On an island.
Coming from an area with a lot of islands, we had prepared for mid 60 degree temperatures and a constant breeze - because you'll be hard pressed to find a coastal area without one. Throw all of that knowledge out the window for this trip. I was glad I threw some t-shirts into my bag as an afterthought before I left.
With that being said, the Channel Islands are remarkable. The literature does not lie when it states that this National Park is one of the least visited but not to be missed. If you are nearby and have a day to spare, the Channel Islands need to be on your list.
Day 1: Santa Cruz Island South
Island Packers will take you on boat ride for a little over an hour each way to get to a few of the islands. Santa Cruz and Anacapa were open to visitors while we were there, so we spent two days on Santa Cruz and one on Anacapa. Every single commute is essentially a whale watch/wildlife trip. You cannot go one day without seeing whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, otters, and sea birds galore.
Once on the island, we made the decision to hike to Smuggler's Cove (about 8.5 miles round trip). It was ambitious considering the elevation gain, the heat, and the time constraints due to the boat departure. There were only five people (including the three of us) that did this particular hike and it was incredible.
We made it back just in time for the boat where we doubled our water intake for the day. We'd already gone through six giant water bottles and it wasn't enough. So hot!
Day 2: Santa Cruz Island North
The boat ride!
On day 1 we didn't find any Channel Island foxes or wildflower fields and we really wanted to see them. Day 2 did not disappoint. We decided to head north and explore the Potato Harbor loop and the Cavern Point loop trails - about 7 miles total.
Watching the gray whales from the cliffs.
Foxes! They were everywhere on this part of the island.
The Potato Harbor trail:
Day 3: Anacapa Island
First of all, there were tons of gray whales on the boat ride over. Not only did they breach, but a large group of common dolphins joined them and they all started to play together. This was the best boat ride.
Once on Anacapa, we had to climb over 150 stairs to get to the trails. Since the portion of the island open to the public is relatively small, we got to explore the entire thing. There had to be at least 5000 seagulls hanging out there (the largest colony in the United States). They were everywhere. And a lot different than the classic seagulls we were used to.
For the most part, they were sitting in the grass and flowers and completely silent. We would hear the occasional seagull sounds, but they were generally aimed at others sneaking into established territory. They also didn't beg for your food. In the afternoon, we were walking to the lighthouse when every single seagull on the island flew into the air and started screaming. It was the weirdest and coolest thing I've ever seen seagulls do. Then they all returned to their areas and silenced again.
No comments:
Post a Comment