Wild Side Trail

Statistics

Directions

Tofino Bus - $35 each way - Nanaimo to Tofino.

Ahousaht Water Taxi $20 each way

Details

* Catch water taxi at dock - end of First Avenue past Main Street in Tofino.

* Water taxi = Ahousaht Pride

* Schedule: Leaves Tofino at 10:30 am and 4:00 pm. Leaves Marktosis at 8:30 am and 1:00 pm.

* Crossing time: approx 35-45 minutes.

* Call 1-250-670-9563 for info

* Cost $20cash /pp each way

* From Band Office walk east on main road to a house with a large native design

* Just past the house, turn left and walk down a logging/industrial road until a cross road (4-way junction).

* Turn left here - trailhead immediately on the right with a "Walk the wild side" sign.

* Hydro dock / Government dock

* Bush after road, boardwalks over marsh then short forest with cool stairs

* First beach = spiritual octopus

* At end of first beach is bypass trail for high tide - low tide just walk around, it's the same beach (#1 and #2)

* 2nd to 3rd beach mainly consists of boardwalks

* 3rd beach has "Sand Dune Camp" and outhouse. Fire pit. Large beach.

* 4th beach is where the big picnic was. Long, side trail to springs starts here.

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* Large metal bridge, first water source

* New bypass trail leads out straight from the bridge bypassing the "peninsula beaches"

* Main route goes left past the bridge, following in forest above ocean, eventually reaching cabin. "Cabin of light"?

* Side trail from cabin leads down to a small isolated beach.

* Continue past cabin on main trail, leading along forest before emerging onto beach.

* Continue mainly on beaches before finally reaching cow bay just after "Outhouse #2"

* On beach, turn left passing over the old ship hull.

* At the south end of the beach a trail leads into the forest on the left - this is the Cow Bay campsite.

* Exploring to the right of the campsite is where a creek meets the ocean - red rocks (red haired girl). Beautiful, open ocean on far side. Very scenic

* Cow bay consists of two massive beaches. The trail between the two beaches is a rocky "canyon" - cool looking. Has a trapline sign in the middle.

* At end of 2nd cow beach is another creek. Cross it, and head inland about 100 meters to unmarked trail - this is the start of the "Mt Flores Trail". Sign inside forest says it is "4 hours minimum one way".

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* Trail to springs is muddy entire way and has minimal development. After 5 mins enters a pleasant, marshy meadow. Lots of signs of wildlife here.

* Wood planks occasionally over mud.

* Continues through muddy forest and occasional "half open" area until edge of inlet.

* Follows left edge of inlet, winding it's way west about through the forest.

* Less than 5 mins after reaching the inlet, emerges onto rocks above edge of water.

* Here, upon the edge is a rectangular cemented in pool about 4 feet deep.

* Water has mild sulfur smell.

* Guessing 14-15 degrees Celsius?

* Lukewarm, like a warm lake.

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* Just past start of fifth beach is trail of tears on right. Very long, muddy, windy leading through mind-numbing forest to metal bridge.

* Cont on fifth beach leads to a trail with a boardwalk. Slightly longer than previous connection. Emerges onto 6th beach.

* 6th beach is long and blocked by a creek at the far end (metal bridge creek). Can possibly be crossed at low tide, otherwise it's too deep. Rough bushwack on flagged/cut long ago route up creek to bridge. Horrid.

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Photographs

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