Sunshine Coast Adventure Hike with the Trailfamily 2022

David and I at the start of our 8 day adventure !

Sunshine Coast trail is a 180 km back country hiking experience that extends from Sarah point in Desolation sound to Saltery bay . This epic hiking trail boasts 14 huts making it Canada’s longest hut to hut hiking trail - and only free one . The Powell River Parks and Wilderness Society (PAWS), founded in 1992, started building hiking trails that link old growth forests in the front region . The trail provides a diverse hiking experience as it ranges from coastal shorelines , along creeks and lakes , through old growth forests and panoramic mountain tops .this year there was no shortage of water with all the rain we had this winter and still some snow patches on some of the summits .

David Marlor and I hiked the entire trail in 2021 in two separate occasions .I and fell in love with it . We thought we would do it again this year , but all in one go, in preparation for the Cascade Crest 100 miler July 22-23 , entry was rolled over twice due to the race being cancelled in 2020 and borders closed to USA in 2021. Back country hiking serves perfect strength training for an ultra, since in a 100 miler realistically hiking more than actual running . hiking with a 15 kg pack , not including 2 litres of water and I litre of wine :) It was also good practise for using hiking poles . The perfect hiking holiday !

This year the huts were open . The rule “ leave no trace “ and to be respectful of the huts and the trails by leaving them in better shape than you found them applied.

David at Sarah point . Pack weights 15 kg plus 2 liters of water.

The plan was to hike from the start of the trail Sarah point Saturday June 25 and finish in Saltrey bay Saturday July 7 . David booked the Sunshine Coast shuttle , a four by four service , only way to access trail head to Sarah point .. The other option is to go by by boat . We were booked on the noon shuttle with an American couple , but last minute change of plans as the couple missed their flight . Also we were warned that Powell River days was happening that weekend and the ferry could be potentially full, even as a walk on . We decided to play it safe and catch the 6:30 am earlier ferry which meant leaving Victoria 2 :30 am Saturday morning .

We made the 6:30 am ferry and arrived in Powell river in time for breakfast at Base Camp around 8:30am . This was our last chance to eat “real food” before our week long hike of eating dehydrated meals. Base Camp has really great coffee and breakfast burritos !

After breakfast David and I walked to Willingdon Beach Park to wait for our shuttle . Shortly after we got there we got a message from Mark the Sunshine Coast shuttle driver Saying he could drive us to the trail head at 10:30 am, 2 hours ahead of our schedule . We hiked over to the shopping mall to meet the shuttle . This shuttle arrive right on time and Mark helped us load our packs into the 4 by 4. We stopped on the way to pick up another couple , Mexican tourists Fernando Aguirre and Rodolfo Charles Wah both 19 year old students. I've never met anyone named Fernando , while in my head i was reciting the ABBA lyrics to Fernando in my head . The shuttle driver , Mark, was well -skilled in safely navigating the active forest service roads and was a great tour guide . I wasn't afraid at all and we were bouncing around like mexican jumping beans . On route , We made a quick stop at the Shingle Mill pub to drop a resupply of 6 days worth of food. The restaurant was kind enough to do this for hikers free of charge and put our boxes in a closet reserved for through hikers .

The next 7 days routine was were get up, pack up the tent, eat breakfast, filter water ,hike all day, swim, set up the tent, eat dinner, go to bed and repeat . David had planned daily itinerary as we had been here before and knew how many km's we needed to cover in our allotted timeline.

A trail family is a group of hikers that form together that look out for one another. Often these trail families form at the beginning of a thru-hike.

Day 1 Saturday - Sarah point to Wednesday lake : 15 km

We arrived at the trail head at Sarah point around noon, got our packs on and started our journey on the trail. We took a few pictures of the new hut and said good bye to Fernando and Rodolfo and wished them luck on their hike. Our plan was to hike to Wednesday lake as likely Manzanitta hut would be busier, noted from our experience last year.

The early morning was taking affect so we set up camp at Wednesday lake and called it a day. The swim in Wednesday lake so refreshing and we were joined by 2 other hikers who arrived before us . Shortly after Fernando and Rodolfo arrived and they decided to set up camp close to David's Six Moon design 3 season tent . They both had matching bivy sacks and bear canisters . A bivy sack is basically a solo shelter and saves weight and space in your pack . We enjoyed our dehydrated dinners . my Mountain house Pasta Primavera , was tasty. David's Alpinaire ginger beef stir fry was also yummy . I brought along a litre of hiker wine which i sipped with dinner, the one luxury item I take hiking . Was worth the extra weight. We were all in bed before the sun went down and had a peaceful sleep on our first night .

