February 9, 2020
Travel Itinerary:
- Drive: San Diego, CA to San Pedro Harbor (110 miles)
- Ferry: Catalina Express from San Pedro to Two Harbors, Santa Catalina Island (~95 minutes)
- Hike: 14.3 mile loop of Trans-Catalina Trail from Two Harbors (mile 38.5 back to mile 24.2)
- Overnight accommodation: Banning House Lodge
Getting to Catalina
My goal of fastpacking the entire Trans-Catalina Trail (TCT) began while we were visiting in San Diego. I thought it would be simple to just head up the coast to Dana Point, grab the ferry out to Catalina Island, and quickly hike across the island. After a bit of research, though, I soon discovered two big issues that would require me to adjust my plan.
Issue #1 – I planned to hike the TCT from end-to-end, from Avalon to Two Harbors. Unfortunately, the Dana Point ferry only goes to Avalon. It doesn’t stop at the trails other terminus in Two Harbors. So the only realistic plan for my 2-day itinerary would be use the ferry from San Pedro Harbor instead (since it serves both towns on the island). This meant I’d have to make the 110-mile drive up from San Diego to San Pedro ferry terminal.
Issue #2 – The San Pedro ferry doesn’t run to Catalina Island on Tuesdays or Thursdays during the off-season. I intended to do the TCT in February, so that mean’t I needed to time my trip carefully so I wasn’t unexpectedly trapped on the island with no ride back. So, after looking at the weather and ferry schedule, I settled on a Sunday-Monday attempt of the TCT.
Waiting until the end of the weekend turned out to be a good decision. There was virtually no traffic between San Diego and Los Angeles early Sunday morning. I raced up I-5 with hardly a second thought, and was parking at the terminal with plenty of time to spare. I’d already purchased my outbound and return ferry tickets on the Catalina Express ahead of time. So all that was left for me to do was head to the ticket counter and check-in when I arrived.
While I was getting my paper ticket for the 9 am ferry, a deluge of heavy rain started pouring down. I turned to watch as the other passengers scrambled to find shelter under a tent near the boarding gate. Luckily, the rain didn’t last too long, and was down to a sprinkle by the time they called us to board the ferry. But, this bad weather definitely had me worried for what the day had in store for me. Was I going to be hiking through pouring rain and 50 degrees all day? I sure hoped not.
The Ferry Ride
Loading the ferry to Catalina Island went super quick. That’s probably because the boat was only about 25% full. I strategically chose to sit on the upper deck because I know I get really motion sick on boats and small aircraft.
In fact, the very first time I learned this lesson was at the age of 11 when I took my first ferry ride to Catalina Island! My parents thought it would be a fun trip to take the whole family out to the island while we were living in Southern California.
Unfortunately, none of us kids had ridden a boat past the breakwater before. So once the ferry hit the open water, so did the contents of my stomach. The next 45 minutes of my life were just horrible!
Over the past few decades, I’ve learned a few tricks that help me avoid this intense seasickness. Dramamine doesn’t seem to help me much. But, finding the most stable part of the boat and listening to music (or a podcast) on some earbud-type headphones really seems to alleviate the feeling of nausea. That tactic seemed to work again today, because I didn’t throw up once on the hour-long ride to Catalina Island this time around.
There was a fair amount of dreary rain on the ocean during the ferry ride, but the sun was just starting to emerge as we approached the island. After a short stop in Avalon to swap out some passengers, we were off again toward Two Harbors. Just 25 minutes later we were pulling up to the pier. Time to get this party started!
Two Harbors
As the ferry pulled into Two Harbors, I grabbed my daypack and trekking poles and made my way down to the main deck to disembark. I was one of the first passengers to disembark, and as I walked up the pier, I very quickly realized that Two Harbors was TINY!
I knew the trail’s terminus was supposed to be at the main intersection of town, so I headed toward a red building announcing itself as the Isthmus Yacht Club. As I approached the 4-way dirt road intersection in front of the yacht club, I took in my surroundings. The isthmus is only 750 yards wide at this point of the island, so everything in Two Harbors was literally within line of sight.
Next to the dirt road intersection, was there was a waist high wooden sign with the words Trans-Catalina Trail engraved in them. Having spent lots of time looking at the map of the trail, I knew that I was simultaneously standing at mile 24.2 and mile 38.5 of the the TCT. This is true because the trail enters Two Harbors at mile 24.2, then it makes a 14.3-mile loop around the western end of the island before returning back to town where it ends.
As I looked down each direction of the 4-way intersection, I took my bearings:
- Behind me, was the short dirt road to Isthmus Cove and the pier where I’d just come from.
- Ahead of me (just beyond the yacht club), was the road leading to Catalina Harbor – the second of the two harbors that inspired the town’s name. This was also the road that the TCT follows clockwise around the western end of the island. If I followed that road, I’d follow the TCT mile markers chronologically from mile 24.2 to the end.
- Off to my left, the road went up a steep hill, and I could see the white craftsman-style Banning House was perched at the top. That was the direction I’d be taking tomorrow as I headed toward Avalon beginning at mile 24.2 and descending back down to mile 0.
- And, finally off to my right, there was a narrow dirt road that seemed to be heading out of town toward the West End. Since I intended to tackle the TCT in reverse – beginning at mile 38.5 and working my way backwards – I had to assume this final option was headed in the direction I needed to go.
Is this the TCT?
My prior map reconnaissance showed me that the TCT followed the dirt road out of town then wound itself along the edge of the island. Yet, I wasn’t 100% clear if I was supposed to walk on the dirt road itself or whether there’s be some sort of small trail that would parallel the road.
As I headed out of town, I was trying to keep a sharp eye out for any more TCT markers. Given that I was walking the trail in reverse, I was unsure how well everything would be marked. The dirt road was an easy walk, and it took me up a hill where I could see back down onto Two Harbors.
The ferry was still down there at the pier, and it was just getting ready to pull away as I took a few quick photos. The sky was filled with ominous looking clouds overhead, but the hike up this small hill warmed me up enough that I decided to pack up my rain jacket and hope for dry weather.
As I was stuffing my rain jacket into my daypack, I looked up the hill behind me. I could see there was a smaller dirt road a bit higher up the hill paralleling the road I was on. Dammit. Did I miss a turn to get on the TCT? Or was that just a service road to the water tower up there? I didn’t want to be off track this early, so decided to double back to Two Harbors just to make sure.
After retracing my steps to the intersection in Two Harbors, I’d determining that I hadn’t accidentally missed some hidden trailhead. The other road really was just a service road, so I felt confident that this main dirt road was the actual TCT. I just needed to follow the nice, gentle graded route for the next 7 miles on it’s way out to Parson’s Landing.
The Loop to Parson’s Landing
As I walked the TCT’s 14.3-mile loop counter-clockwise, I saw several hikers and trail runners out enjoying their Sunday afternoon on the island.
It definitely wasn’t crowded, and most people seemed to be heading the opposite direction back toward Two Harbors. There were a few cars out on the road too, which was something I didn’t expect to encounter. But, they were driving slow, and the rain from earlier in the day kept the dust down as they passed.
The dirt road continued west, following the edge of the island as it repeatedly jutted out toward the ocean then doubled back into small coves. Each time I’d round a bend, I’d see more the coastline leading to hidden bays. Many of these harbors had small yacht clubs with buoys for mooring boats, while others seemed to have private camp resorts that are probably teeming with people in the summer.
I was excited to see a small fox walking right on the road about an hour into my journey. It would see me coming, then scamper further up the road before pausing again. After several attempts quick jaunts, it finally stopped long enough for me to capture a good picture.
As it turns out, I’d spotted a Channel Island fox, with its distinctive black and white speckled back and face. This fox lives on six of the eight Channel Islands, and isn’t found anywhere else in the world!
At the top of Lion’s Head point, there was an immaculate pit toilet (seriously, you could sit on the floor and wait out a rainstorm no problem), some animal-proof trash and recycling cans, and a bench outside it where you could sit and enjoy your lunch while taking in the spectacular ocean views.
I’d soon learn immaculate facilities like this one were typical for the TCT. The Catalina Island Conservancy install benches and picnic table all around the island for visitors to sit and appreciate the local scenery. And toilets would be available every 5-7 miles along the trail to encourage minimal impact of the environment.
As the TCT worked it’s way toward Emerald Bay, I noticed a Boy Scout campground on one side of the road.
The giant wooden sign out front showed the camp has been in operation since 1925. Wow! I couldn’t help but wonder how many young boys had the privilege of exploring this island over the past 95 years. What a great way to spend a summer!
