Trans-Catalina Trail Prep

[Outpost, 2.  Outstepping] [Make it Easy, 7.  Let's Get Physical] series

Just 2 days from the 4-6 day Trans-Catalina hike!  (40 miles across Catalina Island, California)

My bag is packed, aside from daily electronics and fridge pita.  Now that restless sense of disorganization sets in.  I thought maybe a blog post would have a calming effect, or at least amuse Future Me in retrospect.  

Sunset over my 1 person tent that took 2 people to set up on hard-packed Lower Moro Campground

Party:  Historically, I have been a lone adventuress, assuming that no one enjoys my company or brand of masochism enough to tag along.  This time, MIL encouraged me to invite SIL and DH made enough rumblings that our semi-annual friends might be interested.  As luck would have it, they all wanted to go!  What other adventures have I been too shy to make co-operative activities?  Sadly, SIL dropped in the final stretch with a back problem, but I was so impressed with her on the Moro Canyon gear test overnight.  How did she track down such a respectable kit without blowing thousands at REI?  I need to consider if I can borrow equipment for future projects rather than being such a quick draw with the credit card.  Hopefully the homework her PT gave her speeds her recovery.    

  

Itinerary:  I stole an itinerary and max budget from an REI excursion.  $2,699 to rough it?!  Plus the gear sherpa, meals and outsourced planning felt like it would rob some of the fun and sense of mastery out of the undertaking.  Then I bought a TCT book to study thoroughly only to ultimately arrive at the same REI itinerary.  Thankfully, I now had recruited project manager guru Kim to my party to sanity check rules that had changed, glampy hotel and restaurant alternatives to full campgrounds, feasible ferry schedules, and generally make sure I executed the prep I had vaguely vowed to do.  

12/26 [Thurs] - Arrive Avalon, check into respective hotels (Seacrest), check in with Catalina conservancy on our hiking plans, meet for dinner at M's, rest up and charge electronics.  

12/27 [Fri] - pack up with easy access hummus snack and water bottles filled, meet at Kim and Frank's hotel bistro for burritos and coffee, and get a start on a 11 mile of big rolling hills day, fully loaded to Black Jack campground (BJ01).  

12/28 [Sat] - Leisurely decamp from Black Jack to stop for brunch at Airport in the Sky for notoriously tasty bison burgers (locally sourced?) then continue the 8 mile downhill to Little Harbor which is touted as the most worthwhile campground on our itinerary (Shark C).  Try not to think about how much more epic this would have been if DH had managed to boat camp and support us with DD.   

12/29 [Sun] Determine when to decamp for 2 Harbors as it is only a 5 mile hike and Banning House Lodge check-in is 4PM.  That said, this would be the opportune time to try to run a load of laundry at "the restroom" I had contemplated when booking a placeholder cabin in 2 Harbors campground and do some town shopping.  

12/30 [Mon] leave the tents and make an early pitch for Parson's with a relaxing lunch there to celebrate having arrived.  Then hustle back to 2 Harbors in hopes of arriving before the restaurant closes.  14.5 miles.  

12/31 [Tues] clean up and catch a cab back to Avalon and from there, civilization.  

Planning:  We built a google drive doc with our itinerary and packing lists.  This was enough to get us to the Moro Canyon gear check campout.  This is my nerdy favorite aspect of camping -- finding the most minimalist/lightest/cheapest/multi-purpose things to pack.  The dopamine jackpot is finding that thing that breaks the "functional-light-cheap" tradeoff, like substituting smartwater plastic bottles from Target instead of an ancient leaky camelbak or a fresh new bamboo toothbrush instead of a mildewing plastic travel one from the Before Times.  From there, I took the shakedown concept even further with a lighterpack list which I compared to other Trans-Catalina posters on the ultralight subreddit.  This was constructive.  I discovered my base weight isn't that brutal vs bodyweight (22.5-30 lbs, 18-24% bodyweight depending on water carried).  I also learned to start appreciating things I considered necessities (stove, meals and snacks, a tent) could be considered luxuries for more light-headed folks.  

