Day Six - Boardwalks, Bears and Blessings

We left at 8 o'clock as per usual and started the day with ladders immediately and into the forest. It was a relatively easy day,  we hiked about 13 kilometers. We hiked in the forest, walked on lots of boardwalks, a lot of stunning views, and definitely foggy this morning which made for some beautiful forest pictures. 

We've arrived at camp and it is another oceanfront spot with a beautiful view. Still quite foggy. It's been overcast all day which I have thoroughly enjoyed. I've gone for a bit of a walk on our beach. I am very restless, always. I can't seem to settle. Can't sit still. Must keep moving. Maybe it's from lacking a comfortable place to sit. My tailbone just can't rest on a hard log and my back really only stops hurting when I'm upright.

This is bear beach and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to see any because I do maybe not up close and personal, maybe not in my face with claws but I would like to see some more wildlife. I have seen many Eagles. I have seen many whales playing and rolling offshore today and I have seen herons. We have seen bear poop and wolf prints. Apparently the group today heard two baby wolves barking but I did not. I was busy at the back of the line just having fun with Jess and talking shit. I would be lying if I said I wasn't ready for this to be over because I am. I am very, very sore. My knees hurt, my back hurts and my quads hurt mostly from the beach walking today. There was a lot of sand, deep, deep sand and some walking on the shelf.

Very challenging when you're already sore and tired. I guess the best part is that it was foggy and not too hot. It's actually quite cold right now and I'm wearing a long sleeve shirt with a fleece sweater and a fleece vest and a winter hat. My knees are wrapped in compression sleeves and I'm wearing socks and sandals so you can imagine how sexy that looks. The tide is definitely coming in and its trying to reach my feet.

Tonight's dinner was the best yet. Jumbalaya with salami and it was fantastic... and what did we see during our meal?? Not one but two bears!!! A medium sized black bear checking out the beach (where I had been strolling earlier) and a massive black bear on the other side of the creek we crossed earlier to get to camp. We also saw many whales playing and a sea otter family playing on a rock just offshore.
To close out the night we were also blessed with the gift of chocolate.
I have become so efficient in the daily rituals of organizing my belongings, and packing up as a result every morning, has been a breeze.

It's cold in my little tent world but I feel safe and cozy and eager to hit the trail in the morning. It was a great day for wild life and that makes me smile a super, giant smile. My Dad is very much on my mind and I know he would be proud to see the joy this wild and natural place brings me. He would love this place... and he is with me in spirit.

Day Five - Wine and Waterfalls

Today was simply Wow. We started on a sea shelf covered in barnacles.  The same bastard barnacles that had me agonizing in bed last night. I had to put polysporin on my feet last night to stop the burning and to be able to fall asleep. It felt like I walked over shattered glass.
Regardless, today was amazing. Only a few ladders in the morning. We walked the beach for awhile then the forest again. Then the beach again. We saw fresh wolf tracks in the sand (from a big ass wolf with huge paws) and otter tracks. 

Then back into the forest for a very pleasant walk excitedly arriving at the Crab Shack. There was great anticipation for this little gem on First Nations land. The only little spot to get food and snacks and alcohol. It's a pretty big deal when you've been living in the woods for days. 

We spent a good 2 hours here drinking and waiting to be served. It was very, very busy and the wait was long but nobody was in a rush. There was no place we would rather have been but there. Boots were off, the sun was shining and we were all smiles. Everyone had either fish or crab with a loaded baked potato.  Some of the gang secretly bought beers to go. A couple of us bought wine to go... and chips and chocolate. We chatted with hippie Doug who gave us each a flower to eat upon arrival and let us watch him filet a fresh salmon. We also chatted with Carl, a First Nations resident and the owner of the very busy and successful crab shack who posed for pictures with us and even twerked for us. No idea where that came from but it made for lots of laughter.

After a nice glow and bellies were beyond full, Carl gave us a boat ride with his chocolate lab (I miss my Jakeyboy) to the other side of the bay to continue the trail.
It's tough to hike with a full belly. Chris was a little nervous leading us after we indulged a little and used his sing song voice to keep us in line. Luckily he didn't have to break out the Dad tone. We mostly behaved. The climb up was sobering.

 We climbed and climbed through the forest trail  where we saw our first pile of bear poop. Papa Bear had no shortage of berries. So do bears shit in the woods? Yes. Yes they do. Right on the trail.

