Southern Terminus (Port Renfrew) to Thrashers Cove – 9 km
Woke up well before my alarm went off or any semblance of reasonability started and headed across the street for breakfast. Breakfast was served at the Coastal Kitchen Cafe which my last chance for some real food before hitting the trail. I then returned back to my hiker hut operated by the “Trailhead Resort”. The room was cheap, clean and the beds comfortable but lacked wifi. I proceeded to pack up the entirety of my life that will matter for the next 7 days and waited for my ride to the trailhead.
View from the WCT Office
I arrived at the West Coast Trail office – southern terminus and was greeted with a beautiful foggy mountain vista with multiple eagles just sitting across Gordon River… I felt as if they were laughing at me. It was here I met the majority of people that would make up my Trail Fam for the next 7 days (Sheldon, Joan, Sarina, Carissa and Greg). We compared planning, packing and preparation notes and determined I likely had the heaviest pack. For the record I have no idea how much my pack weighed when I started the West Coast Trail and its probably best that I’ll never know. Every hiker must attend one of these 1 hour orientation sessions that are held twice a day. The orientation explained how to use the tide tables that accompanied the maps we were provided, talked about leave no trace principals, how to spot wildlife, the weather forecast and some other useful tips which I probably should have done a better job at trying to remember. Looking back on it I really don’t think they put enough emphasis on how dangerous Owen’s Point can be when its raining. Really in all honesty I would have to say it was heavy on the useless information and light on the need to know kinda stuff. For the record if I ever do this trail again there is no way I would traverse Owen’s Point in foul weather… nor would I stop at Thrashers Cove.
Gordon River Ferry
Mandatory orientation session completed the trail permits issued we were instructed to wait for the ferry which would leave at 11:30. There are two ferries on the WCT one here at the Southern Terminus and one at Nitinat Narrows. These kinda function as park gates as in order to get on the ferry one must show their trail pass. Its also important to know that they don’t run all day and have schedules. I can’t imagine having to camp out on the shore of the Gordon River after completing the last day of the trail because you arrived to late for the ferry but I’m sure it happens often.
After a gentle ferry ride across the Gordon River I was greeted by the WCT. The first thing you see other than the group of smiling hikers happy to be sleeping in a warm bed, is a giant ladder going up the cliff face. There is no gentle introduction to the WCT she hits you hard from the start, does not relent, she is unforgiving but beautiful… But at least she tried to warn me of whats to come ahead.
“The warning ladder”
Today was all inland and full of mud, ladders and green everything. This section of the trail is the highest in terms of elevation at about 270m. I past by many happy people heading south who were rushing to finish there trek. Most were trying to get out a day earlier than planned due to the weather coming in tomorrow. These were smart people…
Had a slip and a trip before making it to the donkey engine (see photos) and shortly after was at the junction for Thrashers Cove. From the junction to the camp site it was a pretty sketchy trail one that I am happy I did not have to climb back up. Really it was mostly a steep mud slide with the occasional mud waterfall mixed in.
Dinner was space food Pad Thai… about as good as it sounds but at least it was very filling. Camping is about campfires and there is something to be said for having one next to the ocean listening to the waves as they crash ashore.
