Sly as a Fox

Channel Islands National Park

As the e-tour continues to head west, we leave the "sky islands" of Southern Arizona for the Channel Islands off the coast of California. This epic series of islands, designated a National Park in 1980, hosts a variety of endemic and fascinating species. As volcanic islands isolated from the mainland, these ecosystems have evolved in such a fashion where unique plants and animals can thrive without heavy competition. One example is the island fox, a distinct fox species that only grows to 12 to 15 inches in height. Although no larger than a house cat, the island fox is the largest mammal in the island chain. Without any predators on the island, this fox has ended up quite curious.

The endemic island fox

The fox box!

Because the island fox is such a curious fellow, these animals have learned to find the campgrounds and picnic areas on the islands. Learning from experience by finding food left unattended by visitors, many of the foxes have become habituated and often directly approach humans on the islands seeking food. Some really clever foxes have even learned to nudge open tent zippers in search of food! The National Park is making a strong effort to help island foxes and visitors alike. The picnic areas and campgrounds on the islands do not have any trash cans, meaning that backcountry users and frontcountry day-visitors alike must pack out what they pack in. All the picnic tables and campsites are also equipped with food lockers to store any and all temptations through the foxes. By practicing Leave No Trace techniques regarding food repackaging, storage, and disposal, visitors to these islands can help protect one of the incredible animal species that make them such a special place!

Like a Fox on the Run,

Quinn & Frank

38 and counting

Heading west from Phoenix, AZ, the city we affectionately dubbed 'the oven', to the California coast, the cool, crisp Pacific breeze greeted us as we jumped on board the Island Adventure to go explore Channel Islands National Park. A visit to Santa Cruz Island marked the 38th National Park we have adventured in! The day started with an hour boat ride from Ventura, CA to Santa Cruz Island, 20 miles off the coast. As soon as we left the hustle and bustle of the mainland, we were met with the beauty of an abundance of marine life, including sea lions, seals, and humpback whales. The boat docked at the island and immediately we felt a sense of solitude and relaxation. We had only 5 hours to explore the island to be back in time to catch the boat back to mainland, so we hustled along and hit the trails! No sooner than we left a busy boat full of school field trips and other visitors, that we were 'alone' on the island and hiking by ourselves. It was amazing to not see many others the entire day as we explored the bluffs and caves of Santa Cruz. This was a fabulous way to take a break from driving and stretch our legs. We are heading up to Oregon from here...Pacific Northwest here we come!

Safe travels...Kate and Tracy