More beach hiking then more forest hiking, then more beach hiking then camp... a total of 18 long kms. The last km I truly thought I was going to collapse from pure muscle exhaustion. Andrea and I, both bringing up the rear, agreed to call it a day if the camp we saw ahead wasn't ours. Luckily it was. A long but gorgeous day.

On the beach we were welcomed by a glorious waterfall (Tsusiat Falls) which I did not hesitate to swim in. Pretty much immediately upon arrival. I stood under the blasting cold water for as long as I could stand it... it took my breath away. I was still wearing my hiking clothes. A shower and laundry all in one. While drying up in the sun, I opened my desperately needed box of cab sauv while the rest of the gang drank their beers by the falls. Good thing I stayed back at camp because the wind kicked up and one of our bigger tents, that wasn't pegged down, decided to take a tumble towards unsuspecting campers. I ran after it yelling "heads up!!" then caught it and secured it back in its place. Kind of made me giggle and wonder how the hell did I just manage to run?? Must be the wine. A magical elixir. After setting up the rest of our tents and hanging our wet clothes, we were served a delicious veggie chili and I finished my wine by the fire with some tunes. We watched another beautiful sunset before heading off to bed. 

As I layed there after an incredible day all I could think was I am so done. So very, very done. How can something be so devastatingly beautiful and so painful at the same time?? Thank God for the sounds of waterfalls and ocean waves to calm my spirit. Despite my aches and pains (and there are so many) I do feel truly blessed and fortunate to be here seeing this magical, hidden world beyond the reaches of our imaginations. A very special place indeed... and one I am so happy to share with you. But why does everything have to hurt? Lol.

The wine helped make things right in my world again.

Day Four - beaches, barnacles and bruises

Today was by far the best day yet and probably the easiest. We left ahead of schedule at 0740 and right from the start was the cable cars. 

My favourite part of being by the sea, aside from the sound of the waves, is the fog. The sky has been blue all day and the sun is warming me now, as I sit and take in the day.

After the cable car we went straight into ladders. 

Then 2 hours in the bog to avoid wading through a potentially dangerous river with the water levels so high. There were some new boardwalks recently installed in this section so it was fairly pain and mud free. It was so beautiful in the morning light. The green of the moss and ferns just glowing and the giant trees letting just enough light through to create beams of Gods light. 

It kind of looked like I was dropped into a scene from Jurassic Park and I almost expected a raptor to stick his head out from behind the lush ferns and have me as a snack.

I confess without a group and guides to follow I wouldn't get very far. I would be stopping at every giant tree and every overlook and every ladder. Not just to rest but to take it all in and try to capture it with my camera in all its glory.
The group ahead keeps moving forward and so must I.  I have bruises in places that I an unable to recall exactly how they came to be but if you can imagine the amount of sticky outy things we have avoided or the bitch slap branches we have barely missed perhaps you can also imagine how many we have been stabbed with, smacked with or fallen on. I'm wearing the knee bruises like badges of honour.

We made it to the beach for another couple of hours, first powering through heavy sinking sand then finding a rock shelf to walk on.... with some trepidation. Everything on the west coast trail is slippery... the rocks, the roots, the moss, the mud and the logs. The fog was thick along the coast and made for some exciting photographic moments for me. 

Snack time was beside a beautiful waterfall. I was loving the level ground and the lighting and more than anything the scenery. Thick cedar and spruce forest, driftwood on the sand, waves rolling in and a beautiful blue sky only slightly masked by the everchanging fog. There was a decent river to cross and we all agreed to barefoot it across. The water was ice cold so within seconds the little stones didn't hurt anymore, nor did the blisters or the hotspots. At it's deepest it was maybe knee high but still better to keep the boots dry.

After more beach walking, we went into the forest again briefly to climb a few ladders up to the lighthouse.

It was there we had a hummus lunch party and enjoyed the view. We had our usual banter, some  giggles, compared battle scars and talked about our blisters and soakers. Always checking the status of each other's wounds and "are your boots dry yet"?

After lunch it was a few more ladders and another slippery forest jaunt back to the beach. Not so far to go today. I would love to tell you what time we arrived at camp but quite honestly I don't even know what day of the week it is let alone the time. However it must have been quite early in the afternoon because we set up tents quickly and had time to nap and swim and still there was time to relax while dinner was cooking.

I took a power nap in the hot sand and took some pictures.

