Aug. 19th - 20th, Back in Vancouver

We spent the next 2 days in Vancouver. On our first day we walked mostly in the same areas as 2 weeks earlier (False Creek, Granville Island, Gastown, Downtown), only this time with Uta, Hansi and the kids. In the morning we had breakfast in a "DeDutch Pannekoek" restaurant which was also a very good place (comparable with Cora's). In the evening we had good dinner in a Korean restaurant (Sura) in Richmond. Richmond is definitely a place for further exploration. There is a gigantic china town that deserves to be perused much more in-depth on a future trip with Gongyu. The next day we spent mostly in Stanley Park and the aquarium there. Anna and Tobi are big into watching animals. In the evening we had a lengthier walk in the Main Street / Broadway area and dinner (Mongolie Grill). The weather was good on both days. Vancouver felt much more brownish/dryish this time around. For sure the draught was this time much more noticeable.

On Aug. 21st Margaret, Anna, Tobi and I headed for the Rocky Mountains with the car. It was a cloudy and partially rainy day. We arrived in Golden sometime around 7 or 8pm. Interestingly Golden operates on Mountain time, which I did not know. We just made it barely to the municipal camping ground in time. The place was full but they still managed a small lot for us on shared site for tents. The camp ground is located right beside the CP rail tracks at Kicking Horse river. I slept well regardless but during the morning and evenings the passing trains were pretty loud ...

Yet another view of the Granville Island concrete factory.

The ferry area at Granville Island

Harbour area at Granville Island

View  to downtown Vancouver across False Creek

Hansi and Uta with Downtown Vancouver in the background

Vancouver apartment buildings across False Creek

False Creek from Granville Bridge (I believe)

Uta and Tobi playing on a piano in downtown

Dinner at Sura restaurant

Dinner details

Vancouver aquarium: The whale show

Vancouver aquarium: A seal floating lazily in the water

Vancouver acquarium: One of their whales

Saying bye to my sisters ...

Aug. 18th, Butchart Gardens and back to Vancouver

In the morning we had breakfast again at Tomi's Home Style Cooking.

Very good breakfast at Tomi's Home Cooking. The place felt good.

Afterwards we drove to Victoria and split there. Hansi, Barbara and the kids went to see Victoria. Uta, Margaret and I went to see the Butchart Gardens.

My first impression on the Butchart Gardens was: So many people. It became better letter in the afternoon. I guess we just arrived together with several bus loads of tourists. Also it was a very hot day.

My next impressions: The "Sunken Garden" and the "Italian Gardens and the Butchart Residence" are jewels. But I am less convinced about their remaining gardens. Maybe this was because we had already seen superb gardens in Vancouver on our trip.

Butchart Gardens: Sunken Garden from above. It is an explosion of colours.

Butchart Garden: Sunken Garden

Butchart Garden: Section of "Sunken Garden"

Sunken Garden detail

Butchart Garden: Sunken Garden

"Sunken Garden" detail

Butchart Garden: Entrance into the Japanese Garden

Butchart Garden: Section of the Japanese Garden

Butchart Garden: Section of the "Italian Garden"

Butchart Garden: Butchart Residence

Butchart Garden: Margaret and Uta with Butchart Residence and Italian Gardens in the background.

In the afternoon we took the BC Ferry from Swartzbay to Tsawassen and checked into our Hotel in Vancouver. Somehow nobody took pictures from the ferry with one of our better cameras. So no pictures. I do recall a cool ferry ride. We had a good view of Mt. Baker (near Seattle) and the mountains to the north-west of Vancouver (I guess this would be the Whistler area). Also the ferry navigated between some very picturesque islands on the way to Vancouver.

Aug. 17th, Botany Bay

Day 1 after the WCT. Hansi saw other eagle sitting on a tree at the campground which I missed. At 9:00am he took the WCT shuttle to Bamfield. It turned out that the Lake Cowichan route we took last time was closed because of forest fires. It wasn't entirely clear how he would make his way back to Port Renfrew with the car and when he would actually arrive.

We others had a very decent breakfast at Tomi's Home Style Cooking (we went there again the next morning). Afterwards we visited Botany Bay which is a starting point of the Juan-de-Fuca trail. Botany Bay felt similar to sections of Owen Point and Dare Beach. Plenty of flat tidal rocks with things to explore. It probably has nicer or equally good large tidal pools with lots of things in the water to look at. The main difference I perceived is that it is reachable by car and a simple 1km hike from a parking lot so there are more people exploring it. It is a beautiful place to visit, no question.

