Farewell, Vancouver Island: 5 Years & 10 Favourite Outdoor Adventures

Less than a week until we hit the road! I'm beginning to suspect one month may not be enough time to effectively plan and make arrangements for an around the world journey...but check-in with me in a day or two and we'll see where things are at. Fingers crossed!

Keeping focused on the most important details at hand, we've been taking time as of late to bid a fond farewell (it's not goodbye) to friends and pay a visit to some of our favourite places on Vancouver Island. Of course, some of those places are too far afield to get to before we leave on Friday, so I'll have to make do with encouraging others to visit those places in our stead.

My 10 Favourite Outdoor Adventures on Vancouver Island

1. The North Coast Trail/Cape Scott Trail

A shoo-in for the number one spot on my list is our 6-day, 72km hike on the North Coast/Cape Scott Trails. When we did the trip in 2009, the North Coast Trail - a rugged and beautiful traverse of beaches and forest at the north end of Vancouver Island - had been in existence for less than a year and was somewhat of an undiscovered gem. The lack of trail traffic we encountered heightened that soul-satisfying sense of exploration and adventure - every long distance hiker's raison d'être. What more could you ask for?

2. Summiting Mount Albert Edward, Strathcona Provincial Park

The trail to the summit of Mount Albert Edward - one of Vancouver Island's 5 highest peaks - starts at Paradise Meadows and heads across the Forbidden Plateau in Strathcona Provincial Park. We set aside 3 full days to enjoy the 30km trail at a relatively laid-back pace but we did notice others doing the trip as an overnighter or even as a day hike. The views from this trail are breathtaking - both literally and figuratively - but while it's steep in spots, this isn't a technically difficult summit. Good times for the whole family!

3. Kayaking the Broken Group Islands, Pacific Rim National Park

Last year we spent 6 glorious days kayaking the Broken Group Islands - a collection of small islands and islets in Pacific Rim National Park. The sunsets were beautiful and the paddling was mostly calm (though things did get a bit choppy on the longer crossings). We also saw lots of wildlife, including a humpback whale that breached less than twenty metres ahead of us in the open water off Reeks Island.

Rounding Out My Top 10…

4. Juan de Fuca Marine Trail
5. Caving at Horne Lake Caves
6. Kayaking in the Gulf Islands
7. Tidal Pools at Botanical Beach
8. Winter Camping on the Forbidden Plateau
9. Coastal Trail, East Sooke Park
10. Cathedral Grove

What About the West Coast Trail?

Those familiar with hiking trails on Vancouver Island may notice one glaring omission from this list. Despite hiking just about every other long and short distance trail on the Island, I've managed to overlook doing the most famous hike in the region, and probably the country - the West Coast Trail in Pacific Rim National Park. I have a history of this sort of ridiculousness (during my only visit to France, I spent 5 days in Paris and didn't go see the Eiffel Tower). I don't know why I do these sorts of things, but it does provide me with a handy excuse to return in the future. For now, let's just say had I done the West Coast Trail I expect it would have appeared somewhere amongst the top 5 entries on this list.

More to Come...

That sums up my Vancouver Island top 10…for now. Though we'll soon be leaving the west coast, I very much hope to return one day. If you have any suggestions for trips I should add to my to-do list, I'd love to hear them!

Check out more posts about our hikes on Vancouver Island.

My Favourite Places on Vancouver Island: Mount Finlayson, Goldstream Provincial Park

The summit of Mount Finlayson

Hike length: Approximately 4km
Hike duration: 2-3 hours

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If you like your outdoor experiences to include an blood pumping workout, then this trail should be right up your alley.

The hike up Mount Finlayson in Goldstream Provincial Park just outside Victoria was one of the first trails we hiked after moving to Victoria.  It's among the select must-do day hikes locals dependably recommend to newcomers - a collection of world-class gems that includes East Sooke Regional Park's Coastal trail, for it's gorgeous vistas, and Botanical Beach at Juan De Fuca Provincial Park, for marine life viewing.

The Mount Finlayson trail can be accessed a short distance from the parking lot at Goldstream's main entrance on Highway 1, just west of Victoria (map).  From the main entrance, follow the side road from the parking lot across the bridge and into the park to the trailhead.  Just past the bridge, look for a large sign and an intimidating-at-first-glance flight of stairs.  If stairs aren't your thing, or if you're looking to ease into the hike, take the alternate, slightly less steep trail to your left.  The two routes meet a short way up the mountain.

