The Other Catalina

As charming as Avalon is, 80% of the island is wilderness and we had seen none of it.  Catalina Island is a wild and rugged place, protected by the Conservancy, a private land trust set up to preserve the flora and fauna of the island.  It was about time we explored a bit further and saw the Other Catalina, the one in its natural and unspoiled state.

Unless you set out on the trails with water and a pack on your back, the only way to see the interior of the island is to take a tour.  We signed up for the new "Ultimate Land/Sea Adventure", run by Catalina Expeditions.  At first we hesitated because the $160 per person ticket was a bit steep, but who knows when we'd get back again, (if ever) so we slapped down the plastic.  The morning of our tour, we woke up to two deer beneath our hotel window.  That did it!  No regrets.  We couldn't wait to see more wildlife!

The tour is limited to 12 people.  Six passengers start out in the biofuel Humvee for the interior road trip.  The other six take the RIB boat along the coast.  We all meet for lunch at Two Harbors and then switch for the return trip back to Avalon.

We climbed into the Humvee and before we knew it, we were on top of the world.  Our tour guide was knowledgeable, kind and funny.  He pointed out the reservoir, Toyon Bay and Mt. Orizaba, the highest peak on the island, as well as other landmarks as we drove along.  We stopped at eagle and fox habitats and the gorgeous Little and Shark Harbors.

 In 1924, fourteen buffalo were barged to the island for the filming of  Zane Grey's The Vanishing American.  The producers said they'd return to pick the big guys up, but they never did.  Well, that herd of 14 grew to a herd of 400. The Conservancy became alarmed.  They were not indigenous to the island; they would have to go.  The locals, however, had grown to love their buffalo so they reached a compromise--150 of them would remain.  At first they rounded the buffalo up and shipped them back to South Dakota, but this grew too expensive.  Today, birth control keeps the herd down.

After a nice lunch at Two Harbors, our group climbed into the RIB for a thrill of a lifetime.  It was a fast, bumpy, exhilarating ride along the coast.  (We were warned not to take this tour if we had back problems.)  Again, our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and talked about the history of Catalina as we made our way back to Avalon.  He stopped the boat several times along the way so we could photograph the sea lions and the beautiful, rocky coastline.  Being out on the water and seeing the Other Catalina (so much bigger than I ever realized) was the highlight of the trip.