havecarryonwilltravel

We travel short today (only 4 km) so our friend’s R, J, S, and L can catch us. We started the West Coast Trail the day before them and will meet them tomorrow morning at the Cullite Creek cable car. We do not have to get up early so we try to loaf a little. We are out of our sleeping bags, breakfasted, packed, and on the trail at 9.30am. Doesn’t sound like loafing, does it?

Avoiding the mud

The trail today is much the same as the inland trail of the last two days. There are patches of ‘sucky’ mud ready to grab our boot and extricate it from our foot, but because of the lack of rain most of the mud is tramped down and very passable. Still there are foot prints that track right through the soft quagmire, either these folks want to make serious time or they really want the West Coast Trail experience and are disappointed that it has not rained more.

Murray crossing a log bridge

I view the trail much like a mountain bike skill park. There are a variety of features to overcome. They require balance, strength, agility, and quickness, both mental and physical. I think Parks Canada purposely leaves the trail difficult, to limit the numbers of travelers and to help it maintain its ‘world class’ status. As yesterday, we cross a couple of very scary log bridges. They have flattened top edges about 20cm wide and are over 20 meters long, there are some poorly placed steps as the log gets steeper near the exit. Far above the ground every step requires concentration. “Just do it.” Every piece of the journey we overcome feels like a huge accomplishment.

One of the more scary bridges

We meet a lot more travelers today, solo hikers, small groups of 2 and 3 and two larger groups, one of 6 from Holland and a group of American scouts numbering at least 10. Bill, a guy from Oregon is doing the trail on his own. He had never even heard of the West Coast Trail until a week ago, did some research and decided he had better check it out. We have a long chat and find out how to communicate while on the trail. He asks us to relay a message to one of the group of Dutch people traveling behind him. Which we do and that spawns a good talk with their group. Meeting people seems a big part of the trip along the West Coast Trail.

We are meeting a good number of people that are almost running along the trail. It is almost like they feel they have to finish as fast as possible. I am trying to figure out why. When walking, especially fast, we must have our head down and watch where each foot lands, so it is impossible to view the surroundings. The only time to ‘smell the roses’ is when we are stopped. The folks trying to get to the other end of the trail as fast as possible are missing all there is to see. I am not sure what their agenda is. Do they just want to say they have been there, done that, and put notch on their ‘to do list’. If one has commitments and a time limit I could at least appreciate their haste, but if not, why not take a couple of extra days and enjoy the surroundings. We have chosen 7 nights on the trail and frankly I am thinking one more would be great.

West Coast Trail Beauty

We start out the West Coast Trail with a group of 5 from Toronto. They are all in the 30’s and they have the right idea about the trail. They are also taking 8 days to hike and are constantly behind us. They are enjoying the scenery, taking photos and not rushing. It is good to know they are back there, although today they will hike on to Walbran and we will not see them for a few days.

We pick up speed a little, a good sign if we are to finish this trail by next Sunday. It is 2:30 and we arrive in camp, 5 hours to walk 4km (with breaks). Our first impressions are that the site is stunning. The beach is sloped and comprised of cantaloupe sized rocks. It is not very campable but we have our choice of forest sites so we chose carefully and set up our tent.

Cullite Creek campsite

By 7:00 there are quite a few more visitors, some do have to set up their tents on the rocks but it is still far from crowded. I would choose to stay here again if we are ever to return.

Cullite Cove

Tomorrow we meet up with our friends and will travel the West Coast Trail as a group of 6. We will again be able to break camp late and rendevous around noon. We sleep deep and it is a good night.

The tides rule today’s hike on the West Coast Trail and low tide matches our goals to a tee. We have a very hard hike in the morning and should reach Owen Pt at noon when the tide is at its lowest.

Up at 6am. It takes us two hours to eat, pack up and get on the trail. Again the WCT does not provide us with time to warm up and within the first 100M we encounter the first pile of boulders. The rocks are the size of small cars and houses. With a pole in one hand for that third point of balance and one hand free to grab any handhold available, we make our way over, under and around the massive fixtures. It takes us about an hour to cover the next 100M. I have done things similar but not with a 45lb pack. Debbie has never done anything like this and proves herself to be quite strong, agile and flexible. She is still very cautious but we progress and our 12 o’clock goal is always within reach.