After the two trails merge, the path continues climbing through beautiful, mossy, green forest until levelling out for a short stretch near the Bear Mountain subdivision.

The trees change from soaring pines to scraggly arbutus, then disappear all together as the trail turns into a steeper scramble up the remaining distance to the rocky summit.  I believe most hikers familiar with this trail see this as being the fun part of the hike, though I have had a handful of hiking companions suggest this section can challenge the reserve of anyone with a fear of heights.

The summit is a nice spot to enjoy a meal or snack before you make your way back down the mountain.  From the top you can enjoy views of the Olympic Mountains and the Straight of Juan De Fuca.

Planning tips:

• Sections of this trail are a bit technically challenging.  Wear shoes with good support and rubber soles that will grip rocky surfaces, especially important in slippery, wet weather.
• It's also possible to approach or descend from the summit of Mount Finlayson via the north side of the mountain from an access point a little over a kilometre down Finlayson Arm Road from Goldstream's main entrance. This is a gentler route that doubles the distance of the hike.
• As an added bonus, if you head out to Goldstream over the next month or so (mid-October to early December) you should also be able to catch the park's yearly salmon run.

What's in my backpack?: Packing for a long distance hiking trip on the west coast

The beach near Laura Creek on the North Coast Trail, a photo by theotherlondon on Flickr.

Everyone packs for a backcountry camping trip differently.  Some are minimalists, some pack as much gear they can manage to carry just in case. I think I fall somewhere in the middle.

At the moment, I'm getting ready for a 4 day, 47km hiking trip on the Juan De Fuca.  The last time I did this hike was in April of 2009 and as wonderful as it was, it was also the wettest backcountry trek I've ever experienced.  This time around I'll be going with a few friends, two of whom will be doing an overnight backpacking trip for the first time, and I've been getting some info together to help them prepare.  Below is a list of items I'm planning to take along, which is a pretty much a run down of what I generally pack on backcountry camping trips (my pack usually weighs about 40lbs).

What's in my backpack on a 4-day, west coast hiking trip in autumn:

Waterproof backpack cover
Eureka 3-season tent
Pine Ridge 3-season sleeping bag
Thermarest air mattress
Petzl headlamp
Victorinox Swiss Army knife
First aid kit
Waterproof matches and a lighter
Rope
Bear spray*
Trail guidebook*
Notebook and pen
Point and shoot camera

Food and water
PUR water filter*
Collapsible bucket*
MSR backpacking stove
1L camping fuel
2 water bottles
Cascade Designs ultralight aluminum backpacking pot with lid 1.5 L + potholder
MSR stainless steel bowl
Set of Lexan utensils (knife, fork and spoon)
Can opener
Breakfasts and lunches - oatmeal, cheese, bagels, nuts, gorp, chocolate, jerky
Dinners - Pasta with pesto and pepperoni, instant mashed potatoes with flakes of ham, soup with dumplings, mac and cheese with tuna
Small mickey of scotch
Tea
Spare Ziploc bags
Cloth for cleaning up

Clothing
1 spare tights quick dry/moisture wicking
1 spare top, quick dry/moisture wicking
4 pairs socks
1 pair waterproof socks
Underwear
Gaitors
Water repellant soft shell jacket
Fleece jacket
Warm hat
2 pairs gloves
Comfy shoes to wear around the campsite (sandals)

Toiletries
Camp soap
Tooth brush and tooth paste
Brush and hair elastics
Toilet paper

*In my experience, I've found only one person in the group needs to pack these items.

Most of the questions my friends have asked have been about what food to pack, and rightly so!  I'll be posting info on what I'm bringing to eat and how I'll prepare it soon.  Of course the easiest solution where meals is concerned is to buy dehydrated meals from your local camping store.  I know there are many people who find dehydrated meals to be acceptable fare, but I'm not among them.

Other resources on how to pack for a backcountry camping trip:

• Backpacking Lightweight
• Backpacker Magazine
• The Backpacker

My Favourite Places on Vancouver Island: Ridge Trail to Jocelyn Hill, Gowlland Tod Provincial Park

Ridge Trail outlook at Gowlland Tod. Stunning views even on a foggy day.

