Day 4-Two Harbors to Parsons Landing
Day four of the TCT was the most difficult day with a steep, relentless climb at the beginning, exposed ridges in the middle, and a slippery, unforgiving descent into camp at the end. Ideally the hike begins early enough to avoid the heat from the sun on the climb, but you can’t leave to early or you’ll miss the views while on the way up. We left just before sunrise and it seemed like noone in the camp was up this early. The short walk through Two Harbors was also dead-quiet and it seemed like we were the only ones on the island.
The trail leaving Two Harbors was flat for around a mile and took us past Cat Harbor and the most developed areas of the north part of Catalina Island. We saw small boats quietly moored in the harbor, fishing equipment ready for a day of fishing, and some heavy machinery that we are not qualified to operate.
From watching videos of the TCT on Youtube, we found that many hikers choose to avoid this part of the trail. There is another way to get to Parsons Landing that follows the coast and allows you to avoid the climb. That sounds nice, but if you skip the climb you miss all the views! We decided to take the easy trail the following day on the way back to Two Harbors.
We had hiked a marathon so far.
Our timing worked out nicely. As we were climbing the 2,000 feet in four miles, the sun slowly rose behind us and the mountains began to glow in the early morning light. We were climbing at a strong pace but had to stop ourselves from time to time so we could look back and enjoy the views. There were no other people in sight and we felt completely alone, especially as Two Harbors disappeared behind the nearest ridges. We were feeling the weight of our backpacks more than the previous days but the excitement of this new trail kept us motivated to make it to the top of the climb.
We had to stop and look back so any times for this beautiful view.
Wow, what a view! Some people begin so early that that they miss the views in the dark. Some hike too late in the day and it's brutally hot so it's difficult to enjoy. We timed it perfectly so it was still cool and we caught the sun rising behind the ridges.
Enjoying the view.
We were so happy to make it to the top of the steep climb. The views were gorgeous, and although there was still some more vertical gain in the next mile, we now had the cooling ocean breeze and a more gradual trail to reach the high point of the day.
Once again, after reaching the top of the climb, we were on these nice rolling ridges for most of the day.
So green!
After an exhausting 4.5 mile climb we reached the highest point of our trek, Silver Peak. Although the summit is only around 1,800 feet, it felt like we were on top of the world. With views straight down to the ocean and stretching the entire lenght of the island in both directions, Silver Peak feels like it’s a much much taller mountain. We took a long rest and had a snack before rejoining the trail and finishing the day.
This was the highest point of our trek, we had to stop and have a snack and enjoy the views.
This easier section of trail allowed us to pay more attention to the landscape, the wildlife, and especially the wildflowers growing along the trail. We spotted ravens, hawks, song birds, and even eagles on this beautiful ridge. Flowers were everywhere and the lizards were running about trying to avoid getting stepped on. Even though the temperature was rising, being surrounded by the ocean made the air seem cooler than it actually was and we had a wonderful time on top of Catalina Island.
Ravens all over the island.
Heart-shaped cactus.
The extremely enjoyable section of trail came to an abrupt halt when we looked over the north side of Catalina and saw our descent into camp. While it doesn’t look like much on camera, this roughly 2.5 mile downhill is one of the most difficult trails we’ve ever had to navigate. It is extremely steep and slippery and takes every bit of concentration and energy not to slide and fall. We had to slowly make our way down, and with heavy packs it was a thoroughly exhausting experience. We could see our final destination, Parsons Landing, but at our pace it felt like we would never make it. Our knees felt the worst of the pain, I even had to bring out my hiking poles which I rarely ever do.
Parsons Landing campsite in view. Just a few more rocky trails to descend.
We saw so many varieties of birds, including ravens, hawks, pelicans, and even eagles.
Parsons Landing is the most important reservation in planning for the TCT. There are only a few sites and they are very difficult to obtain. When we booked our trip it was all based on getting Parsons Landing-site number one, and once that was booked we planned the rest of the trek around it.
When we arrived, we were ecstatic to be finished with that painful downhill. We found our locker that was pre-stocked with firewood and drinking water, then made our way over to the secluded campsite number one. We finally made it to the northernmost point of our trek!
A nice rocky beach.
The water was a little too cold and turbulent so we decided not to swim.
Parsons Landing has to be one of the most unique and unforgettable campsites with its oceanfront location and views back to the mainland. Campsite number one is at the far end, separated by cliffs so you don’t see any other campsites and it feels like you’re stranded alone on an island all to yourself.