Debbie on the boulders

Others, that have left Thrasher later than we did, catch up to us and as they pass, I notice how each person finds their own route through the maze. Upon reflection of this idea I realize that of the thousands and thousands of people that have walked the West Coast Trail over the last 100 years no two people have ever taken the exact same route. Debbie and I continue over logs, along logs, between boulders, over boulders, sliding down driftwood, occasionally removing our packs to toss them ahead and get ourselves up or down the next obstacle. 

Hiking this stretch of beach carries a similar phenomena as hiking in the mountains. When hiking in the alpine towards a summit there are numerous ‘false summits’ that must be passed over before one gets to the ultimate goal. While hiking  this beach we can see Owen Pt from a long way off and it looks as though the next set of boulders is the last one to negotiate but as we climb down from the gigantic pile of rocks and place both feet on the flat stretch of beach we look up and see one more ominous pile ahead. This happens several times before we can see a clear path to the goal we had set a very long 2 km prior.

Owen Pt

It is noon and we reach Owen Pt at exactly the right time, the water is as far away as it is going to get this day and we have time to explore a little, take some pictures and have lunch. As we eat we watch the seals on the rocks just off shore flop in and out of the water and how they play once they are able to get into the ocean – their medium of choice.

Lunch stop at Owen Pt

The water has sculpted the rock and made for some very sensuous and interesting forms leaving tidal pools full of small sea creatures, anemones, mussels, crabs, all waiting for high tide’s water to return and the opportunity to move to a different location.

Beach Wildlife

The next few kms are along the beach. It is on this stretch we run into surge channels. The ocean water surges up these worn sections of sandstone and washes out with great force. Not a safe place to bathe. The first couple are too wide to get across so we head to the forest end of the channel and go up and around gnarly little detours and we are safely by the obstacles. The last one is quite narrow, we are able to step across without much difficulty.

A Surge Channel

The beach is also our first experience with “green stuff” and the advice from one of the blogs I had read is “don’t step on the green stuff”. Very good advice, twice I look up to find a route across the shelf, step on the ‘green stuff’ and fall so fast I do not even have time to cushion the landing. We intend to exit the beach at kilometre 65 and think we have found the proper beach access but when we arrive on the forest trail we realize we are not as far as we thought and exited at kilometre 66. (We are going backwards to the counting of kms on the map and on the trail.)

The forest trail from here to Campers is easier than the previous day but still requires complete focus. There is one log bridge about 30M long and 3 to 4M above the ground. I do not know how you would recover if you slipped here. As they were the previous day the boardwalks are in complete disrepair. This is also a section where we are introduced to what we coin ‘sucky mud’. Debbie places her right foot in a patch of soft soupy mud and she is not sure if it is going to let her have her boot back. The mud gods are kind and we are able to continue on our way. After a day and a half of covering less that 1km/hr, we pick up speed and are able to cover the last 4km in 3hrs. If things improve we will be able to finish the hike as planned. We cover the entire 8km this day in 8 ½ hours.

Again we arrive at Camper Creek campground before the crowd and are able to have some choice as to where we stay this night. There are a few sites in the woods just off the beach but these are taken up with a group of trail maintenance workers and there are a couple of forest type sites facing the creek which are really quite private. There is a nice space behind a piece of giant driftwood allowing for some relief from the wind and we pitch our tent on the sand. Again we expect to see hoards of people but there are only 5 or 6 tents this night. We start to wonder where all the hikers are??

The site is very nice with the cove defined by very high steep walls on both sides, no visual access to the ocean but we hear the waves crashing just beyond the rocky beach piled in front of us. The creek provides a good source of water. The serenity is captivating.

View from Camper Creek campsite out to the ocean

Today is our first interface with the ocean and beach hiking. Much more rewarding than yesterday, albeit more physically demanding. The walking still takes complete and entire concentration and commitment but we had a lot more fun today than in the woods. The beauty of the West Coast Trail is revealing itself a little at a time.

