Trans Catalina Trail, Little Harbor CG to Two Harbors

Mar 18

When we got out of our tents in the morning, there were palm fronds scattered all around from the wind the night before. We had a leisurely breakfast and then started hiking. It was a climb straight out of camp, and there were beautiful views looking back over the campground. This was one of my favorite parts of the TCT, the trail passed right up the spine of the hillside with a nearly uninterrupted slope on one side, leading all the way down to the ocean. At the top, there was another sheltered picnic table that we stopped at for a few minutes. From here, you could see the whole northern part of the island. After this, it was a descent into the town of Two Harbors.

The terminus of the TCT is Two Harbors, but the trail passes through once and then takes you on a loop to the north before circling back around to finish. As we were descending, Emily’s knee started bothering her, and it would unfortunately get worse over the course of the day. We took a break when we got into town and got some snacks from the grocery store. We decided to take the loop clockwise, which started with a big climb back out of Two Harbors. The trail was kind of a bummer for most of this loop. Previously, the trail was typical dirt single track, but for most of this section, it was ATV roads covered with loose gravel. The apex of this climb would mark the highest point on the TCT of 1762 feet.

On the descent down to the Parsons Landing Campground, Emily’s knee was feeling worse. Leslie and I took some of her gear to lighten the load. The steep slopes in this section were very annoying and unhelpfully covered in loose rock that would leave you prone to slipping. We moved slowly and were a little nervous that we would have to set up camp in the dark. But we made it to Parson Landing with enough time to pitch our tents and enjoy the sunset. Parsons Landing was our favorite of all the campgrounds. The campsites are actually on the beach, with only a few spots available to reserve. It was Thanksgiving, and we packed ramen bombs for the occasion. We all sat around a picnic table, eating our ridiculous dinner and watching the sun go down across the boulder-strewn beach.

The next day, we only had a few miles left to get back to Two Harbors. This section was nearly flat, as the trail followed a road skirting around the island's perimeter. It was serene but uneventful. When we got back into Two Harbors, we were able to take showers at one of the municipal buildings. Afterward, we all got celebratory beers to enjoy in the shade while we waited for the ferry to take us back to Los Angeles.