Their canvas tents were all packed up for the winter, but the metal tent frames and bunk bends were still sitting on the platforms creating the outline of their campsites. So I could just imagine the scene in the summer.
After the Boy Scout Camp, there was a piped gate across the road, and just beyond that, my first TCT sign FINALLY appeared!
The trail diverged from the road, and I suddenly found myself on a proper single track trail for the first time all day. This is what I’d expected the TCT to be the entire way, not a dirt road.
But, then again, I have to remember this last stretch of the TCT is really just a way for hikers to get from Parson’s Landing back to Two Harbors at the end of their 31-mile hike across the island. So, while it wasn’t a traditional trail thus far, the ocean views were pretty darn good.
Just beyond mile 31, I could see Parson’s Landing campground down on the beach. I didn’t expect the campground to be quite as substantial in size, given the lack of fresh water resources and distance from town. However, it really surprised me at how nice it was.
There was only one other hiker there, and he was busy setting his hammock up on the metal shade structure near the picnic tables before the imminent rain rolled in. I could just hear giant raindrops beginning to fall as I stopped to use another immaculately clean pit toilet at Parson’s Landing. I guess my reprieve from the weather was finally over.
Some Rain, Getting Lost, and a Giant Climb
I donned my rain jacket and had a quick snack under the protective eave of the shelter at Parson’s Landing before heading back out.
It didn’t look like the impending storm would be too bad, so I decided to return to the trail and brave the weather instead of waiting it out. After all, I was pretty excited to be on ‘real’ trail now, and I had another 7+ miles to get back to Two Harbors before it got dark.
The trail rose pretty sharply out of Parson’s and soon I was at an intersection of dirt trails and 4WD roads. As I crossed over an intersection, I saw one of the roads was blocked off with a gate, but didn’t give it much thought. I was trying to keep the rain out of my face and decided to just plow straight ahead.
Just beyond the road intersection, I could see a small clearing with some fire equipment. And a little further up the trail was a distinctive brown TCT sign in the distance. No need to pull out my map to double check. I was right on track, right?
The trail crossed over a seasonal stream and had some nice rock steps, then it continued up the hill. After more than 1/2 mile of climbing, I realized the trail was continuing out to the west end of the island.
I knew this didn’t feel right! The TCT was supposed to turn inland and loop around back toward Two Harbors after I left Parson’s Landing. Yet the trail was still following the ocean. Damn it. I was heading toward Starlight Beach at the very tip of the island. This wasn’t the TCT!
I turned around and started heading back toward Parson’s Landing. How the heck did I go wrong? I remembered seeing the trail sign right after the stream. It had the TCT symbol on it, so how did I go wrong?
As I got back to the brown trail marker, I was stumped. That’s when I suddenly realized the cloud and mountains logo wasn’t unique to the TCT. It’s the symbol for the Catalina Island! I’d just assumed the symbol meant I was on the TCT, but this was another trail entirely.
Doh! I am a dummy. And now I just walked an extra mile off trail out of ignorance!
On the positive side, at least the rain had slowed to a mere sprinkle now. So, I pulled out my phone to check my map and try to get back on course.
I made it all the way back down to that intersection with the gate I’d previously disregarded, and realized I should have made a hard left turn there. So, one more lesson learned the hard way. Sigh.
After my unintended detour, I was relieved to be back on the right path. That is, until I looked ahead of me. I could see a dirt path going straight up an over a mountain. Surely that wasn’t the trail. It was at an unreal slope of 30-40%. It must be some sort of animal track. The trail must curve around the hills out of my sight, right?
Oh how I wish that were true. It turns out that crazy incline was part of the TCT. I’d heard people who’d hiked the TCT complain that their descent into Parson’s Landing was treacherous and insane. But, instead of going down that nasty slope, I was having to hike up it because I’d chosen to attempt the TCT’s route in the reverse direction.
The more I climbed, the harder this damn mountain seemed. The only thing I’d ever hiked this intense was the Manitou Incline – an old incline railway bed I enjoy hiking in Colorado Springs. But, this hill didn’t have any railroad ties to help my footing on the way to the summit like the Manitou Incline. It was just loose dirt and rock up this insanely steep, breath-stealing monster of a climb.
I wish photos could do this hill justice, but it doesn’t – so I won’t even try. Instead, just take a look at the elevation profile of the TCT to see what I mean. (Remember: I’m attempting the trail in reverse, so my elevation profile goes from right to left.)