Gordon River Trailhead

There is no warm up to the West Coast Trail. 10 steps from the welcome to the Pacific Rim National Park sign we start up a steep incline with roots and rocks and mud and sketchy footing. We learn very quickly to keep our eyes on our next step, our field of vision is 600mm wide and 900mm in front of the toe of our boot. The surroundings are only to be viewed when we pause, only then can we look around. I am quite disappointed in the forest we tromp through the first day, in my opinion anyone can see forest like this 20M off any highway on Vancouver Island.

The trail at this point is in fair condition. The features (ladders, bridges, boardwalks) are generally in poor shape on this stretch. Ladders have missing rungs, the bridges have broken bits and the boardwalks are for the most part random boards that used to be attached to each other. There is much build up about the ladders but neither of us find them to be intimidating nor difficult.

Ladders on the West Coast Trail

The trail itself has been worn in such a way that it is sometimes difficult for those with short legs (Debbie). We both remain upright for the entire day, not even a slip. This is somewhat facilitated by the fact that there has been very little rain of late and even the mud is user friendly.

Although we are visually surrounded by forest we are never far from the water and not in the wilderness situation one is lead to believe the West Coast Trail is. All day long we can hear boats plying the waters that parallel the trail.

Synopsis: this part of the trail is 5km long and is supposed to take approximately 5 hrs. It is extremely difficult and Debbie is being extra cautious. She has not hiked on anything like this and her learning curve is steep. It takes us just under 7 hrs. In all the training we did, we did not do a 7 hr hike and we are fatigued. This morning was an early start so we are still one of the first groups to arrive at Thrasher Cove camp area.

“Off the beach” campsite at Thrasher Cove

We learn quickly there are two types of camp sites, ones on the beach and ones set just off the beach in the woods. For our first night we chose one in the woods, not as windy and a slight bit warmer but with a few, and I mean few, mosquitoes, and banana slugs that go straight for our food bag and dishes?? Don’t know why but see below.

West Coast Trail Slug

The beach here is sand, the air is cool and the ocean water is freezing. The sound of the waves is mesmerizing and peaceful. The view from here is mediocre as Port Renfrew is within sight. Water is plentiful and accessible. We expect a crowd, this is the first camp for those heading north and the last camp for those heading south, but there are very few tents.

Things we discover about our prep. Debbie’s gardening gloves are a super investment. She can grab rocks and dirt and trees without thinking twice and they enable her to use the hand holds to get over some of the taller steps and boulders. Just because we practiced with the equipment we took does not mean we should not be prepared to repair such. My water bottle broke and I had to carry it for ½ the day. I am able to repair it in the evening with some wire I have brought. My pole, which is an adjustable height pole, will no longer stay fixed at the height to which I set it. I manage to make it work but have to constantly adjust it. A pain since I must stop each time in order not to lose the concentration necessary to navigate the sketchy footing. In this tough terrain, Debbie must sit and munch on something about once an hour. She loses focus, goes kind of pasty looking and gets shaky if she does not.

Murray at Thrasher Cove

After today’s hike, Murray is body tired, Debbie too and her feet are throbbing. That’s our warm up. Tomorrow we head to Owen Point but between us and the point lies 2 kms of huge boulders.

We say “See you in a week!” to Murray’s cousin D and drive west out of Victoria towards Port Renfrew. The trip takes two hours with a couple of short stops to sight see. The road is winding and up and down, lined by very tall trees.  A good road for a bike ride but a bit narrow, the traffic is light. It is a trail made for motorcycles they zoom past us are ‘pulling “Gs”’ on every corner. The drive is beautiful and we are not sure why we are hiking the trail as we seem to be able to see it all from where we sit in our vehicle.

We stop at French Beach Provincial Park. It’s a well laid out campground, comfortable sites and easy access to the beach. The beach is not for swimming but for walking, gazing and poking at washed up flotsam and jetsam.

