Elephant Rock – Into the Unknown in Search of Sea-glass

Sea-glass abounds on Aquidneck Island. But it’s not always easy to find and it’s not everywhere you might expect it to be.

The coast along Easton’s Point between First and Second Beach is particularly lucrative…although difficult to access. Only certain sections have sea-glass, but the ones that do are truly profitable.

I’ve heard that “Elephant Rock” is the holy grail of sea-glass in this area.

However, coastline access is not easy to find.

My recent (and first) exploration was exciting, challenging and somewhat scarey.

I parked at First Beach. From, and ran across the beach to Tuckerman Avenue which runs parallel to the Easton Point coastline.

As I run, I’m looking for some sort of trail down to the water. Unfortunately Tuckerman is lined with private homes and the exclusive Clambake Club…all prevent you from crossing their property.

However, I found an obscure and tiny public trail that allows fishermen access to the shore.

I hike a short distance to the waterfront and begin walking south along the rocky shore. However, no sign of sea-glass.

The rock formations are amazing and unlike most of those on other parts of the Island. They make for fun and precarious climbing. The beauty and intricacies of the various shapes and twists along the tidal pools are breathtaking.

But still no beaches with small rocks, a indicator of possible sea-glass.

As I pass the stretch in front of the Clambake Club, I catch a glimpse of the exclusive compound with it’s commanding view.

After hiking around the southern end I see Elephant Rock in the distance. It’s quite a  distance from the shore, but there are some people fishing from it.

I also notice a series of rocky beaches nearby. Low tide adds to their dimensions.

After a long rock climbing trek, I’m rewarded with a bonanza of sea-glass and a magnificent view of the Atlantic Ocean.

I’m absorbed in the moment and my surroundings. But it’s slowly getting dark and time  and tide are moving…I gotta start moving.

I’m hoping to find a trail up to Purgatory Chasm rather than  walking all the way back to the fishing path. So I keep going forward.

Purgatory is right around the corner now and I hear the waves crashing on the rocks. The tide is coming in and there is only a small patch of moss-covered rocks to negotiate. I know moss-covered rocks are incredibly  slippery and must be respected. I stay very low reaching for hand-holds on the overhead rocks.

Finally the there are no horizontal rocks, only verticals and crashing surf. So I gotta head back. Knowing it’ll be practically dark by the time I get around the coastline, I decide to cut through private property.

Going back and looking for a way up, I find a thorny rock cliff with footholds and head up to the edge of a lush lawn around a huge shingle-style mansion. But I still don’t want to cross the yard, so I seek and find a thorny path that heads north towards Purgatory Chasm. Thorns eagerly slice and dice my lags as I negotiate the “path.”

Unfortunately there is one more house in the way. This one is lower than my so-called path. So I have to shimmy down a rock cliff lined with ltiny hand and foot holds. Finally I let go and fall a few feet. Luckily no one is home, and I quickly turn into a jogger and run down the driveway.

I work my way over to Purgatory Road (via Ashurst) near St George’s and run back to First Beach and my car

So I scored an incredible bounty of sea-glass, great views and spectacular geology but paid the price.

I’ll keep going to Elephant Rock. But I’ll plan to walk back the same way I came and then run back along Tuckerman to First Beach. Longer but that’s okay.

It was tense for a while, but all worth it. Being careful is a key element to this excursion.