Costal Hike

Today, along with my friend, I had signed up to hike with a local hiking group. We were hiking from Parkinson Creek to Botanical Beach on the west coast of the island. This is part of the Juan de Fuca trail that I hiked with my daughter three years ago. What a difference today hiking it with a light day pack instead of a 35lb pack!



As we started out I got my first glimpse of the ocean through the trees. We have had such hot dry weather that I was not surprised to see the fog bank out on the water, a common sight on hot days.



Upside down and upright "giraffes" frames the view.

 

Looking down along the coast we could see the waves crashing along the beach. The water had lovely huge smooth swells that would have made boating quite enjoyable as long as one wasn't prone to get sea sick. 

Looking down on the ocean swell and crashing waves.

 After following the trail for the first bit we decided to do 1km along the shoreline. It was flat  and an easy stretch with the tide quite low.




Looking down the shoreline  - an unmarked trail.

The Juan de Fuca trail is a wonderful coastal trail that people hike from all over the world. Some, like us this day, do a short 10 km section as a day hike where as others will camp in the five campsites along the way and take 3 or 4 days doing the full 47 kms. Although the trail is usually quite muddy throughout the whole year, with the dry weather we've had, what mud there was, was hard packed. Walking along logs and boardwalks to avoid the mud really wasn't necessary this time.


Thankfully the logs have all had their "tops" flattened to make easy hiking.

Thankfully the forests were still quite green and healthy and we came across some magnificent looking trees. Although quite common on the island they still bring a sense of awe to me when I look up at their majestic size.


A large cedar tree with huge root balls.

 

A huge leaning tree, sheltering the trail

 The streams that usually would have been flowing waterfalls were now just a trickle ending in small puddles along the trail.


Looking down from a bridge at the small stream

 

I was thankful to see that there was still some water in them, not only for the animals but for the overnight hikers who need these small streams to fill their water containers as they journey along. This is the driest summer I ever remember us having here on the island.

A tiny, tiny stream making it's way to the ocean.

There were eleven of us on the hike and as I only knew one of them, at times I found myself hiking alone with my thoughts, focusing on being thankful for all of creation. I enjoy hiking alone or with one other but for longer hikes a group makes more sense especially when you aren't hiking a loop trail. However, I miss the quiet of the forest when I am with a group and my friend quite agreed. The constant chatter of people while you're hiking doesn't allow you to hear the birds or the wind or even your own thoughts. On this trail you are constantly walking and climbing over tree roots so one also has to keep their eyes on the ground and I'm sure we missed some of the spectacular gifts in nature that surrounded us. We did however spy a hollowed out tree that had been struck by lightening. It stood in amongst the live trees of the forest, full of blackened holes.



The hollow tree

We were wonderfully surprised as we hiked past it to find a wonderful hummingbird carved by nature into it's side.



Even in death there is beauty.

Near the end of the hike my friend and I found ourselves alone on the forested trail. We could neither hear the folks ahead of us or behind us. For those few precious moments among the trees we stood still, soaking in the silence of nature.



In the silence

 

Among the trees

After hiking the ten kilometer trail we arrived at our destination - Botanical beach. As the tide was in we would not be able to explore the many wondeful pools of sea life. Instead, after a short break to soak in the beauty we carried on and hiked the last kilometer up to the car park where a driver would take us back to our vehicles.


Botanical beach at high tide

It was great day! The weather was perfect, warm but with a cool breeze off of the ocean, the trail, which you can usually find yourself ankle deep in mud was hard packed and dry, the veiws, wonderful even with the fog and the companionship of others made it fun.

I'm so thankful to live here on this island where we are blessed with trails, both along the ocean coastlines and through the forested lands, with huge mountains to climb for the energetic and valleys for others to explore. It really is an amazing place to be.