Meals:  A close second favorite aspect of camping because of the "good-light-cheap" breaking potential is meal planning.  The redditors were euphoric about Mary Jane's Farm but pretty much everything was out of stock while they refactor this business (this launched a wonderful side quest into joining the sisterhood and reading the books).  Outdoor Herbivore was next best, though it didn't taut organic anything.  I ordered 2 mac 'n 'cheese'  not fully heeding the implications of the scare quotes and found the test batch at LM campground was very nutritional yeasty,  a Pac Trail vinagrette which reconstituted surprisingly well and could work as a no-cook lunch break but wasn't mind bogglingly good (the marmot that rushed under the table to appropriate a fallen broccoli begged to differ), and dehydrated hummus which was both cheapest and most impressive-- a definite no-cook lunch option.  I also bought some clear boil bags for diy and was relieved I did because my concoction in the repurposed mac 'n 'cheese' continued to wreak of yeast.  

From there, I moved into this wonderful reddit thread and have been revising their classic beans and rice recipe with my camp stove from the comfort of my driveway.  Mine has powdered cheddar because we still had some left over and real cheddar seemed messy to clean up, some extra flax meal (fiber).  These run an impressive $3.72/meal vs $12 for an OH prepack.  These aren't strictly organic as indicated for Outstepping Expert level, so I will look for organic instant rice and dehydrated beans (or try MJ's fave quinoa for days hack and diy dehydrated beans).   

For TCT, I've thrown my lot in with as yet untested OH Basil Walnut, OH hummus with pitas, 2x beans and rice, a chia overnight soak (with raspberries I dehydrated after reading about it in MJ ideas book), a couple protein bars, beet chips, roasted edamame, LMNT, instant coffee, espresso beans (1/mile), gum, and s'mores fixings.  This looks like a lot listed out, especially when also planning to avail ourselves of restaurants in town...  I keep thinking of that Patagonia quote-- "The more you know, the less you need."  How little I know.  

Training:  When I started training in earnest, I had resubscribed with my old triathlon trainer to get ready for HIM Oregon (the true expert level 7.  Let's Get Physical challenge).  She had experience training athletes to Rim2Rim the Grand Canyon that she ported over for the TCT.  This is my 2nd month of almost complete adherence to her cardio and strength plan (I substituted one run workout for a comparable stationary bike and did 2 extra credit strength sessions).  Take that!  Let's Get Physical Beginner Level- set exercise goals and stick to them for a month.    

Prior to her input, there was a lot of summer rucking with increasing numbers of water bottles for resistance on days when I could drop DD in a camp and into the days she has in-classroom instruction.  I had recruited Kim and Frank to join on one hike that, without any preamble went up the most wicked climb I could find in any online trail selection site, just to assure myself it was doable without hazarding missing a school pick up.  That might have been when Frank and Kim's training began in earnest.    

Coach Ingrid's plan eventually persuaded me to splurge on a Parks pass and put in some long fully loaded hikes in Moro Canyon after our practice overnight camp.  2 were 9 milers, with 2 clocking in at 4.5 or so.  These day hikes could qualify for the Outstepping beginner-visit three places you've never seen before because I managed to find all 3 back country camp grounds in the park and hike 5 trails I had never been on.  Deer canyon was my favorite campground, it didn't have expansive coastal views but felt so secluded under towering oaks with a dry creek bed running alongside it and since getting there required a single track trail rather than fire roads, it seemed to have potential for more solitude.  These training hikes were good for testing food, water consumption rates, and different gear configurations.  I am still not a hiking pole convert-- if they weren't necessary for my tent, they would be the first gear I would ditch.  

My favorite memories of these training sessions were 1.  managing to get the radio to work and hailing my MIL, DH, and DD on the catamaran in the bay and hearing my kid squeak "Hey, Mommy?  What's your 20?"  (I had to google what my 20 was later when I got back in cell range).  2.  Searching for the eerie distinctive "footprint" my brand of Altra trail shoes leaves in the dirt roads I knew I had never walked.  There was also a misty day where I got a face full of what I think of as eau d'creosote but might actually be damp sage of desert after rain.  Either way, I wish it could be bottled, intoxicating.  

