Length: 39.2 miles
Elev. gain: 7995 ft
Time: 16:06:19 (Two days)
The hike:
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/trans-catalina-trail-5e8a516-2
Trans-Catalina Trail was one of the epic hikes added to my bucket list recently (just a week ago) and I couldn’t wait to do it. So I booked the earliest trip available, factoring in weather conditions (lots of rain lately) and hotel room availability.
While it takes most people 2 to 5 days to hike this trail, my situation was a bit different. As someone who doesn’t camp and with the only hotel outside Avalon located in Two Harbors, I had no choice but to finish it in two days so I could stay in a hotel. Additionally, in an effort to minimize both time and cost, I chose to condense the entire trip into this tight schedule, ferry rides included, foregoing any extra days on the island before and/or after the hike.
Day 1 (4/7/24)
Length: 25.2 miles
Elev. gain: 5456 ft
Time: 9h 57m
I had to cover a long distance today so I took the earliest ferry to Avalon departing from Long Beach at 6 am to make sure I had enough time to finish today’s hike before dark. I started the hike immediately upon arrival at around 7:15 am.
It took about 10 minutes to reach the trailhead from the harbor. The walk was very pleasant.
The ascent began shortly after, but fortunately, it wasn’t as challenging as I had anticipated. Moreover, the vistas along the way were truly breathtaking.
Before I knew it, the harbor came into view in the distance.
After about 3.5 miles, the terrain leveled out, offering a relatively flat path ahead.
Around mile 5.8, I arrived at Haypress Reservoir. Unfortunately, parts of the trail in this vicinity were quite muddy, likely a result of recent rainfall causing overflow. As a consequence, my shoes ended up soaked in muddy water. Not the most pleasant experience, to say the least!
The trail was clearly marked and easy to follow.
Cape Canyon Reservoir at mile 10.
The landscape was so lush and verdant, thanks to the abundant rains this year.
Approaching Little Harbor.
I made it to Little Harbor at approximately 2:47pm, after nearly 20 miles of hike and was very tired. Most people would camp here on their first or second day.
But I kept going.
By then I knew I would be able to make it to Two Harbors before dark, so I eased my pace and began to relish the increasingly spectacular views along the trail.
I ran into a little ring-necked snake.
Finally Cat Harbor came into view.
The hotel was only minutes from the harbor. I was finally able to rest!
Day 2 (4/8/24)
Length: 14.5 miles
Elev. gain: 2615 ft
Time: 5h 49m
My legs were very sore last night but the soreness was gone by the time I woke up in the morning.
After breakfast, I was eager to hit the trail and set out around 7:20 am.
I hiked alongside Cat Harbor for a short distance.
The initial section of today’s hike involved a steep incline, which started right after departing from Cat Harbor.
With each ascent, the vistas improved, making the climb all the more rewarding.
Instead of a snake, I ran into an alligator lizard today. It was so long that at first I mistook it as a snake, until I looked closely and noticed its legs.
It took about three miles of continuous ascent to reach the highest point of the trail.
I anticipated the remainder of the hike to be relatively easy since it mainly involved descending. However, it proved to be much more challenging than expected. The slopes were steeper and more slippery than they appeared in pictures, with loose gravel making the descent precarious. Although I had hiking poles with me, I opted not to use them. Consequently, I spent a considerable amount of time navigating these treacherous slopes, doing my best to avoid any falls.
But eventually I made it down safely.
I reached Parsons Landing at around 11:30.
Following Parsons Landing, the trail primarily traversed along the cliff, boasting breathtaking views. However, despite its relatively level path, the segment spanning roughly 8 miles felt seemingly endless.
Back to Two Harbors and finished the hike ahead of schedule!
I took the 4:45 pm ferry back to San Pedro. Despite the lengthy two days, the hike was incredibly rewarding and entirely worth it.