Day 2 Sunday – Wednesday lake- Sliammon lake – 30 km

The alarm clock is waking up to the sounds of birds chirping . We were up and had the tent packed up, ate our instant oatmeal mix breakfast and coffee and were hiking by 7:30 am most day. We had a big day ahead so good to get an early start . The boys asked where we were headed today . we all look to David, as our tour guide. . We stopped briefly at Manzanitta for a quick coffee break to enjoy the view . Had to check out the compost outhouse. Such a luxury on the trail! As predicted the camp site was full , we had made a good decision to camp at Wednesday lake.

Camp at Sliammon lake . Cool in the shade .

Fern Crossing , one of my favorite spots along this section, made me think of Fern Esau, a close friend at the age of 61 passed away in Feb 2016 after fighting a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. I'll always remember her.

Rieveleys Pond , built by the PAWS and the BOMB squad . Located close to the edge of the pond , home to the course of vocal frogs. The Bull frogs were serenading us here.

David and I decided to stop at Appleton Creek to filter water andto eat our dehydrated dinner , Mountain House chicken and rice for me , David had an Alpinaire bean chli also pretty tasty with a few sips of hiker wine , before continuing on the remaining 4 km to Sliammon lake. David noticed something on my neck, I thought my pack was rubbing but it turns out it was a TICK trying to burrow into my neck. David got it out and fortunately the local ticks don't carry Lyme disease. Meanwhile Rodolpho and Fernando passed as here continuing on. When we got to Sliammon lake the boys had set up their bivy sacks close to another tent , owned by a solo female hiker , who had set up tent in the middle of the trail. I was in awe of her independence to hike alone.

David filtering water at Appleton Creek .

The campsite shaded by the trees. Nothing feels better after a hike than a refreshing cold swim , later we joined by our Fernando and Rodolpho . The cold water would do our legs good after a 30 km day . Another early night and a good sleep here .

Day 3 – Monday- Sliammon lake – Anthony Island

“ The early bird catches the worm “ . David and I were usually the first camp packed up ready to go by 7:30- 8 am . We said good bye to the guys knowing they would be right behind us or pass as at some point. The solo hiker girl – Maja asked where we were headed today . Our plan was to stop for lunch at shingle Mill and pick up our resupply .

Left to right - Fernando, Rodolfo, me and David on way to Shingle Mill.

As were hiking along the Bluffs, I could hear the guys catching up to us. We stopped to enjoy the views and took a few pictures . It was slow going for me on the decent and they beat us to Shingle Mill . David and I enjoyed a beer and lunch , I ordered the cauliflower bites and taco salad with prawns and David had a burger and fries on the patio before picking up our six day re- supply . The guys decided to cab it into Powell River to pick up more food as they didn't have a resupply . As we were packing up, solo hiker Maja Maj also picking up her resupply , was chatting with David . Maja joined us on the trek to Mowat park where I stopped for a swim. It was such a hot and humid day , my stomach was full from all the greasy food and beer and the extra weight in my backpack made me feel slow and sluggish .The water was freezing cold and refreshing . As we headed toward Anthony island joined by Maja happily chatting most of the way , it was a slow going section and hot and humid . David was struggling with the heat and felt weighed down by lunch too Pub food not the best for hiking . It's better to graze through the day and eat small amounts . Usually lunch consisted of some combo of trail mix, beef jerky , dried mango or a pop tart . Easier on the digestive system. By the time we got to Inland lake we were feeling better . We filled up with nice cold water tap we spotted last year at the recreation campsite.

Maja and David crossing the rickety Inland lake bridge .

As we hiked along the trail , we passed a family having a picnic . David commented they had Bubbly . “ Would you like a Bubbly ? We have a whole case “ . Bubbly is David's favorite beverage ! Trail magic ! We each too a Blackberry Bubbly water, said “ Thank you “ We hiked and drank along the flat stretch . Only 3 km to go! My glutes were burning and ,my neck and shoulders fatigued from my pack. That was a long 3 km ! I headed straight into the lake when we got to camp , joined by Maja. David got his feet wet. We could hear singing . The guys had made it even after their pit stop to Powell river . We set up our camp like one big happy tramily (trail family) Maja says to me “ you guys are role models “ . I was taken back buy the comment . Really ? Wow ! I was thinking, these kids were old enough to be my kids lol. Over dinner of Ramen noodles with tuna, bone broth and dehydrated mushrooms , we discussed the hiking plan for the next day . I shared the rest of my hiker wine with Maja as i didn't want to lug up more weight up Tin Hat than I needed to.

Dinner at Anthony Lake camp site (L-R ) David, Maja , Fernando and Rodolpho .

The sounds of Loons over the lake and Bullfrogs lulled us to sleep before sunset .

