Trans-Catalina Trail (TCT)

Day 1 - Avalon to Black Jack Campground:  This was a wet, cold, windy day on the trail.  It was dark and drizzly when we left San Diego at 4 am to catch the 6:00 ferry in Long Beach.  A few of the Scouts caught some seasickness during the 1.5-hour ferry ride to the island but all arrived ready to hit the trail.  After a quick stop at the Trail Conservancy, we started the long, steep muddy climb, 10.1 miles from Avalon to Black Jack.  We were met with pouring rain during our lunch at Haypress Reservoir but pressed on as soon as the rain lightened up.  The last ascent to the campsite was steep & slippery so my trekking poles came in handy!

Day 2 - Black Jack to Little Harbor:  We woke to blue skies with puffy clouds. We started our day a little later, and took our time hitting the trail so that we could hit the Airport in the Sky at lunch time.  They are known for their buffalo burgers & tacos.  So yummy!
Leaving our lunch spot, we saw a herd of buffalo on the trail. For safety's sake, we enjoyed them from a distance for a bit, then turned back to the fire road to continue to Little Harbor. On our detour, we met the folks at Rancho Escondido who let us pass through to get back on track.

Day 3 - Little Harbor:  We spent our third day on the island relaxing and having fun at Little Harbor. It was a scheduled rest day. While some played in the waves or explored tide pools, others chilled under the palm trees and took naps all day. After close to 18 miles the first two days, a day of rest is certainly welcome!

Day 4 - Little Harbor to Two Harbors:  The day started with a climb up from our seaside campsite to our first way point, a spot marked on the map as an IG Lookout.  Mostly moderate the first couple miles, the last 1/2 mile or so to the lookout point was a steep single track that took a lot of grit.  We enjoyed a quick lunch at the top, we started our decent into the town of Two Harbors where we were able to enjoy some pizza and an evening of hanging out at the local restaurant. 

Day 5 - Two Harbors to Parson's Landing:  Day 5 was another straight up and down kind of day... After a climb to Lobster Bay Overlook, the decent into Parson's Landing was a very steep downhill, rocky in some spots, decending a thousand feet per mile in sections.  That night at Parson's Landing was windy and wet, but we all stayed safe and still managed to squeeze in a chill campfire.

Day 6 - Parson's Landing to Two Harbors:  What was supposed to be our last day on the island, we needed to finish the last 7 miles of the trail to catch the ferry by 4pm. It was a mellow elevation gain that day, traversing in and out of the various coves and getting spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean.  About a mile from Two Harbors, a hiker was coming the other way and told us the afternoon ferry had been cancelled due to gusty winds on the sea... This was confirmed when we got to town but the Conservancy gave us a very good deal to stay the extra night and at least we had cell service to let our families know...