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courtenay, bc
Canada
2 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 7:28 PM
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The 5 of us did the North Coast Trail last week. I have done some crazy things in my life and it was by far the most challenging hike I've ever done. Just imagined what the West Coast Trail used to be like 20/30 years ago. Before any ladders and stairs were installed. The only two recommendations are...... pack light and bring gloves!!!!!
I know most of the magazines recommended starting from Nissen Bligh and head East, after the hike, I will recommend starting from Shushartire Bay for two good reasons. First is to get the worst three days over and second is to avoid camping over night at Shushartie Bay, it was a dark, scary lookig campsite on a hillside and no water. Also, after speaking with Ranger Peter, we found out that the gentleman who did the NCT map actually NEVER hiked the trail. He spotted it from his kayak.
The forest hike was mostly straight up and down until you passed Laura Creek. There was a lot of climbing on your hands and knees, hauling yourself over huge slipery logs and hoping that the ground you are going to step on is solid. We came by a few rope sections where you climbed 30-40 feet up a rope, hauled yourself over a log and down the othere side 30-40 feet of rope.
The "beach" walk was more like hiking on a 45 degree angle for 6 hours over loose cobbes "beaches" or climbing over big slippery rocks praying that you don't slipped and break a leg.
To give you an idea, one day we did 6 km in 8 1/2 hours and the last day from Nissen Bligh to the parking lot, we did 15 km in less than 4 hours.......
As mush as hike was very challenging, it was defintely worth it. I will recommend you to hike it now and enjoy what the trail has to offer before it becomes too commercialized like the West Coast Trail. You can still hiked for 5 days without seeing another soul. Best Hike Ever !!!!!
Our next short overnights hike is the Comox Valley Glacier late in August !!!!!
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 Coffee swillin', wine lovin', Owl fearin' Andie McDowell stunt double, who sports retro gear
Vancouver, BC
5470 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 10:04 PM
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| Well done!! Thanks for posting; I've been wondering what that trail is like. |
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Satirical photoshop junkie who frolics in the mountains of the Chilliwack River Valley
Chilliwack, BC
Canada
6944 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 11:01 PM
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| Cool I'll be doing this one shortly. How were the water sources along the NCT? |
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Calgary, Alberta
Canada
233 Posts |
Posted - 08/04/2009 : 08:45 AM
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Did the trail last year and my polite suggestion would be to top up everywhere there is a reasonable looking source along the way, unless you know for certain there is a strong source at your evening destination and you are not that far away from it.
With all the hot weather the North Coast has had this summer I personally would pack an additional litre bottle even if it means a bit more weight at the start of the day.
You might also want to check with the trailhead shuttle and water taxi fellows for what they have been hearing.
Happy Trails |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
23 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 6:01 PM
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A friend and I also did the NCT last week, started on 27th and finished on 31st... gorgeous trek... highly recommended, and challenging at times for sure.
Day 1 was Shushartie Bay to Nahwitti River campsite... water taxi ride was a cool way to start a hike...this first section is all overland route and definitely a workout to start things off with our full packs. You reach the beach for the first time at Skinner Creek, seemed like a great place to camp but we got their before noon so we headed to Nahwitti.
Day 2 - Nahwitti River to Shuttleworth Bight... Cape Sutil was really nice beach but there's no water source so we trucked on to Shuttleworth after taking an ocean dip.... cold but nice! Day 2 was arguably harder than Day 1 with a lot of up and down plus beach slog.
Day 3 - Shuttleworth to Nissen Bight... from Shuttleworth to Laura Creek was a beach slog, I would have actually preferred sweating like crazy on an overland route rather than hiking for that long on loose pebble. Our longest day but Laura Creek wasn't anything special so we soldiered on to Nissen, and technically finishing the 43km North Coast Trail, although there was still 15 remaining as it connects to the Cape Scott Trail.
Day 4 - we weren't getting picked up for another day so we headed on a day hike to the Cape Scott Lighthouse... super nice beaches at Guise Bay and Nels Bight was nice too. Would be sweet to Camp at Guise, Nels seemed really popular too. Lighthouse was interesting, a couple guys have been living their for 8 years apparently.
Day 5 - headed out to San Josef parking lot to get picked up, the last 15km is a nice change from early on in the trip, less than 4 hours at a good pace, saw a bear around Eric Lake area... wandered off
Great trip in the end... I caught a fish at Nissen Bight and wasn't sure what I was catching :) so I let her go. 5 or 6 days seems average time to do the hike, and seems like 80-90% of people get the hard part out of the way and do east to west.
I don't like to post hike times, they are always misleading cause everyone is different and everyone is always "in great shape" ! Best posts I found for the NCT and all you really need are these:
Great official NCT post:
http://www.clubtread.com/routes/Route.aspx?Route=1188
The most useful free map I found, popular one:
http://www.wildcoastmagazine.com/NorthCoastTrail2.htm
Another great post, although we didn't camp at all the same spots:
http://www.clubtread.com/sforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=31482&SearchTerms=north,coast,trail
Another note - they sell good maps at the water taxi for 8 bucks too plus I think they're waterproof. I made my own though cause I'm a GIS geek :) Don't really need maps for this trail but nice to plan where you are going to camp... tough to get off trail, good markers, figured any mistakes out in 30 seconds.
Pictures, a couple 360 panos and a video here: www.mikemorellato.com/pics.html
Awesome trip, I want to do the WCT now... backwards I guess :) Oh ya someone kindly tell me what kind of fish this is - some guy on the beach told me it was a Kelp Greenling - true?
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Edited by - gifro10 on 08/09/2009 10:20 PM |
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Calgary, Alberta
Canada
233 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 9:18 PM
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From that angle it looks like a Kelp-greenling to me. For you cold water divers out there who hiked the trail and are not familiar with the diving around Port Hardy - that green navigation marker across from Shushartie Bay is at the top Dillon Rock. You'll find lots of K-G's there along with octopi,wolf eels, and the occassional Rat Fish.
It is an amazing dive site! Mind you, it is tough not to find great diving anywhere around the Port Hardy area - a good reason to go back.
How was the water situation between Nissen and Cape Scott?
Happy Trails |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
23 Posts |
Posted - 08/09/2009 : 10:29 AM
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Nels Bight and Guise Bay apparently have freshwater sources - http://www.vancouverislandabound.com/cape_scott.htm - but I can't confirm this because we didn't check either one out... we were offered water at a source that I don't want to advertise out of respect :) We probably would have filled up at Nels since the Nissen Bight water source is 2km out of the way back at camp
Sorry can't be of more help for updates here |
Edited by - gifro10 on 08/09/2009 10:29 AM |
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3022 Posts |
Posted - 08/09/2009 : 11:43 AM
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Yes, that looks to me like a greenling, a side profile would help. Used to spear fish them with
guile in my scuba days, they linger around kelp like sharks on the prowl. They don't get large, and the nickname by some are " tommy cods ". |
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Slo mo sno shuin' Great Wall trekkin' triathalon doin' pale ale drinkin' all Patrick, all the time, smoothie
2497 Posts |
Posted - 08/09/2009 : 9:41 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by gifro10
Nels Bight and Guise Bay apparently have freshwater sources -
They do, we are just back from there. Water has a tint of brown, but tastes OK. We used a filter pump. If you go to the lighthouse, there is fresh clear water from the tap behind the mechanic's house. |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
23 Posts |
Posted - 08/09/2009 : 10:16 PM
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The tap behind the lighthouse was what I was trying to avoid advertising ... but I guess he probably offers it up to hikers all the time  |
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The North Coast Trail, what WCT used to be
