Hike
with the Whales
While hiking on the Juan de Fuca Marine
Trail, The most incredible feeling overcame me when I realized I
was hiking with whales. I felt as though they were following and
conversing with me. Through my binoculars I could see the jagged barnacles
on their backs as they silently broke surface to spout. Hiking in the lush
rainforest of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail proved magical enough, but
walking only a few hundred metres from the whales was
overwhelming. The variety of surprises I encountered trekking those
five days amazed me. I watched whales breaching, sea lions sunning
on their favorite rocks, seals bobbing in the surf and peering at me, a
mink running under a log six feet from me, and a bald eagle catching a
fish in the ocean. I ventured into beach caves and through rock arches
where one can only imagine the raw power of the crashing waves from ocean
storms. Butterflies overtook my stomach when I traversed a 43-metre-deep
gorge spanned by a steel suspension bridge 63 metres across.
The
trail winds through majestic old-growth rainforest, along rugged cliffs
beside the vibrant ocean, and onto sunny beaches affording clear views of
the Pacific Ocean and the Olympic Mountains. Hikers can enjoy the magical
seal caves, tide pools visible at low tide teeming with tiny sea
creatures, the thundering sound of waterfalls, and surf exploding through
sculpted shoreline blowholes. Amidst all the visible activity and beauty,
large schools of salmon swim by silently beneath the ocean
surface. Come and experience the rising and falling tides as you
beachcomb or camp on remote beaches. From suspension bridges you can look
into deep ravines cut by age-old rivers. While hiking, see where mudslides
have reshaped the trail, sweeping big trees, boulders, and tons of mud
into the ocean. The sounds of dozens of streams and cascading waterfalls
permeate the tranquil silence of the forest as you hike along. Most
streams have small freshwater pools where hikers can draw and filter their
water. As tents are set up before nightfall, one can enjoy the last rays
of a colorful sunset ending the day. The cool of the evening will become
apparent when a thick blanket of fog rolls in to cover the night.
Vancouver Island's Juan de Fuca
Marine Trail is conveniently located 70 km west of
Victoria, BC, along the north shore of the Juan de Fuca Strait. To reach
the Trail, head west from Colwood on Highway #14 past Jordan River. Key
features that make this a great trail are easy accessibility, excellent
location, free day hiking, and suitability for everyone. All the bridges
and boardwalks are new and safe. You need never make reservations, nor do
you need to pay expensive trail fees to hike here. The only cost is a
small overnight camping fee of $5 per person per night. Children age 16 and under camp free and must be accompanied by an adult. The Trail
is open all year, with summer the dry season and late October to December
the wet season. Trail amenities include the four main trailheads,
backcountry toilets, information boards, and ample parking close to
beaches and reef shelves. Five hidden unmarked side trails allow
quick access to the trail at various points and facilitate more than 20
different day hikes along the entire length of the Trail. In addition, the
side trails present all hikers with five vital emergency exit points. If
the five-day, 47-km wilderness trek seems too strenuous or too long
an undertaking, then consider any of the shorter excursions or day hikes.
New boardwalks between Parkinson Creek and Botanical Beach help
make this 10-km section of hiking easier than other sections of
the Trail. In addition to hiking, you can enjoy a wealth of events
organized in Sooke. A few of these are Sooke Days, the Sooke Fine Arts
Show, and the Sooke Fall Fair. Places to tour in Sooke include the Sooke
Museum & Information Centre, Whiffen Spit walk, and the Sooke
Potholes. You can also go on fishing and whale-watching charters, visit
artisan studios, and watch a play at the Sooke Community Theatre.
Sooke is your last opportunity if you
want to buy gas, camping supplies, and groceries before heading out to the
Trail. If you have an RV camp trailer or a tent, you may want to stay at
the campground located just 1 km east of the China Beach
trailhead. In Port Renfrew you can shop for souvenirs and camping items at
Trailhead Resort General
Store, stay at West
Coast Trail Motel, and even buy a fresh salmon when in season from
the fish wholesaler near the main town dock. To better enjoy this
isolated wilderness, be prepared for your hike. When on the Trail, you
will want to know when the tide is high or low, because at certain times
the high tide covers several points on the Trail. Be sure to read the
up-to-date FAQs from a hiker's perspective in my book, Giant
Cedars White Sands, is full of Trail
insights. You can find pictures of the Trail and links for tide guides,
and for checking the weather. Plan and enjoy your
'super natural
hiking experience. Be prepared, and pack light. I consider this Trail BC's
best wilderness adventure.
In writing
Giant Cedars White
Sands, Donald C. Mills has
created the most authoritative book on
British Columbia's Juan de Fuca Marine Trail. Available
here online.
Click
here to order the guidebook. Back
to Hiking FAQ page.
Article © 2003-2007 Donald C. Mills
First published in 2003 by the
Eagle-Eye Wilderness Co. | Last update: June 8, 2012 |
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