Trailhead location: Gowlland Tod, Caleb Pike trailhead on Caleb Pike Road about a half hour drive west of Victoria

Note: It's also possible to approach Jocelyn Hill from the McKenzie Bight access point at the north end of the park. This section of the trail has longer inland stretches.

Hike length: 8km

Hike duration: 3-4 hours

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Whenever I've mentioned Gowlland Tod  to locals on Vancouver Island, I've noticed there's about a 50/50 chance the name of this hidden gem of a park will be recognized.  Considering the beautiful views to be seen from it's hiking trails it's a mystery to me why it isn't more popular.  If I had to take a stab at the cause of it's lack of renown, I would guess it might have something to do with poorly marked trails.  When I first began visiting the park, it took numerous false starts before I could confidently navigate the series of looped paths near the Caleb Pike trailhead to successfully reach Jocelyn Hill. Happily, I noticed on my most recent visit that numerous new sign posts have been added.

The Ridge Trail hike from Caleb Pike to Jocelyn Hill overlooks one of the area's most impressive fjords, Finlayson Arm.  The 8km trek (4km to the the summit of Jocelyn Hill and 4km back) includes a few strenuous sections, but numerous scenic outlooks provide plenty of  opportunities to stop for a rest along the way.  Of course, the struggle is more than worth it.  Once you reach the summit of Jocelyn Hill, with it's stunning views of Saanich Inlet and the Gulf Islands, you'll know what I mean.

My Favourite Places on Vancouver Island: East Sooke Park, Coastal Trail

View from the Coastal Trail, East Sooke Park

Location: East Sooke Road, East Sooke, BC, 1 hour drive west of Victoria (download a map on the Capitol Regional District, East Sooke Park webpage)

Hike duration: 5-8 hours

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For my two cents, of the trails to be found on Vancouver Island, the most spectacular day hike by far is the 10km Coastal Trail at East Sooke Park.

You can access the trail from numerous spots along East Sooke Road but if you want to hike the entire trail, you’ll need to park either at the east end at the Aylard Farm entrance off Becher Bay Road, or at the west end at the Pike Bay entrance at the west end of East Sooke Road. Whichever end you choose to start at you’ll need to make arrangements to drop a vehicle off at the far side (expect this to add about half an hour to your trip).

I’ve encountered various views on which side of the park is best to start at and why. Whether you start at Aylard Farm or Pike Bay, you’re in for amazing vistas complete with views of the Olympic Mountain Range across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, wildlife viewing, rest stops at quiet pocket beaches, and a long, challenging hike. Heaven on earth!

By the way, for sake of reference, my favourite multi-day hike is the North Coast/Cape Scott Trail, but that’s another story :)

Coastal Trail, East Sooke Park

Beach at the Aylard Farm entrance

The Olympic Mountain Range across the Strait of Juan de Fuca

My Favourite Places on Vancouver Island: Cathedral Grove

Cathedral Grove, Vancouver Island

Living Forest Trail, MacMillan Provincial Park

Location: Vancouver Island, Hwy 4 between Qualicum Beach and Port Alberni (map)

Parking along either side of Highway 4

Time: About two (leisurely) hours, could be shorter if you’re in a rush

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Cathedral Grove!  A pretty, lyrical name that I think suits this little gem of a spot very well. True, not everyone loves Cathedral Grove. To placate the naysayers and to keep everything on the level, I thought it might be apropos to start things off with a quick run down of what Cathedral Grove is not:

1. While hiking is listed as one of the activities to be enjoyed in MacMillan Provincial Park page on the BC Parks site, I believe it’s fair to suggest this is based on a somewhat broad interpretation of the concept of hiking. I expect most will see this as more of a ‘stretch your legs’ kind of experience and not a hiking destination.
   
2. A visit to Cathedral Grove isn’t a ‘get away from it all’ kind of experience, unless your interpretation of getting away from it all includes encountering people.  Possibly lots of people.  To be more precise, possibly lots of tourists. Depending on the time of year you visit the grove, the parking lot and trails will likely be moderately busy to crawling with people.  Furthermore, you should be aware that at most points along the trails winding their way through the grove you’ll be within eyeshot and/or earshot of Highway 4.
   
3. Cathedral Grove is not the only spot on Vancouver Island to view stands of tall Douglas Fir…though it is one of the most accessible spots. I believe taller samples of Douglas Fir can be found in the Nimpkish River Ecological Reserve

Cathedral Grove, Vancouver Island

 Per aspera ad astra

Now, let’s cut the doddling and get down to the nitty-gritty with the stellar details! These trees are massive and they’re 800 years old!!! 800 years old!!! To us colonials, 800 years is virtually ancient.  Practically before the universe began. Nay, for intensive purposes, truly before the universe began! America had yet to be discovered, after all.

