Aug. 15th, WCT Day 6: Camper Creek to Thrasher Cove

Day 6: Camper Creek to Thrasher Cove around Owen Point, 8km

Another highlight day. There is no other way to say it. I am hesitating to voice yet another superlative about the WCT given all the prior superb days. But we all felt pumped when we marched late close to night fall into Thrasher Cove campground. While the weather was still quite moist in the morning it improved steadily. And yes, we found a superb break spot right before Owen Point as anticipated. We stayed there for about 6 hours. The weather improved further and we even had a decent fire going on a dry flat rock well above the tidal line. We were watching whales swimming in the kelp fields close by and watched a colony of seals also close by. Our wet stuff from the morning and day before completely dried up including my fleece jacket and our spirits soared. We found the best break spot imaginable.

Someone happily stretching in the morning

Getting ready for the hike. Most of the groups had left at that time

Our final cable car at the WCT

A typical loo at the WCT. The loos were truly superb and did not smell despite the human waste going straight into the fenced open space behind the ladder. The unit is self-composting through the ingenious idea of utilizing wooden chips. The design allows to build a unit even on hard rock.

Back into the forest over the board-walks

Beach access "A": We decided only here to really go for Owen Point. The weather had improved and was dry'ish but it was still cloudy and it wasn't entirely clear if it would further improve or deteriorate. From here we also did not have a view of Owen Point and our chances of finding a break spot were still up in air. But we decided to head for the far point in the picture and then have another look around the corner. Worst case we could always go back. The Langley group had a break at this beach access and told us that they planned to go the forest route. However they joined us much later at Owen Point: I guess seeing us going this way and not returning back convinced them that the beach route was doable for them as well. Derek was a determined guy ...

On our way to the next point in the picture over the usual flat tidal rocks with their water pools. I am already far ahead, happy to be away from the tree roots

Going around the corner and still not able to see how things looked like

A particular detour 15 meter into the forest to avoid a nasty surge channel. By that time I was 100% sure we would find a suitable break spot. The terrain was pretty much how I expected it the day before. However not everyone was as optimistic. I guess Margaret had read and watched too many suspense and crime novels/series during the summer since she suspected for a while that I would goat all of us into a high tide trap and doom ... No way!

The rock formation behind us is Owen Point! It was cloudy and it still wasn't entirely clear how the weather would unfold. At times there were a few drops.

View back over the flattish rock. The rock was interspersed with several surge channels that had to be navigated. One particular channel could not be detoured: We had the choice between jumping over an about 1m wide and maybe 1.5 to 2m deep fissure filled with deep water (backpacks had to separately thrown over) or balancing over a tree trunk about 4 to 5 meters wide and 3m depth with even more water underneath 50m further toward the beach. We went for the jump. Our side was about 10cm higher compared to the other side! Some of the blogs I read about this spot are pure horror when people have to attempt this in wet and slippery conditions ... Anyway, all of us made it across. When we navigated this stretch I did not know how bad the surge channels would be and if we had to wait for better tidal conditions to navigate them. But I was sure we could have found break spots to sit out a high tide pretty much everywhere along this stretch by simply going upwards towards the forest. Obviously there were better spots and worse ones but I always knew we were safe and had at any given time plenty of break spot options within 200m around us. And Hansi shared my opinion.

Starting a fire at our Owen Point break spot. It was still windy and coolish, but dry.

Seeing whales this close in the kelp field at Owen Point was a real treat. We hadn't seen whales since Tsusiat Falls and Darling. But here they were closer than ever.

Whale fluke

Please note the fisher boat in the back. Some boats went around Owen Point at full throttle making me wonder about the possibilities of boats and whales clashing into each other. While this boat here still goes around at a distance others were much closer.

Another whale fluke

Anna taking a nap in her sleeping back. She was still suffering a bit from her Tsusiat pond cold.

Our fire going strong. Everyone is smiling knowing we found a super spot and we had already seen whales as well.

As the weather improved we all relaxed

Sunshine! Even my fleece was dry again! The rock served as a convenient mattress.

Life was as good as it gets on the trail

Margaret started to explore the surge channel nearby: All notions high tide doom gone!

Afternoon impressions of the area we came from. Plenty of tidal pools.

The surge channel close by. This puppy empties in the section close to the forest at low tide. But worst case it can still be crossed over the rock or through bushwhacking (I think). The Langley group simply had their break spot to the left of the channel and crossed over in the evening when the tide was lower.

The seal island right around the Owen Point corner.

Seals swimming in a kelp field

Closer look at the island with the seals

Waiting to navigate Owen Point. We started to actively wait for the tide to go down from about 5pm onwards.

Still waiting for the tide to recede: The majority of us are waiting further down this narrow beach. In the far background at the end of the bay is Port Renfrew and the trail end.

A closer look of the coastal stretch still to be navigated this evening. Thrasher Cove campground is located in the far back left of the little rock island with the tree on top of it. Our way tomorrow was leading up from the beach all the way to the top of the forested hill in the back (about 300m of elevation) and across it.

Still waiting to navigate this section. The first to go were a triathlon couple. They took their shoes off and went through the water while it was about 0.5m to 1m deep (they were already through by the time this picture was taken If I recall correct). At the very left of the cave not really visible is another cave which leads to a bit higher ground. They navigated through this cave. After the triathlon couple Derek from the Langley/NZL group was the next to try his luck about 45 minutes later. Here he is still waiting at the left. The way to go was letting yourself down into the water onto a ledge from the very spot were Derek is sitting and then walk through the water section (50cm deep at that time) into the cave. Ultimately you came out of this cave and surge channel system in the area where the sun still shines on the opposite side. Derek managed to slip and fall into a puddle/small pond.

