By Johanna Bernhard
The pebbles lay untouched and the blue-green water appeared bottomless. It was deserted.
As my roommate Anna and I began our hike in the Menemsha Hills in Chilmark, I had no expectations for the afternoon ahead. After all, it was my second day on the island. Passing through the gateway into the nature reserve, we were met by the characters from the children’s picture book, Where the Wild Things Are. The pages had been copied, laminated and stapled to the surrounding trees as a guide through the hills.
The footpath was defined by the mass of sand that lay on the ground, lined by countless shrubs and covered with arched trees and branches. With few inclines and only a couple of rocks to step over, the hike was comfortable and accessible for all levels of fitness.
Half way through we reached an observation point. In the distance I could see the Vineyard Sound. As I climbed onto a stone bench for a better view, I was in awe of what lay below us. A narrow strip of golden sand was met by huge stones that lay stacked upon one another as the waves covered them with algae. We found a set of makeshift wooden stairs, the steepest part of the hike, and made our way down from the cliff to the beach. To our surprise, the rocks weren’t covered with families vacationing on the island, or fellow hikers. There was no one. Together we stood listening to the sound of the waves and decided that that was where we would spend the coming summer months.