Beyond being massive and ancient, the trees of Cathedral Grove are beautiful. In my books beautiful enough to warrant the two hour plus trip up Island from Victoria to spend a couple of hours checking them out.  If you’re going to make the trip I’d recommend stopping at the Old Country Market in Coombs, BC (a.k.a ‘Goats on the Roof’) to pick up some snacks and/or taking a side trip a little ways off the highway to the best pub on the Island, The Crow and Gate Pub in Cedar, BC. Order the Cheddar Ploughman. YUM!

My Favourite Places on Vancouver Island: McKenzie Bight, Mount Work Regional Park

McKenzie Bight, Mount Work Regional Park
Originally uploaded by theotherlondon

Location: Mount Work Regional Park. Trail head for the McKenzie Bight trail can be accessed near the Mount Work parking lot

Distance: About 3km

Time: 1 - 1.5 hour(s)

Parking: Parking lot/street parking Mount Work Provincial Park

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If you've only got time for a quick outing close to the city, I'd say this is an excellent choice. All the usual suspects are here, gorgeous dense green vegetation, a breathtaking seaside vista (a bit on the brief side), bubbling brooks, pretty waterfalls plunging over cliffs steps from the trail, a grind of a climb (mercifully on the brief side), etc., etc. It's also a great walk to enjoy with a group of friends as most sections of the trail are fairly wide.

The trip is actually comprised of two trails - the McKenzie Bight Trail and the Cascades Trail. And, as you may now be suspecting, old friend, the Cascades Trail is the reason I've included this spot as one of my favourite places on Vancouver Island. Not just because of 'the cascades', which are beautiful, of course! We are such sentimental creatures...




Yann Tiersen-live aux eurock rue des cascades, Eurockéennes de Belfort, 2001

My Favourite Places on Vancouver Island: Niagara Trestle, Goldstream Provincial Park

Niagara Trestle, Goldstream Provincial Park
Originally uploaded by theotherlondon

Location: Goldstream Provincial Park. Trail head for the Arbutus trail can be accessed from the Goldstream campground.

Distance: About 5km

Time: 2.5 hours with lots of time at the trestle for sight seeing and picture taking.

Parking: Day use parking adjacent to the campground and additional parking on Sooke Lake Road.

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I feel so guilty! I do! Paired with the title above, I'm sure you can guess where this is going. You in the throws of winter, and me, marveling at the returning but forever new, tender growth that accompanies the first signs of spring. I'll at least spare you a plea for forgiveness, though I'm afraid I'm helpless to refrain from reporting that the snowdrops and tulips have begun to bloom.

But enough of that.

Our copy of 'Hiking Trails I, Victoria & Vicinity' (which I would encourage anyone living on or visiting Vancouver Island to pick up), rates Goldstream's Arbutus Loop Trail as 'easy' and the Gold Mine Ridge Trail as 'moderate'. As I am additionally apt to measure the difficulty of a trail by comparing it to the hellishness of the three days we spent hiking 46km of mud-slide chaos on the Juan de Fuca in April 2009, I will include that these trails are also dependably dry. The only-slightly-muddy-even-in-the-springtime route ascends and descends through shadowy, mossy stands of Douglas fir, fantastic in the spring fog. While there's a notable lack of viewpoint vistas (uncharacteristic for a ridge top hike in this part of the country) I must say it is, in my mind, one of the most scenic hikes on the south end of Vancouver Island.

To perk up the monotonous glory of the forest glades, points of interest appear at regularly spaced intervals along the journey. Not just one, but two springs, 'Hidden Spring' and 'Miner's Spring', are located close to the trail. Though I'd expect it's unlikely you'll need to replenish your water supply at all on a 5km hike, both sites are worth a stop to appreciate the pretty, little (and I do mean little) water falls. As if that's not enough, there's also an abandoned gold mine on the trail - also little, so keep your eyes peeled or you might miss it.

The money spot on this hike is the reason this is one of my favourite spots on Vancouver Island. The trestle! I'm not going to go on too much about it because you really must see it for yourself, and I'm also going to insist that you do your best to go on a foggy day. One glimpse between the railway ties into the mist shrouded 125m drop below and you'll see what I mean. Gobsmacked I tell you!