Botany Bay: Rocks and tidal pools

Botany Bay: More rocks and tidal pools

Botany Bay: Cliff section

Kelp fields at Botany Bay. No whales but some seals

Botany Bay: Mussels

A nice tidal pool

Margaret in relax mode

Botany Bay: View north. At the very far side is Owen Point

Uta exploring some Botany Bay rocks

We had decent pizzas in the evening at Coastal Kitchen

Hansi managed to be back around 7pm and found us in the Coastal Kitchen in Port Renfrew. There are only a handful places to eat in Port Renfrew and it is easy to agree on a meeting point ahead of time. He actually drove back from Bamfield via Port Alberni over the very gravel road I chickened out at because of the forest fires near Lake Cowichan. I have to say I am happy that I wasn't on the passenger seat when he passed the 4 long logging trucks on that very gravel road and only listened to the story in the evening ...

WCT: Some Thoughts

• When I booked the WCT in March for all of us I had no clue what the weather would be. But I had to book. The time in August appears to be very popular and when I looked 4 hours later all spots for this time of the trail were booked.
• This blog might give the impression that the trail is readily doable with younger kids and more heavyweight folks like me. I do want to point out that we had exceptionally good weather conditions this year and yes the folks in the 6 to 8w before us had it as well: The weather forecast for the Pacific Rim National Park was a for a while part of my browser tool bar and I recall envying the folks who had these superb conditions in June/July and hoping that the weather would last. It did last and it made a huge huge difference. British Columbia experienced an exceptionally sunny and rain free summer in 2015 (an el ninjo summer I believe). We just had one so so day (yes, I said I experienced a bit misery but in comparison to what could have been this was nothing and we all understood that). A spell of 3 to 5 rainy days would have been a different proposition to cope with. Likely we would have managed it. Maybe we would have given up and returned before Nitinat Narrows to Bamfield. Who knows. All of us have done week long hikes before in our past.
• Some of what is going on hiking the trail is mental. At some points the tree roots definitely felt like getting in the way of making progress to me. My sisters appeared to cope much much better during that day! There is a certain strain of having to watch every step. It is not about stamina alone.There is no updated weather forecast available once you are on the trail. This uncertainty increases until about two thirds into the trail and causes planning uncertainty. During the final third of the trail this lack of information improves because we heard more recent weather forecasts from people hiking the opposite way.
• I think it was a good thing to follow the recommended path from north to south. The north feels a bit easier and is generally a bit flatter. It allows you to get a bit more gradually used to everything. Also the backpack gets a bit lighter and generally the fitness level goes up. I could also imagine cases for the opposite opinion: If someone is already very fit (lets say just coming from the Rocky Mountains) it could be an advantage to get to Thrasher Cove and Camping Creek within the first two nights. You are still well nourished and feeling strong. You know that likely the worst is behind you and you can take your time and enjoy the remainder, even considering an additional break day around Carmanah. We always wondered a bit if the southern portion of the trip was really this more difficult and together with the weather uncertainty it kept us moving forward. At the end of the day the northern section has its challenges as well. It is not all easy-peasy there.
• I could have packed lighter. Did we really need a tarp (my tarp was a normal tarp not a super lightweight thing)? I probably should have taken the teapot out of the Trangia cooking set. We never used the teapot on the trail. I could have done with one or 2 sets of T-shirts and underwear less. There are plenty opportunities to wash the sweat out of a T-shirt with plain water (no detergent needed) and reuse it. My rain poncho was single unit for me and the backpack. What I really needed was a light poncho for my backpack alone since I had a rain coat with me anyway. I could have taken the coins out of my wallet and left them in the car. Also my backpack was a standard travel type backpack which had a low gravity point and the weight wasn't supported by my hips as well as it could be. Furthermore it had a small second outer backpack clipped into the bigger one (think about having a small handy backpack to walk around in towns) that bumbled around at times when navigating the tree roots. Hansi's backpack looked ergonomically much better.
