- In two days, I'm gonna be hiking The Trans-Catalina Trail.
I'm running around trying to get last minute supplies.
I'm excited for my trip, but I'm also feeling very anxious
because this is my first serious backpacking trip.
I've had a hard time this past year
with some things in my personal life
and also with the death of my grandpa, who I was close with,
so I'm doing this hike in hopes of clearing my mind
and letting go of some things.
I'm also trying to do this zero waste.
So, I'm gonna be packing all my food
as much as possible zero waste.
Zero waste means trying to send
as little as possible to landfill.
I did this a little last minute,
and I had no gear to begin with.
So, I ended up spending $459.07.
Backpacking is very expensive,
which is maybe why it's taken me so long to try it.
I spent $28.83 on all of this food,
and it's gonna last me for three and a half days.
These are my toiletries, and look,
I was able to shove it in this other tiny tin.
I'm feeling very nervous.
My heart is (gasps) in my chest right now.
I'm really worried about the weight.
So, this is my pack.
I'm gonna attempt to put it on for the first time.
Alright.
I'm gonna tip over.
As women, we're constantly told that, you know,
we can't do (bleep) alone, and you know what?
We can, we can do things alone, and watch me.
- Yeah, because you love being alone.
This is like your idea of the best time ever.
- [Ari] I'll meet people.
- Will you?
- I woke up before my alarm.
I'm very ready.
I'm taking a ferry to Catalina Island,
where I'll be hiking along The Trans-Catalina Trail.
The trail's around 38 miles long,
and it'll take me about three and a half days to finish.
I'm here,
and I'm going to the visitor's center to get my map.
I'm gonna be taking a shuttle from Avalon to Haypress
to shave a few miles off of my first day
because I am an inexperienced backpacker.
There's a bison.
Oh my goodness.
I'm ready to start.
I'm so excited!
I don't really know how many miles I need to go
or how long it's gonna be.
I'm going to Black Jack Campground.
It appears like I'm starting on mile six.
Pretty sure I heard a rattlesnake.
It's nice out here.
The pack's very heavy.
What'd I get myself into?
Woo hoo, I've done two miles,
which means I've hardly done anything,
but I still feel good about it.
(exhales heavily) These hills are no joke.
Look at these views.
Oh, it's so pretty here.
I'm gonna stop for lunch.
You have to pack out all of your trash,
so I have salvaged this plastic bag,
and I'm gonna be putting all my trash in there.
I'm drenched in sweat, but I'm staying hydrated.
I don't know how much longer I have to go.
I should've paid better attention to the new map.
I think I might be already at the campsite.
I see some picnic tables.
So, it took me three hours and 20 minutes
to hike from Haypress to Black Jack.
I don't know if I made good time or bad time.
I'm surprised at how early I got here, it's only 3:30.
I guess I'll set up my tent and hang out.
This is some curry lentil soup.
It's pretty tasty.
Day one is over.
I spent half of the day being really excited
and the other half wondering
why I would ever do something like this (laughs).
I made a new friend, I hung out by the fire.
So, tomorrow, I'm gonna be hiking from Black Jack
to Two Harbors, and that's about 12 to 13 miles.
Day two has begun.
It's raining a little bit, but not so bad.
I had my tea, I went number two, I'm ready.
Yas, mist, yas.
Can you believe this cactus?
Look at it, look how good it looks.
I've come upon a road, and I think I'm going the right way.
I looked at the map, but I'm not really sure.
I love snacks.
I think this is my ideal climate.
No chance of sunburn, just a nice, hydrating mist.
I think I went a minute or two the wrong way.
I'm lost, and I keep getting more lost,
and it turns out I'm a mediocre map reader.
Oh, more signs.
Oh, I finally got back on the track.
I have six miles to Little Harbor,
which is where I'll have lunch.
I got tired, I'm taking just a little break.
My back is really starting to hurt,
particularly my left shoulder.
Oh my God, that's so much weight on my feet with this mud.
Oh, look, it's the ocean.
I walked from coast to coast.
(exhales) I'm at Little Harbor.
I found a dry bench to sit on.
I'm eating some leftover oats from breakfast for lunch.
I have five or so more miles to go to get to Two Harbors
where I'll be camping tonight, and I'm a little worried
that I lost some time getting lost earlier
and that I'm not gonna make it by nightfall.
I refilled my water sack,
but not looking forward to the extra weight.
I feel like a hobbit on a long journey,
except I don't have a Mordor.
What up, ravens?
Slow and steady up this hill.
I'm wet, but my feet aren't, and that's important.
I need a Will Smith inspirational Twitter video or something
because I'm ready to not be walking on hills.
I didn't even know you could get this muddy.
I think I see the town up ahead.
It's really raining and I'm struggling.
So close, but yet so far.
