Goodbye and thanks for all the hikes

Greetings from Richland, Washington!

My family and I have moved from Catalina to sunny Eastern Washington, home to fine wines, minor-league hockey, and fierce spring winds.

Thank you for visiting this hiking blog -- I've enjoyed writing it and I hope that you enjoyed reading it. I won't be removing these posts (at least until Blogger does it for me) -- I hope that you will come back to read about the hikes that I've done in my years on the island.

I hope to visit Catalina again -- to hike her dusty trails that lack switchbacks, to enjoy the view of San Clemente Island from the Trans-Catalina Trail, to revel in the spring wildflowers that dot her hillsides.  I'll miss the hooded orioles in my back yard, the bison grazing in my front yard, and the wonderful people who live on and visit the island.

If I do get back to the island and log a few miles, I'll update the Catalina Hiking Diary... Until then, for you, my few readers, may the views be worth the climb to the top.

Cat Harbor Overlook

Nuts and Bolts:

Date: 1 April 2012

Who Hiked: Me, Hubby, Things 1 and 2

Route: Trans-Catalina Trail to Cat Harbor Overlook Road

Time: ~1330 - 1530

Weather: sunny and very windy

Distance: 3.9 miles

Elevation Range: 0 - 955 ft, 1452 ft total ascent
Profile coming -- still working the bugs out of the new computer.

This hike is a good out-and-back route for people staying in Two Harbors. The view from the top is phenomenal -- you can see much of the middle and western portion of Catalina. On days with decent visibility, you can see San Clemente Island and (if it's really clear) San Nicolas Island.

Take the Trans-Catalina Trail (the old Banning House Road) uphill more or less the entire way to the Cat Harbor Overlook road. The TCT is steep and steeper, but Cat Harbor Overlook road rolls up-and-down along the ridge. Soon you'll find yourself enjoying the views rather than thinking about the climbs. At the end of the Overlook road, there's a flat area to relax and enjoy the view of Cat Harbor and the back side of the island.

WMSC Nature Trail

Bird Rock

I have hiked this trail a number of times over the last several years, but have never written a blog entry for it. There are plenty of things to see on this short hike (less than a mile). In particular, this hike is special because (1) it has switchbacks, (2) it gives you a great view of Isthmus Cove, the Wrigley Marine Science Center (WMSC), and Empire Landing, and (3) it is an awesome place to see wildflowers in the winter and spring.

A Struggle between Conservation, Education, and Recreation

I just read this story in the LA Times about conflicts between science and tourism on Catalina.

The mission statement of the Conservancy is "to be a responsible steward of our lands through a balance of conservation, education, and recreation." It's a great mission statement until you start defining the word "balance" -- are all three prongs of the mission statement equal? Or are some more important than others?

That's what is driving the current war of words between biologists and other Conservancy management. Biologists like Carlos de la Rosa, who until recently was the Chief Conservation Officer for the Conservancy, believe that the organization is neglecting part of its mission (conservation and education) in favor of recreation. The Conservancy recently announced a 20-year plan that centers on increasing tourism opportunities in Avalon.

If done well, investments in recreation should provide a profit for the Conservancy. Ostensibly these profits are then rolled into conservation and education efforts, but researchers living at the Conservancy headquarters in Middle Ranch are not convinced they'll see a big payoff from efforts to boost tourism in Avalon.

I think the Conservancy has "Zip-line envy".  The Zip-Line Ecotour in Avalon has been wildly successful, turning a profit much sooner than the Santa Catalina Island Company had expected. I haven't taken the tour yet, so I reserve judgement on how "eco" the tour actually is.

Regardless of the educational value of the zip-line, it is commercially successful and I think that the Conservancy is wondering how to get some of that action. Time will tell if this bias is temporary or permanent and if conservation and education reap the benefits of the Conservancy's current focus on recreation.

Flip-Flops and Foster's

I am routinely surprised by the unprepared people I meet on the trail. I'm probably over-prepared for hiking, with extra water, a small first-aid kit, hiking shoes, and a map of where I'm hiking. But I've made the mistake of being under-prepared for hiking (Grand Canyon, 1997) and I'm not making that mistake again.

