This is awesome. You should checkout [FATMAP](https://fatmap.com/routeid/2808585/Juan_De_Fuca_Trail_Day_4/...) for planning big outings like this if you want. It is a great tool.
West Coast Trail – The 75km/48 mile hike in Vancouver Island (2021)
41–50 of 79 posts
Re: West Coast Trail – The 75km/48 mile hike in Vancouver Island (2021)
#42I was just about to comment about my dear of bumping into a grizzly bear while hiking there, but apparently “only” black bears live on Vancouver Island. That would still keep me away and I always wonder if I’m just way too cautious or if the likelihood of running into a bear is so low that it’s worth it?
Black bears have killed 67 people in North America since 1900, so I think statistically the risk is very low [1].
I have come across black bears on several occasions while hiking in Yosemite and Sequoia national park. They have never expressed the slightest bit of interest in me. Give them plenty of space, make plenty of noise, and eventually they will wander away.
Grizzly bears, the other hand, terrify me.
Re: West Coast Trail – The 75km/48 mile hike in Vancouver Island (2021)
#43The trail is utterly incredible, one of the best I hiked on the way from Alaska down to Argentina. Here's my trip report and photos from years ago: http://theroadchoseme.com/the-west-coast-trail-pt-1 http://theroadchoseme.com/the-west-coast-trail-pt-2
Nice write up. Enjoyed reading it
Re: West Coast Trail – The 75km/48 mile hike in Vancouver Island (2021)
#44>> Warning: below talks about poop talk
Can someone please explain to me why some people think warnings like these are necessary. I really want to understand.
Re: West Coast Trail – The 75km/48 mile hike in Vancouver Island (2021)
#45>> Warning: below talks about poop talk Can someone please explain to me why some people think warnings like these are necessary. I really want to understand.
People like to read articles during their lunch and poop talk is known to decrease your appetite.
Re: West Coast Trail – The 75km/48 mile hike in Vancouver Island (2021)
#46When I did this trail long ago I got to meet Monique (since passed) who ran a very tasty burger joint at the mid point. She had quite the operation going with a sizable garden and food boated in regularly. Exchange students ran much of the kitchen. I must admit, I had not been prepared to find myself arguing over esoteric details of Python with her. Monique was a very interesting person who was still going to school…
Oh, I wish I could have had the chance to meet Monique. What an interesting lady!
Please, if you have any other stories from those adventures, I would love to hear them.
Is there a particular Python discussion with her that sticks in your mind?
Re: West Coast Trail – The 75km/48 mile hike in Vancouver Island (2021)
#47There's a survival show called Alone that recorded several seasons on Vancouver Island. One thing I learned from that show is not to underestimate this island: The rain, the wildlife, the wild!
Most of the seasons can be watched for free, now: https://play.history.com/shows/alone#episodes
Re: West Coast Trail – The 75km/48 mile hike in Vancouver Island (2021)
#48A few random reactions: > You would think sleeping by the beach is relaxing, but really that is far from the case. I didn’t sleep that well as the ocean was thundering in the middle of the night. I agree sleeping on the beach is nowhere near as pleasant as it sounds. I remember one night I set up camp near the shore, and kept waking up throughout the night to the sound of lapping waves in a panic that the tide was ri…
> > You would be surprised but there are so many debates in the hiking community. This debate is to bring hiking poles or not.
> I definitely recommend using hiking poles.
This "hiking community" is just the people getting into those debates online. The vast majority of the actual hiking community just enjoys their trips in silence without getting into online arguments.
Source: In my circles of about 40-50 hiking enthusiasts, only about 2-3 engage in online debates. Everybody else enjoys their trips and learns from own experiences and the occasional chat with friends. Debating for weeks whether hiking poles are a must (I never use any, but it's a matter of preference) or whether to break off your toothbrush to save extra weight (IMO ridiculous) are mostly a waste of time.
Re: West Coast Trail – The 75km/48 mile hike in Vancouver Island (2021)
#49I was just about to comment about my dear of bumping into a grizzly bear while hiking there, but apparently “only” black bears live on Vancouver Island. That would still keep me away and I always wonder if I’m just way too cautious or if the likelihood of running into a bear is so low that it’s worth it?
Many suburban parts of the country see more black bear than trails/rural areas
Re: West Coast Trail – The 75km/48 mile hike in Vancouver Island (2021)
#50A few random reactions: > You would think sleeping by the beach is relaxing, but really that is far from the case. I didn’t sleep that well as the ocean was thundering in the middle of the night. I agree sleeping on the beach is nowhere near as pleasant as it sounds. I remember one night I set up camp near the shore, and kept waking up throughout the night to the sound of lapping waves in a panic that the tide was ri…
> > You would be surprised but there are so many debates in the hiking community. This debate is to bring hiking poles or not. > I definitely recommend using hiking poles. This "hiking community" is just the people getting into those debates online. The vast majority of the actual hiking community just enjoys their trips in silence without getting into online arguments. Source: In my circles of about 40-50 hiking ent…
People breaking the toothbrush are stupid, you should perforate it to keep the size and save weight! /s