Chapter 13 The Empty Interior

Catalina Island, in terms of the minimal amount of precipitation it recieves each year on average, has a semi-desert climate with cacti growing all over the island. And  because of it's isolation from the United State's second largest metropolitan area, Los Angeles, with most of the island protected with conservation restrictions severly limiting most kinds of development, the island has something in common with America's Empty Interior, the sparcely populated western portion of the United States that doesn't include the West Coast itself. The Empty Interior's land is owned primarily by the US Government, making it sparsely populated and full of open lands as well.
     Catalina Island has Mt. Orizaba at over 2097 ft, it's highest peak among other mountains, as does the Empty Interior. Both are popular places for hiking, camping, mountain biking, and other outdoor activities which I really enjoy.
     There is no better excercise activity than mountain biking on Catalina Island with it's fresh air and mountain trails and spines looking out at blue ocean on each side whilst cranking up some tunes to get up the steep hills....like Shreikback's "My Spine is the Bassline"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp21F4fimkc&feature=player_detailpage

Catalina Island's Airport in the Sky

http://www.catalinachamber.com/images/Photos/High/airport%20from%20the%20sky.jpg