Revelstoke Adventure Photographer - West Coast Trail

All photos in this post are taken by either myself or Bryce Schroers.

This is a day-by-day account of my hike of the breathtaking 75km West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island from August 26 to September 2, 2019. If you would rather read a general reflection about my experience while viewing a selection of film photographs I captured along the way, have a look at my guest essay on she-explores.com. Much of these daily accounts are taken directly from my trail journal.

The West Coast Trail has an intimidating reputation, as it follows rugged coastline and dense forest, but our experience was more beautiful than brutal. If you want to know more stats, history, and general info about the trail, there are tons of useful guides all over the internet, like this incredibly detailed one on Outdoor Vancouver. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by these, however, so I want to get right into my experience.

The entire West Coast Trail is on the traditional territory of the Huu-ay-aht, Ditidaht, and Pacheedaht First Nations, who have inhabited the area for more than 4,000 years. Native trails existed in the area prior to European settlement, but the trail as we know it now was originally called the Dominion Lifesaving Trail. It was built as a survival path to give shipwrecked mariners an opportunity to find help after being washed ashore and was later used for logging.

The lead up

Most people start planning for the WCT up to a year in advance, as you typically need to claim your permit at the beginning of January, but I lucked out. At the end of July 2019 I saw a facebook post by an acquaintance of mine stating that he and a co-worker had 2 extra permits for anyone wanting to join them on the West Coast Trail at the end of the month. After a couple of quick google searches I decided that this was something I’d love to do. I could squish it into my schedule and my colleagues were alright with me being away, so I told Paul and Kendra I was in. In 2015 and 2016 I worked as an Intern Program Director at Camp Kinasao, a Lutheran Bible Camp in Saskatchewan, while Paul and Kendra were (and still are) the Assistant Director and Program Director of Camp Kuriokis, a Lutheran Bible Camp in Alberta. My first winter Paul and I travelled together to North Dakota to attend a small planning retreat and the following year he and Kendra attended a staff retreat at Kinasao. They graciously accepted my interest in joining them on the trail and asked if I knew of anyone else who would want to take the 4th spot.

Enter Bryce. He’s more recently known as the boyfriend I moved to Revelstoke with, but at the time we had been on exactly 1 date. He was at that moment leading an Alpine Club of Canada mountaineering trip at Lake O’Hara, but had given me a link to his Garmin InReach in case I was curious about the objectives they got after. I very boldly decided to text his InReach and see if he wanted to join our group on the West Coast Trail. He replied that the trail had always been on his bucket list and was interested as long as he could get the time off work. His summer had been packed with trips to the mountains but somehow he managed to get away for what would be another 8 work days.

Of course an 8 day hike was far too simple for Bryce, and he was scheduled to run a 54km Ultra Marathon in Kimberly, BC two days before our start on the trail. I, on the other hand, was doing everything I could to train for my longest hike carrying more weight that I ever had. I spent August long weekend hiking with my sister and her partner in Spruce Hills Provincial Park in Manitoba, and in Saskatoon I walked 6km to and from work with a loaded pack a couple days a week. Bryce and I also spent a day hiking in Prince Albert National Park and I got in some elevation by hiking the South Saskatchewan River valley in the city. I had spent enough time reading blogs and listening to podcasts about the trials of the trail to help me feel incredibly unqualified for the trip, so there was a lot of anxiety on my part leading into it. Not only that, but I didn’t know Kendra and Paul too well and was still trying to prove myself to Bryce.

Paul and Kendra both have plenty of experience hiking in the mountains but with their busy summer schedule were not able to specifically train for this hike. Kendra was confident Paul would carry on without a problem, but she expressed her own worries similar to my own. Ultimately, however, we were all more than capable of completing the trail and were encouraging and positive with one another throughout.

On Friday, August 23rd Bryce and I drove to his friend’s home in Canal Flats, British Columbia. We stayed there for the night and were up early to get to Kimberly Ski Resort, where Bryce completed his first organized ultra race. I spent the time in Kimberly buying breakfasts and lunches for our hike. Paul and Kendra looked after dehydrating suppers (which I’ll list each day) and I said I would prep the other meals while we each brought our own snacks.

We agreed on instant oatmeal with dried berries for breakfast each morning. Figuring we’d all be snacking lots along the way, I went light on lunches with wraps with peanut butter and honey along with a few slices of summer sausage cheese. For my personal snacks I brought a salty trail mix, dried figs and mango, and a cliff bar for each day. Though for the most part we were all satisfied with the amount of food, we forgot to account for the Bryce’s race recovery. It would have been much better to have brought a bit more of everything to help him refuel, but he made it out alive.

