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The rugged 10-mile Montanon Ridge Loop Trail is well trampled by curious island foxes, the largest land mammal on the island

This unique island flora was a real draw for the

The view atop Montañon Ridge on Santa Cruz Island, the largest isle in the Channel Islands endemic T he barks and bellows from raucous California sea lions wafted skyward from their seaside National Park with island foxes was all I needed to motivate me. Unmaintained routes become island scrub jay, one of the rarest birds in the world rookery just beyond wave-battered known only as “social trails” or “renPotato Harbor. Ascending the newly egade trails,” among other monikers. named Montañon Ridge Loop Trail, I In the case of the Montañon Ridge loped across a craggy, rolling marine Loop Trail, perhaps it may have been terrace, that cacophonous marine an old sheep trail when ranching mammal serenade gradually driftoccurred on the most biodiverse islet ing away, aided by wispy northwest off the California Coast between the winds above Coche Point on Santa early 1800s and late 1900s. Today, the Cruz Island, the largest isle in the rugged 10-mile loop is well trampled Channel Islands National Park. by curious island foxes, the largest ascended sharply to the southeast as

For decades, this trail was without a land mammal on the island and by the I tried to concentrate on its shifting name, just a lonely track with minimal occasional island visitor boating over contours, yet, catching myself peertraffic, mostly endemic island foxes from the mainland. ing over my right shoulder gazing at bounding along, but that all changed After ascending above the honeyall the scenic coves hundreds of feet in November 2018. Over the last sevcombed sea caves of Coche Point, below. eral years, it has easily been my favorChinese Harbor, and the rest of the Eventually I topped out on a serite trail for running and hiking. The idyllic north side of Santa Cruz Island pentine-like ridge of red, undulating solitude and knowing I’d share it only came into view. The narrow trail rock, straddling the spine that leads to Montañon Ridge. From here the views grew more incredible. The pre

Closings your escrows with care carious ridge itself was a virtual island botanical garden cloaked with bushels in Montecito since 1995 of Santa Cruz Island buckwheat, sporadic Santa Cruz Island silver lotus (my favorite), hardy Dudleya, vibrant sticky monkey flower, scattered, windJane Hilty & whipped and dwarfed island oak trees Nallely Lomeli and dormant giant coreopsis. This unique island flora was a real For all of your Resale & draw for the endemic island scrub jay, Refinance escrow needs one of the rarest birds in the world. 1284 B Coast Village Rd This larger, distant cousin of the mainland western scrub jay has the smallest Call or Text: 805.565.7800 range of any bird in North America. www.fidelitysb.com Santa Cruz Island is the only place in the world where it can be found. Roughly 2,400 jays inhabit windswept Santa Cruz, and a handful of them greeted me from their many roosting spots, shek-shek-shek, before a final, harsher shreeenk as I loped on by. Jane Hilty, Escrow Officer As the route continued sea serNallely Lomeli, Escrow Officer, assistant to Jane Jackie Jimenez, Escrow Assistant penting its way toward Montañon Ridge, the ragged, open book-shaped 20 MONTECITO JOURNAL “If you’re not yelling at your kids, you aren’t spending enough time with them.” - Mark Ruffalo

side canyons draining into Scorpion Canyon drew my attention. As my pace quickened over smooth, weathered sandstone, another set of epic views captivated me sweeping downward toward the gnarled finger of San Pedro Point. Just south of San Pedro Point, Mordor-like Hungryman Gulch opposed its southerly neighbor, the perpetually tranquil Smugglers Cove.

It was an exceptionally clear day, a hike/run to remember with the turbulent three-mile-wide Anacapa Passage shimmering all the way to the sheer, 200-foot-tall cliffs of Anacapa Island, itself enthralling in many ways. It was so clear even tiny Santa Barbara Island and US Navy-owned San Nicholas Island revealed themselves amongst cobalt blue seas and distant cresting whitecaps.

The descent back to Scorpion Anchorage was a rocky one, and at some point, it felt as if I was hiking on ball bearings. Once at the old oil drill site, I vied for the steep Scorpion Canyon Loop Trail instead of transitioning to the old ranch road. It was an excellent choice as I shared the trail with a playful island fox, keeping pace with its silvery, cinnamon frame on the most mountainous isle off the California Coast. www.nps. gov/chis. •MJ 10 – 17 September 2020