Gear Check: A little over a month out, Nov 16, we 4 hikers loaded up packs to camp Lower Moro backcountry campground.  I had timed it so we would arrive at about sunset, having camped the Upper Moro ridgeline in summer and finding it brutally hot in the afternoon, not an ideal place to hang.  Sadly, LM was a much more popular destination and so even though the booking tool made it look empty, there was barely any flat ground to pitch one tent let alone our 3.  I was uncharacteristically grateful for Frank's curmudgeonly demeanor that evening because eventually a solo backpacker took pity on us and let us have the bulk of his area (if only to put an end to Frank's indignant muttering).  

It was here I learned the wonders of backpack strap water bottle holders, jetboil stoves and how tippy cooking on picnic tables could be.  Low-key envy can be a pretty good indicator of what areas of your kit (or life) could use an overhaul.  I also worried I might be a pretty lame hiking buddy because it got dark early and we pretty much all turned in.  What we lacked in plush mattress oblivion, we made up for in total hours of shut eye attempted.  

Death grip on my eternity-to-boil stove after half the water I packed in catapaulted off the wobbly picnic table creating this lovely mud feature and soggy bench I am hovering next to.

Budget:  REI offers this experience for $2,699.  This wouldn't have included Express ferry or restaurant splurges.  I'm chuckling at my TCT book's suggested budget of $254/person.  Our bill is going to land closer to the REI price point but we sprung for a lot of glampy upgrades and the author assumed you had a complete kit.  

$132. Cata express (commodore lounge for priority seating and snack)

$157.12 campsites (2 people--so with omniscience or lots of chutzpah, I could try to clawback the amount for Judy-- but it's a good cause)

$35 conservancy membership  (not mandatory and while it says it offers a discount on campsites, I didn't pursue this either, it just seemed like a relevant charitable contribution)

$38 switchback sleeping pad 

$217 (86.09 after gift card) 2x darn tough socks, knife, fuel, spork 

$106 outdoor herbivore

$212 seacrest inn

$581 banning lodge

$25 Morro campground for gear check (but Kim reimbursed me almost the full amount)

$195 state parks pass (not necessary, but helped motivate me to do the extra 5 long fully loaded hikes on comparable terrain)

$130 jetboil gift (technically already had a serviceable stove, but this is so much better designed it sips fuel)

$60 backup tights, fuel can, marshmallows 

$100 lip protectant ($6), possums gloves ($28), wool gaiter ($22), flat water bottle ($15), blister first aid ($12), Leukotape ($9), Target smartwater bottles 

So that prices me out at about $2,000 before the restaurant stops and other incidentals.  Which seems like a fair deal in that there are new items I plan to wear weekly-monthly (gaiter, gloves, socks, tights) and upgrades to my camping kit (jetboil, spork, pocket knife) and a parks pass that DH has big diving plans for after the lobster season wraps up.  

Frank was joking we hadn't seen much wildlife on our hike, but we turned a corner and stumbled upon this taxidermized display as we exited... 

Worries:  what am I still anxious about?  

Being uncomfortable-- will it be cold, hungry, bored without devices, will I have to do the majority of a 10 mile hike needing to poop? 

Social anxiety-- Am I boring company?  Will I be self-consciously stinky?  

Body composition going in the wrong direction-- my weight is up 10 lbs since the notes I was taking this time last year.  Sure, I've been moving and lifting more, but I don't think it is all muscle.  I left a shirt in the REI dressing room because the muffin top situation it accentuated was startling.  What will the stats look like after an uncharacteristic number of meals out?   

Shark week.  I have no experience with managing flow in back country--hygiene logistics, the cramps that can present as hunger or as coming down with a cold, and the generally not feeling in peak fitness state.  

DH solo'ing the kid and dogs for that long, that is a different kid of endurance he hasn't been training as much for.  How detailed of a to do list does he need? 

Worry worry-- am I worrying too much?  or about the wrong things?  how much of this detail can/will/should I remember?  I feel a bit less present in all the holiday festivities.  Or daydreaming too much about how to up the ante and do Rim2Rim next...   But looking over this list, the rational side of me can't think of anything more I could do to mitigate my concerns, so here goes nothing!