At our camp, Chris spotted a whale just offshore. Sitting here on a random buoy I found on the sand, I stared out at the water until I too spotted him. First I saw the blowhole spray, then I saw the body roll. We tracked it all the way to sea lion rock where there are hundreds perched there barking at who knows what. After much wildlife viewing dinner was served. A lovely dinner, pasta alfredo with broccoli. Some time spent  by the fire with tea until my favourite time, watching the sunset.

 Now I lay in my cozy tent and listen to the sea lions chatter or sing or grumble or whatever it is they are doing when the belch into the night... sounds like a frat house belching contest.
I walked on barnacles today, barefoot on the sea wall, to photograph the sun going down...stupid decision...my feet are itchy and burning and tingling. How will I sleep? Another pointless observation.. it's been 4 days since I washed my hair and it's so gross, it no longer moves. 4 days of sponge bathing in ice cold creek water and I don't feel as bad as I expected I would. Brushing our teeth every morning and night as per usual keeps a level of humanity among us.
An incredibly beautiful, scenic day today and a long one ahead for tomorrow...our longest day yet at 18kms.

Day Three - ladders and mud and the mighty fire

I am sitting by a fast river rapid rushing out to sea.  The sun is setting before me and I have a massive beach to myself. I am going to watch the sun go down before I head back to camp. It's a clear night thank God and I'm hoping for stars and a moon. My belly is full and my body is exhausted. My feet are sore. No, beyond sore. Even walking on the pebble beach is excruciating... but I endure the pain for the photo of the day.

Last night was the most rain I have ever seen fall hard and for hours straight. It stopped in the early morning hours but was replaced by wind. I think I managed a few hours sleep after that. Up at 0530 again to pack up gear and force down some oatmeal. Mocha Coffee to warm the belly and we were ready to go. It was cool and damp but the 45 min vertical climb warmed us up quickly. It's tough starting out the day with straight cardio and legs but it was nothing compared to what we faced the rest of the day. We spent hours upon hours in the bog. Navigating every step with care on to roots, logs, rocks or moss...anything to avoid the dreaded soaker.

This is not just any mud, this is the mud that comes after 40mm of steady rain. The Canadian rainforest after a very heavy rain and we had some spills. We were dirty and muddy and sweaty and for most of the day the group stayed upbeat by playing games or singing or just telling funny stories... there were alot of giggles and photos too.
There were also many many ladders. Not baby ladders but ladders that went on forever. Down was not so bad but going up with tired, shaky legs was hard.

We crossed super slippery logs, some over heights that a fall would warrant rescue and some we crossed because they were there. We stopped for snack at an overlook above the ocean. We ate lunch on a creek bed of stones... cream of potato and veggie soup.

We took a cable cross over the river as the rain had brought the levels up too high to cross by foot. Then some more crazy ladders and a boardwalk through marsh... kind of resembled the everglades.

The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. Then back into the woods for more frogger. The bogs took a toll on everyone. Even our guides Chris and Jess got soakers. Many of us fell or took a wrong step into ankle deep mud. We were poked by branches, scraped from hugging trees and bruised from a number of near wipe outs.

At one point in the day Chris, Jan and Cindy were well ahead then Andrea and I, followed by the rest with much space between us. We weren't talking and it was quiet. Then we heard it. A deep growl kind of sound and I knew right away it was a bear. It was 6 feet to my left. A deep, low grunty grumble which I translated to get the f@$k out of my living room! Andrea and I both heard it and yelled back to the others to sing and be loud. So we sang a little Harry Belafonte "day oh" and kept moving. Andrea and I were both stunned by it and kept talking about it... although we didn't see him we distinctively heard him.. just couldn't believe it was so close.

As the day went on and the mud and roots were endless...alot of us lost our mojo and just wanted it to be done. We crossed a suspension bridge, more fn ladders and more bogs until we finally arrived at our site. Another river bed.

Beautiful views , a beautiful beach and a great place to spend the night.
We set up our camp, swam in the cold creek... anything to feel remotely clean. We ate black beans and rice with corn tortillas and made a big fire.

The fire became a memorable place. It was here that we all attempted to dry wet clothes and boots for the next day... and here we learned how quickly boot laces catch fire haha. We laughed alot and slept well after a very, very long and difficult day.