As we settled into camp we realized we had to make sure all of our supplies were secure. Some brave crows tried flying off with an entire bag of gummy worms so we knew nothing was safe. Unfortunately the water was turbulent and too dangerous to swim, so we just enjoyed it from the nice warm rocky beach.
Pelicans were making their rounds for the day.
Moonrise.
This was such an enjoyable, peaceful evening after our toughest day of hiking. We watched the sun go down and the sky fill with color as flocks of pelicans flew past on an evening hunt for fish. Our original plan was to rest for a while then make the final hike up to Starlight Beach which is the northernmost point on the island that you can hike to. Starlight Beach is the location of the famous Apple screen saver and an iconic view. Unfortunately the trail was closed that year. It had suffered from erosion and they were in the process of fixing it up to make it safe again. We were perfectly happy, though, since that gave us an excuse to just sit at camp and enjoy our time there instead of embarking on another strenuous hike.
After a riveting game of throwing rocks at other rocks, we ened the day with a roaring campfire and the feeling that we were being watched. Out of the corner of our eyes we bagan to see movement, and found that there was a fox lurking around the perimeter of our campsite. Foxes live in the surrounding cliffs, and must have learned that messy campers are a great source of food. It kept pacing back and forth, maintaining a safe distance but staying close enough that at any time it could have charged in and grabbed any loose food. We went to sleep with the sound of the pounding waves and smell of campfire in the air. What a perfect way to spend our final night on the TCT!
A perfect campfire to end the night.
Day 5-Parsons Landing to Two Harbors
After a beautiful starry night we woke up before the sunrise so there would be enough time to catch the ferry at Two Harbors. We had another eight mile hike ahead of us, but unlike the previous days, this would only require around 400 feet of elevation gain so we were in for a nice, easy day.
The final trail back to Two Harbors was along the eastern coast of the island walking on a well-developed dirt road. We had a small climb out of Parsons Landing, but after that the road gradually gained and lost just small amounts of elevation along the way. Wildflowers were abundant on the more sheltered side of the island and we walked past small camps and had the perfect view of Los Angeles across the 26 mile stretch of ocean. Even though we were on easy terrain and our pace should have been much faster, we still got distracted by all the little details around us so we never hit the pace we expected to.
Tons of flowers on this side of the island.
It didn’t take very long for the sun to begin to light up the nearly cloudless sky. There was a marine layer forming over the mainland so it took a few more minutes for the sun to peak out over the horizon. But when it did, the entire sky, ocean, and coast of Catalina Island glowed in a beautiful orange light. As we looked up and down the coast we could see the silhouettes of layers and layers of mountain ridges. It was absolutely gorgeous and we couldn’t believe we were on the final day of this wonderful trek.
Sun rise over the mainland.
After that beautiful sunrise we were left with partially cloudy skies and perfect temperatures. The scenery kept changing as we rounded each bend, and we saw plenty of wildlife including more foxes, fat squirrels, several varieties of birds, and sea lions down in the water.
We stalked a fox for at least 20 minutes. We thought we would get through this hike quickly, but there was so much to see that it took us a lot longer than expected.
Perfect morning light.
The island is a very isolated ecosystem and invasive species can be a really big problem. Apparently cats and raccoons can hop on the ferries and sneak over to wreak havoc.
We started to run out of things to shoot and pictures to take so our pace began to quicken. As we rounded the last bend, Two Harbors came into view which meant we were on the final stretch. Just a short uphill climb, then a nice gradual descent into town. The view of Two Harbors was beautiful from up above. Backed by tree-covered green mountains and sitting on an almost Caribbean style bay, this was the perfect scene to end the trek.
We arrived in town a little early so there was time to grab some food and offer our extra night at Parsons Landing to a couple who was heading in that direction that afternoon.
Finally, we completed the Trans-Catalina Trail. This was a tougher hike than we expected, but at the same time all the "luxuries" of hiking through towns, camping at developed campsites, and not having to carry too much weight made it a really enjoyable five days. It was also the perfect time of year, and we couldn't have been happier with how this trek turned out.
The Trans-Catalina Trail is a trek we had planned on hiking for several years, and we were so happy that it lived up to our long-building expectations. It really is a unique experience and unlike any other trek we’ve been on. The isolated island setting, the beautiful campgrounds, the ability to swim and go kayaking, and the lack of crowds make this an unforgettable experience, and it’s surprising that this isn’t more popular amongst the trekking crowd.
The ferry back to San Pedro is always such an enjoyable experience. Watching the dolphins playing along in the wake of the boat, the change of scenery from rugged island to busy port-town, and the feeling of being able to relax, nap, and just sit was the perfect ending to a perfect trek.