 ISE
Campers - September 2004Santa Rosa Island Channel Islands National Park OK, this year I was looking for something a little different. Not that there is anything
lacking in the High Sierra backcountry, but since scheduling issues made The Trip a week later than usual, and we did
get snowed on last year at 9000 feet, I figured a lower, more southerly location would be nice. So queue up the "Gilligan's
Island" theme, here
we come...
Pertinent Details: Santa Rosa is one of five islands making up the Channel Islands National Park located off the
coast of Santa Barbara and Ventura, California. It has a long and rich cultural history extending back thousands of years,
but remains fairly isolated and untouched by corrosive mainland development. For more details, check out the Information
Page compiled from a variety of online resources.
The only concern was Santa Rosa's reputation for being one of the foggiest, windiest places in North America. Judging from
historical weather data, the reputation is
well-earned. But early Fall holds the potential for wind-reversing Santa Anna weather patterns, so the risk was worth taking.
Well, we hit the Weather Lottery Jackpot! No fog at all, and by the second day we had hot, dry conditions absolutely perfect
for camping a five-minute walk from the beach. The campsite, located at the mouth of Water Canyon, is designated as "primitive"
but with three-sided open huts (acting as windbreaks), running water, latrines, a shower and picnic tables it was ultra-luxurious by our
standards. Need I mention that we were the only campsite occupants for the whole week?
It all adds up to a better than perfect experience from start to finish...a strong candidate for Best Trip Ever honors.
The only remaining question is - how do we top it next year?
Enjoy!
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Contax RTS III 35mm SLR camera
Voigtländer Bessa 6x9 medium format camera |