• Shoes are an interesting topic: I had my usual heavy boots I use in the mountains for the last 20 years. I think they served me well. However I saw one person hiking the trail with what looked like a fancy sandal. I have no idea how she avoided clobbering her toes but for sure in that forested section she moved swiftly. Some people used super lightweight hiking shoes and seemed to be happy with them. I have no idea how these shoes perform in muddy and moist conditions and how they avoid the tiny stones without gators. A lot of athletic types seemed to prefer them.
• Buying the gravity filter from MSR in Vancouver was a very good investment. Initially I thought I was going to buy another of the usual hand pumping devices from Katadyn (I have a smaller one from ages ago). However the guy at MEC convinced me that the MSR gravity water filter was the way to go considering the size of our group. I shelled out the bucks. No more hand pumping. And we had plenty of water at all times during the trail. The flow rate of the filter was good. The waiting times to get 4 to 16l of water filtered were no problems. Sometimes we simply filled the water bag and brought it back to the camp site and hanged it up there on a branch and filtered the water as needed. It is probably overkill for a single person or a pair. But for a group of 7 it was ideal. I am not a fan of using chemicals for water treatment. But I do realize that they are a popular alternative.
• I should have read some of the guide books. Somehow I did not come across them. I had a pi times thumb estimate that we would need about 7 to 8 days for the trip and planned for 1 rest day or 2 additional emergency or rainy days for a maximum of 10 days. Actually most people seem to complete the trip in 6 or 7 days. 5 days feels pushy to me. 8 days definitely allows for a break day somewhere in hindsight. The time spent on the trail possibly depends less on the weather. At some point you have to hike regardless of the weather and stand up earlier and hike longer if the way is really muddy and slowing a group down.
• Most groups probably fall into patterns of campground use. There isn't much opportunity to avoid Tsusiat Falls on the way south. Unless someone books the "luxury" tent operated by the First Nation folks halfway into the 17km section or decides to stay at Klanawa (which is nice as well). It is probably possible to get from the north to Klanawa or Tsusiat in one day if a group starts early at Pachena Bay and its fitness levels are good. Conversely I can imagine to hike out to the north access point from Tsusiat in one day to Pachena Bay. A warm shower is waiting there and showing up late is not an issue. Walbran Creek also feels like a natural stopping point before heading in the forest section because of its beauty. It is possible to continue hiking beyond Cribbs Creek and stay at Carmanah when coming north via the 17km. But why rush the beautiful area between Cribbs and Walbran Creeks.
• Logistics: The normal access via car to Bamfield appears to be via Cowan Lake. The logging road junctions do not necessarily have signs. It is possible to get lost. We took a picture of a map in the Parks Canada house at Gordon River before driving the logging roads. I would seriously consider using the 'Lady Rose' ship from Port Alberni the next time (especially since Port Alberni is well serviced by public transportation from Nanaimo or Victoria). Using the WCT bus shuttle from Gordon River access to Pachena Bay access is also a good choice. Yes you have to fork over money for the shuttle. And yes the parking lot for a car has to be paid there as well. But at the trip end you are were your cars are and one can go back to civilization. There is no cell phone service in Bamfield or in the Port Renfrew areas. There are land line phone spots and some spots in Bamfield offered interestingly decent free Wifi.
• At this time of the year (August) there seem to be plenty of people on the trail. This is reassuring and provides safety while at times campgrounds feel crowded especially if they don't offer a lot of space like Thrasher Cove or Camper Creek. I image there are a lot less people after labour day on the trail which adds to its mystique in one way but adds maybe some more risk in case of an emergency. Also I imagine the weather is much cooler in September. Similar considerations probably apply for May and June.
• No or virtually no mosquitos.
• Seeing so much wildlife was an unexpected treat.
• I could have improved my physical preparation in Ottawa: I was perfectly fine in terms of stamina on the trail thanks to regular walks and bicycle rides mostly along the Ottawa River. I should have sprinkled in some longer stairs like going multiple times up and down from the River to Parliament Hill. Even better I could have picked a forest trail around Ottawa that had a suitable longer fallen tree trunk nearby to add walking/balancing forward backward with a backpack on that trunk once or twice a week.

Right now, nothing else comes to mind. It was simply a superb hike for us.

