On our way to Hunting Island, we stopped in historic downtown Beaufort for coffee. Before arriving at the coffee shop, we wandered into the Rustic Pup to shop for dog treats. The friendly owner offered Molly a biscuit and asked us, “Is this your first time in Beaufort?”

“Yes,” I answered before adding, “We’re on our way to Hunting Island to camp.”

“Oh,” she said with a visible slump to her shoulders. Adding a bit of cheer to her voice she continued with, “Well, you’ll love it! But for us it’s so sad — all the erosion after the hurricanes.”

We did love it but also saw the aftermath of the recent hurricanes. Bits of former bath houses are now rubble on the beach, strewn alongside water pipes and electrical lines. Hundreds of palm trees have been ravaged or toppled by the storms, and what remains of the seaside road is now covered in sand. The ocean has reclaimed several hundred feet of beachfront, including the protective dunes.

Still: 200 campsites remain, and on a cool Saturday night in January every single site was occupied. A few brave young souls were swimming in the ocean. We weren’t that adventurous, so we left our shoes on and walked the beach. On Sunday we covered 11 miles on an out-and-back trek, running out of energy before we ran out of beach. As we walked, we saw evidence of efforts to slow down the coastal erosion. A series of seawalls perpendicular to the shoreline and extending out into the surf were being constructed. Hopefully, the seawalls will trap the sand that wave action tries to carry offshore, and the island will survive.