The activity will begin at 8.15am when we'll meet up at Ventura harbor for our 9.00am boat trip (details below) across the Santa Barbara Channel to Scorpion Cove on Santa Cruz Island.  One quarter of this island is a part of the Channel Islands National Park (CINP) while three-quarters are a preserve owned by the Nature Conservancy.  We will be hiking in the CINP. 

We should arrive on the island at 10am or so.  From Scorpion Cove, the former site of the Scorpion Ranch, we will head up Smugglers Road/trail until we meet the Montanon Ridge Trail.  Following this, we'll reach the summit of the ridge in about 4 miles where we should have fantastic views of the island, the ocean, and perhaps the California mainland.  After pausing for lunch, we'll start back down Montanon ridge until we meet the junction with the Scorpion Canyon trail.  Taking a left/north, we'll hike down into Scorpion Canyon itself, then back out via Potato Harbor road/trail to the Ranch and boat anchorage.  Total hike distance is 8.5 miles and the estimated hike time is 4.5 hours, so we should have time to explore the area around the ranch before boarding the boat back at 3.30pm.

Participants should be prepared for variable weather, wear sturdy boots, and bring water, a lunch, and whatever snack you'd like to eat during the trip.

Additional details about Santa Cruz island, its history, and its flora/faura can be found at the CINP website at www.nps.gov or at www.islandpackers.com, the boat operator.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS HIKE IS ON A TUESDAY.

To reach Scorpion Cove on Santa Cruz Island, we will take a boat from Ventura operated by Island Packers, the only regularly-scheduled transportation to this island.  The boat leaves at 9.00am (boarding at 8.15am)  from 1691 Spinnaker Drive, #105B, in the Ventura Harbor complex.  Participants will need to reserve and pay for a seat on the boat ($56pp) in advance at www.islandpackers.com or by calling 805-642-1393.  As of late October, the boat was already 1/2 full this day, so you may wish to reserve soon.  Those coming from Santa Barbara, please contact hike organizer for carpool options.  Other carpools may be organized from LA County or elsewhere in Ventura.