For evening sips we brought an assortment of tea, 5 bottles of red wine and a small flask of fireball. We often found ourselves wanting hot drinks but also wanting to lose the weight of our wine, so we created a backcountry mulled wine by heating chai tea, wine and some cinnamon whisky. I must say it’s one of my best camping recipe’s to date.

Notes on Gear

I packed similar to what I would bring on any multi-day hike. I used every item I brought and never felt like I wanted something I didn’t pack, though it did make me think about investing in a cooler sleeping bag.

• hiking boots

• poles

• -10 down sleeping bag

• therm-a-rest

• running hat

• sunglasses

• toiletries

• underwear

• two sports bras

• a few pairs of socks

• marino buff

• quick-dry towel

• long underwear and a marino shirt to sleep in

• puffy down coat

• rain jacket and rain pants

• quick dry running shorts

• light pants

• thin leggings

• long sleeve nylon button up

• marino t-shirt

• cotton tank

• gaiters

• slide-on sandals and neoprene socks

• small personal first aid kit

• 2L bladder

• 1L nalgine

• bowl, spork, knife, and cup

Our group gear consisted of:

• comprehensive first aid kit

• 4-man tent (MSR Papa Hubba)

• rain tarp

• MSR gravity water filter

• back-up pump filter

• 2 pots

• trail permit and National Park pass

• 2 whisperlite camp stoves and lighters

• liquid fuel (I can’t remember how much we brought but I do remember it was too much)

Day 0 - Sunday, August 25, 2019 - Drive to Victoria

Bryce and I drove from Canal Flats and met up with Kendra and Paul in Golden. There we all squished into Paul’s Volkswagen Golf and drove to Victoria where we camped in his step-brother’s living room. I had lots of fun on the drive reconnecting with everyone as we all made lots of jokes. Our favourites included air quoting things that shouldn’t be in quotations and asking Bryce how far he ran on Saturday - 54k if I hadn’t mentioned it yet ;)

We decided not to book our ferry ticket to Victoria in advance as we weren’t positive what time we would get to the port. We arrived in time to sail at 6pm but it was full - along with the 7 and 8 o’clock ones. We got a ticket for the 9 and parked in line before heading into the packed terminal for supper. After finding a spot to eat outside we sorted out our bags for the week. We pulled everything out and spread it on the tarmac to organize what we had. We distributed all of the food and group gear to add to our personal items. It was well after 7 at this point and just when we got everything sorted and stuffed back into the car our row was called for the 8:00 ferry - luckily we hadn’t been 10 minutes slower in our packing!

We were one of the last cars on on the ferry and were happy to get to watch the sunset from the water. The ride was really fun, as we were all so excited to get to the Island. We hung out on the deck, laughing, taking photos, and making new friends. Paul’s family in Victoria was super hospitable, welcoming us with banana bread, our last warm showers, and floor space to lay out our mats and sleeping bags. We went to bed quickly in preparation for our big week ahead.

Day 1 - Monday, August 26, 2019 - Gordon River to Thrasher Cove

The alarms had us up at 6:15 and packing our bags to drive to the trailhead on the south end of the WCT for 10:00 orientation. We had to make a quick stop for a couple last minute items (some pasta and duct tape) and then made the 2 hour drive to Gordon River. We sang along to Great Big Sea and found the park office at the campground on the Pacheedaht First Nation no problem. We unloaded and paid for parking and then sat through orientation going over proper trail etiquette and safety precautions with about 20 other hikers.

We took the small ferry to KM 75 just after 11:30 and were immediately greeted by our first ladder. Spirits were high for the first 5km as we navigated the difficult but fun terrain. There were lots of ups and downs, ladders and bridges, and rocks and trees. We had a nice lunch break but after 5 hours of hiking with our loaded packs we were getting tired. We knew the first half-day to Thrasher Cove were going to be the most difficult and it did not disappoint. By the time we turned off the main trail to get down to the beach campsite at KM 70 I was done, but it was nearly another kilometre and hour of hiking before we were setting up our tent around 5:30.

We were surprised by how busy the campsite was, but it makes sense as it is the final stop for hikers travelling south. For supper we had sidekicks with tuna and dehydrated kale which was better than it sounds and we drank wine while watching the waves. It was an early 8:30 bedtime in preparation for a 5am wake up call to beat the tides tomorrow, but many of our neighbours were up late making the most of their last night on the trail.

