Goat Whiskers Trail (again)

Date: 26 May 2011

Click to enlarge elevation profile

Who Hiked: Me

Route: Goat Whiskers Trail -Water Tank Road - TransCatalina Trail

Time: 0920 - 1315

Weather: sunny with some clouds, 60s to 70s, breezy

Distance: 6.9 miles (measured on GPS)
Elevation range: 0 ft - 1284 ft

This hike offers some lovely views of the West End of Catalina, both of the ocean and the near-side coves and of interior valleys. There are some lovely oak groves that attract resident and migrant birds. On clear days, you get great looks at the mainland and San Clemente Island. The ascents and descents are fairly steep, but not unusually so for Catalina trails.

I hiked some parts of this route previously. You can read about them here and here.

I started this hike at the beach in Isthmus Cove, mainly because I am still learning how to use my new GPS and wanted to double-check that the elevation function was working properly.  Sea level was registering as 0 ft elevation, so I knew everything was OK.

I headed up the steep hill that leads to the West End Road and walked the 2.5 miles to the trailhead for the Goat Whiskers Trail.  The West End Road is a fast walk, with a gentle elevation gain until the trailhead. By about 1010, I was at the trailhead for Goat Whiskers.

View of Howland's Landing and Emerald Bay
from Goat Whisker's Trail.

The trail goes up the ridge of the point between Fourth of July Cove and Cherry Cove; the point is called Lion's Head because, as you approach the point from Isthmus Cove, it looks vaguely like the profile of a lion. It does take a bit of imagination.

Puffball mushrooms along the trail.

I headed up the grassy ridge toward the intersection of Goat Whiskers and Water Tank Road.  The grasses have all died, leaving behind seed heads that cling to your socks and burrow into your skin. I had to stop repeatedly to remove them. There were crushed areas all around, probably places where mule deer have bedded down for the night.

Goat Whiskers Trail is alternately steep and not as steep, but all relentlessly uphill. As I rose higher, it got tougher because of the climbing, but I also was getting more of a breeze, which was refreshing.

I reached the intersection with Water Tank by about 1100. The sign says that I've hiked only 1.2 miles since starting on the Goat Whiskers.  Hmmmm... it felt farther.

I set my sights next on the grassy knoll that marks the intersection between Water Tank Road and the Hammocks Trail. The trail is steeply uphill to there, so I decide that I'll reward myself with lunch once I arrive.

Along the way, I was stopped in my tracks by the insect-like buzz of a Southern Pacific rattlesnake. I stopped moving immediately and took one step to my right, away from where I heard the snake.  The buzzing stopped as soon as I moved away. My heart re-started. I peered into the grasses at the edge of the Road, but couldn't see anything. I took to walking again with my heart thumping in my ears.

Once I reached the top of the next peak, about 4 miles into the hike, I stopped for lunch.  Ate my peanut butter and honey sandwich. Watched a chipping sparrow fledgling begging food from its parent.

Oak trees along Water Tank Road

I hiked along the saddle to the Trans-Catalina Trail, which I reached in about 30 minutes. This part of the trail goes along some nice oak woodlands, where I usually see birds. I stopped to watch some for a bit. Listened to Orange-crowned warblers singing. Got scolded by a Bewick's wren.

I headed down the Trans-Catalina Trail to Well's Beach without stopping other than to rest my legs which were shaking from the effort of slowing me down on the steep descent. Very quickly I was walking past Cat Harbor, looking at the flock of 20 Caspian terns on the mudflat and a bison hanging out by a small grove of eucalyptus trees. By 1315 I was home and ready to shower!

Reptiles: Uta stansburiana, Crotalus viridis helleri (So. Pacific rattlesnake)
Birds seen or heard: Orange-crowned warbler, Barn swallow, Western gull, House finch, California quail, Chipping sparrow, Caspian tern, Northern raven, Spotted towhee, Bewick's wren, House wren, Northern mockingbird

Caspian terns at Cat Harbor