I recently completed a trip that, while not a bike trip, might still be of interest to those who enjoy outdoors, biking, and camping.

2 weeks ago, with 3 other people, I hiked the Trans Catalina Trail (TCT), off the coast of southern California.  In addition to myself, the cast of characters for this trip includes Lauren, Yesica, and Autumn. The TCT runs about the length of Catalina Island, 37 miles. According to the Catalina Conservancy, cycling is allowed on about 8 miles of the trail. Backpackers can hike the entire trail, and can access designated campsites along the way, which is why we chose to backpack.

To begin the journey, we took a ferry (the Catalina Express) from Long Beach Harbor to Avalon on Catalina Island. I was a bit nervous about the ferry ride, as I’ve had bad experiences with them in the past in terms of motion sickness. However, the weather was perfect and it wasn’t too wavy, so I was fine.  I also popped a Dramamine beforehand, just in case.

I think we were all pleased to see various group of dolphins swimming  next to the ferry at various points along the way. We all live in the Midwest, so we’re easily fascinated by such things. Anyway, upon arriving in Avalon, we ate breakfast at a diner, and made final preparations to our packs before setting off.  Here’s Avalon, from within a residential area (all photos by Yesica, who is a much better photographer than me):

Avalon

Avalon, from above:

Our itinerary for the trip was:

  • Day 1: Avalon to Hermit Gulch Campground (~6.5 miles, 1328 ft. elevation change)
  • Day 2: Hermit Gulch Campground to Blackjack Campground (~8 miles, >2000 ft. elevation change)
  • Day 3: Blackjack Campground to Little Harbor Campground (~7 miles, ~1750 ft. elevation change)
  • Day 4: Little Harbor Campground to Parson’s Landing (~11 miles, ~2928 ft elevation change)
  • Day 5: Parson’s Landing to Starlight Beach, and back to Parson’s Landing (~9 miles)

Here we are right before leaving Avalon, fresh and innocent:

LeavingAvalon

And, we’re off:

Avalon3

 

Continue reading about the TCT adventure. here.