To illustrate my point:

On our recent hike from the Airport to Two Harbors on the Trans-Catalina Trail (TCT), Thing 1 and I met up with a couple who had hiked into Little Harbor from Two Harbors. They looked to be about my age and mentioned that they had been visiting the island for years. They were very nice folks, but I had to roll my eyes when I saw that she was shod in flip-flops and he was killing off a big oilcan of Foster's beer.

Realize this: she walked 11 miles in flip-flops that day. Were they really so comfortable after 11 miles? Wouldn't shoes with, say, arch support have felt better?  Or perhaps shoes with captured heels? I talked to her on the trail a bit -- she told me that her feet were slipping out of her "shoes" as she was climbing the very steep ridge out of Little Harbor. She was lucky that was all that happened.  I've seen some gnarly injuries on the feet of people wearing flip-flops in the field: bloody scrapes, nasty gashes, gruesome toe injuries... Flip-flops: OK for around town, bad for the trail.

I met them as they puzzled over the hiking map posted in the Little Harbor campground. I gathered that they'd started on the TCT from Two Harbors to Little Harbor and got side-tracked onto the road between Two Harbors and Little Harbor. They were wondering how to find the trailhead for the TCT to take it back to Two Harbors. Clearly, they didn't have a map with them. Not a deadly mistake between Two Harbors and Little Harbor, but not a good idea either.

That he thought Foster's beer was appropriate hydration for a 10+ mile hike also blew my mind.

Nice people, but no map and stupid shoes? Doesn't add up to an enjoyable or safe hike to me.

Trans-Catalina Trail: Airport to Two Harbors

A beautiful Catalina day!

Nuts and Bolts:
Date: 10 March 2012
Who Hiked: Thing 1 and me
Route: Trans-Catalina Trail: Airport to Two Harbors Time: 0945 - 1515 hr
Weather: sunny and warm (low 70s)
Distance: 10.X mi (measured on GPS)

I'll post the elevation profile and accurate distance soon -- the computer I use to download those data from my GPS unit is being rebuilt (get back to work on that Hubby!).

The trail descends from the Airport to Little Harbor over a distance of 5 miles. For the most part, the grade is gentle, with only a few steep sections. The trail to Two Harbors climbs steeply out of Little Harbor, with flattish sections interspersed with thigh-burning uphill sections. About 1.8 miles out of Two Harbors, you begin the steep descent into town.

My Trans-Catalina Trail Plan

I have been planning to through-hike the Trans-Catalina Trail this spring.  A combination of factors have convinced me that I'm better off hiking it in sections. 

(1) I don't have a three-day period to tackle the trek. 

(2) I could hike 1/3 of the trail in one day (between 12 and 15 miles), but I wouldn't be able to move the next morning. Yes, I know that I could train for the hike, but given my sporadic hiking schedule this spring, I'd never get around to it.  

So, I'm dividing the TCT into sections and tackling each separately. I plan to split it into four pieces:  

• The East End (the Renton Mine section near Avalon);
• Avalon to the Airport;
• the Airport to Two Harbors; and
• Two Harbors to Starlight Beach.  

I doubt that I'll finish them in that order or in those directions, but look for them here over the next six weeks or so!

Ben Weston Beach Overlook

View of Catalina Harbor in the distance
Ben Weston Beach is to the right

This hike features great views of the backside of Catalina Island and of Ben Weston Canyon and Beach. The first section, to Camp Cactus, is fairly easy but the rest is more difficult. On the whole, I would grade this as a moderately difficult hike.

Hermit Gulch Trail (the Cub Scout version)

Date: 18 February 2012

Who Hiked: Me, Hubby, Thing 2, and two other Cub Scouts

Route: Hermit Gulch Trail (out and back)

Time: afternoon -- didn't much keep track of time

Weather: sunny, clear, warm (70s)

Distance: probably a bit less than 2 miles roundtrip

Did you know that California public schools celebrate both Lincoln's birthday and President's Day?  Isn't the point of President's Day to roll the whole Lincoln/Washington thing into having one holiday rather than stealing two days from the shortest month of the year?

