Channel Islands National Park - Part Two

We made it back to Santa Cruz Island a few months after our first trip, this time packed and ready for an overnight stay. We filled our packs with camping gear and some test meals in preparation for the John Muir Trail. After an early morning ferry ride, we made it to the island, set up camp, and set off on a hike. In only a few months the change on the island was drastic; the early summer sun and heat had desiccated a majority of the landscape. The hillsides were distinctly split, one side shaded and green, the other brown and dried where the sun hit the hardest. Our hike took us to Bonita Cove where we spied on what we assumed were wealthy celebrities swimming and kayaking off their boat. We made it back to camp, and a few hours later, after laying in the hammock reading, we made our dinner and listened to the breeze make its way through the campground.

After a night of fighting off the foxies, we woke up early and started a hike to Montanon Ridge, the highest point on the island, about an 8 mile round trip. We made it to the top before 9am and had breakfast at the peak. The island was serene and peaceful and there was no one else awake or on the trail during our hike. From the summit we could see the ocean stretch out for miles, the coast shrouded in the early morning marine layer. As we hiked down, we practiced our Spanish, French, and German vocabulary, realizing how quickly words can slip from memory if you don't practice. We spent the remainder of the day lounging in a hammock, reading, enjoying the fresh air, fending off clever and persistent foxes, and imagining what life would be like a few months down the line when we would be living out of our tent.

View from Montanon Ridge (1,808 ft) on Santa Cruz Island after an early morning hike.

Patrick ZacherMay 1, 2017