You could help me out,
You could slow me down,
You could show me things,
That otherwise I would just pass by.
- Breathe Owl Breathe, House of Gold from Magic Central (2010)

72km on the North Coast & Cape Scott Trails, Days 5 & 6

Nels Bight to Cape Scott Lighthouse to Nels Bight
Distance: 15km
Time: Less than 5 hours
Weather: Cool and misty in the morning, sunny and warm in the afternoon
Trail: A little bit of scrambling but mostly easy walking on wide worn in trails, sandy beaches and dunes
Photos: My Northcoast Trail Flickr Set

We spent the day hiking out to the lighthouse at Cape Scott, located at the northernmost tip of Vancouver Island, and back. It was a fairly easy trail with three pleasant beach walks and a sand dune section covered with long beach grasses and patches of wild strawberry plants.



The lighthouse keeper at Cape Scott sells pop, chocolate and potato chips and we took advantage of the opportunity to pig out on junk food. Other than this one instance, I don't think I've eaten pop and chips and chocolate in one sitting since high school.

Back on the beach at Nels Bight we spent the remainder of the afternoon and evening kicking around on the beach hunting for sand dollars, playing Frisbee and soaking up the sun.



Nels Bight to Cape Scott Trail Head
Distance: 17km
Time: 6.5 hours
Weather: Sunny with cloudy and rainy periods
Trail: Long but easy with lots of boardwalks and stairways with handrails through inland forest and lagoon areas

This was the longest and easiest stretch of our journey. After leaving Nels Bight in the morning the trail consisted entirely of forest or lagoon walks. When we neared the parking lot we decided to hike out a day early rather than spend the night at San Josef Bay as we had planned. The weather was promising a rainy evening and we decided a final night of camping might prove anti-climactic.

On the drive out down the bumpy logging road back to Port Hardy we encountered two bears - the only two we spotted during the week, though we did see lots of scat on the trail - and the infamous 'Shoe Tree' where it seems hundreds of hikers have left their worn out boots and shoes in tribute to the grueling and unforgettable Cape Scott/North Coast trail.

72km on the North Coast & Cape Scott Trails, Day 4

Laura Creek to Nels Bight
Distance: 12.5km
Time: Less than 5 hours
Weather: Misty and cool
Trail: A little bit of scrambling - after Nissan Bight, easy walking on wide worn-in trails with gentle ascents and descents
Photos: My Northcoast Trail Flickr Set

The day marked our final leg of the North Coast trail which ends where the extension joins the original Cape Scott trail at Nissen Bight. The day started with an easy walk down a long stretch of sandy beach followed by a bit of inland scrambling.



After a short lunch on Nissen Bight we started out on the Cape Scott trail, a comparatively easy hike. The trail, being older and more worn in, is fairly even and wide with little in the way of roots and debris to contend with.

On our way to Nels Bight, we passed the ruins of an old Danish settlement. It's interesting to think that had things worked out differently, the area might have become the site of a town or village.




There were lots of people on the beach that night - it appeared to be a popular spot with overnighters who hike in from the parking lot on the San Josef Bay side. And why not? Standing on the beautiful white sandy beach we watched whales and seals jumping in the surf as bald eagles flew overhead. Definitely worth the trip!

72km on the North Coast & Cape Scott Trails, Day 3

Shuttleworth Bight to Laura Creek
Distance: 12km
Time: 6.5 hours
Weather: Misty but warm(ish)
Trail: Lots of cobblestone beach walks, some scrambling through forested sections
Photos: My Northcoast Trail Flickr Set

We ran into two park rangers half way through the day's hike who mentioned that this is the most tedious section of the trail. Technically, it's not that difficult, but most of the walk is comprised of cobblestone beach walking, slippery in spots and hard on the ankles.




That said, the views were still stunning. For the first time since we began the hike, the early morning mist never quite burned off, so we came across a lot of the mist-shrouded, rocky coast and crashing waves landscape scenes that are often associated with Western Canada's coastline.



Laura Creek was my least fav of the campsite beaches on the walk - very buggy with mounds of fishy smelling seaweed everywhere. It didn't help that our trip coincided with the highest tide of the year. We actually had to move our tent at 10pm to avoid getting swept away by the surf.