I vote that we convert Lincoln's birthday to "Darwin Day" -- they were born on the same date after all (yes -- day, month, and year) and then I won't be so annoyed by the whole thing and the kids will still be happy with their two days off during February.

What does this have to do with hiking?  Yeah, I'm getting to that...

Bolsa Chica V

Date:  10 February 2012

When: 0745 - 1100

Where:  Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, Huntington Beach

As I've said a number of times on this blog, I love to bird at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. I was there earlier in February and had a banner day...  

Today I parked in the lot off of Warner Avenue and hiked about 3.8 miles along the tidal marsh and then along the canal. I've included a map below.

Two of the best things about this foray into Bolsa Chica was meeting Ramon, a wildlife photographer, and Steve, a docent with the Bolsa Chica Conservancy. Ramon showed me some lovely pictures of a loggerhead shrike and great action shots of American kestrels mating and Steve was a great source of information about where to find birds and other animals on the Conservancy lands. Thanks very much to both of you!

The highlights:

• a Cinnamon teal! All by itself in the canal, just hanging out.   
• a Loggerhead shrike perched on the chain-link fence between Bolsa Chica and the adjacent land.
• A flock of American coots, foraging and loafing in the grass near the Warner Avenue visitor's center.  Coots are common at Bolsa Chica, but this was the first time I'd seen a large flock on land.
• A Black-chinned hummingbird - a new species for my life list!
• Some interesting omissions:  Western gull, for example. I don't have it on the list, but I've rarely gone to Bolsa Chica and not seen one...  but I'll trust the list I made in the field...

Catalina Island from the Sky

A friend of mine just sent me a link to a video of Catalina from the air.  It's a beautiful world we live in, my friends.

Bolsa Chica #4

Date:  4 December 2011
When: 0830 - 0945
Where:  Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, Huntington Beach

I try to go birding at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve every time I go over town. [As an aside -- "over town" means the mainland, "to town" means Avalon, and (often) "downtown" means Two Harbors.] I was over town getting some Christmas shopping done and didn't get to the birding thing until Sunday morning...

Ben Weston Beach for Thanksgiving

We had fabulous weather over Thanksgiving this year and decided to work off some turkey and stuffing by hiking.  Thing 2 had requested a hike to Ben Weston Beach, so we set off on the Saturday afternoon after Turkey Day.

This hike is an easy out-and-back flat path to one of the loveliest beaches on Catalina. 

Peek of Ben Weston Beach from the road.
The trail follows the canyon floor.
(Photo from 2008)

Hermit Gulch to Lone Tree (er, Shrub)

The Palisades

My motivation in my 24 hike challenge is waning and I know that I need something to get me going again. Today I took advantage of an opportunity to hike on the East End.

I hiked from Avalon on the Hermit Gulch Trail to Lone Tree overlooking the Palisades.  I recommend the first part of the hike (Hermit Gulch Trail), but the Lone Tree leg was mediocre. Overall though this is a good hike to get you up and out of Avalon, with fabulous views of the town, the mainland (visibility permitting), and San Clemente Island. Because of its eastern exposure, it is probably best to hike this trail later in the day, especially in the warmer months of the year.

Big Springs Loop Redux

Date: 26 September 2011
Who Hiked: Me
Route: Big Springs Loop
Time: 1000 to 1300
Estimated Distance: 5 miles
Weather: cool and overcast

This is a fun hike that is not too challenging and offers a lot of things to see: beautiful views, water habitats, island vegetation, and a cat-tail filled spring.  While it is not easy to get to -- you can walk up from Two Harbors or Little Harbor, or drive from either, it is worth the effort.

What have I been doing? This...

Where have I been in August?

(Original post updated on 30 August with new pics!)

Robert C. Seamans

 I've been working for the Sea Education Association program "Oceanography of the Southern California Bight".  The first 10 days were on board a 134-ft brigantine tall ship, the Robert C. Seamans. We sailed from San Francisco to Catalina Island. I was a deckhand -- handling lines, cleaning, and completing hourly weather and boat checks.

Once we arrived on Catalina Island, I transitioned to being the instructor for the marine ecology course -- we've had a great time exploring the near-shore environments on Catalina.

