. WEST COAST TRAIL.

Origin: Vancouver, BC
Difficulty: Strenuous
Dates: South to North
JUNE 1-9 - JUNE 13-21
AUG 10-18 - SEPT 8-16
North to South
SEPT 16-25

Trip Highlights

Sea to Sky has introduced hikers to the West Coast Trail for 18 years. Our years of experience will insure that your visit will include all those special places unknown to the average hiker.

The West Coast Trail is a challenging coastal trek. Known also as the "Graveyard of the Pacific", it is rich in human history, wildlife, and natural rugged beauty, and is considered one of the world's top ten hikes. Once you start hiking, you will quickly come to understand why hikers travel from all over the world to undertake the West Coast Trail.

The West Coast Trail offers sandy beaches, rugged cliffs, blowholes, caverns, caves, waterfalls, bogs, rainforest, lighthouses, abandoned settlements, shipwreck relics, petroglyphs, native culture, whales, sea lions, eagles, and giant trees. Our West Coast Trail itinerary includes stops to see historic and scenic wonders unknown to many hikers. Our pace allows time to adjust to the demands of the trail and to fully see and explore this magnificent coastal environment.

Readings and anecdotal stories help the hiker fully appreciate the dramatic and colourful history of the events and people who were a part of this coastline.

ITINERARY

Day 0: Arrival in Vancouver.

Day 1: The ferry crossing from Tsawwassen to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island is approximately 2 hours. From the terminal we will be driven by bus to Pachena Bay, the trailhead. It is about 3 hours. After registering at the trailhead office, we will begin a 4 hour hike to our camp at Michigan Creek. This section of the trail is considered the easiest portion of the trail. It is almost entirely in forest until we reach the beach at Michigan. One stop will be at Pachena Bay lightstation. It was built in 1906. It is the only remaining wooden light structure remaining on the B.C. coast.

Day 2:From Michigan Creek we will follow beach and shelf to Tsocowis Creek. Here, we will head into the forest, cross a suspension bridge over an incredibly beautiful gorge with waterfall, and follow an easy trail. We will stop where the trail overlooks the shelf. In 1906 the S.S.Valencia went aground here in a violent storm. From Trestle Creek we will follow the beach to the Klanawa River and our first cable car crossing.A short hour’s hike will bring us to Tsusiat Falls, one of the many highlights along the trail. This is our campsite for the evening. It is an ideal spot to go swimming at the base of the falls.

Day 3: Many hikers feel, that the trail from here to the Nitinat Narrows, presents some of the most dramatic and beautiful scenery. The Narrows, because of its depth and current, must be crossed by boat with the assistance of the local natives. The trail from the Nitinat Narrows to Stanley Beach or Clo-oose is completely boardwalked. The lead guide will determine which will be your campsite based on various circumstances. Stanley Beach has some interesting features, includingpetroglyphs, surge channel, abandoned house, blowhole, and honeycombed rocks.

Day 4:We will leave Stanley Beach and eventually descend to beautiful sandy beach near the Cheewhat River. Clo-oose was to be the location of the most magnificent resort on the west coast at the turn of the century. Many settlers moved into the area in anticipation of this development. A number of unfortunate circumstances, however, caused it to fail. Depending on the tide, we will either hike the beach or leave it behind to follow the trail as it edges its way along steepcliffs. The views will not disappoint you.We will emerge at the Cribs, a natural breakwater formed from volcanic rock. This breakwater is well worth exploring for its many tide pools. The beach from here to the Carmanah Light Station is one of our favourites. After a short visit to the station, we will hike a short distance through forest to Chez Monique’s. Monique will prepare our dinner for us. We never know what meal will be waiting, but we know it will be delicious.We will also pick up our food drop and after dinner move on to Carmanah Creek, our campsite.

Day 5: Today is our last stretch of continuous beach before heading into the forest and a new trail dimension. At Walbran Creek we will begin that portion of the trail that is almost entirely rain forest. It is important to emphasize that the forest does present its own flavour and beauty. Most of the ladders along the trail will be located from here to trail’s end.The rain forest trail will bring us to Logan Creek and our campsite. It is famous for its spectacular suspension bridge. Although somewhat imposing and ominous, it is a “pussycat” to cross.

Day 6: Today we will encounter a seemingly endless series of ladders. From Logan to Cullite Creek we will pass along a boardwalked bog that features some interesting flora, including stunted cousins of hemlock, spruce and cedar.From Cullite to Sandstone Creek to Camper Bay is rain forest and ladders. Out destination is Camper Bay. The campsite is located by a creek and flanked by magnificent sandstone bluffs.

Day 7: From Camper bay we will continue our hike through rain forest. If the tide is in our favour we will be able to leave the forest and hike along the shelf, to Owen Point, a much easier route and with wonderful views of the Olympic Peninsula. The shelf near Owen Point has sandstone bluffs, caves and caverns, unusual rock formations and surge channels. Many hikers believe it resembles a moonscape.The beach hike from Owen Point to Thrasher Cove, our campsite, is characterized by huge boulders. But the beach is shorter than the trail. If the tide is not in our favour it will be necessary to return to the trail. Thrasher Cove, a small cove, has an excellent view of Port San Juan and Port Renfrew across the water.

Day 8: From Thrasher Cove we must negotiate a series of ladders to return to the trail. From here to trail’s end at the Gordon River, there are no scenic rewards other than those provided by the forest, creeks and occasional waterfall. At the Gordon River we will be ferried across by “Butch”. This is a very short ride. We will be met by our van and transported to the Soule Creek Manor for the evening. After settling in, we will drive to the Lighthouse Pub for our last dinnertogether.

Day 9: After a prepared breakfast from the Soule Creek kitchen, we will begin our journey back to Vancouver. Time and circumstances permitting we will stop in Victoria for lunch and arrive back at Tsawwassen around 7:00 pm.