A Pirate's Life for Me

Pirate flags are plentiful during Buccaneer Days.

The first weekend of October, hundreds of boats and thousands of people converge on the tiny town (it's really more of a village) of Two Harbors on Catalina Island. The occasion? A weekend full of drunken debauchery while dressed up as pirates, formally known as "Buccaneer Days". If you're looking for an adventure, there is no need to look any further.

The adventure usually starts on Thursday for a fair portion, if not a majority of people. The moorings (parking spaces for boats) are usually full by Thursday afternoon, or Friday morning for the farthest out ones. Then you have more people coming by way of ferry that'll fill the multiple campsites to capacity on Friday and Saturday. I'd be willing to bet that some even come without a place to stay and sleep on the beach.

Moorings fill up fast. Only a part of the bay is seen here. 

Friday night the fun officially kicks off. Everyone dons their pirate attire and heads ashore (unless they are already passed out). If you choose not to dress up, you will stick out like a sore thumb. You may even be forced to walk the plank. They put up a fence enclosing the two bar areas, the restaurant, and a stage area with open spaces for conversing or dancing. There is a band that plays till about 11 and then a DJ for the rest of the evening. They "close" at 2 am but many people continue the party after that.

Donning our finest pirate attire

The next morning it's not unusual to be woken up to the sound of a cannon going off, followed by tons of people yelling "AAARRGHHH". Ashore you will see people, still in full costume, already starting to drink. They may even still be drinking from the night before. As the day turns into night, the shenanigans are plentiful. Saturday night is a repeat of Friday, but with more people and more time spent drinking. I will commend the sheriffs and the lifeguards there who do a fine job of making sure everyone is safe yet allowing them to have fun.

Sunday morning comes. After two days of living like this, reality starts to set back in. The restaurant offers a great breakfast buffet for people to feast on before departing back to the real world.

Monday morning, you wake up almost depressed. Then, while at work, you look down and see the remains of the black nail polish you forgot to take off and laugh. For just a few days, you were living without worries, taking life in by the moment and savoring it. Yo ho yo ho a pirates life for me.

Adventure: Catalina Island

Southwest Airlines used to have the slogan "Wanna get away?" Yes was always my answer. This past weekend, I got to get away and did I ever enjoy it. There is not a much better place for a quick getaway than to take a sail over to Two Harbors, Catalina Island.

We left Friday afternoon from Marina del Rey. The weather was gorgeous out with a nice wind that seemed like it was going to be very kind to us. There were tons of birds and as we passed one of the ocean buoys we saw a bunch of seal pups basking in the sun.

However the wind wasn't quite going in the right direction and if we were going to beat the sunset, we needed to motor it a little bit. While motoring a sailboat is not always ideal, we did not want to have to moor up in the dark. We got there and moored up with just enough time to try and get to the other side of the ithsmus to see the sunset and try to see the "green flash". Unfortunately the direction of the actual sunset placed it behind the hill so we couldn't see it or attempt to see the "green flash". In the end though it was a nice little hike and we had fun.

The next day was b-e-a-utiful. The was no clouds, no wind and the sun was out shining bright. We made our way to shore and started our day.

After a long day of volleyball, soccer, some drinking, eating and flat out relaxing, we headed back to the boat for dinner. While we couldn't see the sunset into the horizon, we still definitely got some very nice colors. 

The next day it was time to say goodbye. Although since I know there is a high likelihood that we will be back, it was really more of a see you later. The first part of our trip there was not a breath of wind; so we started with the motor again. Luckily, it soon picked up so we were able to enjoy the nice silent sail back into reality.  

Every time we take a trip to Catalina, the day after we get back everyone is in a sort of depression. Really the same is true of any fun trip but this one seems to sting just that much more because Catalina Island is a little under 30 miles away (it is closer than disneyland) yet it seems a world away. 

Hello 2013

As 2012 comes to a close, I think back about my year. It was quite the interesting year. I have had some  great highs and some lows. As we head into 2013 however, I feel like things are definitely on an upswing. Here is a look ahead at some things that I hope to accomplish in the next 12 months:

Summit Mt. Whitney - This one I stated in my dream adventures. I think it is definitely one that I could do. The most challenging part of this will be getting the overnight permit. From the trail head, the summit is 10.7 miles. The peak is 24,497 feet. And being the highest point the in contiguous, it is a very popular hiking destination. So this means the that the permits are given out in lottery so there is no guarantee that I'll get one.

Spartan Race Trifecta Badge - This is also something that I mentioned in the my dream adventures. It consists of completing all three distances of the spartan races. The sprint is about 3 miles, the super spartan is between 8 and 10 miles while the spartan beast is 12-15 miles. First up for me is the super spartan which I'll be running the last weekend of January.The bonus would be qualifying for what is called the "Spartan Death Race". It is a 48 hour race which you only qualify for by doing well in the Spartan Beast.

Surf Trip to Baja - I have talked about doing this with my brother for years. There are risks involved especially with the current state of Mexico drug wars. But with risk comes reward. The chance to surf in warm water without the crowd is plenty enough of a reward to me. In the meantime I will continue to enjoy the surf I can get right here while wearing my wetsuit and fighting the crowds.

Trans- Catalina Trail - I've been to Catalina several times and have loved each and every time. I think it is a great get away from the hustle and bustle of living in Los Angeles. I would love to to spend a weekend hiking around the island exploring.

While these are not the only things I will be doing this year (hopefully!), these are the top adventures I hope to have done come this time next year. Happy new years everyone. May this year bring joy and adventure into your life.