On Monday the class is over -- very sad. But it means that I should be back to hiking soon!

Meanwhile, here's a GoogleEarth image of where we sailed.  Each sailboat represents our semi-daily location (at either 0000 hr or 1200 hr) between 4 August and 13 August.

Sunset over Santa Barbara Island

Moonrise over Catalina

The Top of the Island

Black Jack Campground with Mount Orizaba in the background

Date:  16 July 2011

Who hiked:  Me, Hubby, Things 1 and 2

Where:  Airport Road to Mt. Orizaba (and back)

When: 0940 - 1345

Weather:  70s, partly cloudy

Distance:  5.6 miles (measured on GPS)

Elevation range: (Coming soon)

Necessity is the mother of invention.

We went camping at Little Harbor last weekend for the first time this year. Our tent camper reprimanded us for neglecting it by getting a flat tire on the way to the campground. And, being out of practice, we forgot a few key items -- a large pot for cooking spaghetti, a colander, and the coffee filter. We were able to solve all of these issues, the most important of which was clearly that of infusing our bodies with caffeine on Saturday morning.

The Things had voted for a hike up the tallest mountain on Catalina, Mt. Orizaba (elevation 2103 ft). This surprised me because such a hike obviously involves going uphill, something they usually balk at. Or at least complain about while in the process of doing.

But we got up Saturday morning, managed to imbibe the minimum required amount of coffee, then hopped in the truck to drive to the trailhead for our hike. We chose to hike from the Black Jack Campground turn off on Airport Road to the top of Orizaba. 

Cape Canyon Reservoir

Bison at Cape Canyon Reservoir

Date:  11 July 2011

Who hiked:  Me, Things 1 and 2

Where:  Cape Canyon Road (out and back)

Click to enlarge elevation profile

When: 1045-1435

Weather:  starting overcast, clearing to mostly cloudy and warm (70s)

Distance:  6.8 miles (measured on GPS)

Elevation range: just over 400 ft, but felt less because of distance

After too many days parked in front of the television, watching cyclists crash at the Tour de France, I decided it was time for a hike. Monday was a rest day at the Tour, so I set my sights on Cape Canyon for Monday morning.

The hike is long, but flat. There is not much shade, but we saw a lot of wildlife and a lot of wildflowers blooming. And because it's an out-and-back route, you can adjust the length to suit your tastes, time, or ability.

Mount Monadnock Kicks My Butt

Where: Mount Monadnock, NH
Date:  27 June 2011
Who hiked:  Me, Hubby, Things 1 and 2

VACATION! Hubby's family hails from New England and many members still live there. We spent most of our time in the Boston area, visiting Revolutionary War and Colonial-era sites. Thing 1 was a great tour guide, having just finished 5th grade, when California school children learn about American history.

Thing 2, Hubby, Thing 1 on the trail

We walked all through Boston, experienced Plimoth Plantation, learned about whaling, biked on Cape Cod, and then traveled to New Hampshire for a family reunion. A day of meat (lots of meat) and beer was followed by a hike to Mt. Monadnock -- reportedly the most hiked mountain in the world. One guy even hiked it every day for EIGHT years!

Quiet time for the Hiking Diary

Swallowtail and Opuntia

Hey Readers (all 6 of you):

Things are likely to be quiet around here for the next couple of weeks -- we're going on vacation!  That's right, on Friday we are Boston-bound.  We are slated for a 13-day immersion in American history, from the Pilgrims to the whalers.  Two hundred and fifty years in just a fortnight.

I hope to get in a hike in New Hampshire -- so look for that posting here... Otherwise all the family vacation fun you could ever want to read will be available at Hubby's blog, Life in Two Harbors.

View toward Little Harbor from the Trans-Catalina Trail

What's on the horizon for July?

• recommended hikes and logistics for a weekend at Parson's Landing
• more about getting around Catalina -- a one-stop post for information about how to navigate the island by land
• camping at Little Harbor with the family, with the requisite hiking involved
• Cape Canyon hiking

And, for my local readers, where should I hike next?  East End?  Please suggest destinations in the comments -- I'll do the two most popular ones in July!