Weekend Hikers and Beyond

B. HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
Santa Cruz Island, the largest and most easily accessed of the Channel Islands, has a long and storied past. See SCI History Link for some fascinating background, including how the island was named.
C. TRIP "411"
1. Meeting Place/Transport
We meet at Island Packers in Ventura, 1691 Spinnaker Drive, for the ferry ride to Scorpion Harbor, which takes ~1 hour. You need to make your own boat reservation through Island Packers at this link (see itinerary below): BOAT RESERVATIONS
Cost is $93.00 round trip ($88.00 over age 55). Cancellations allowed 120 hours prior to sailing. See CANCELLATION POLICIES. Free parking is available at Island Packers.
Book this itinerary:

• Friday May 2: boat from Ventura to Scorpion Cove. You need to be on the 8am or 9am boat if you want to participate in our Friday hike.
• IF YOU ARE JOINING THE BIG SATURDAY HIKE (SEE SATURDAY ACTIVITY INFO BELOW), BOOK THE SATURDAY 4PM SHUTTLE FROM PRISONERS TO SCORPION
• Sunday May 4: there are currently return boats at noon, 4PM and 4:30PM. I'll be on the 4 or 4:30 boat.

2. Island Packers Information and Policies
It is critical that you review the ISLAND PACKERS CAMPERS INFO for all pertinent instructions/requirements/information.
*NOTE-the "official" weight limitation is 60 lbs per person excluding water and fuel!
3. Campground Information:
The area we'll be visiting is in the Channel Islands National Park and is managed by the National Park Service. For detailed information about our campground and park, please review the NPS WEBSITE
We're in group sites D&E, which are in the "Upper Loop"; these are ~3/4 mile on a slightly uphill dirt road from our boat landing.
4. Activity Information:

• Friday (arrival day): Once we've done preliminary setup in camp and had lunch, there'll be some sort of hike TBD depending on weather, trail conditions and the interests of the group. We may have a naturalist to give us a personalized tour.
• Saturday: Planned hike will be a repeat of the MBAHG's 2023 one way hike from our camp to Prisoners Harbor (~13 miles, ~3,100' el gain) with 4PM boat shuttle (~3O minutes) back. More details will follow.
• Sunday: Open day, there's lots to see and do. On prior trips folks have done solo or small-group exploring and kayaking, which is an available option and Scorpion Anchorage is a great kayaking spot (there are tours, rentals (which need to be transported to and from the island) or you can bring your own kayak for an additional fee. See this link for KAYAKING INFO.

5. Meals
Everybody should bring sufficient food for the entire trip (including lunches on the trail), and if you need cooking equipment, bring it or arrange with someone else to share with them. I encourage folks to group up to coordinate their food/camp kitchen. We'll have a Cinco de Mayo potluck on Friday night for those who want to participate. Alcoholic beverages are allowed and STRONGLY ENCOURAGED, we don't want to run out!
D. ATTENDANCE AND RSVPs
To attend, please RSVP to the Waitlist. Attendance limited to ~22 people total of which about half will be from the Weekend Hikers and the other half will be MBAHGers. If you are interested in attending, place your name on the wait list. Priority will be given to active participants in the Weekend Hikers who will enjoy the experience with the group, and who don't have a history of "No-Shows". I do not allow "+1"s on this trip, anyone who wants to attend must be a member of Weekend Hikers.
Once you are moved to the "yes" list, I strongly recommend making your boat reservation because the boats can sell out. IF A TRIP IS SHOWN AS SOLD OUT ONLINE, CALL ISLAND PACKERS, THEY SOMETIMES HAVE SPACE.
E. WHAT TO BRING

• Everything you need for self-sufficient camping (shelter, sleeping bag, headlamp, food, cooking and eating gear, booze etc.)
• Appropriate clothing for day, night and beach use (include layers); weather can be variable between hot and cold, wet and dry, and wind.
• Sturdy hiking shoes or boots with good tread for participating in hikes
• Sun protection (hat/sunscreen)
• Trekking poles always advised
• If joining the Saturday hike, MAKE SURE TO HAVE THE CAPACITY TO CARRY AT LEAST 2 LITERS OF WATER PER PERSON!! There is no water along our route or at the end of the route (until we get on the boat shuttle) (which also has ice cold beer on tap!!!)
• Camp chair (we do a lot of sitting around camp with wine/beer/etc.)

Disclaimer
This Meetup group, its organizers, and its members, take no responsibility for any injuries or accidents that may occur during events. By joining this event you take full responsibility for your own safety. Please ensure that you are in good health before participating and understand that there is risk involved in your participation. This Meetup group does not certify the qualifications of any of its organizers or trip leaders, and they are not responsible for your safety. We are all just participants. By signing up for this event and participating you acknowledge you have read this Disclaimer and agree to its terms and to the release set forth in Section 6 of the Meetup Terms of Service.

• Terrain: Mostly narrow dirt trail
• Distance: 1.5 miles, about 330’ gain
• Route map
• Preserve map

Disclaimer

This Meetup group, its organizers, and its members, take no responsibility for any injuries or accidents that may occur during events. By joining this event you take full responsibility for your own safety. Please ensure that you are in good health before participating and understand that there is risk involved in your participation. This Meetup group does not certify the qualifications of any of its organizers or trip leaders, and they are not responsible for your safety. We are all just participants. By participating you acknowledge you have read this Disclaimer and agree to its terms.

• Pace: Casual
• Duration: 2 hours
• Distance: 4 miles out and back, about 150’ elevation gain
• Map: GaiaGPS
• Bring: Sturdy shoes, water, headlamp or flashlight, wind protection, warm layers, camera, sense of fun

Disclaimer
This Meetup group, its organizers, and its members, take no responsibility for any injuries or accidents that may occur during events. By joining this event you take full responsibility for your own safety. Please ensure that you are in good health before participating and understand that there is risk involved in your participation. This Meetup group does not certify the qualifications of any of its organizers or trip leaders, and they are not responsible for your safety. We are all just participants. By participating you acknowledge you have read this Disclaimer and agree to its terms.