72km on the North Coast & Cape Scott Trails, Day 2

Skinner Beach to Shuttleworth Bight
Distance: 16km
Time: 10 hours
Weather: Sunny and warm
Trail: 3 most technically difficult sections of the trail, lots of rope work, slippery cobble beaches
Photos: My Northcoast Trail Flickr Set

Note: If you're doing this hike in the near future, fill up your water bottles at Nahwitti. The summer has been unusually dry on the North Coast this year and between Nahwitti and Shuttleworth Bight we did not come across any sources of moving fresh water.

The day's hike included multiple sections of steep ascents and descents. Thankfully the weather has been, uncharacteristically, mostly pleasant this year so the trail has been relatively, stress relatively, dry.



The pay off was a series of unforgettably beautiful beaches - in fact, the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen. Long stretches of undisturbed white sand, sea stacks and lush green pines topping giant bolder rock formations all under a vivid blue sky. Fantastic.

Through 10 hours of hiking including frequent breaks to catch our breath and take in the views we only met one other group of hikers.



Shuttleworth Bight where we set up camp for the night is a gorgeous long sandy beach. After the sunset the stars came out in full force and we rested up by the campfire, fed and re-hydrated, and talked about all the amazing sights we'd seen that day.

72km on the North Coast & Cape Scott Trails, Day 1

Shushartie Bay to Skinner Beach
Distance: 8.5km
Time: 4.5 hours
Weather: Sunny and warm
Trail: Steep, long climb followed by scrambling and boardwalks
Photos: My Northcoast Trail Flickr Set

After a miscommunication with our water taxi driver we ended up arriving at the trail head at Shushartie Bay at the late hour of 12 noon. Right off the bat we were faced with a steep, long climb with a fair bit of rope work up to the highest elevation point on the trail.



Eventually the trail leveled out to a series of boardwalks traversing marshy areas divided by short stretches of scrambling through forest. This first day is is basically a long stretch of in-land trail and I was glad when we finally reached Skinner Beach in the late afternoon.



Skinner Beach is a beautiful stretch of sand divided at one end by a cobble creek. The beach was such a welcome site, especially under a clear blue sky in the golden, late-summer sun, that we decided to set up camp rather than pressing onto Nahwitti as we had originally planned. When we hiked through Nahwitti the next day, I felt we'd made the right decision as Skinner is definitely the choicer spot to camp. That said, it meant the next day would be a ball-buster of a day - a grueling 16 km hike including the three most technically difficult sections of the trail...but why care about that when you're sitting on a warm beach, watching the sun set with a yummy meal in your belly.

Yes, I said the North Coast Trail, not the West Coast Trail

Being a recent transplant to British Columbia, most people seem to assume I've made a mistake when I mention we're planning to hike the North Coast Trail. "Don't you mean, the West Coast Trail?" is a common response. To be fair, I hadn't heard about the trail, which I've learned just opened last year, until this past spring when one of our hiking buddies mentioned it...and I thought he'd made a mistake, too.

We're lucky enough to be hiking the trail with a friend who's already completed the trip and most of our planning has been left up to him. He is a cartographer, which was a great boon in helping us to understand how the days would play out. I've posted a small snippet of the awesome map he's created (above) that outlines how far we will travel each day, which campsites we will be shooting for, where the water sources are and other handy details.

Cape Scott + North Coast Trails

Total distance: 65km + 8km for a possible side trip to the Cape Scott lighthouse
Number of days: 7
Number of nights: 6
Entry: Shushartie Bay
Exit: San Joseph Bay

After trying out the package dehydrated menu plan on our last hiking trip (four days on the Juan de Fuca) we're opting for more 'real food' this time around. We will bring a couple of those meals, nothing beats their convenience after all, but most of the meals we'll be eating will be our tried and true favourites with a couple of new recipes thrown in.

6 Breakfasts:
4 x oatmeal with dried cranberries, cinnamon and nuts
2 x instant grits with cheese

7 Lunches:
Assortment of jerky, nuts, tortillas, hard tack and fruit leathers

7 Dinners:
2 x dehydrated dinners - we picked up Mountainhouse Beef Stew and Turkey with Mashed Potatoes, which are our favs of the packaged dinners we've tried
2 x cous cous with nuts, lentils and dried fruit
2 x pasta with pesto, sun dried tomatoes and dried peperoni
1 x chicken soup with dumplings

We're also bringing an assortment of snack bars, Gatorade power to mask the taste of our iodine filtered water, and tea and coffee.

