This trip was taken on May 14-15 of 2005. I met up with a boat shuttle operator Island Packers in Ventura, California. The price for a round trip ride was $60 and I think it was well worth the fee. They require an advance reservation and you must be at the docks an hour before departure. Here is the link to their site:
The shuttle left the docks at 8:00 am and not five minutes into the trip we stopped to watch seals sun bathing on a navigation buoy. I was heading to Santa Cruz Island, Prisoners Harbor. On the way over I saw lots of Seals, Pelicans, and Seagulls. Once getting closer to Santa Cruz Island the whole scene took the shape of some Hollywood pirate movie. The shoreline is made up of these cavernous cliffs cut out of the island rock. The ocean water pounding up against the caverns in the rocks cause these magnificent sprays of water. We first stopped at Scorpion Anchorage to let off the campers that were staying there. Scorpion Anchorage is probable where most visitors go that visit this island. It took them about 45 minutes to unload here then we moved on to Prisoners Harbor where I would be getting off. I had planned to take the Del Norte trail from this point across the island and catch the shuttle boat at Scorpion Anchorage the next day and then return to the main land. As soon as I got off the boat I was approached by a camper that was interested in who had arrived on the boat. We talked for a few minutes about the island and the trails. He was quick to point out that he had hiked the Del Norte trail up to the Del Norte primitive camp. He said the trail at some points was nonexistent and was beyond difficult. He advised me to skip the trail and just follow the dirt road to the other side of the island. Advice I would not follow and later regret.
The beginning of the Del Norte trail follows the same dirt road that I had been advised to follow. The road climbs up about 1.5 miles and 400-500 ft. to where a barely noticeable break marks the cutoff for the Del Norte trail. The trail did not seem so obscured at this point that one could not follow if they paid attention. After about a quarter of a mile the trail came to a dead end at a dried out stock pond with a fence around it. There should have been a warning in my mind by all the bleached out big animal bones out in the middle. I decided to work my way around the stock pond and see if I could find the trail. About a tenth of a mile further the trail reappeared as quickly as it had disappeared. This routine would become the trend all the way to camp. At one of the points where the trail disappeared I was working my way along the side of this hill when I started sliding down hill. I had been warned about the feral hogs on the island but having them in Texas where I’m from I did not give it much thought. I slid smack into one about the size of a Labrador retriever. The undergrowth was about 2-1/2 maybe 3 feet tall and this hog was mowing down everything in its path to get away from me. Scared the hell out of me and probably the pig as well. It took me about two hours to cover the 4 ½ miles to camp.
The Del Norte camp sits at the top of a hill under a few oak trees. One of the Oaks in the main camp you can almost walk up the main trunk into the branches. I’m not much for climbing trees but the reason I mention this is that a few feet up into the tree gets you a view above the undergrowth. The view that I’m talking about is of the coastline and looking out into the ocean. Find your self a nice spot up there at sunset and you’ll never forget it. I was at camp for about 2-3 hours when two other campers arrived via the same trail I had followed. Most of the conversation that evening was about the navigation of the trail. The Del Norte camp is also one of the few places where you are almost guaranteed to see one of the island red foxes. I actually had the privilege to seeing two while there.
The next morning I woke and quickly packed to get on the trail before it got to hot. I had decided over night to navigate to the road and follow it to Scorpion Anchorage. The main reason was that the island is covered in spear grass and I spent most of the previous evening pulling it out of my shoes, socks and legs. At this point I did not realize it but following the road was a good choice but not the end of the spear grass. The reason being is that the Del Norte trail follows along the side of the island that faces the mainland. The road follows the middle of the island so you can see both shores. At this point I think it would be worth mentioning that the road that I refer to is an old country dirt road. The only vehicles on the island belong to the rangers. As I mentioned previously the road allows for vistas of both the mainland facing and ocean facing shores. The road passes through a grove of china pines that were accidentally introduced onto the island. The road ends at Montannon ridge and its back to the trail and the spear grass.
I would be remiss if I did not warn you about this portion of the trail. The trail is only noticeable by the packed down grass of the previous trekkers. Where there is no grass there are a few carnes, ducks, rock piles, or what ever you want to call them to mark the trail. There was this one point where a sign pointed the way but the trail looked to go off in another direction, follow the sign. Secondly there is a point on the trail just before you get to Smugglers Road that is very steep and very hard to read. When I say steep I mean on all fours steep. Pay attention the trail appears to go around the hill but actually makes a turn to the top of the hill. If you don’t make the turn you end up on a rocky slope that if you slip drops down a few hundred feet into a canyon. Once you get to Smugglers road it is an easy couple miles down to the Scorpion Camp ground. I recommend staying around the campground until you have to catch the shuttle. The big trees give some welcomed shade from the sun.
On the boat ride back we came across a pod of humpback whales. The captain chased them around for about an hour. It was pretty cool but I would have to say I was a bit tired.
This was a very adventures trip. The trail was not that hard but you do have to pay attention. I highly recommend doing something to protect yourself from the spear grass. I did take some pictures and you can view them from my site at: