The Shoe Pole on Tubman Road, Brewster. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
by Jeff Shaw
On a recent drive to Mayflower Beach (bay side), I spotted a curious sight. Something you surely have seen before, perhaps in your neighborhood; discarded shoes. But these pairs were not merely abandoned on the side of the road, they were nailed neatly to a telephone pole!
As most locals, insiders, and GPS afficionados may know, Tubman Road in Brewster is a wonderful short cut to Route 6A from Chatham. The intersection of Route 137 and Route 6A tends to back-up from vehicles attempting to turn left on the bustling Kings Highway. Drivers and bikers alike can avoid the slog and exhaust fumes by barring left just after the Cape Cod Rail Trail crossing near Ferretti’s.
This curious “shoe pole” can be found along a wooded area about a quarter of a mile from the Brewster Sportsman’s and Civic Club. My first theory attempted to connect the shoes and the gun range, perhaps target practice fodder. Alas, most of the footwear appear in remarkably good shape.
About three dozen shoes hang, sadly, like a Christmas tree in February. Sagging and out of place. To continue with the analogy, the “ornaments” range considerably, from flip-flops, to hiking boots, to running shoes, of all sizes and colors. If the shoes didn’t have a nail hammered through the toe box, they would probably be eligible for donation.
Theory #1: The shoes were targets from nearby Brewster Sportsman’s and Civic Club. Doubtful.
As for the backstory, details are thin. As in non-existent. My half-ass internet research (a term of endearment coined by Bill Simmons of the Rewatchables Podcast) revealed a similar footwear telephone pole in Perkins, Missouri of all places. Sadly, there was no obvious connection to Cape Cod. Yet another theory debunked.
Interestingly, there have been past attacks on telephone poles in Brewster. Just last summer, a FedEx truck “struck one pole, toppled another and damaged a third while knocking out power for over 200 neighbors.” Fortunately, the driver was not injured and no pedestrians were involved in the accident.
The scene of an accident between a FedEx truck and telephone poles, about four miles from Tubman Road. Photo credit: CapeCod.com
That incident happened at Slough Road at James Burr Road, over four miles from Tubman Road, so a FedEx related theory is also unlikely.
So, three thin theories, all of which have been debunked. Looks like local intel will be needed to solve the mystery. Otherwise, the shoe pole will just remain a curious sight along a short cut to Cape Cod Bay.
One of few images of 304-foot Pine Hill, located in Camp Edwards, Massachusetts Military Reservation, Bourne. Photo credit: Wikipedia.
March 7, 2022
By Jeff Shaw
I’ve been thinking about skiing a lot lately. Mainly because I’ve been doing quite a bit of it. As of today, my two sticks have carved turns 24 days, in six states, at 23 different ski areas across the northeast. Those sticks – more commonly known as skis – have literally been my ticket to ride this winter. But not on Cape Cod.
As you probably know, there are no ski areas on Cape Cod. Proximity to the coast, lack of elevation and geography are not good enough ingredients for an environment to produce and hold snow. To be sure, there are plenty of trails, golf courses and other open spaces that transform into cross country ski or snowshoe paths when the fluffy stuff drops. But for those of us ‘downhill diehards,’ a two-hour drive is needed to find the open slopes.
All of this skiing and snow fun made me wonder, was downhill skiing ever a thing on Cape Cod? I mean, the ski boom of the 1940s and 1950s couldn’t have completely missed Cape Cod, did it? Nor’easters rarely do. Someone must have cobbled together a make-shift rope tow on a small hill or even on their inclined backyard. Sadly, my “half-ass internet research,” a phrase coined by Bill Simmons of the Rewatchables Podcast, produced nothing. Nada. Zilch.
According to the New England Lost Ski Areas Project, Massachusetts has 172 lost ski areas — none of which are located on Cape Cod. The closest lost ski areas to the Cape Cod Canal are in Braintree (former Abell Ski Slope) and North Attleboro (former Sunrise Ski Slope) at 47 miles and 45 miles, respectively. In terms of terrain, Abell Ski Slope was, true to its name, one slope, with a 50-foot vertical drop, serviced by a 500-foot rope tow. Sunrise Ski Slope, also had one slope, with an approximately 140-foot vertical drop, serviced by a J bar.
This downhill dead end made me ponder potential ‘backcountry’ woods or hills that could support a rough and tumble downhill schuss. So, I typed “highest elevation on Cape Cod” into the online abyss that is the internet. The results were not encouraging. Though, there may be a super slim reason for optimism. First, let’s learn a little bit about the highest elevation on Cape Cod – Pine Hill in Bourne.
Let’s not bury the lead. Pine Hill cannot be skied. The hill is located on the grounds of the Camp Edwards portion of the Massachusetts Military Reservation. Access to it is restricted, not only because it is on a military facility but because it lies at the rear of an artillery range! Yeah, not a good place to carve some turns.