Day 4- Tuesday- Tin Hat 23 km 1,885 meters

Tin Hat is the highlight of the SCT and marks the half way point . It's 360 degree mountain top provides epic views . Tin Hat is named for the tin hats that were worn by loggers who were pioneers in the Powell River area. On the way we pass through Confederation lake hut . When we arrived , we were greeted by a couple staying the the cabin. We all stopped for a lunch break , meanwhile I heard some buzzing in the air. Rodolpho was fling his drone taking pictures “ you have a drone ? So cool “ the photos were breath taking ! On wards heading towards Fiddlehead landing we noticed a cougar warning sign and then a few meters later is nauseating stench . The skeleton looked like it could have been a deer. Looks like the cougar had a feast !

I was looking to the climb up Tin hat . Last year it was such a hot day when we climbed it, but today was cool and over- cast with a sprinkle of rain. I was surprised at how fast we made it to “the last chance water stop “ . We filtered water here and David and I carried up 3 liters each . Why not add on some extra weight

for the climb . Also we didn't know the water situation ahead, better safe than sorry. There ended up being lots of streams ahead. I was leading the climb, David and Rodolpho right behind me. I had that same focus you get in an ultra, quads were burning , but keep on churning . The trail is a series of steep switchbacks. My heart-rate escalated, Fernando and Maja were a little ways back . We stopped for a few micro breaks to catch our breath and have a sip of water. I was really grateful for my poles here. As we neared the top , last stretch of fireroad climb, David had an extra gear and pulled away beating us all of us to the top .Yeah we made it! The clouds were blocking the views . We went into the hut to be greeted by 2 female hikers. They made room for us as we told them where we had hiked from , they were in awe ! David suddenly got really cold and changed into dry clothes and puffy jacket but couldn't get warmed. I was worried ..maybe hypothermia ? I brought a large Moxi heat pad, like an oversized hot shot, and activated it for David to put close to his body . After some hot food and the warmth created by 3 jet boils going inside the cabin, David felt better within minutes . David really pushed it and probably when he stopped his core temperature dropped too fast I'm guessing . A few minutes later Fernando arrived and then a while later Maja made her appearance. Trailfamily made it safe and sound. After dinner of Vegan mac and cheese with tuna and dehydrated veggies , David and i opted to sleep outside in the tent as the cabin was a bit crowded . The tent was cozy and with the heat pack keeping me warm in my sleeping bag .

Left to Right Rodolfo, Maja , Fernando and David .We made it ! Dinner at Tin Hat hut .

Day 5- Tin Hat- Elk lake – 24 km

We didn't miss the sunrise , the clouds were still soaked in hiding the views. It was drizzling so we put on our rain gear for decent . The section of trail descending Tin hat was treacherous and i was dreading it. It wasn't as bad as I had remembered . Another hiker with a dog hiking behind us was really struggling without hiking poles and had a few falls down the trail. Poles are a good investment . We reached the 90 km mark ,” half way there “ on the SCT.

Our destination was the climb up to Walt Hill. Last year we took a bypass trail, but this year stayed on the SCT trail which gave us an extra km . There were a few snow patches here . We stopped for lunch inside the cabin . The bugs were fierce ! The late spring and snow melt makes the bugs worse . Insect repellent did nothing . I wore my buff over my head and face to protect my eyes, nose and mouth from the bugs. We ate our lunch inside the cabin. A pop-tart with re hydrated peanut butter powered and dried mango and banana chips and peanut M&M on top. Strange food combinations tastes good when you have hiker – hunger. Rodolpho and Fernando stayed behind to take photos with the drone. David , Maja and I continued down the mountain towards Elk lake . We had a good pace going when Fernando and Rodolpho caught up to us again. It was like a game of cat and mouse . I noticed less chatter as the days went on . Hiking is like meditation- I wasn't thinking about where my feet were going , as if they were on automatic pilot . My mind wandered a lot and I'd have to bring myself back to the present . The climb up to Elk lake is is a steep relentless switchback trail. I remembered this section from last year , it's short but intense! I felt relieved to get to the top of the climb, only to be greeted by the worse bogs setting up camp at Elk lake . I borrowed David's bug net , the bugs were swarming in our faces.

Lunch break in Walt Hut trying to escape the bugs .

Drone photo from Walt Hill: photo credit Rodolfo Charles Wah

Fernando, Rodolpho and I braved the freezing cold lake. It was refreshing and i knew would do our bodies good recovery for the next day . I used some Wilderness wash- a multi purpose biodegradable soap great for washing off dirt and sweat. After my bath , we made dinner in the hut as the bugs were not as bad inside, even though there were no windows or doors on the cabins. It was an an early night as usual in the tent to escape the bugs . The boys and Maja slept in the cabin that night alongside other hikers . The black flies and mosquitos were trapped between the 2 layers of the tent trying to get in . I watched the movie “ Hustle “ on David's iphone and fell asleep listening to the sounds of nature .

