Bikepacking Catalina - Avalon to Little Harbor to Two Harbors and back to Avalon

[blue oval]

I bought a Groupon for the Catalina Express back in September with the plan to bring my inflatable paddle board over and do some camping and fishing. With the Groupon expiring soon and the weather getting colder I decided last minute to pivot and turn it into a bikepacking trip. Never having done any bikepacking before I had to gear up and bought a bunch of stuff from Sierra.com and Walmart, with most of it arriving the night before the trip.

Started in Newport on Friday morning. Paid an extra $20 for the bike and it rode on the back of the boat leaning against the handrail (the trip back the bike rode free and I got VIP boarding).



First stop was getting my bike permit. To ride on the interior of the island you need a bike permit, which means you have to join the Catalina Conservancy membership for $50. However, the membership gets you 50% off some of the campsites, so stay two nights and you get your money back.

Next stop was the hardware store to pick up a fuel canister for my new backpacking stove (can't carry one with you on the boat). I later learned this was unnecessary as both campsites had plenty of half used canisters left by other campers.

After that it was a helluva climb out of town to my first destination "The Airport in the Sky". The route is Stage road to Airport Road. The ride is about 10 miles, 1550ft of climbing, with an average grade of 8.2%. Its all pavement to the peak, a little bit of packed dirt, and a bunch of broken/patched pavement. I chose to stop at almost every lookout to take some pictures and catch my breath. With all of the recent rains the visibility was amazing.







The first part of the climb you have to deal with tourists in rental golf carts and smart cars, but about halfway up you pass a gate and from there on its just rangers and a few hummer tour groups. Everybody is super friendly and gives you space and a wave when passing. Even had a tour guide stop to make sure I was OK when I needed to swap a tube.

View attachment IMG_3680.JPG





The airport was a great stop to rest and grab some food. They have a little grill, some refrigerated drinks, and a couple of beers on tap. I had a chicken sandwich and had them fill up my water bottles so I could stay topped off.


The next section was a short 6 mile route downhill on Rancho Escondido, all packed dirt from here on. The road was closed to vehicles due to the recent rains on Thursday but there were no issues and I didn't hit any mud. I had been looking for wildlife all along the way but didn't see anything until I came to the ranch. One of the island's little foxes. The views on the backside of the island were just as spectacular and you can see some of the other channel islands like St. Nicholas.

View attachment IMG_3693.MOV



First camp spot was Little Harbor. This place was great. Nice grassy area with plenty of shade and easy access to the beach. Nice amenities like running water in your site, access to outdoor showers, and port-a-potties. I had them deliver a bundle of wood and I should have taken heed when they asked if I wanted to also purchase a fire starter. The wood was super wet and it took me an hour to get the fire going. It wasn't super cold, but whats a camping trip without a campfire. The little foxes are scavengers and kept coming up to me at the fire looking for food.





Saturday I had a relaxing start and went fishing in the cove. I caught a nice size halibut but without a way to keep it fresh and transport it I had to throw it back.

 

[blue oval]

The next stop was Two Harbors campground, the route was Isthmus road. The ride to the peak is normally 3.8 miles, with 850ft of climbing with an average grade of 4.2%. I say normally because I stopped just shy of the peak to have a snack and realized I left all of my food and cooking gear in the food box at the first camp. So I headed back and got to do the climb again.

Once you reach the peak you are met with more awesome views. This time seeing north of Palos Verdes into Malibu and farther north. The rest of the ride was downhill into the Two Harbors camp. This campground was smaller with a lot more sites tucked in together and a higher volume of campers and usage. But the views of the water from the site were great and it had all the amenities needed.





I rode into town with the intention of eating at the restaurant but it was closed for construction. The market place was open and it had plenty of food, drinks, and camping supplies. I bought a bunch of water, a firestarter, some chocolate bars, and a couple of brews to enjoy in the sand. On the way back to camp I came across one of the contentious deer. The rest of the afternoon I spent fishing along the shoreline.






Sunday morning I got an early start since I knew this would be a long push and I wasn't sure how long it would take. The climb out of two harbors is 775ft for 2.2 miles, with an average grade of 4.2%. A somewhat difficult climb to get the day started. I took some ibuprofen before leaving camp because I knew today would be rough. After the initial climb its pretty much all downhill back to Little Harbor Campground.

From Little Harbor I took the same way up Rancho Escondido. There is another route on Middle Ranch Road that has a less intense climb, but it was closed on Friday so I figured I would come back the way I came, its not a decision I regret, but probably won't make again. Ascending Rancho Escondido is 1,646ft of climbing over 6.5 miles, with an average grade of 5.4%. Near the the top my legs were ready to give out and I just told myself I only had to make it to the next shady section and stop to catch my breath and shake my legs out. That worked good for about 30 seconds of comfortable riding and then struggle. By the time I reached the airport I was cooked. At the airport I regained my composure, had another chicken sandwich, and topped off my water.

The next stretch of the route I thought would be uneventful, but I came across a small herd of bison and that made for a nice conclusion to the trip.




After that I rode to the scenic overlook just before dropping into Avalon and hung out for about an hour enjoying the view before heading into town. I met a local mountain biker and he was telling me there is some nice, flowy single track around the island, you just have to watch out for bison, and if you do come across one, pedal faster. He asked if I had anything left in the tank and wanted to do the east end loop with him, and I think I must be a glutant for punishment because I considered it for a second.

 

[4XForOffroad]

Perfect weather - looks beautiful. I’ve been hiking the coast out in PV for years and there aren’t a lot of days that I imagine it will look like that out there based on the view from the mainland. Awesome.

 

[the bodj]

That looks awesome! I know what I'm planning next.

 

[badlinesgoodtimes]

dude this sounds rad ! would love to do this.. Maybe we plan a Bad Lines camping Extravaganza? Would be killer to hit some of that single track.

 

[blue oval]

Yea, it really was awesome. I was thinking of another trip before it was even over. Parson's Landing, past Two Harbors on the west end, is supposed to be a really good campsite too, but its popular so it gets booked up fast. I think staying for two nights in Little Harbor and then making a day trip to Two Harbors, if you really wanted to go there, is the way to go.

Most of the sites at Two Harbors are designated for 10 people and they have gear haul options so you don't have to carry it all in. Would make for a great group trip.

 

[BobbyHasARustyBronco]

Thats rad!