Martin

Aug. 16th, WCT Day 7: Thrasher Cove to Gorden River

Day 7: Thrasher Cove to Gorden River, 6km

Our last day on the trail. It was foggy. But it felt like normal fog, not this super saturated with water stuff we encountered at Cribbs Creek, Walbran Creek and Camper Creek. After a while the sun burned through the fog and we had a relaxed breakfast. By the time we left for Gordon River most of the groups had left.

Foggy morning at Thrasher Cove

A view of Thrasher Cove campground in the morning mist. Most tents are tightly perched together in the tree trunk area. The campground was full and felt very crowded. Similar to Camper Creek but it does have a nice sand beach.

Group picture after breakfast. The sun is out already

Morning impressions from Thrasher Cove

More morning impressions

On our way up. Yes the path was very steep and 300m elevation up and down but who cares: It was our last day and the distance a lousy 6km

Mini break time further up

One of several bridge and ladder systems we crossed further up. The bridge was a brand new one for a change

More bridge impressions

And yes, the way had its challenges

And more roots.

And roots again. Who actually cares :-)

Sun light impressions when navigating a ladder system

More sun light impressions

And another mini break on the way

The end is close! Hurray!

Toby already made it!

The welcome sign from Parks Canada on the southern trail access

Sending the signal to the far the side of the river that our group is complete and ready for pick-up with the boat.

And another group picture

And yet another group picture. Bertram, you would have fitted nicely into this picture :-) We did think about you when taking this picture and waiting for the ferry.

So many group pictures. So much joy and happiness. Everything went really well.

Dirty Gessler family shoes and gators

Happy that I (and we) made it.

Entering the ferry boat together with the Edmonton folks who arrived with us about the same time.

Ferry boat. We stayed the next 2 nights on the campground in the background of the picture.

Getting ferried across

Final group picture at the Gorden River registration center operated by Parks Canada.

We made it. Yes, there is a bit of hardship on this last section of the trail. But at least to us it didn't feel strenuous at all. For us it was mostly about gaining the 300m or so elevation from Thrasher Cove beach up. And once the elevation is gained it is the usual forest type trail situation with bridges and ladders up and down and some mud and tree root sections. But it all felt business as usual to me and nothing like some of the stories I read in various blogs. Maybe 4 reasons for that: We had today again superb dry and warm weather conditions. And such conditions prevailed probably for much of the prior months. So this section of the trail wasn't as muddy and slippery as it normally is. I imagine that the steepness combined with mud feels more challenging at wetter and colder times. The 2nd reason this felt business as usual was that we were already 6 days on the trail. You get used to tree roots and mud. Your general fitness level improves during that time. Having todo this section on a first day combined with the Thrasher Cove to Owen Point boulders on the 2nd day probably feels a lot harder physically and especially mentally. My 3rd reason why it felt business as usual is that it was the last day. You knew that 6km weren't much and with every step you were getting closer to the end. We were "through" this trail yesterday at Thrasher Cove. Nothing fazed us any more from a trail perspective. The 4th reason I can offer is that Margaret took for this last day the Trangia cook set from me. Together with the small backpack taken by Barbara this was another kilogram less for me. And yes, it is not a lot but it does feel lighter compared to other days ...

The trail access house had another scale like the one in Bamfield. At the end of the tour our respective weights were:

Hansi: About 20kg if I recall correct compared to 24.5 at the start
Martin: 18kg. 4.5kg less compared to Bamfield. My water bottles were empty, I had lost one of my Nalgene bottes between Thrasher Cove and Gorden River, Barbara took the small backpack at day 5 and Margaret took the Trangia on the last day.
Barbara: 18kg compared to 17kg at Bamfield. She took my small backpack at day 5.
Margaret: 14kg versus 15kg at Bamfield. This included the Trangia cooking set at the last day.
Uta: 13kg very 15kg (not 100% sure at all. Uta let me know if I am way off here).
Tobi: 12kg?
Anna: 10kg?

We booked a camp site on the neighbouring campground for 2 nights. The campground had warm showers which had to be paid extra. Taking a shower was a treat all by itself. In the evening we had dinner at the Port Renfrew Hotel: Most of us had a Halibut with fries and coleslaw which was very good. For sure you get fresh fish in Port Renfrew. We also booked for Hansi a seat in the bus shuttle from the Gordon River access point to the Pachena Bay access point. Its departure was scheduled for 9am the next morning (about 80$ or so). We still had to get the other car back from Bamfield to Port Renfrew.