Oh, I finally made it.
I'm cooking in the vestibule of my tent,
maybe it's a fire hazard.
I am the luckiest girl.
I am eating hot soup, and I am out of the rain.
Don't anyone tell me that this isn't
the most delicious meal, okay?
(sighs)
I just lied down for the first time, and oh my God,
my feet hurt and my body, but it's a good...
It just feels good to lay down.
I had a pretty good sleep, I could hear the ocean.
I'm really happy it's not raining this morning.
Everything is so damp still, so I'm hoping it'll dry off.
Yay, sun!
This is a little solar charger I'm keeping on my pack
so I can charge my cameras.
There's a little fox.
Hi, little fox.
I have just put on my pack,
my shoulders are really sore from yesterday.
My knee started to hurt,
but I think it just needs to warm up.
I gotta go to the visitor's center and pick up a key
to get firewood and water when I'm at Parson's Landing.
I got lost.
Apparently I love walking up hills I don't need to walk up.
God dammit, I went the wrong way again.
I think I'm just really fatigued this morning,
so I keep making mistakes.
So, I gotta watch out for that.
It looks like that's where actually the trail starts.
Okay, I'm back on track.
So, I was originally gonna go from Two Harbors up this way,
but the visitor's center recommended
that I just go from here along the coast
because it's gonna be too muddy in the interior.
It's not the true Trans-Catalina trail,
but I'm okay with that.
With every step,
I was having a sharp jolt of pain in my right knee.
So, first, I was mad at my knee,
but then I decided to thank it and send it love,
and then I remembered this thing
that my grandma told me once,
which is that my right foot bows out a bit when I walk.
So, then I tried to focus
on keeping my feet walking straight,
and it kind of feels like writing with your left hand,
but my knee does not hurt anymore.
I'm really learning to listen to my body,
and when my body's in pain, instead of getting angry it,
I'm trying to listen
because it's trying to tell me something,
and then sort of figure out what I can do.
These views are just murdering my heart.
I'm just so grateful for this beauty,
and it just makes me wanna protect it,
and I know I could've done better
with my sustainable and no trash efforts,
but I'm happy I tried.
Imma get a tattoo that says sardine queen.
Oh, these feet hurt.
I think I'm in the final stretch to Parson's.
There's a lot of mud,
and there's a big ole hill that I have to get up,
and it's kind of triggering my knee stuff again,
but as long as I keep my foot straight,
it doesn't hurt really.
My knee does not like going downhill,
so just taking it really slow.
I'm like 10 feet away from the campsite, but I just...
I had to take a break.
Hi, John. - Hi, Ari.
Welcome to Parson's Landing.
- [Ari] I think this is my favorite campsite
because liquid mother is right there.
So, those are your alcohol swabs from work, right?
- Yeah, they taught me how to make fire in nursing school.
- [Ari] What's that stick again?
- It's a ferrocerium rod.
- [Ari] Wow.
- What did the dad buffalo say to the son buffalo
when he went to school? - What?
- He said bye, son.
- What? (laughs)
I'm cozy in my tent, and I can hear the ocean waves.
(yawns) It's the last day.
This was the most fuel efficient stove I was able to find,
and I'm hoping I can get a better recommendation.
I have this whole beach to myself, and I'm enjoying my tea.
It's 9:30,
and I just have seven more miles back to Two Harbors,
and then the ferry home to L.A.
Eating trail mix for breakfast this morning.
It's another beautiful misty day.
The cool thing about doing this alone was that
I was able to completely set my own pace.
Mile 35, three more miles to go.
Can you hear the sea lions?
(barking)
Last mile, mile 38!
I did it.
(screaming)
I kind of slash mostly did The Trans-Catalina Trail.
What I did do was backpack 32 miles with a heavy pack
and camp out three nights.
I feel ready for the apocalypse.
Look, it's John! - Hey, Ari.
We made it.
- [Ari] How'd it go?
- I feel great!
Like, the sense of self-satisfaction, it's...
- I had a lot of time to reflect on my hike,
and I feel much more at ease.
So, what is even the point of walking for miles and miles
with a heavy backpack?
For me, it's doing something difficult on my own terms
so that when life gets difficult, which it does,
I know that I have that strength to call on
to endure and persevere.
This is my final waste from my trip,
and we have to throw away these sardine cans.
These apple cores and teabags I'm gonna compost,
and this still has a lot of uses in it.
Unfortunately, this is all the trash
from the gear that I got, but I am going to recycle it all.
I'm laughing a little bit at my sob session I had yesterday
at the beauty of the trail, but you know what?
You can take drugs and get that feeling a lot quicker
or you could try backpacking.
I brought tee-pee,
but I haven't used any
because I've been air drying along the trail,
and I've been doing more serious things
at the campsite bathrooms.