Day Two - boulders and bogs

On a positive note I was warm last night in my little one man tent. I was on a bit of an angle and spent much of the night slipping and sliding. We all went to bed before dark but the latecomers kept me awake for a bit. I thought the ocean rolling in would drown them out and lull me to sleep but I even wanted to tell the ocean to ssshhhhh. High tide rolled in within inches of the tents of the late arrivals and probably 25 feet from the rest of us. I felt lucky to be perched on a moss covered bit of almost flat ground, a good 6 ft above sea level.
I drifted in and out of sleep all night. My mind still busy, worrying if the dog has water, did my son check the oil?, should I pee now or later? Am I going to be able to move in the morning? Why does my finger hurt? Is that root going to rip through the bottom of my tent? I should defintely pee now. Then at 5am, what in the hell is screeching next to my tent and what the hell is chasing it? I thought maybe a predatory bird and a mouse? The longer I thought about it the more outrageous a scenario my mind created. I stayed up at that point and slowly started packing up. We had a dry night and morning and after breakfast decided that we would take the beach today. This was no ordinary beach.

 We left Thrashers Cove heading north along the sea side. The sand quickly became stones which quickly grew in size. Every step a maneuver. This is where we learn to wedge. A wedged foot in theory would mean a broken ankle but here on the slippery rocks it ensures you don't fall on your ass. There was moss and algae and seaweed on the rocks only temporarily exposed due to low tide. The barnacles were our friends beneath our feet but enemies to our hands... I wore my rubber grip gloves and kept one pole operational to help with foot placement and the bigger leaps. Well the stones turned into rocks and the rocks turned into boulders. Most were slippery some were huge and some had logs across them adding to nature's obstacle course.

It took 2 hours of tackling this treacherous route to get to Owen's Point. Here we would find sea caves with pine trees growing on top. Seals and sea lions parked on a rocky point just offshore and flying over head one of the many bald eagles we are seeing daily. This is a special place. 

Unfortunately we can't stay here as the tide eventually would come in and trap us. So we carry on for another hour at least along a massive rock shelf with tide pools to dodge and surge channels to bypass. The big ones took us all the way to the tree line and the little ones we managed to jump across. Once we were forced inland by a massive surge channel and the path was across a slippery rock quite high above sea level that led briefly into the trees. There was an old time sea rope to hold on to as the drop on one side was significant and in the trees, only roots and mud to climb into and through to get to the other side. It was extremely challenging and quite honestly it put some serious fear in me.

After making it across an extensive stretch of flat tide pools we had lunch perched high beside the treeline over looking the sea. It was stunning. The homemade hummus was delicious and the rest time included removing the socks and shoes to air them out... much needed.
Eager to get to camp before the inevitable rain we packed up our gear and started the forest part of the day. The first steps into the trees were big ones and my little legs were already mad. After an exhilarating climb up we hit the trail. It was actually very pleasant and as like yesterday, very green.

It was 80% boardwalks although half of them were so badly damaged we ended up getting very, very dirty. So I banged up my knees today, both are bruised... my left knee has a little chunk of flesh gone and the blood was seeping through my pants.  For a couple of hours we slogged through mud and across shoddy boards. The spruce and cedar trees were enormous, guessing some at 300 to 400 years old and the forest lush and green, we crossed over sections by walking across logs and filled our water bottles in the creek...Finally as we approached camp we had to descend down at least 4 massive ladders.
As we approached our camp to be we were stopped by a giant rock bed and river. Our final crossing to Campers Creek. 

Our camp was quickly set up with tarps and our tents all pitched and beds made before we even took off our boots. Once organized, we all washed up and explored our massive beach. This time our tents were quite far from shore and separated from the main beach by a very wide but shallow creek. I decided to explore and take photos when, as I expected, it started to rain.

We all scurried back to the dryness under our tarps and just hung out while Chris fought with our stove. The thought of not eating after that kind of a day also put a little fear in me. Once again my hero in the kitchen, Chris fixed the stove. Eventually he served us up some curried sweet potatoe and chickpeas with rice. And a tea for dessert. We sat under the tarp for hours while the rain came down. We giggled as we tried to wash our dirty dishes with the collecting water on our temporary roof top. 