Day 2 - Tuesday, August 27, 2019 - Thrasher Cove to Camper Bay

It took us longer than planned to get on the trail today, but we finally left camp at 6:30. The sunrise was beautiful as we were packing up camp and starting off down the beach. We climbed over rocks and boulders for a few kilometres, needing to get to Owen Point by 9ish to beat the tide. I fell once along the way and bruised my arm and hip, needing to sit for a minute to avoid passing out. Bryce didn’t see it happen and thought I must have hit my head since I was dizzy, but I assured him that my blood pressure often drops suddenly when I get hurt (or just stand up too fast). Other than that we navigated the slippery coast pretty well.

We got to Owen Point at 8:30am and were able to easily pass through the cave while the tides were still low enough. We loved walking the coast and listening to the waves. We found a swing in the trees around one corner which was neat. For ease of travel, we preferred course wet sand over fine sand or big boulders, but it was all fun and beautiful. We met 3 other groups travelling the same direction as us on the beach: a couple from Calgary in their 40’s, a family with 3 young-adult kids from Squamish, and a dad with his 3 young-adult sons and one of their friends. We continued to KM 64 where we stopped for lunch before connecting back with the inland trail around 11.

The trail to Camper Bay was muddy with lots of boardwalks of varying degrees of decay, but it was beautiful none the less. 1km away from Camper Bay we stopped at a pretty stream for a snack. Just before Camper Bay at KM 62.5 we went on our first cable car, which was neat. We arrived around 1, set up camp, and then went for a swim. Well, Kendra, Paul, and I swam in the ocean and river and then laid in the sun to dry while Bryce napped in Kendra’s hammock. It was a gorgeous sunny day and we were happy to have the afternoon off to enjoy it.

We had an early dinner at 4:30 of pasta with rehydrated beef and veggies. The relaxed evening was spent meeting new friends and exploring the bay. Bryce and I found a cozy spot behind some rocks to watch the sunset from and it was nice to spend some time continuing to get to know each other. We noticed some mice around our tent tonight and hope they don’t get into anything overnight. Our food is all put away in the bear bins though, so we should be okay. Bedtime is 10pm and we have no alarms set for tomorrow.

Day 3 - Wednesday, August 28, 2019 - Camper Bay to Walbran Creek

We slept in this morning expecting a relaxed shorter day - around 10km but Bryce woke up not feeling well. He said he had a headache and ended up throwing up just as he got out of the tent. He was clearly dehydrated but he made some coffee and claimed he was feeling better. We got on the trail about 10:30 and it was more ladders, mud, logs, dilapidated boardwalks, and tree roots. Like a lot a lot. We broke it up with lunch at a sandstone creek and lots of rests, but the last few km’s were such a slog. I was exhausted after the suspension bridge and the ladders that came with it over Logan Creek at KM 56. It was the first time on the trip that I felt so completely drained. This, I thought, is what the WCT is supposed to feel like.

It was still as beautiful as ever though, yet another hot sunny day. Super humid too which didn’t help Bryce’s dehydration. But the rainforest is just so gorgeous if you ever take a minute to look up from your feet. There was a new landscape too at one point, almost a post forest fire boreal bog type of vibe. I pointed out bunch berries along the trail which Paul was eager to try. We had been noticing another dark blue berry as well which we wish we could identify.

Walbran Creek at KM 53 couldn’t come soon enough. We were welcomed by the family from Squamish around 6:30 and I was so done with standing upright. We got water from the river, set up the tent, cooked an amazing meal of couscous and pulled pork with bell peppers, and sat by the ocean watching the waves and sunset as we ate. The sunset was so beautiful and Bryce and I watched it until the very end before joining the other two and the family by their fire. We chatted and stargazed - the stars and milky way were amazing - and wandered to bed around 10:45. Another great but tough day.

Day 4 - Thursday, August 29, 2019 - Walbran Creek to Crib’s Cove

We woke up to fog at 7 this morning and crossed the stream barefoot at 8:45. We spent nearly the entire day on the beach and it was glorious. The 8km to Carmanah Cove went quick as we made good time in the cooler weather and not needing to route find. We stopped at Bonilla Point to get new water because the spot in the river I filtered from in the morning became salty from high tides overnight. There was also a very nice waterfall there which reminded me how much I appreciate the various landscapes of the coast and how unique every kilometre is.

