Yesterday was the first time that I was able to hike the Lind Point trail since before Irma. The lower trail that begins behind the National Park Visitors Center is clear all the way to Soloman and Honeymoon Beach. A big thanks to the residents and volunteers who cleared the trail for all of us to enjoy.
The trail itself is in pretty good shape. The grass in many areas is overgrown, but it’s not a big deal. There is also mud in some spots due to the rains we’ve been receiving, so it’s a bit slippery in some areas. As long as you are careful, it’s a very doable hike.
The first beach we stopped at was Soloman. I had heard from several people that it was “gone” but I had to see it for myself. To be honest, it was not a happy sight. The area where the trail hits the beach is now littered with coral, many good size pieces of brain coral, and even some concrete. As you walk to the western end of the beach, there is a small swath of sand. The western edge of the beach is now very rocky. And sadly, the three palms that stretched out toward the water are gone.
But on the positive side, the water looked beautiful. And although Soloman itself has changed, it too is still beautiful.
From there, I hiked over to Honeymoon Beach. The first thing I noticed was that one of the very large trees that stood near the trailhead head been uprooted and was on its side. I walked over to the beach, and it looked stunning! It appeared to be longer and wider in many spots. The drop-off now, however, is nearly five feet in some areas due to erosion.
There was a lot of work happening in the area, which was a great sight to see. The National Park rangers said that the large root systems of the trees beachfront saved it from further erosion. They also said that the corals we saw over on Soloman were likely from the reef right off of the beach. (That’s what I figured, but I wanted to confirm.) Lastly he said that the Christmas Winds will likely bring some more sand onto the beach. So it’s possible that Soloman will be sandy once again. Fingers crossed…
I also chatted with a friend of mine who works over at VI Ecotours. He was on site cleaning up the beach hut near Caneel’s snack shack. He said that the were readying it to reopen in a few weeks, which is great news. He said that beach rentals will soon be available, as will cold drinks. More great news! He also said that stairs will be installed so people can get down to the beach safely.
Again, thank you to those of you who cleared the trail. Yesterday was a great day, and I thank you all for that.
Have a great Monday everyone!
glass half full! Great reporting!
I am wondering if Arawark Expedition will have customers hiking in via the trail or will they provide golf carts through the Caneel property which is now closed?
I know that VI Ecotours will be hiking them in. You cannot access Caneel via its main entrance.
Come on Christmas Winds! Soloman is our favorite beach in St. John, and we’re heartbroken to see its transformation. Thanks for the update, Jenn.
What is the snorkeling like now? Fish? Coral? Sea fans? etc.
Thanks once again for updating !!
❤️ Honeymoon & Soloman so happy to here they are getting close to opening the Ecotour & Snack Shack !!
So happy with the Progress!!!!
Connie & Bill
Looks like Mother Nature decided to move all the sand from Solomon over to Honeymoon!
Thank you for your photos and reports on damage and recovery efforts. Each little bit of news is like a balm to our souls. St John is our happy place…our island in the sun…in our eyes, the most beautiful place in the world. It will be a different place when next we visit, but we will always love it, no matter how much it is reshaped by nature.
Have you heard anything about the condition of Peter Bay or Cinnamon Bay, or the properties on Catherineberg, or Lower Peter Bay? Heard one person say La Jola Caribe was flattened. Such beautiful places hope they are fixable.
La Jolla Carine isn’t flattened. Kitchen and great room are gone.
Jen, thank you so much for this terrific update. Things are moving forward.
Thanks so much for this report. I’ve been eager to find out how the trail and beaches survived. We will be back in late March to enjoy them.
Thanks for this fantastic update on two of my favorite Beaches.
Wondered the condition in the water? Is there anyone there monitoring reefs? Fish? Thanks for the great reporting!
Thanks for the updates. Can’t wait to get back toSTJ. Do you have any pics of Denis Bay? It’s a favorite.
As always you do a great job with all these updates
Thanks for the updates! Can you please provide photos of Cinnamon, especially the beach in front of the cottages that were already suffering from some serious erosion? Thanks in advance!!
Thank you for the update and the photos!