We made it into the cave system. Things are very slippery here. Kudo's to Uta. She took her shoes off and most of us were happy that she provided the donkey services for the backpacks.

Various very slippery ways existed to navigate the remaining puddles and pools in the cave system. Initially I thought I was going through the higher up cave like Margaret and Anna. But that was a no-go because it was to slippery for me and also the cave narrowed and I felt to large to make it out on the other side. Instead I opted to go underneath this tree root with the shoes still on. Ultimately this worked after some more scares of slipping at the tilted section after the root into the back of the cave. I should have simply taken my shoes off like Uta did. Much safer and less fuzz. The best option would have been to simply wait another 30 minutes for the water to further recede.

After a while the water receded further. We managed to get all of our luggage across and the fun of cave exploration took over!

This cave and surge channel system is really interesting

Waiting for Uta to get the remaining backpacks cross

The cave which was a bit higher up. However once you got out of the hole in the back you had to navigate some very tilted and slippery sections or over a wet tree trunk. Not for me. I retraced.

The colours in the evening sun were magical

Anna navigating her way via a tree trunk out of the higher up cave. To scary for me! And the tilted rock at the lower left wasn't for me either!

Barbara and Tobi having surplus energy doing some last minute exploration. Please note the ropes hanging down. This is one of the "official" ways to navigate yet via another way through the Owen Point system. Not for me! To slippery!

More cave impressions: The evening sun shone in from the open side in the back of the picture.

A section which Barbara, Margaret and Tobi explored

More colours

Our way out of the cave system. We are already at the beach ready to go.

A smiling Margaret

Toby and Barbara still exploring their section

Anna doing her own exploration

Little me waiting for everyone at the other side. Now the tide is completely down and the cave can be navigated without problems.

A final group picture. We made it. It was about 6:45pm by that time. We spent about 40 minutes all in all in the Owen Point cave system including exploration time. Magic happened!

A final look at the Island with the seals.

The first flat rock at low tide in front of that: That was easy

Another view of the first flat rock section. The weather was cloudy but still good.

Things getting a bit more challenging: Note the tree trunks and the larger stones

A final look back at Owen Point.

On our way into the rockier sections. From Owen Point to Thrasher Cove the beach is relatively narrow and full of large and very sharp stones/boulders and jumbled tree trunks

Navigating our way forward

More sharp edged boulders ahead of us

A sandy break spot, then onwards in the boulder and tree trunk area again

More sharp edged boulders. The path is leading over the tree trunk in the foreground and the smaller tree trunk preceding it.

Uta balancing over a tree trunk. For a change she used a pole in this section. Falling here is not an option! Underneath is a meat grinder of sharp edged boulders.

Waiting within the boulders for Hansi to take a picture. I just had managed to cross the tree trunk on the left and get off it!

View backwards into another boulder section

A mini break

Barbara going over another tree trunk with the meat grinder underneath waiting

Hansi definitely had surplus energies. Navigating this tree trunk wasn't necessary!

Toby advising on the way forward: We had to stay towards the right side of the picture if memory serves correct (or maybe it was going up where the tree was with Tobi on top)

Looking backward at the already navigated beach section. It was getting darker.

Our admittedly very late dinner at Thrasher Cove.

We all made it safely to Thrasher Cove. And we felt superb/pumped/adrenaline rush. The Edmonton group all stood up from their camp site and gave us congratulation cheers and clapped their hands when we showed up and we cheered back. The youngsters who navigated Owen Point before 11am teased us with "What took you so long? We have been here all afternoon!". Derek and the rest of the Langley/NZL group showed up about 40 minutes later. By then it was dark. When I walked along the Thrasher Cove Beach I knew that we were "through" the trail. While the last day had a bad reputation it was clear to all of us that regardless of what was happening tomorrow (rain or shine or mud) we would reach Gordon Bay. There was simply nothing that we could imagine that would hinder us any more from safely completing the trail.

The section between Owen Point and Thrasher Cove definitely belongs into the riskier category of things I have done in life. Slipping and falling into these sharp edged boulders is simply a very bad situation. A heavy backpack only pushes you further into the grinder if a slip happens. No wonder the Park Canada folks have to rescue every season lots of people and most of them in this section. I've done plenty of Via Ferrata's in the Alps but I consider a fall on such a ferrata way less risky (this is a hypothetical comparison because I never fell in a via ferrata). There you simply slide down 3 or 4 meters and you end up with scratch marks everywhere secured by your climbing belt. Here you end up severely breaking a leg, ankle or with deep open flesh wounds if you fall/slip at most points of this trail. Anyway, we made it safely and it is unlikely that I am going to do this stretch again in my life considering that I am only getting older. We rounded Owen Point relatively late in the day. The Parks Canada folks were long gone by then. Only 3 groups decided to round Owen Point this late in the day.

Thrasher Cove campground was another small campground with tents perched relatively close together. And it was already full by the time we arrived. This time we had to put up our tents closer than before to the high tide water line. For a while some of us listened to the wave rhythm in the tent and checked the time for a while. High tide was close to midnight and afterwards I slept soundly.

Rounding Owen Point was another highlight of the trail. Our break spot there was ideal and the whales topped it all up. The weather also played a role and it went our way: It was dry (and most importantly the rocks were mostly dry aside from the cave system) and the sun was out in the afternoon. We were well rested and warm when we navigated through the incredible cave system. And the boulder and tree trunk stuff was interesting to navigate on its own and very different from what we had done before. The flat tidal rock area from "Access A" to Owen Point was super cool as well and similar to earlier cool places we had seen.