According to earlier reporting by Eric Williams of the Cape Cod Times, pre-COVID, the public can visit Pine Hill, but must arrange advance permission through the base’s Public Affairs Office (PAO). A PAO escort leads visitors over several miles of roads to a range station on a rise near the hill. I was unable to find the current visitor policy on the Massachusetts National Guard website, but you can call or email the Guard here.
Pine Hill, rising 304 feet above sea level, is the highest natural occurring elevation on Cape Cod. It is a vast wildnerness, thick with trees, bushes and brush with no view of the sea or valley below. Interestingly, just up the road on the same hill is Wheelock Hill, a man-made bump that measures 306 feet above sea level, just edging out Pine Hill. The area surrounding it is 15,000 acres of pitch pine oak forest with expansive views of the sea. Both locations are almost twice as tall as Scargo Hill in Dennis, sometimes thought to be the highest point on Cape Cod.
In terms of that earlier mentioned super slim reason for optimism. Other than the road near it, the Pine Hill area has remained mostly undeveloped. Avoiding man-made obstacles is a good start for any for any downhill skiing.
Further, in 1999, former governor Paul Cellucci tried to convert the area into a state conservation area, but dropped the plan after the military objected.
Perhaps a former 10th mountain division member can talk to the fine people who run Camp Edwards and create a mini-version of the famous Thunderbolt Ski Run at Mt Greylock in western Massachusetts. After all, the name of the highest elevation on Cape Cod is Wheelock. That coincidence must be a sign that downhill skiing on Cape Cod is “alock” to happen (and admitted pipe dream of the author).
In the meantime, if you know of any hills that hosted downhill skiing or operated a rope tow (for sledding, tubing, etc.) on Cape Cod, please let me know!
The President’s Trophy of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Photo credit: Cape Cod Times.
February 14, 2022
by Jeff Shaw
Author’s Note: With the 2022 Winter Olympics on mind (and on the television 24/7), I began to ponder about similarly prestigious competitions on Cape Cod. Other than the Cape Cod Baseball League, I couldn’t really think of any off-hand.
As my online research intensified, I came across an odd, but somewhat related, commonality. The word “Cape Cod” was used directly, or referred to indirectly, in the names of a handful of trophies representing rivalries in various youth, amateur and even professional sport competitions.
The list below is far from complete, but was fun to discover during the prestigious Olympic week(s)!
Cape Cod Prestige – Trophy Style
Cape Cod is such an iconic place that it comes as no surprise countless restaurants, stores, streets, parks, even menu items, and much more, bare its name. Another obscure, yet important item to many, also bare its name; the trophy.
Below are a few trophies named after, or refer to, Cape Cod.
Cape Cod Cup
If you had to guess which sport the Cape Cod Cup is named after, which would it be? Baseball? Hockey? Auto racing? Fishing? If you guessed any of those sports, you would be wrong. Turns out, the Cape Cod Cup is a golf trophy.
Every year, the Cape Cod PGA Chapter team captain invites a team of chapter professionals to compete against the Cape Cod Amateur Team, whose captain does the same thing. Each team features 14 players and play a Nassau 4-ball match play format – with three points up for grabs per match.
Wondering about the all-time history of this fun golf rivalry? The Amateurs lead Professionals: 15-14-2.
Canal Cup
The Canal Cup, the annual youth hockey clash between Sandwich and Bourne, is one of the most heated rivalries on all of Cape Cod. First played in 1983, a game Sandwich won 7-4, the Canal Cup has grown into an annual rivalry between the two towns and the two teams.
“It has become a rite of passage for hockey players from both towns and a family tradition that transcends generations. Fathers who played in the Canal Cup now watch their sons take the ice before one of the largest high school hockey crowds they’ll ever see. Former players return for Canal Cup weekend to watch brothers face off on the same ice they skated on as players.”
Sandwich dominated in the late 2000s to mid-2010s, though in 2015, Bourne snapped a decades-old drought, winning 4-3 in overtime. Prior to that dramatic overtime thriller, Bourne’s last win against Sandwich was 2006.
There is also a similarly sounding hockey tournament, the Cape Cod Canal Classic, a men’s hockey league tournament with similar local rivalries.
A generic Cup trophy. No images seem to exist of the Cape Cod, Codish, or Canal Cups. I’m beginning to think these are not actual trophies, but just names of events. A huge bummer that would be.
Codfish Cup
A relatively new annual rivalry debuted in 2019, with the 1st Annual Dennis-Yarmouth and Nauset Codfish Cup. The Codfish Cup is a day of youth hockey competition with teams consisting of players from mites up to the varsity high school level.
The event pits natural rivals against one another while raising funds and awareness for a charity of the home team’s choosing. In 2019, the charity selected was the Sean M. Gannon Fund of the Cape Cod Foundation. Participants were also asked to donate a non-perishable food item to be collected (and later distributed) by the Family Pantry of Cape Cod.
