Santa Rosa Island camping

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/2/2/f/600_440325615.jpeg

Camping option (3 nights): Lindsey and I have reserved 3 camp sites on the island. There is also a one-day hiking option on Friday and Monday described below. The campground situation is different than Santa Cruz Island. For starters it's a longer hike from the pier (1.5 miles one-way) and up a bit of a hill. You will need to backpack your stuff to campground-so don't bring too much, and know you can carry your stuff that far. There's potable water and bathrooms at the campground. There are no group camp sites, and each site can have up to 5 campers so we have space for up to 15 campers (there are 6 campers going as of 7/29/2015). Here's the biggest issue for some: there is no boat service to island on Saturday or Sunday (hard to believe but that's what the Island Packer's schedule is showing). The only option is to take the Friday boat out of Ventura Harbor @ 8:00 AM and the Monday boat back @ 3:30 PM. The sign-up here is for campers only. I will post separate one day-hiking sign-up pages soon. Additional campground info at bottom of this email.

What's to do there, well...hiking in a coastal wilderness, great beaches (not as many cliffs as Santa Cruz Island so long beach walks), kayaking (if you bring one), swimming, body surfing (if there's a south swell), and socializing around the camp. Santa Rosa Island is known for its abundant marine life (fish, fowl & mammal), and pristine coastline-it's what the SoCal mainland coastline must have looked like before the Europeans arrived. There will be several geologists on the trip, and I will bring a geologic map of the island; so if you want to hear a bit about that just let us know. At the bottom of the page is a link to the National Park Service web site for Santa Rosa Island where you will find a trail map, photos, information, and of course "the don't do stuff."

Transport is via Island Packers boat transport. Prices to Santa Rosa Island: Campers: $114.00 RT adult, $104.00 RT senior. Day only hikers: $82.00 RT adult, $74.00 senior RT. There is no boat schedule for Saturday and Sunday (8/22 & 23). At the bottom of the email is a link to Island Packers (you need to make your own boat reservations).

Hiking: You can come to the island for only a day hike (8/21 or 8/24), and you will need to take the earliest boat departure from Ventura Harbor to Santa Rosa Island. In a few days I will post a separate sign-ups for the one day hikes. We will meet you at the pier where the Island Packer's boat arrives (see link at bottom for schedules). There is no phone service on the island, or on most of the boat trip out to the island. Bring lunch-there are no stores/restaurants on the island. It can be warm in the interior of the island, and it can be cool too, if the fog comes in.

There will be a hike each day that returns to the campground each day, or you can just head for the beach and hang out. These are all in and out hikes on the same trail so you can turn around at any point if you need to catch the return boat, for instance.

Hikes

Friday (8/21): Torrey Pines grove, we will meet at pier, go to campground first, drop our gear, hike to grove (5 miles RT) and after the beach.

Saturday (8/22): Black Mtn (8 miles RT) and after the beach.

Sunday (8/23): towards East Point along the coastal road as far as we can get (at least 10-12 miles), and after the beach, if you still have energy.

Monday 8/24: Carrington Point or Los Lobos Canyon (~9 miles RT). We will pack up our camp, take our camping gear to the pier and drop it off, meet any day hikers, and then head towards Carrington Point and see how far we can get before needing to return to the pier for the departing boat (@ 3:30 PM).

The group will be a combination of hikers and geologists I know. We will keep the geology chit-chat down to a polite level. If you want to invite a friend that's ok. We did a similar trip to Santa Cruz Island in July, had a great time, and did +30 miles of hiking in 3 days. Photos of that trip @ https://www.meetup.com/The-Weekday-Trailblazers/events/223646551/

I recommend that you book your boat trip now as the islands are popular places during the summer. Again, there is no cell phone service on the island.

This will be a fun adventure and I hope you can make it.

Thom

Cell 818-429-4278
www.thomasldavisgeologist.com (http://www.thomasldavisgeologist.com/)

Island Packers:http://islandpackers.com/santa-rosa-island-2/

Camping info: http://www.reserveamerica.com/camping/santa-rosa-island/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=70979

Santa Rosa Island info: http://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/santa-rosa-island.htm

DISCLAIMER / RELEASE OF LIABILITY

IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ BELOW IN ITS ENTIRETY:

The hike host is a volunteer and not responsible for the group. Safety should be a priority for everyone in the group. Please treat this meet-up as hiking with a group of friends. If you become fatigued and unable to continue the hike, it is expected you will advise the hike host of this and return to our starting point on your own. If you are able to proceed, it is expected that you will maintain line of sight with other members of the group at all times and help to promote the group’s safety and fitness goals.

Outdoor sports and other events we plan can be inherently dangerous and accidents may happen. By participating in any posted event, you are taking responsibility for your own safety and well-being. The Weekday Trailblazers Meetup Group and its organizers are not trained leaders and we do not confirm the qualifications of any of its members to lead or participate in trips. All participants take full responsibility for their own actions.

If you choose to sign up for this or any Weekday Trailblazers Meetup event, you are releasing the Weekday Trailblazers Meetup Group and its organizers from all liability in case of possible injuries. Your personal safety depends on your own judgment and experience.

PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS!

** No one 18 yrs or younger allowed without a parent or legal