Cape Scott/North Coast Trail - Day 4
These are my trail journals, written for myself while on trail. They’re not meant to guide you along the hike, although maybe they’ll give an idea of what the trail is like. Mostly, it’s my initial thoughts and feelings as I hike through each day. Enjoy!
Day 4: Irony Creek to Skinner Creek
8 hours of hiking.
Waking in the morning to a lighter fog and a mostly dry tent, I can already tell that today will be a better day. If the dry weather holds, I tell myself, I know I’ll be speedy through the trails.
I woke earlier than usual, knowing I’ve got a tide to beat and a possible push to Skinner instead of Nahwitti. I go through my usual routine, savoring my cup of coffee, and loving the gorgeous Shuttleworth Bay campsite.
By 8:05am, I’m off, a straight shot down the beach to start the day. The initial miles of beach and headland cruise by and my spirits are high. By 9am, I’ve spotted the clearest wolf tracks yet, and there are tons of them throughout the morning. ‘This land belongs to the wolves,’ is the thought that rings through my head over and over.
I also run into an older Asian couple who wild camped at one of the most lovely pocket beaches yet. We chat for 15 minutes about what we’ve seen so far, tough parts of the trail, water sources, and different paces. We take photos for each other and they were such a delight to run into.
As I carry on across pocket beaches and up and over headlands, a mist starts to settle in and I put on my pack cover, just in case. I also turn on music, just in case. I don’t want to risk a dipping of the spirits.
At Camp Sutil, I check out the food left behind by the Asian couple. I snag a pack of backpacking granola, something I would never, ever spend the money on. I don’t take any of the ramen, something I end up regretting later in the day.
After Sutil, I go straight up 200 stairs, with music playing to keep me motivated. Then there are more pocket coves and headlands. I fly through them, keenly aware that I’m about to pass the tide problem and though I should have plenty of time before high tide, I still worry. Unknowingly, I blow right past the tide problem at Tripod Beach without realizing. I’ve missed it completely, but at least I don’t have to worry about the tide anymore. The headlands here are trickiest so far, including the clay wall - which I later learn from another group is nicknamed the ‘Teepee of Doom.’
The last section of forest before the cable car feels like it lasts forever, with incline and technical trail and mud sections. I bruise my shin real good on the end of a branch so I’ll be coming home with some battle scars.
Today’s cable car feels even more difficult, probably because I’m more tired four days in. But again, I just figure it out and make it work. I stop at Nahwitti for a quick coffee break, as a group of five girls roll in for the night. We chat a little but mostly I’m off and on my way. In the last section to Skinner, I meet a surprising amount of groups headed to Nahwitti. With some chit chat, I confirm my hunch to sleep in and spend the morning at Skinner on the beach, instead of having to kill time at Shushartie in the forest.
At Skinner, there’s plenty of places on the beach to pitch a tent. I chat with a dad and his daughter and her boyfriend on their way to Nahwitti. They give me their leftover filtered water, saving me a chore. As I’m setting up camp, another groups rolls in for the night. Turns out to be six of them, all sharing one tent, and they set up beside me. They’re terribly wholesome and fun, having driven all the way from Calgary to do the North Coast Trail. They invite me to have some chocolate pudding with them, and we take some photos for each other, and I relish the last bit of company I’ll really have on trail.
