The Executive Summary of the trip would read something like this: A long, expensive, and horrific bus ride from Pt. Renfrew to Bamfield on logging roads brought a car sick and somewhat irritable group to the orientation station by 1:00 PM. The Check-In process was expensive and slow for the most part, and I found that some Canadians get snooty when you say something about systems efficacy. With great pains though, they were pleasant and so was I and we got on the trail at something like 3 o'clock, ahead of others. Non-existent beach access signs cost us another hour in doubling back to find the trail. We did spook a bear though, and that was kind of fun.
West to East a linear measure of the distance is given as 75 km by the Canadian Agency for Miss-communication and Confusion, so who knows how many trail miles of poorly maintained mud bogs, boardwalk, roots and root wads, ladders, and slippery madness interspersed with some well maintained boardwalks,
cable-cars, ladders, bridges (best maintained structures). Those of us that did arrive at the end definitely felt as though it had been a huge self-rescue exercise. The author himself is slated to lose two toenails soon and is hoping for at least a partial use of his right leg by this weekend.
Further report: At this writing, it is 1:38 AM and I am unable to sleep for the pain of it. My friend Christopher, who you met in an earlier post, and I completed the trail in 4.5 walking days arriving at some camps as late as 9:15 PM.
You could not go fast, you could only go long if that makes any sense. In places, I was surprised as I have never seen a trail in such disrepair. On the other hand, there were parts of it very well maintained. After speaking to a number of those we shared the trail with, we found out that the proceeds of the park are returned to the provincial general fund and not necessarily returned to the park proper. Go figure. The day of our orientation the number of evacuations by the park was 53 since it opened in May.
We did meet some really cool folks on trail. Honorable mentions to Francois, Caroline, the crew at Chez Monique, Al and Dane, and Lanny from Vancouver. It was good meeting you! And to the bunch of others we chatted with, wished well and will never see again, take care too.
Poor Mike, he had to throw in the towel at about half way through due to his knee. He made the right decision, I wouldn't have wanted to hit that with anything but full confidence either and I already told you part of the toll I am paying. It was worth it though, if for nothing else bull-shitting rights. I had happily decided a couple of days before the end that I would never have to walk this path again, but I'll be damned if Mike isn't already talking about going back for just the half he missed. Good Lord pray for me, because I have agreed in theory that yeah, we should go back for it.
"if it looks waist deep, it probably is"
can't remember which one this is, but it's one of the longer ones of five
the trail, really, for miles
very narrow suspension bridge, with ladders up at the end
funky angle, eh? no worries though cause it went nearly
straight up for about 150 feet after that
random ladder not associated with the previous picture,
I would estimate that there are about 1.5 vertical km of ladders on the trail
boardwalk to nowhere, roots and mud aplenty.
seriously, for most of the trip
