West Coast Trail - Thrasher to Gordon River

July 19 – Thrasher to Gordon River

I didn't sleep particularly well the night before, so when I woke up at 5:30 a.m., I decided there wasn't much point trying to get back to sleep. I packed up and was on the trail by 6:50.

The morning began with . . . you guessed it! More ladders, followed by a long series of switchbacks climbing away from Thrasher Cove. About a kilometre in, the trail rejoins the inland route that hikers use when the tides aren't suitable for taking the Owen Point beach route. It was interesting to see where the two options came back together after feeling like I'd taken the "adventure route" the day before.

This stretch of trail has a reputation for being especially muddy, but I actually didn't find it too bad. There were certainly muddy sections, but what really slowed the pace was the constant climbing and descending. Just when I'd finish one hill, another seemed to be waiting.

There were people near me on the trail for much of the morning, but I usually managed to keep enough distance that I couldn't hear anyone else's conversations. 

This section also includes the highest point on the entire West Coast Trail. After days of climbing ladders, scrambling over roots, and navigating mud, it actually felt good just to power up hill.

The only place that slowed me down was around the 71 km mark, where the route finding became a little confusing. Ironically, the problem wasn't a lack of flagging tape, but too much of it! There was so much tape marking both the correct route and areas to avoid that it was difficult to tell which was which. I was glad a few other hikers were nearby so we could all confirm we were heading the right way.

Another feature of this part of the trail is that it follows the old telegraph line and there are remains of old cables. There's also a 1920's era steam donkey engine used for logging operations. You really have to wonder how they got it there, seemingly in the middle of nowhere! 

In contrast, there were some ladders that were so new you could still smell the freshly cut wood. 

I reached Gordon River around 10 am, finishing the six kilometres from Thrasher in just over three hours. Considering the trail guide suggests this section often takes four to six hours, depending on conditions and pack weight, I was pretty happy with that pace.

As I got closer to the end, I began to meet up with people starting their hike from Gordon River and heading north. I could feel their excitement but didn't envy the size of some of the packs! 

The final challenge of doing the trail southbound is the last ladder down to the beach at Gordon River. It is incredibly steep! About halfway down, I leaned back slightly because I wanted a better view of where to place my feet. Even with my relatively light pack, it immediately pulled me backwards more than I expected. It was a good reminder to just trust myself and keep my weight over my feet. I can't imagine descending that ladder with a much heavier pack.

Once I reached the beach, the two groups behind me caught up while we waited for the ferry to come to shuttle us across the Gordon River.

After checking out at the West Coast Trail Office, my first priority was a hot shower at the campground. 

From there, I drove into Port Renfrew and celebrated with lunch at the Renfrew Pub. The food is SO good and the view from the back deck, looking out over the water with the mountains beyond, was the perfect place to reflect on the past five days before beginning the drive home.

The West Coast Trail certainly lived up to its reputation. It challenged me physically and mentally, rewarded me with incredible scenery, and reminded me that sometimes the best adventures are the ones that push you just outside your comfort zone.

Over two trips (last year Nitinaht north, this year Nitinaht south) I've covered the whole trail now and would do either of those trips again. Heading southbound is the more interesting and, if you can hit the tides right around Owen Point, that's definitely the highlight of the trip. I now understand all the hype about it. 

I have CrossFit to thank for keeping me in shape for a hike like this. I only did two short training hikes in the weeks leading up to the trip and wasn't sore at all until after the last day when my calves were a bit sore from so much up hill. So, maybe again next year!  :-) 

West Coast Trail -- Camper to Trasher via Owen Point

July 18 – Camper Bay to Thrasher via Owen Point

I left Camper Bay at 6:45 a.m. The trail started with more ladders, boardwalks, mud, and roots before I reached Beach Access A at 8:10.

From there, the route follows a beautiful sandstone shelf along the coastline. Between Beach Access B and Owen Point are several surge channels that need to be crossed. The West Coast Trail app does a great job describing how to navigate each one, which made things much less intimidating.