Arnold Mycock Trophy. Photo credit: Cape Cod Times.
Arnold Mycock Trophy & President Trophy
The Cape Cod Baseball League championship trophy is named after Arnold Mycock, former general manager of the Cotuit Kettlers. Over his 62-year career (1950-1994 as GM), Mycock is credited with leading one of the most successful franchises in the league. Mycock was selected to the Cape League’s inaugural Hall of Fame class in 2000 and is a recipient of the American Baseball Coaches Association’s Meritorious Service Award.
The Cape Cod Baseball League also presents the President’s Trophy annually. The President’s Trophy, first presented in 2012, is given to the team with the most overall points in the league.
The Cape Cod Mini Masters Tourney Trophy does exist! And my name is on it! Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Cape Cod Mini Masters Tournament Championship Trophy
Mini golf lovers will rejoice knowing the Cape Cod Mini Masters Tournament Championship Trophy is real. This invitation-only event is tough to qualify for, but is making the rounds (pun intended) across the Cape. Even better, as its most recent winner, the trophy rests proudly on my fireplace mantle.
Do you know of other Cape Cod named or referenced trophies?
Kate Gould Park, Chatham, during the holiday season. Photo credit: Mike Shaw.
Happy New Year! And what better way to kick-off a new year, with…“Give the gift that will last forever.” That catchy tagline describes a unique fundraiser being hosted by the Chatham Chamber of Commerce & Merchants Association. Specifically, the Beautification Committee within the Chamber, is managing a brick purchasing campaign as part of a larger, two-phase improvement plan for Kate Gould Park along Main Street in downtown Chatham.
Brick sales is the featured activity of phase one of the improvement plan. There are two styles of personalized bricks available. The $150 option includes 3 lines with 20 characters on each line. The $300 option includes 6 lines with 20 characters on each line. The inscribed bricks will look similar to those at walkways at Oyster Pond and the Atwood House in Chatham.
Kate Gould Park, Chatham, featuring holiday lights. Photo credit: Mike Shaw.
According to Mary Cavanagh, there is no deadline just yet. The Chamber will provide plenty of notice before cutting off ordering. As for timeline, the bricks could be installed as early as this June or as late as June 2023, depending on sales.
Other upgrades in phase one include new plantings – hydrangeas, grass and roses. Also, the trash and recycling containers at both park entrances will be relocated. Together, these improvements will soften the appearance of the heavy foot traffic area.
The Whit Tileston Bandstand in Kate Gould Park, Chatham. Photo credit: Mike Shaw.
According to the Cape Cod Chronicle, the Beautification Committee envisions a second phase of the improvement plan that would involve a well and irrigation system, as well as clearing brush from the hillside bordering Seaside Links Golf Course to create more space for crowds at band concerts.
The Beautification Committee consists of Chamber/Merchant board members, along with employees of local businesses, the Chatham Garden Club, the Friends of Trees, the Chatham Band and other community members.
Sharknado made a brief landing in the bushes of the Chatham Village Cafe & Bakery? Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Cape Cod towns are often described as charming communities. It is no wonder. Weather-worn shingle cottages, vast coastal landscapes, massive sand dunes, colorful yard plantings, iconic lighthouses, and preserved woodlands, to name a few. Of course, there are the decades-old traditions – parades, bandstand concerts, clambakes, and baseball games. And don’t forget, the outdoor showers, clothes lines, whale watches, white directional signs, beach bonfires and plenty of places where left turns are frowned upon.
Below are a few charming photos of recent Cape Cod days.
Short Drive Home from the Beach
The vehicle is definitely in motion. Notice both hands are on the beach gear, not the vehicle interior. Photo credit: Ellen Shaw.
Usually, this kind of creative “passengering” takes place in the bed of pick-up trucks, but the SUV has gotten in on the fun.
Parking Space Lines are Optional
As a Chatham A’s fan, this disrespect of a parking space is a clear example of the evil associated with the Orleans Firebirds. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Perhaps this driver was a fan of Pirates of the Caribbean. To quote Captain Barbossa, “the (pirate) code [in this case, parking lines] is more what you’d call guidelines than actual rules.”
Charming and Quaint
Chatharbor Pottery on Cockle Cove Road. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
One of the more charming and quaint cottages on the Lower Cape, Chatharbor Pottery on Cockle Cove Road is a must-stop when visiting in Chatham.
A Solid Beach Perimeter, Sans COVID Spacing
A beautiful morning at Ridgevale Beach. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Personal space on the beach is always at a premium on summer weekends. Best to arrive early and take note of the high-water mark if you want ample space all day.
Local Art & Inspiration
The unexpected, little joys of an afternoon walk down Chatharbor Lane. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
The growing presence of dedicated artist cottages in public spaces is a wonderful trend, yet neighbors are sharing their creativity too!
What charming Cape Cod days have you had recently?