Once I got to the mile 29, the climbing was finally over, but my calves felt like they were on fire! This was not your ordinary trail. There were no switchbacks. It wasn’t graded for livestock like the PCT or the Grand Canyon. No, this was more reminiscent of the hardest climbs on the Appalachian Trail. The TCT definitely makes you bring your “A game.”
The TCT stayed up on the ridge for about a mile, then I had a nice, long 3-mile downhill stretch back to Two Harbors. The trail was well-groomed and not filled with rocks and roots. In fact, if you’re taking it on as a fastpacking adventure, you can run down most of the descent without too much risk.
The route back to Two Harbors is mostly single track, but then returned to a traditional dirt road again during the last mile back into town. The slope was pretty even, and I was grateful to be descending this direction instead of having to go down that insane hill into Parson’s Landing. I’m sure my knees were happy too! Tackling the loop counter-clockwise was definitely the right choice.
Two Harbors overnight
Once I returned to Two Harbors, I took my phone off airplane mode and realized I’d received a call while I was hiking. There was a voicemail was from the folks at the Banning House. They’d apparently driven their van down to the pier to meet the afternoon ferry, and nobody disembarked. Since I didn’t check in when I arrived, they didn’t know I was already on the island. And now they were now wondering if my plans had changed and I wanted to cancel my reservation.
There wasn’t much point in calling them back. I was only minutes away when I got the voicemail, so better to use stop there in person. When I found the B&B’s host, she informed me there was only one other group staying the night at the lodge. To give us as much privacy as possible, she’s placed us on opposite ends of the building, which was a thoughtful gesture.
She also told me that they normally do an evening wine and cheese reception for all their guest, but given that it was the off-season, she’s just prepared for the guests individually. Then, much to my surprise, she emerged with a giant tray of cheese and crackers and a bottle of wine. Holy moly! I wouldn’t need to buy dinner with a generous spread like this.
After helping me carry the food to my room, she informed me breakfast would be served in the dining room at 7 am. I told her not to worry about me, I’d probably be leaving when the sun came up and wouldn’t be staying for breakfast. She surprised me, yet again, and provided me with some hard boiled eggs, and instant oatmeal up for the morning, and showed me where the coffee and tea was available overnight.
This place was awesome! I haven’t stayed at a B&B in a long time, and I was blown away by their thoughtful preparation and hospitality. When I booked my room, I was just looking for a place to crash overnight so I didn’t have to carry all my hiking gear while I ran and hiked on the TCT. If the weather had been nicer, I might have even tried this adventure with a tarp and ground cloth, but tonight was supposed to drop down below 50 and bring some decent rain. So I was grateful for the reprieve from the elements.
After a glass of wine and some cheese, I decided to head into town and walk around. It was just after 5pm by now, and it was like a ghost town. I’m not sure if that’s because it’s the off-season or because it was Sunday. But, the only thing open was the General Store.
After briefly walking through the store, I was surprised at how well stocked it was. There was food, drinks, fuel canisters, souvenirs, and pretty much anything a hiker might need if they’d waited to stock up when they arrived on the island. Of course, everything had ‘island prices’ too ($3.50 for a 20 oz. bottle of Coke!), but that’s to be expected.
I grabbed a few things to go with my cheese and wine, and it was time to head back to the Banning House for the rest of the night. I have an early morning tomorrow and the rain is beginning to roll in.
Daily Summary
Distance/Route:
- Total miles: 14.3 (plus ~1.2 miles off trail when I took the wrong turn after Parson’s Landing)
- Start Point: Two Harbors (mile 38.5) around 11:30 am
- End Point: Two Harbors (miles 24.2) around 4 pm
Cost:
- Catalina Express Ferry (one-way) – $37.50
- Banning House – $108 + tax (Note: this is the off-season rate, rates increase during the summer)
- Food – $20 for snacks from the Two Harbors General Store to go with my wine & cheese
Highlights:
- Seeing a Channel Island fox up close
- Taking in the beautiful Pacific Ocean views as the TCT paralleled the coastline
- Successfully dodging the rainy weather (it really wasn’t bad until after 6 pm)
- A free bottle of wine to celebrate the end of day 1
Challenges:
- Trying to avoid getting seasick on the ferry out to Catalina Island
- Taking a wrong turn on the ascent out of Parson’s Landing and accidentally heading in the wrong direction
- Climbing up that beast of a hill toward mile 29