We moved onto the trail in the trees just before the Carmanah Lighthouse and made our way to the grounds to have lunch on the grass while waiting out high tides. The family was there also and we chatted for a bit before realizing the water filter had fallen off Bryce’s backpack somewhere in the last 4km. He traded out his hiking boots for trail runners and went for a jog back to the beach to see if he could find it. Though we still had a back-up, we were glad he found it less than a km away on a wrong path we had taken on our way up off the beach.

We laid in the sun and shade enjoying the grass and lack of sand for a couple hours before continuing along the shore. The tide pools in this section were the best- we took our time exploring them and found all sorts of urchins. A sandy beach awaited us at Crib’s Cove just past KM 42, along with the dad and sons group. Kendra, Paul, and I went for a swim in the shallow but big ocean waves which were a lot of fun. The guys had a fire going which we borrowed to warm up by after and then we made supper - mashed potatoes, kidney beans, and sweet potatoes in Ikea meatball sauce.

We saw lots of whales out in the water tonight while exploring the shelf the separated the beach from the ocean. It had big waves and tide pools full of more anemones and starfish. It was nice reconnecting with the other 3 groups this evening and discussing the trail while slowly learning more about everyone before heading to bed earlier tonight - we’ll be asleep by 10 I’m sure.

Day 5 - Friday, August 30, 2019 - Crib’s Cove to Tsusiat Falls

Today was a long day. We were up at 6am and hiking by 7:45. The Squamish family and Calgary couple left around the same time as us and we all leap frogged to Nitinaht Narrows. The trail was a mix of beach, muddy roots, and boardwalk for the 10km that morning. We all stopped for lunch at the Crab Shack which was a great little restaurant on the water run by the Whyac First Nation. The crab was amazing - so sweet and flavourful that I didn’t even want butter. I learned it’s one of the only places in the world you can get lake crab, which maybe makes me feel better about paying so much for it! Everyone else in our group got fish with baked potatoes which was a little cheaper and still a tasty treat, but I’m glad I made the choice I did. Bryce and I also shared a beer and he got a chocolate bar for later.

Hippie Doug ran the ferry across the narrows and seemed to be in charge of customer relations at the Crab Shack. He showed us pictures, told stories, and answered questions. Paul asked about the berry he had been seeing and found out it was edible and tastes great! It wasn’t rare after that to turn around to see him with purple teeth and a handful of berries in hand. The family crossed the narrows while we were still eating and we got on the same ferry as the couple. We continued from there on the inland trail, often catching glimpses of the ocean below. It was beautiful but after our beach day yesterday we missed our quicker pace on the packed sand. The tides were low enough though that we could sneak onto the beach early and got through “hole in the wall” at Tsusiat Point just before the Tsusiat Falls campground near KM 25.

After setting up camp and eating some hamburger soup with noodles and lentils we also made cheesecake and mulled wine for a delicious dessert. We hung around the fire with the family and Calgary couple enjoying lots of laughs and had our final goodbyes. We’re planning a rest day tomorrow and the Calgary couple is debating hiking all the way out. We told the two parties that what we refer to them as and asked if we had a trail name - turns out we mentioned how much wine we brought with us a little to soon into meeting them and had been dubbed the “wine-os” because of it - which obviously we loved.

Day 6 - Saturday, August 31, 2019 - Tsusiat Falls Rest Day

We slept through rain this morning while everyone else was packing up - which was expected. We loved be able to hide out from it. Our plan is to take an easy morning and if the rain clears we’ll hang out at Tsusiat for the entire day. I had to pee so bad from all the wine last night so eventually I had to get up. I was surprised by the warm air, partly cloudy skies, and cool breeze when I left the tent. I made a trip to the outhouse, wandered a bit with my camera, and then stopped on a log to write this. I can’t help but feel so grateful right now to be where I am.

The rest of the day was interesting. It was so nice to have a lazy morning and the weather was decent, so we figured we’d make a day of it. We made hash browns and bacon for breakfast and built a fire but then it started misty raining around noon and never really stopped. We considered packing up and moving on when it started but I still wanted to go swimming in the falls and wasn’t sure how long it would take to get to the next camp. I’m not sure this was the right decision though. We’re all very tired and without much to do we started getting irritated with one another. We did go swimming, which was refreshing, and it was good to take a long nap and regain some energy, but my dream of laying out in the sun all day did not come true.

