Waking up after Day One, the second day of our Trans-Catalina Trail (TCT) journey began as we rose with the sun. Ocean waves collide with rocks, a JetBoil ignites to provide the precious dark, brown, caffeinated nectar of the gods that would fuel our bodies for a strenuous day of challenging elevation gains, and two adventurous souls mentally prepare themselves for the day that lies ahead. Throughout the night we encountered heavy storms, which I slept through like a rock but she did not. However, after the rain comes serenity, as seen by this view when we opened our tent:
Once we got our caffeine levels situated, our gear tight, and our minds right, we got ready to step out for the day. Leaving at 0800 we had roughly (11) hours to reach our destination of Avalon to make the last ferry off the island for the night. Here are our packs, ready to go:
The trailhead for the beginning of Day Two saw us taking the Sheep Chute Road which we had read about. I’m still trying to play around with the meaning of that name, envisioning herds of sheep sliding down the hills, similar to how we slipped and slided in the muds later that day.
Day Two, very similar to Day One wastes no time in taking you up and away from sea-level. This time, taking you approximately (1500) feet in less than (2) miles! Even a seasoned hiker will utilize rests on this challenging ascent. The good news is, you will be rewarded for stopping by even more astounding views (especially as today the sun has decided to come around). Pictured below is the last clear view we had of the Little Harbor Campground, our previous home for the night:
One great thing with the clouds is you are able to again appreciate the vastness of the ground you are covering. Seeing the clouds roll across the Catalina topography is fascinating:
Pausing for a moment on the trail, at about (3) miles past Little Harbor, you begin to have clear views of the Northern side of the Island, the San Pedro Channel, and Los Angeles… the city you have completely forgotten you escaped from:
After covering four and a half miles from Little Harbor (the amount we covered in the first day, alone) we got our first glimpse of the famed ‘Airport in the Sky’ (below), which we had heard served some might-fine food…
The picturesque hangar and watchtower for the ‘Airport in the Sky’:
Never one to miss an opportunity for good eats, we sat aside our JetBoil and Backpackers Kitchen/Mountain House dehydrated chow and dug in to some truly satisfying Bison Burgers, Bison Tacos, and an incredible giant ‘Killer’ Cookie. The Bison is played up all over the island due to the wild populous that inhabits the backcountry.
I enjoyed the juxtaposition of this Cessna Grand Caravan and off-road vehicles, to me this was a highly inspirational travel photo… encouraging me (and hopefully you) to get out, and go explore the world around us… be it by land, air, or anyway possible:
Upon leaving the gates of the airport we were greeted by another familiar trailmarker, and a rather ominous cloud on the horizon:
This picture was taken through the trees, as these unique rock formations jutted out against the green slopes. This picture was taken as a slight rain began to fall. We decided it was in our best interest to stow away the camera at this point:
Almost like a sign, the sun began to shine through the clouds, spectacularly illuminating this patch of hillside (see below). So much so that we deemed it necessary to get the camera back out after the brief rainfall (which included us slip-sliding in the single-track of a bison for about a half-mile, then encountering the same creature on his hilltop stoop).
During this part of the trail you get some really distinct views of Los Angeles (horizon line, below), again reminding you how fortunate you are to be surrounded by the beauty of the island… this also serves as a ‘Pale Blue Dot’ moment for me, thinking about all of the people carrying on with their busy and important lives in the city, and then zooming back in to our existence, enjoying the solitude of the trail. The entire day we saw two other groups of hikers (before reaching greater Avalon area)… special, indeed.
After turning away from the city, we dipped back down into a valley and encountered the first close bison we were to see on the trail. Observing him as he observed us, these creatures are massive and enjoyable to watch. Having grown up around cattle, there were similarities, but the wild nature of this beast was inherent in its most subtle of actions.
As you begin to make your way closer to Avalon, signs of human existence and culture begin popping up more frequently. Paved roads, more signage and communication wires, and the prevalence of guided tour buses and trucks begin to pop up. One of the ‘cooler’ unnatural sights is this ‘Safari Bus’, which runs across the island, offering wheels to anyone who doesn’t care to make the trek on foot. What’s cool is that it is a much older bus model, giving a retro/surreal flair to seeing it cut through the winding island roads.
Almost as soon as we saw the bus we were greeted with our first glimpse of the city of Avalon. At this point we had been moving for roughly thirteen miles, so the red tiled rooftops were a very welcoming sight:
For weekend (WEST-TO-EAST) TCT hikers, this point may be of note. When you reach the road before the 8th Mile Marker, you have an option to continue the last eight miles of the trail to Avalon, utilizing the Southernmost portion of the Island, or you can go ‘direct’ down to Avalon. According to our map, this looked to be about (1.5-2) miles, which the map also does not indicate a fence in the road near the reservoir. The trail moves around the side of the fence (as seen below), and then continues… straight down a hairpin-winding, paved road for another (3.2) miles. After being acclimatized to walking on dirt and rock, this hardball pavement really takes the toll on your feet. In retrospect I would have preferred the (8) miles of the TCT-Pure trail, but time-permitting we were forced to take this route in order to catch our ferry that evening.
Arriving as the sun began to angle its way back into the Western sky, we were also treated to picturesque views of the city of Avalon, with its moored harbor and red-roofed villas. Again, reinforcing the idea that you are worlds away from Los Angeles.
Even walking through the streets in the town of Avalon is a delight, with flowers blossoming, blue water surrounded by towering palm trees, it is very much a paradise destination.
We made it with a small amount of time to spare before our ferry departed the harbor, so we decided to grab a celebratory meal at the delicious Bluewater Grill Avalon. Offering patio dining on the water, outstanding service, and succulent dishes this restaurant was a win all-around. Could not have imagined a greater victory feast than freshly caught fish overlooking the picturesque Avalon harbor. Kudos to the staff of Bluewater for great service (our waiter, Matt) and allowing us to come into their fine establishment covered in mud and hauling two giant packs. Top-notch, indeed!
After our meal we contemplated rolling our aching bones to the ferry, and awaited our ride back to the real world. I was able to snap a last shot as the sun went down looking back at the quaint town of Avalon. A truly unforgettable trip, Catalina Island is a superb getaway for any Southern Californian seeking their next fulfilling adventure.
Stay hungry.