all of my gear that I had left out in the sun. I plugged in my lights for recharging. We pedaled off in search of food. Dauphin Island isn’t developed like Orange Beach. There were mostly family homes and no high rises. All of the new homes were built high up on stilts. Many of the restaurants were closed. We pedaled over to the Pirate Bar & Grill and it was not to my liking. We then rode over to Islanders. They were busy and we had to sit out on the porch. I was able to order a few beers and begin editing this report, so it was no big deal. The fare was ok. Aside from Lighthouse Bakery, Dauphin Island was not a big hit for me.
It’s supposed to rain again tomorrow morning. We’re a four to five hour’s ride from our final destination at the rental car place. The plan is to camp tomorrow night in a state park. If the rain is bad we’ll push on and get a hotel. This has been a quick little tour and the first part of the Southern Tier. It’s been a fantastic adventure.