from the other thread a few years agon
Oh, Wow…
while reading this story a lot of pictures came into my mind and I thought I could share a little of my WCT experience. In 1980, I was a young and naive guy, set out with a huge pack and my guitar from Germany, to explore Western Canada. While hitchhiking a guy told me about the WCT and because i had a lot of time, I decided to go there. Had no idea whatsoever, I only knew where it was. I wanted to hike North South, because I was told, the more difficult part was the Southern part. So i went o Alberni, a town in the middle of the Vancouver Island, got a ride to the start of a 60 mile logging road leading to Bamfield. Since there were no buses naturally, I started walking but after a few hours got a ride and was dropped off at the northern trailhead. I walked to town, to get some food, and as I mentioned, “stupid” and naive, never hiked anywhere else than in Germany, i thought, a loaf of bread, a jar of jam (yes I remember that) some tea, some rice and gravy. Thought that will do. At that time the trail wasn’t so known, and I was the only one at the trailhaed. There was an information booth, where you could get a brochure showing the trail , but no infos on the map, and a tide table and of course no permits necessary. Parks Canada took over the trail a few years later I think. . So I started hiking, with this huge backpack with everything i needed for travelling 6 months and of course, my accoustic guitar in a bag. No hiking poles naturally, and what an adventure it was. I hardly met any hiker on the trail, and I remember the cable cars (don’t know if they are still exisiting) where you pull yourself across the river, and the difficulties I had to hold the cable car with one hand, while trying to get out the heavy pack and guitar. And I remember being soaked within minutes on the trail, I remember the hardship of hiking either in the mud, or hiking in deep sand (I preferred the mud) and calling the ferryman at this one big river, who wondered that anybody would hike the trail that early, and I remember Logan Bridge who was crashed by a tree and you had to climb down on a rope, cross the river, and climb up again on the other side. And I remember the little cabin ( I think it was called Klamath River) with the stove inside and I how nice it felt the next morning to wear dry clothes, which of course, lasted 2 minutes. And I remember all those trees that blocked the trail and weren’t removed, instead they were just flattened and you would balance on it, carefully, cause very slippery. But most of all I remember the excitement, the Joy, the Happiness and the freedom I experienced.
I made it in 4 nights, 5 days, arriving in Port Renfrew very tired and very exhausted, and most of all, very hungry. I can’t remember seeing any campsite around there, so I kept walking the road, hoping I might get a ride, which eventually happened. A father and his son picked me up and actually, took me all the way to Vancouver and even let me stay at their house where I had the best sleep in my life before getting back on the road again with my huge Backpack and my guitar…
Only to come back a year later, smaller Pack, no guitar and better prepared, to hike the trail again
Well I guess i was carried away a bit while writing, but while reading..it can happen… I guess…after all, it was my first serious hike I ever did.
Roland