This is the point in my journal where I started trailing off about the things that were bothering me about Bryce and my thoughts on a potential future relationship. I don’t think I need to share those with the world but I’m not shy about the fact that we had a few rough days on the trail and both had our doubts about whether or not we wanted to continue seeing each other once we made it home. If you want to read his account of the trip, you can do so here.

We had pasta with meat and cheese for lunch and roasted some marshmallows this afternoon. For supper we had quinoa with stirred turkey and veggies. Early bedtime in the rain and up to beat the tides in the morning. Hoping we’re all in better spirits.

Day 7 - Sunday, September 1, 2019 - Tsusiat Falls to Darling River

I began today’s journal entry with a dictation from Paul:

Dear Diary, welcome to September! This sure was a great way to kick off the month and end our time on the trail. Nothing like a campfire with new friends. Paul, Bryce, & Kendra have been awesome “dubbing” partners.

Haha actually though, this week has been great and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time on the WCT. We woke up to rain today at 6 and travelled 11km in the forest, boardwalk, and on the beach. The trail was well maintained and we made great time on the beach. We found an awesome camp spot near Darling River at KM 12 under a big tree that sheltered us from the rain. We had lunch before everyone took some time to themselves. It was well needed - Bryce was pretty grumpy in the morning but much happier after. I watched the waves crash and went for a swim in the waterfall which was a new highlight from the trip. It was so gorgeous and hidden away up the river - the perfect spot to be alone with my thoughts.

Supper was a tuna, couscous, artichoke, kale casserole and once again was delicious. Paul and Kendra did really well with their dehydrated suppers, which apparently were a bit of an experiment for them. We met some new friends on the trail today from the Pacific Northwest and hung out at their campfire drinking mulled wine and roasting marshmallows in the evening. The sky cleared for a bit around supper but the fog returned later. For our only day hiking in the rain it wasn’t so bad - our tent even managed to completely dry out under the tree.

In the words of Paul, more tomorrow!

Day 8 - Monday, September 2, 2019 - Darling River to Pachena Bay

Today was an odd day. We were up at 5:30 to a beautiful sunrise and misty but clearing sky. The morning started nice but Bryce soon became grumpy again. I decided I was done trying to appease him and let him march on ahead. It was annoying, because I wanted to finish things on a good note with him, taking a cute photo of us celebrating, but he seemed like he wanted nothing to do with me - not then or ever again.

We made quick time on our last 14k, across the beach and through foggy forest. The light in the trees was absolutely gorgeous all morning. Our final km was along a long sandy beach that was packed like cement - just perfect! We arrived early so after a group photo we sat on some logs for our last lunch and then Kendra, Paul, and I played in the waves while Bryce laid on a log and complained about being tired/hungry/sandy. Little did we know there was a big lush grassy park just through the trees where he would have been much happier.

The afternoon was beautiful but we spent it on a loud bus on a bumpy logging road listening to a bunch of bros act like children. I didn’t get car sick though so at least that was a bonus. Bryce’s spirits rose as we stopped for snacks and later picked up the car. We made the 9pm ferry off the island to stay with my friend Robyn in Langley. Her and her friends were excellent hosts and Bryce and I got to sleep in a bed in a room with a door, so that was an unanticipated luxury. Plus showers!

Once things were back to normal that evening I really regretted not taking a photo with him at the end of the trail. We have zero pictures of just the two of us and that makes me sad.

Day 9 - Tuesday, September 3, 2019 - Homeward Bound

We drove back to Calgary, stopping for lunch with a friend in Revelstoke (having no idea a year later we would be living here! Life’s crazy man). It was nice to get out of the car for a bit and eat something other than drive-thru McDonalds like we’ve become accustomed to while driving. We swapped back into my car in Golden and then Bryce and I went to Canmore to hike Ha Ling for sunset. It was fun and quiet and beautiful and nice to hear Bryce partake in conversation again.

It turns out he had gotten quite annoyed with how so many of our conversations revolved around the other three of us working at bible camps. Though it’s been a few years, that life is still so familiar to me so it was easy to fall into talking about what I had in common with Kendra and Paul. I didn’t consider how it might feel for an outsider who had no understanding or interest in that world. I wish he had told me this on the trail so I could have done something about it and we both could have had a better time. But at the same time we still don’t know each other very well and he didn’t know how that conversation would have gone. He was trying to avoid conflict but it instead it came off as passive-aggressive and rude.

Overall I’m happy with the trip. It was so beautiful, I had lots of fun, and I learned that my body is capable of so much more than I ever though. Now on to the next!