Picture thread Channel Island National Park. (Death to dial-ups WARNING!!!)

[puerco-bellies]

Just got back from Santa Cruz Island. Much hiking, sightseeing, listening to natural sounds, and the scent of clean air.

Scorpion Bay, how you enter and leave the island. The campground is a quarter mile from the water.



Channel Island Fox. Endemic to the channel islands. Close to extinction, but on it's way back.



These are very small creatures due to island environment. Think the size of a smallish cat.



Sea Cave just to the North of Potato Cove



Potato Cove



Crab in a crevice



South end of Scorpion Bay



Vista on the hike to Smugglers Bay.



Biggest snail shell I ever found, on the beach Smuggler's Cove



Looking North from Smuggler's Bay, towards Scorpion Bay a brisk 4 mile hike but only a half mile as the pelican flies.

[Liberal Jesus Freak]

1. Just gorgeous.

And just the kind of beautiful pictures I needed on this quiet Sunday night. Thanks for sharing!

[puerco-bellies]

2. No problema, glad you liked them.

[Haole Girl]

3. I felt like I could take a deep breath!

Those really are gorgeous...thank you for sharing them! :hi:

[puerco-bellies]

4. The air there is really nice.

It is from a combination of sea-air, sage, wild fennel (a pest plant there) and the rest of the island flora. As a life long Southern Cali native, I notice air.

[Joe Fields]

5. Nice area. How long did you get to spend there?

I know...not long enough!

[puerco-bellies]

6. Just from Friday till today.

We hiked a total of 16 miles or so. We now are planning a return trip to nearby Anacapa Island for a week this September with the plan to paddle an ocean kayak around the Eastern Anacapa Island

[snailly]

7. How absolutely beautiful!

Thank you for taking me away for a few minutes. Hope you had a wonderful time!

[puerco-bellies]

8. It was a great time!!!

The Channel Islands are an absolute (local) treasure.

[Gormy Cuss]

9. Looks like a great weekend camping trip location.

We'd need to add days at each end to travel to the SB area, or fly, but it looks like a great destination.

[puerco-bellies]

11. The departure point is Ventura Harbor.

We left Friday morning and returned Sunday mid-afternoon. There are five Islands with different attributes. Check out the National Park website for more info.

http://www.nps.gov/chis/

[Gormy Cuss]

16. Thanks for the link

Ventura is even further away for us! Still it's doable with a couple of extra days.

[Scout]

10. absolutely breathtaking, what a beautiful place

do people kayak around the island? how far out from the mainland is it?

if you close your eyes for a minute, relax, and breathe in can you still smell the wonderful fresh air? we went to Mt Ranier a couple years ago, and i can still smell the air if i try.

love the WWF shirt, you look handsome in it ;)

[puerco-bellies]

13. Kayaking is one of the main island activities

The islands are about twenty miles off shore. People actually paddle the distance out. You have to be very experienced, well equipped, and in top shape or it is a suicide mission. Once you are on the island you can rent a kayak if you made previous arrangements, or pay extra to have your own kayak brought with you.

[likesmountains 52]

12. Beautiful, thanks for sharing..

[puerco-bellies]

14. Your welcome.

Thanks for looking

[XemaSab]

15. Awesome!

Did you see the jays? :shrug:

[puerco-bellies]

17. No, I was looking for them the entire time.

There were a lot of wonderful sounding song birds, but I did not see the jay.

[idgiehkt]

18. those pics are gorgeous

My favorite is the potato cove one. You seem to always post such gorgeous pictures.

That is the cutest little fox I have ever seen, too. Glad they are coming back. :hi:

[hunter]

19. I love the Channel Islands.

Thank you for the pictures!