Santa Cruz revisited

We were now in an ideal weather pattern and headed back to the Channel Islands to explore Santa Cruz more thoroughly. At Little Scorpion anchorage, we watched erosion in action: waves breaking into sea caves, sounding like thunder and imperceptively yet constantly carving away the rock.

Next stop was Pelican Bay. We were captivated by the scenery; the bay was smaller, so we were close enough to the etched cliffs to easily observe their beauty, but not so close that we were concerned about swinging into them. There was also more vegetation, so the contrasts were even more colorful. Birds sang in the morning; insects chirped at night; and yes--there were pelicans!

We took another strenuous hike into the surrounding hills and canyons. There are unique species in the Channel Islands, and we've gotten to see rare Santa Cruz pines, silver lotus plants, and plenty of island fox scat (though not the elusive fox itself). A particular pleasure in Pelican Bay afternoons was swimming again; who would have thought we'd be swimming off the coast in October? We snorkeled a bit, but mostly jumped off the boat and swam around: soooooo refreshing!

Lest anyone think this is all play and no work, there's always something needing attention on a boat. All work and no play may make us dull, but the reverse isn't ideal after a while either. Balance is essential, and at this anchorage we found a good blend of completing some maintenance and upgrade projects with relaxing on the foredeck. We went to bed not long after dark and got up in time to see the sunrise; we watched the world wake up, looking forward to starting our day. That  is a good life.

It's hard to believe it's October, though; the weather and the non-academic activities delude us. We can sit in the cockpit in the evening and stargaze in shorts; we haven't been able to do that since we lived in Ashland, and it feels marvelous! Fall is my favorite season, and at some point I will probably miss it. For now, though, I don't feel as if I'm missing autumn, I'm just getting warm evenings back. A fair trade...

After our respite at Pelican Bay, we spent two nights each at Fry's Harbor and Cueva Valdez. The highlight at Fry's was a hike to Diablo Peak--more of a scramble than a hike, since there wasn't a trail to speak of and the route was precipitous. (What do two +/- 60-somethings think they're doing, crawling up terrain like this?!) The views from the ridge were stupendous, though, and well worth the effort it took to get there.

At Cueva Valdez, we were fascinated by the sea caves--large ones accessible on foot from the beach. We explored them one day and were drawn back to them the next, intrigued by the formations and the sea life within them. The anchorage was exposed to ocean swells so the nights weren't as calm or restful as we would have liked, but we felt privileged to have just us and the curious sea lions in that beautiful place. In addition to sunrises and sunsets, we got to watch the full moon rise at night and set in the morning--as James Taylor sang, "so this old world must still be spinnin' round."

One of the main attractions of Santa Cruz Island is the Painted Cave, and it was truly spectacular! It's far too deep to anchor at that spot, so Art stayed on the mother ship (he feels about small dark spaces the way I feel about high ledges), while Nicole and I rowed the dinghy deep into the cave. It's aptly named; dark and light rock faces had patches with orange, green and yellow hues. The cave started out as high as a cathedral and narrowed for 600 feet before ending at a completely dark side chamber. Best of all, it was full of sea lions swimming gracefully around the dinghy and popping their heads--often a dozen or more at a time--out of the water to watch us. What a tremendous expedition!

Our last stop on Santa Cruz Island was Fourney's Cove, at the far west end. It's large and only protected by a reef that is covered with sea lions and sea birds. There were so many birds that the large rocks looked like they were covered with bristles, and the sound of barking and yelping sea lions mixed constantly with the sound of the surf.

Beaching the dinghy in that surf looked nearly impossible (it's cooled down, and we weren't hot enough to want to douse ourselves while landing/launching the little boat), so we admired the long beach and large barren hills from afar--thus saving our energy for the overnight journey to Catalina Island.

Our Channel Islands Immersion was nearly over. We were so fortunate to have had time to explore them in depth; all told we anchored in these islands for 18 days. Though the first part was very windy, overall we couldn't have had better weather. Great hikes, fascinating caves, awesome scenery, lots of wildlife, relaxed afternoons: it was idyllic.

Now this chapter is closing, and we are moving on the to the next. Contentment + anticipation = a fine fusion.

View from the bluff by Pelican Bay

Pelican Bay anchorage

Play day!

Sunning on the foredeck

Geezers on a cliff

View from Diablo Peak

Cave at Cueva Valdez

Second Wind from inside the cave

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     





We're all looking forward to getting back to sea. When I'm on land, I love island excursions and exploring; when I'm on the water, I love the sailing and the process of traveling by sea. I look forward to each, yet always enjoy where I am; clearly that's a good thing...

Fourney's Cove anchorage

Moonrise at Cueva Valdez

Painted Cave