The section I had worried about most was the short scramble immediately after the surge channels. I wasn't sure I'd recognize where to go, but it turned out to be quite straightforward. There was a sandy stretch between the entry and exit points with plenty of boot prints leading the way. In the photo below, it was easy to go up the light colored ramp to the right and then there were good foot and hand holds for three to four steps up and over. Thankfully it was dry. I can imagine it being a bit more dicey when the rock is wet. 

When you can see the sea stacks, you know you're almost at Owen Point. 

Two women (who I assumed were mother and daughter) were ahead of me for most of the morning, although I eventually passed them. When I reached Owen Point, they caught up to me within a few minutes and I managed to get some really nice silhouette photos with them walking through the frame.

Not long afterward, a larger group arrived from the north, along with a couple and four guys who were also heading south.

The colors and shape of the caves are so unique and beautiful! I honestly didn't understand the hype until I saw it myself. Definitely a highlight of the trip!  

I spent about 20 minutes at Owen Point before continuing on. The couple and the group of four left just ahead of me and route finding soon became a group effort. Much more enjoyable than trial and error on your own!

Before starting the boulder section, I packed away my trekking poles and put on my gloves which were both excellent decisions. There was quite a bit of scrambling over boulders, and the gloves were perfect for gripping barnacle-covered rock.

I'd expected the stretch between Owen Point and Thrasher Cove to take at least two to three hours based on what I'd read beforehand. Instead, I made it in about an hour and a half thanks to above-noted group route finding, dry boulders and being reasonably experienced and confident at boulder hopping. 

Honestly, this route wasn't nearly as intimidating as I'd built it up to be. But again, great weather and a good long tide window makes a huge difference! 

I arrived at Thrasher Cove just before 11 a.m., among the first hikers planning to camp there that night. Another group that had started earlier was pushing all the way to Port Renfrew instead.

I checked out the forest campsites, but most weren't very level, and the only reasonably flat one was right beside the outhouse. Ugh! 

Instead, I picked a great spot high on the beach. This was especially important with a high tide forecast for the night. It was sunny, peaceful, and, best of all, nobody set up right beside me. 

The evening was beautiful; the clouds were doing crazy dances and, with Port Renfrew in sight across the water, there was lots of boat traffic going by. 

Just one more day to go! 

West Coast Trail - Walbran to Camper

July 17 – Walbran to Camper Bay

I'd set my alarm for 5:45 a.m., but it had been a cool night. I had both my buff on and the hood of my sleeping bag pulled tight, which meant I didn't hear my alarm. I finally surfaced at 6:20, which still gave me plenty of time to be packed up and on the trail by 7:30.

Today's theme? Mud. Roots. Ladders. Repeat.

At Logan Creek there is a relatively new suspension bridge (built in 2021) which makes crossing this massive gorge very quick and easy. It's a fabulous feat of architecture out in this wilderness, spanning 113m across and 40 m high. I was quite happy to be on my own while crossing as it was quite bouncy with just myself on it! 

In just 9 kilometres, I climbed (or down-climbed) 28 ladders, including the two longest ladder sections on the entire trail, on either side of Cullite Creek. Between them is a short cable car crossing.

I was a little nervous about managing the cable car on my own but with my light pack I was able to lift it one-handed, toss it onto the floor, climb in myself, tuck my trekking poles under my leg, and get settled before letting go with the other hand. Pulling myself across wasn't too bad but I was definitely happy the crossing wasn't any longer!

Despite trying to be extra careful all day, I still managed one good slip and landed squarely on my bum. Thankfully, nothing hurt except maybe my pride.

I didn't take many breaks, which probably wasn't the smartest strategy. By the end of the day, I was definitely slowing down. 

For perspective, the day before, I covered seven kilometres of relatively easy beach walking in about two hours. This day, nine kilometres took six hours. That pretty much sums up how much slower, and wet and muddy, the inland sections can be.

I actually saw fewer hikers than I expected. I met one solo hiker before Cullite, then a couple of larger groups near the creek. One group was coming down the ladders while I was heading up, and everyone patiently took turns. Good trail etiquette!

I reached Camper Bay around 1:30 p.m. and, since not many people had arrived yet, I had my pick of campsites and found a quiet spot away from the main crowd.

One thing I really enjoyed was the number of slugs I saw on this day. And also the variety of colours and sizes they were. 

So yes... today's hike was a real slugfest in more ways than one. LOL!