Relentless the rain was... we were feeling sore and stiff and unable to stand or stretch. Imagine 10 sore people sitting on logs cozy under the tarp watching the less fortunate souls who were late getting to camp stumble in cold and wet. That will be us tomorrow. We all had to pee and nobody wanted to get wet and drip all over their dry beds so we dragged out the bedtime process. Still it continued to rain.
As I write this, I am laying in my skinny tent. The raining pouring down hard without letting up at all. I'm not cold but it's damp. My arms are sore. My back is sore and my legs are sore. I can't stand or stretch and every now and then a drop of water penetrates the fabric of the tent above my head. It is forecasted to rain all night and into the morning. Tomorrow is the hardest day and we are going to have to pack up in the rain, hike in the rain and slosh through deep mud.
Was this a crazy idea? Fucking right it was. This isn't spirit cleansing, it's soul drowning. The only thing my soul wants to drown in is wine.
Maybe if I close my eyes I can pretend I don't need to pee quite so badly.
Sleep might just be the answer... and my only option.

Day One to Thrashers Cove

For those of you who said I was crazy to do this, you were right. This is by far the most difficult thing I have ever done. Day one, thankfully one of the hardest days was a million times harder than I ever imagined it would be. We started the day with eggs, bacon, orange juice, home style potatoes and a very, very delicious cup of coffee. Our bags were packed and ready to go and we were at the docks by 8:30. We weighed ours packs at the dock and mine weighed a glorious 39 pounds. I am the smallest person in my group and have already been named little legs... I guess that's better than big ass. Haha
There are 10 of us, 9 are women. Also at the docks waiting were 2 young couples and a group of four Chinese from Edmonton. We will probably see them often as they are the only people we have seen heading north like us.

The 8 of them got the first shuttle across the channel to the trailhead followed by the 10 of us on the 2nd one. We still started at 0845 ahead of schedule. As we waited it started to rain but too warm for rain gear....I just let it rain down on me. It was a 10 minute boat ride if that. We walked off the boat ramp onto a tiny, little beach and there, 20 feet in front of me was my first test of strength. A ladder. This one very high and completely vertical.

First one up was Chris, our guide, then Cindy, Jan then my turn. Adrenaline kicked in... I didn't look down and I didn't look up... just at the next rung, 3 points of contact. It was difficult and we were all feeling anxious. Clumsy me, dropped my poles. Luckily one person at a time and never stand at the bottom.

Once we all managed to climb to the top, we began the very, very long trek through the woods. The trail was very muddy, with roots everywhere and fallen logs to climb over and under. Many technical spots which involved climbing roots or rocks around massive trees. Some bridges that had been destroyed by the elements in the winter re routed us through some difficult terrain. Bugs aren't too bad at all...only one rest stop near a creek had some feisty little buggers but that's it. We filled our waters at a creek and treated it, the 20 minute wait to drink it felt like forever.

I was the first to fall and hold the record at 3 times. Once slid down on my ass and twice from loss of balance. No injuries however once I was maneuvering around a tree with only a collection of giant roots to secure me and my one leg slipped straight down to my thigh between two roots. I had to pull myself straight back up to avoid breaking my leg. With an extra 40lbs on my back this was no easy task. The thought of a broken femur and the worst possible location for rescue had me seriously questioning my decision to do this. The biggest challenge aside from the amount of steep climbing (yes my quads are screaming) was how slippery everything is. The descent to Thrasher's Cove was intense. 4 more ladders to descend. I believe I have reached muscle exhaustion. My legs are so tired they feel unstable. My hope is that I can recover by morning so I am able to repeat.

Arriving here at this beautiful beach was initially a scramble to find a spot to put up a tent. Most of the beach is covered in driftwood, massive logs and whats not covered is in the high tide line and nobody wants to wake up with the ocean hitting their tent. Our kitchen was set up quickly and a lunch spread of salami, cheese and crackers was laid out. After pitching my tent and getting organized,  I finally explored my beach. It was early afternoon when we got here. We hiked 7.8kms in 5 hours which is actually good time in these conditions. I've been soaking my aching feet in ice cold ocean water and have cleaned up, changed into camp clothes and compression sleeves are on the knees. We have had tea and now just wait for dinnertime...I plan to eat well and sleep like I never have before. Tomorrows agenda has yet to be decided... back up into the treacherous woods or walk along the slippery boulder beach. (My vote is for the beach)
Dinner was pasta with sundried tomatoes and tomato sauce with parmesan and it was delish.

The last bit of sunlight has left the beach area and we are comfortable by the fire. It turns out a man has hurt his shoulder having fallen today multiple times. A man from his group came to us hoping for a radio and although we were intending to use our means to get help, Parks Canada have arrived. Randomly they came by our beach asking if everybody is ok and this injured man is now being taken out by rescue by boat.

A bit of a reality check for the rest of us on day one. The fog is rolling in and the damp cold that I feared has arrived.