We arrive in Port Renfrew, a quaint, very small town with a rec centre, fire hall, a few hotels and 3 eateries. The Tami closes at 5 pm so it is just a breakfast, coffee and lunch place, the Port Renfrew Hotel and the Coastal Kitchen look promising for supper.

It takes us a few wrong turns to find the West Coast Trail office, but we locate it, check in and chat with the lady manning it. She is very friendly and we quiz her about a few things concerning the trail. We tell her we will return for the orientation at 3:30.

We wander over to the small boat dock where the ferry that crosses the river is moored. We talk to Karl who operates the ferry on the weekends. He is originally from Tofino. He used to do trail maintenance, then drove the bus from Bamfield to Port Renfrew and now pilots the ferry. It is his opinion the trail is not being maintained the way it should be. The conversation returns to boats he says he tell us he is only supposed to make 5 scheduled trips a day. He is not supposed to make extra trips and if hikers get to the opposite side after 4:30 pm, they have to spend the night there. Sometimes fishermen will run hikers across – but for a price. Karl says that if it is raining and he sees the signal buoy go up, he will go get the hikers even if it is not scheduled, it is a safety thing and he doesn’t want hikers to get hypothermia in the wet and cold. Karl is friendly, calm and easy to chat to and we enjoy our half hour visit with him.

We stay at Pacheedaht Campground, spitting distance from the trail office. Zach, from Edmonton, manages the campground and is super friendly. He convinces us to park our vehicle in their lot for the week we are on the trail. He gives us the same price as the more well known parking guy – $30 for the week. We camp in Site #18 which is down the road abit but right on the river. We set up camp and watch the tide come in causing the river to rise. Seagulls lift off en masse. Crows squawk. It is time to take in nature and leave the city behind. The sun is warm, but the wind is cool.

Pacheedaht Campground view

The afternoon fog brings in a coolness and we take shelter in the tent. It is warm inside hidden away until it’s time to go to the WCT orientation. There are 20 people at the orientation. We learn a couple of items that we did not know. One important one was about a couple of unmarked surge channels it looks like we will have to cross on the second day.

After the orientation, we stop at the General Store to buy a newspaper. When we come out of the store, maybe 5 minutes later, two fellows come over to tell us a GMC truck had backed into our vehicle and driven away. Fortunately they both had gotten the license plate number. We spend the next half hour getting the details, taking pictures and phoning the police. We were able to file a report over the phone but cannot pursue it until after we get off the trail. This is the second time a vehicle of Debbie’s has been in an accident on the coast.

We sup at the Coastal Kitchen. We eat Fish and Chips for $14 (Halibut) and $13 (Salmon). The fish comes in either batter or grilled for those who need a no gluten alternative. The salad and fries are delicious.

Pacheedaht campsite view

Early to bed as we need to be up at 6:00 to catch the 8:20 ferry over to the Gordon River Trailhead.   

As I mentioned in one of our other posts, the internet has changed the way we prepare for a trip. I read and read and read. I get a huge amount of information on any subject. Some useful, some not, some entertaining, some not, some factual, some not. I think the biggest thing is to cross reference the info I glean to get a real good approximation of what is fact and what is not.

I have spent the last week or so reading blogs on the West Coast Trail. Some of the blogs are written by individuals and do not purport to be anything other than their personal thoughts. Others are by hiking clubs and come across as being facts that you should know before you attempt the West Coast Trail. It is amazing how much these facts differ from one another and how different the interpretations of the true bloggers do not fall in line with the ‘facts’.

 Here are a few of the blogs I found helpful and why. (Note: this is from the pre-trip perspective)

Blisters and Bliss  is a good read. There is quite a bit of trail specific info and a few good general tips.

http://victoriahiatus.com/the-west-coast-trail.htm   This site is almost like a tourism BC site. It has good campsite reviews and some general WCT tips.

Metatropo is also a good read. This site seemed like an honest review. No glossing over and no scare mongering.

Best Hike is a very concise site with a good amount of useful info and some really good videos.

There are many blogs and websites that describe the West Coast Trail, so check them out.