As much as this sounds good to me right now, I know my mouth will be watering for french fries by the last day...I hope Port Hardy has a good burger joint.

47 km on the Juan de Fuca

Total cost of four day hike for 2 people: About $300 including...

$200 for new gear and food
$12 parking
$40 camping fees ($5 per person, per night)

Bears: No sightings, but did see scat at a few points along the trail

Day 1 - Trailhead at China Beach (km 0) to Bear Beach (km 8.7)

Our trip began with the 2+ hour long drive from Victoria to the Juan de Fuca trail head at China Beach on a cloudy and grey, Good Friday morning. Noticing the skies growing darker the closer we drew to Jordan River, we soon gave up hope the weather would make turn for the better. When Baasje and Mike returned to the trail head after depositing one of our vehicles at the far end, it was just past noon and we decided to delay lunch and hit the trail, anxious to get going before the rain hit. Gladly, the rain held off for most of the first leg of our journey, a series of relatively easy ascents and descents through vibrant green (despite the gloomy light of overcast skies) forest.

When we arrived at Bear Beach (km 8.7) in the mid-afternoon we briefly considered pressing on towards the next campground at Chin Beach (km 20.6). Had the weather been fairer, I expect we would have kept going.  As it was, we quickly came to the conclusion that none of us were keen on the possibility of setting up camp after after nightfall in the rain.  After taking a tour of the already crowded campground to scout out our options, we squeezed onto a campsite with an Australian who was hiking solo. Thankfully he was a good sport about sharing. After we'd pitched our tents and filled our bellies with dinner and smores for dessert (thanks, Mike!) we settled down to a fantastic night of good conversation and music around the campfire.


Day 2 - Campsite at Bear Beach (km 8.7) to Chin Beach (km 20.6)

Bear Beach to Chin Beach is the most physically demanding stretch of the Juan de Fuca trail. The section is comprised of continuous steep ascents and descents - a heart pounding grind with 50 lbs on your back, especially when the weather is wet. By mid-morning the steady rainfall had turned the path to series of slippery mud puddles deep enough to reach mid-shin in spots. It took us most of the day to travel the 11 km to Chin Beach, with only a few short breaks to grab quick bites to eat. With the ladders and bridges wet and slippery, keeping our feet required quite a bit of focus. The effort and hardship was not without it's rewards - the views were beautiful and the sense of accomplishment I felt at the end of the day is what hiking is all about. When we finally reached our destination we were able to grab  a good campsite beside the creek with a great view of Chin Beach (see pic above).  We quickly set about cooking and inhaling dinner before spending a few hours resting sore muscles and checking the damage from the spills we'd all taken on the trail.


Day 3 - Campsite at Chin Beach (km 20.6) to Little Kuitshe Campground (km 34)

The second day of the trip had been one of the most physically demanding hikes I'd ever encountered, and the third day turned out to be, by far, the most mentally challenging. Steady rain continued throughout the day and turned the trail into an endless, soupy puddle that eventually waterlogged my boots (that on previous trips had miraculously seemed impenetrable to water). Mud also began to seep beneath my gaiters, soaking my pants to the knee. As the day wore on, the condition of the trail began to deteriorate to the point where we were regularly coming across sections that were completely washed out, resulting in some treacherous detours. Once we'd worked past these rough spots it was sometimes difficult to determine where the trail picked up on the other side and we ended up having to backtrack of find our way a few times. As it can sometimes go at moments like these, the sites from the trail were breathtakingly beautiful - Sombrio Beach appeared gorgeous and moody in the grey mist and at one point we climbed high into the clouds during a particularly stunning interior section of the trail.

Day 4 - Little Kuitshe Campground (km 33) to Botanical Beach (km 47)

Thankfully the section of the trail from little Kuitshe Campground to Botanical Beach is the easiest leg of journey. If you're looking to experience the Juan de Fuca on a gentler scale, I would suggest taking on this portion of the trail. The path here is well maintained and many of the trouble spots have been smoothed over with boardwalks and wooden steps (some even with railings). Despite an uncomfortable night's sleep and sore legs we were able to cover the 14 km to Botanical Beach (the longest stretch of the trip) before mid afternoon. The shoreline on this section is very pretty and there are many interpretive signs along the way to enhance the experience.