Elk lake hut . Photo credit : Rodolfo Charles Wah - drone .

Day 6- Elk lake – Lois lake 31 km

As the days wore on, so was the fatigue in my legs settling in, but my pack was feeling lighter every day Maja was on a mission and took off on ahead of us . David and I kept our slow and steady pace . I was happy to get to Lois lake but found where we had camped last year on the beach was under water . We could hear Maja's voice . She had already arrived and set up camp “. There was also another group of ladies from Victoria hiking , on the search for beer . We ended up popping up the ten in the site above Maja's anticipating Fernado and Rodopho's s arrival . Finally about an hour later they arrived looking exhausted . There was a confusing section on the trail and missed the turn where there was a yellow gate , the markers were not distinct here . I was relieved to see them They seemed to be rejuvenated after a cool swim in the lake and some food . 20 year old's recover so quickly, not like “us “ old fossils. Meanwhile in the camp site, the sound of 4x 4s driving around blaring their loud music . Needless to say , I didn't get much sleep that night , as the party animals were drunk, loud and obnoxious and kept most of us awake that night . As much as I liked this campsite, I don't think I'd stay there again on a Canada Day long weekend .

Day 7 – Lois lake – Rainy Day lake 25 km

As David and I hiked out , we had to pass through the party campsite. The said “ off for a little wander ? “ Yeah, thanks for keeping us awake last night . David had a few words to say and we were on our way. Meanwhile the ladies from Victoria camped next door to them said “ white noise “ of the stream helped them sleep.

We stopped at Golden Stanley hut, half way between Walt Hill and Troubridge to filter water. On the climb to Troubridge we ran into Jim Stutt – on the board of directors of the SCT . He was hiking with another PAWS crew member. .Jim was the one who had the vision to build the huts and has spent numerous hours designing and building the huts and maintaining trails. We stopped and chatted and was told about the new compos table toilet at Rainy Day and Elk lake campsite . They use the latest technology , smelled better than any outhouse .

Jim Strutt (right) on Board of directors for SCT and fellow PAWS trail member , who’s name i can’t remember.

When we arrived at Troubridge , 1300 meters of elevation there was a lot of snow! We stopped briefly but kept going as the bugs in the alpine were brutal . Rodolpho stayed behind having some lunch and waited for Fernando here . David and I kept hiking down the sketchy trail which turned into smooth single track . I noticed a grouse and her adorable baby chicks , one had gotten away and was hiding under a log. I tried to get a picture but was getting eaten alive . We came across a gardener snake that was sunbathing in the trail not wanting to move. That was about all the wildlife we saw.

Snow hiking top of Troubridge highest peak on SCT.

When we finally arrived at Rainy Day lake, since it was Canada day long weekend it was slim pickings for campsites. A lot of day hikers had made it here earlier . We found a small shady spot on the side of the trail. David and i headed to the swimming hole to cool off and so later joined by Fernando and Rodolpho . Maja hadn't arrived and it was getting dark. Hopefully she had a headlight or maybe decided to set up camp earlier as she had planned. I wasn't too worried as she's strong and independent .

Day 8 – Rainy Day – Saltrey Bay

I woke at 6:30am to use the compost toilet , a hiker leaving the campsite asked me for directions to Saltrey bay . I was barely awake and directionally challenged myself pointed him in down he trail . There are 2 trail options to Saltrey bay – one is more inland and the other along the coastline . If you want more scenic route and a little longer take the coastline trail.

I was expecting to see Maja's tent in the campground , but suddenly she appears out of the woods “ hey guys “ ! I could see Fernando and Rodolpho were happy to see her ! I was happy she could join us for our last stretch to the finish. The last day felt bittersweet as I was happy to finish but also sad that the journey with our trailfamily was coming to an end .

At the finish line of SCT ! We all made it !!

After taking the bus into Powell River from Saltrey bay , We celebrated our epic adventure over a delicious dinner at Costa de Sol and then for the ice cream, I kept raving about during the hike , at the Wild Scoop.

Enjoying Wild Scoop ice cream post hike .

It was nice to catch up with an old friend Linda Robichaud who joined us for dinner. Linda hand -picks blueberries for the Wild Scoop . The ice cream is out of this world !

Catching up with Linda at the Wild Scoop ! Some things never change .

It was sad to part ways with Fernando and Rodolpho . They opted to get a hotel room in Powell River before their flight back to Mexico .

Maja came along with David and I to catch the ferry back to Courteney , but we stopped to pick some souvenir Tin Hat beer .

It’s hard to go back to reality after being in the wilderness for a week . On a thru – hike , life is simple, and to paraphrase Thoreau , that simplicity is the key to happiness . Back in the real world, things are complicated .The desire to give up all the advances of society to go back to a “ better world “ is strong .

All good things come to an end, but memories last forever !