IO: Trans-Catalina Trail ("TCT") (38.5 miles)

I'm scheduled to have some time off work between Christmas and New Years and have decided to use that time to hike the Trans-Catalina Trail.

The trail is 38.5 miles, located on Santa Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California. As we traverse the island, we’ll be treated to sweeping ocean views, rolling hills, and if we're lucky we may see some of the local fauna such as bison, foxes, and bald eagles. As the D.C. area begins to get cold near the end of the year, Catalina Island's temperatures usually hover comfortably in the 60s during the day and dip into the 50s at night—perfect temperatures for a backpacking trip.

I have campsites reserved, which serves as our permit to hike the trail. Each site I booked allows up to 8 campers. I'm going to allow up to 7 people onto the trip. If you're interested, feel free to hop on the waitlist.

Planned Itinerary
Day 0 - Thursday December 26 - no miles

• Fly to Southern California (LAX, SNA, or LGB).
• Grab an Uber/Lyft to Marriott Long Beach Downtown near Long Beach terminal

Day 1 - Friday December 27 - 18.8 miles, 4075 ft ascent, 4052 ft descent

• Catch the 6 a.m. ferry from Long Beach to Avalon.
• The ferry ride to Avalon takes about an hour, putting us on the island about 7 a.m.
• Unless we all go stoveless for this trip, we'll grab fuel cannisters at Chet's Hardware when they open at 8 a.m., maybe snagging a quick breakfast on the way.
• Start our hike up out of town, gaining about 1500 feet of elevation over the first 3 miles. After that it's ups and down on the ridgeline.
• Get a water refill at the park at mile 5.7
• Stop for a late lunch at the Airport in the Sky Restaurant (mile 12.7)
• Get back on trail and begin our descent to Little Harbor Campground on the west side of the island.
• Set up camp at Little Harbor (Shark Harbor Site A), watch the sun set over the ocean, make a fire, eat dinner, and crash for the night.

Day 2 - Saturday December 28 - 12.1 miles (~15 with optional scenic detour), 3535 ft ascent, 3510 ft descent

• Make breakfast and break camp
• Hike into the town of Two Harbors, stopping by the Visitor Center to get the combination for our campsite locker (with firewood/water)
• Depending on timing, stop for lunch at Harbor Reef Restaurant or grab a snack at Two Harbors General Store
• After we make the ascent out of Two Harbors, there's an opportunity to take a detour loop across the Western part of the Island with some beaches or stay on the main trail.
• Make the descent down to Parson's Landing, our remote beach campsite on the north of the island. We will have access to a locker with firewood and potable water.

Day 3 - Sunday December 29 - 7.9 miles , 869 ft ascent, 915 ft descent

• Wake early to hike to Two Harbors, this time on the north of the Island.
• Catch the 11:45 a.m. ferry to San Pedro (next ferry comes at 4:45 p.m.). Arrive at San Pedro approximately 1 p.m.
• Option A: Check into a hotel to get cleaned up and catch up on sleep, scope out L.A. or Irvine, and fly out on the 30th.
• Option B: Take a Lyft/Uber to the airport, catch a red eye flight back home.

Costs
In addition to the usual backpacking expenses keep the following in mind:

• Ferry fare: $93.00 (Long Beach to Avalon, Two Harbors to San Pedro)
• Camp site fees: $60 ($30/night)
• Airfare/Hotel/Ground Transportation (as applicable)

More Information about the TCT
Here are some resources to learn more about this trail:

• FarOut Trans Catalina Trail
• HikingGuy.com Trans Catalina Trail (TCT) Hike Guide
• Catalina Island Conservancy Trans-Catalina Trail (detailed trail map)
• PlanetRambler.com

Waiver
More information on the club's COVID-19 policy: https://dculbackpacking.com/about/covid-19-guidelines/
By RSVPing for this trip, you acknowledge that you’ve read our COVID-19 guidelines and that you agree to DC UL's liability waiver terms. (https://dculbackpacking.com/about/liability-waiver)