A Channel Islands hike and dolphins, too
If you like hikes with ocean views and pristine landscapes, put the Channel Islands on your list.
For those living with Parkinson’s disease, the distance may be the biggest challenge. That’s the main reason I’ve rated this seven-miler difficult.
The group of islands off the coast of Southern California is barely inhabited by humans.
A few residents, such as the Channel Islands National Park rangers who rotate in and out every few weeks, live there.
It’s a rare treat to see such unmarred land. Thank heaven these eight islands are being preserved!
Each has its own set of features, including mountains, lagoons, mesas, canyons, sand dunes, grasslands, rocky shores, and wildlife including foxes and pelicans.
The national park covers five of the islands. (A portion of Santa Cruz Island is owned by The Nature Conservancy.)
I was intrigued when I first learned about them last year.
A few weeks later, Mr. Unshakable and I boarded a plane to LAX, drove north on Ventura Highway, and got on a boat headed for Santa Cruz, the biggest and most-visited island.
Many hikers go on day trips to the Channel Islands: leave in the morning, explore the island, come back late afternoon. Overnight camping is available, too, with restrooms and water provided in a smallish campground. We chose the latter. Have tent, will travel.
The hourlong boat ride to get there was through Island Packers, an outfit that contracts with the National Park Service.
Parkinson’s tip
Most people feel unsteady on a boat ride in choppy water, but people with PD may find it especially difficult to walk around. Use handrails or a partner when moving.
Once the boat was loaded with backpacks and their eager owners (nearly all younger than Mr. Unshakable and me by 30 years), we headed to sea. The captain announced that we should watch for marine life.
So we watched. And watched.
Finally, a few dolphins appeared near the boat, jumping around in its wake.
Then the ocean surface became dotted with mini eruptions as the boat encountered a pod of hundreds of playful dolphins.
To this landlocked Midwesterner, it was a magical sight.
It was February – the off season – and hikers were limited to Santa Cruz Island where the boat stopped at an impressive new dock.
Parkinson’s tip
Not gonna lie: Accessibility on the island is difficult for those in wheelchairs or with walkers. Off the dock there are virtually no paved paths. But a “beach wheelchair” is available for use. Call 805-658-5730 to reserve it. The boat offers ramps and assistance both ways, plus a large restroom onboard.
Now on to our hike of choice.
We actually completed three hikes during our stay. The third one was Smuggler’s Cove, a 7.6-mile out-and-back trail that takes you up into the island’s interior rolling hills and then back down to the Pacific shore.
We determined we had enough time before the boat was to take us back to the mainland.
View from the dock.
The trailhead is right next to the “village” – which consists of about four buildings. (See orange arrow on photo.)
You can’t miss the windmill at the trail’s start.
The first mile is tough, but it takes care of most of the elevation on the way to the cove. (See yellow arrow on photo.) Total elevation gain of the hike will be about 1,400 feet.
Go slowly to save your energy. It gets better fast.
The next two miles are relatively flat.
However, you may have to contend with “hold onto your hat” winds up on the bluff.
The tall grasses along the trail flashed strikingly different hues as they waved back and forth to the gusts.
The landscape was abnormally green due to weeks of record rains. It reminded me of Ireland.
Not that I’ve been there. I’ve just seen photos.
I expect that a summer hike of Smuggler’s Cove would be less verdant.
The trail was mostly smooth and easy to follow, even though there were hardly any direction signs.
I kind of liked that — part of the “untouched” feel of the island.
When the ocean came into view again, we navigated a steep descent right to the shore.
Parkinson’s tip
If there is a time for poles on this hike, it’s on the downward slopes at the halfway mark and the end of the trail.
The trees and picnic tables made for a restful place to sit and have a snack.
There’s an outhouse about 50 yards away.
In hiking, what goes down must come up. After refueling, we started the climb back up to the windy blufftops.
I loved the view of the dock from the top of this bluff.
No boat yet. We could take our time going down.
After steep descent No. 2, we made it to our boat appointment with almost an hour to spare. Total hiking time: about four hours.
Hike info
PD difficulty level (see chart): difficult
Distance: 7.6 miles roundtrip
Elevation gain: about 1,400 feet
Location: for boat, Ventura Harbor, 1691 Spinnaker Drive #105B, Ventura, Calif.
Bathrooms: near trailhead and at turnaround point
Emergency medical support: no medical services on island. Coast Guard has helicopters for severe emergencies.
Cost: about $65 each for the round-trip boat ride
Insider tip: Buy tickets for the boat ride well in advance, especially in the summer.
For information about a less-strenuous hike on the island, read my post on Cavern Point.
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