SANTA CATALINA ISLAND, Calif. _ It was the first day of my trip to Santa Catalina, and the island already was working its magic. I didn't see anyone for miles as I hiked an eastern segment of the Trans-Catalina Trail, which stretches from the town of Avalon to Parsons Landing, a remote beach on the western side of the island.
But that didn't last.
As I rounded a corner, I came upon two _ or was it three? _ bison lolling on the hillside. I stopped. The beasts, with huge heads, shaggy beards and sharp little horns, stared at me. I stared back. They looked mellow, but I knew better. I had read warning signs on the island about how quickly they could charge. But my mind, and my body, had stopped. How far away was I supposed to be?
Before I could think it through, the voice of God boomed: "Please turn back! Turn back!" I quickly retreated. Turns out God was a tour-bus driver with a bullhorn on a dirt road who could see what I could not: I was walking toward 20 bison lying or standing along the trail.
Catalina's wild side can be surprising, and not just because of bison. The 38.5-mile trail that runs along ridgetops and crisscrosses the island in and out of canyons made me feel miles away. How could I forget how freeing an island visit could be?
Planning a getaway is tricky these days; I didn't want to wander far from my home in Los Angeles' San Pedro section because of the pandemic. On Catalina, I felt safe and serene, all without straying out of Los Angeles County.
