We decided to do the North-to-South (difficult-to-easy) route from Port Renfrew to Bamfield. Our plan was to take 6 days (7 if needed) for the entire trip.

I met Teri in Victoria on Friday and we drove to Port Renfrew to spend the night before setting out on Saturday, 18 September.  

Day 1 (18 Sep) We left Teri's car at The Medd's house (they gave us a ride to the Ranger station too!) in Port R. and took the ferry across to the Gordon River trailhead. The weather was warm and dry and we set out with high hopes of going about 6 or 7 miles that day. Yeah right! After marveling  at some of the things folks hauled up the steep, muddy, gnarly trail, we were shocked to discover we had gone 3 miles in 6 hours! Now, we are not novice hikers and are reasonably fit...This is a kick-butt trail! (we didn't know what  the ladders were like yet, or we may have quit that day!). We camped at the Thrasher Cove site that night totally exhausted and more than a bit disheartened.

Day 2 (19 Sep) We started this leg of the journey a bit sore and anxious. We had to climb back up for about a mile negotiating those ladders and some steep trail to get back to the main trail. Our goal was to get to Camper Creek this day. The views and weather were fantastic. This was the first day with beach hiking and it did not disappoint. The beaches are postcard beautiful and the temperatures were approaching 80 deg. F. We encountered our first impassable surge channel on this part of the journey and ventured back up the ladders to the trail. There was a lot of gnarly trekking and I took what could have been a seriously injurious fall when my boot got stuck in a root, and I went head over heels down a hill. Luckily my pack was so full (it stuck up way past my head) it took the pounding my noggin and neck would have otherwise taken.  We arrived at Camper Creek and were treated to our first cable car ride across to our campsite on the North Bank.

Day 3 (20 Sep) Walbran Creek

Day 4 (21 Sep) The Cribs

Day 5 (22 Sep) Tsusiat Falls

Day 6 (23 Sep) Bamfield