I am fresh and awake at 5 am; the air is warm and relatively dry although the fog rolls in a little while later. As other hikers wake and turn on their headlamps, their tents glow like large covered lanterns. Tent shake is at six and we have the usual breakfast (cereal bars, oatmeal and hot drinks) and break camp. The morning is stunning. The sky clears and we all lather suntan lotion only to have the sun disappear until the afternoon when we are in the woods.
Nonetheless the weather gods shine on us; it is not raining today nor does it raiin our whole trip. The hiking is glorious and arduous; memories of the difficulty fades. I recall Doug declaring on day 5 or 6 that if it had rained in the first three days, he would have turned back. He is in bed at around 8:30 every evening and sleeps well; Malte, Martin, and Steve also begin to turn in early.
We move a little slowly in the morning; some blister care is required and we do not start until 8:15 am. After a good nights sleep, we are feeling fresh, but the first kilometer is steep up with one very long ladder and by the top, we are all sweaty. Fortunately, the trail levels off although there are still mud, roots, logs to navigate. Every creek means we descend to a bridge and then climb again. We reach our first extensive ladder systems that takes us down a ravine to a stream and then back up again. Shortly thereafter, there is another ladder system at [Cullite Creek?] which involves eight ladders down and seven ladders up. I count 160 rungs on the way up. At the top, we stop for lunch (crackers, cheddar cheese, roast beef, turkey and fruit bars (for dessert). Malte and I both need blister care after lunch.
The track is no easier and we arrive at still another ladder system including one ladder that declines at a 30-degree angle. At the bottom, we cross Logan Creek on a long narrow suspension bridge. Of course we then climb back up again and the climb includes a very long ladder of 55 rungs. The forest path remains challenging with pools of mud, roots, logs, stumps etc. The mud is sometimes three-eyes deep and the trick is to find a way around or through. The gaiters help keep our legs dry and relatively clean. Eventually we arrive into a more open area of high bog. Here we cross boardwalk in various states of disrepair. There are fewer trees and more silal bushes Philipp also points out huckleberry bushes [I had always thought that these were a fiction]. In the bog beside the boardwalk, there are small red insect eating plants – red with star like flowers. We break for a snack at 4:30 with still 1.5 km to go. The sun is shining. It has already been a long day.
Fortunately, the boardwalk ahead of us is in very good condition and we make good time back to a forest path and then down s steep incline including ladders arriving at Walbran at 5:30 pm. It is a late arrival.
Walbran has a broad deep mouth into the sea. The campsite is on the near side. Three people hiking in the other direction are trying to cross over. They have been caught a pinch point and the tide and have been waiting since 2 pm for the tide to rise and then fall enough for them to get around.
The river mouth is delightful for swimming. Marlene, Doug, [Joy and Martin] join me. Philipp and Kelsey are becoming doubtful about our sanity; clearly for them hiking is about staying warm and dry, certainly not swimming each evening. Neighbours at the campsite have built a large fire so we can warm ourselves after swimming.
The temperature is falling and we get out our toques, gloves and warm sweaters.
Dinner is asian noodles with rehydrated meat and vegetables and biscotti for dessert. Everyone is hungry. We fill water bottles, clean dishes, brush teeth and everyone heads to bed tired and happy.
Although the day has been just 9 km of hiking, it has been a tough 9 km. In our first three days, we have traveled from km 75 to km 53. Nonetheless the hardest part of the hike is behind us.
Doug has new boots that should be waterproof but are not. At some point, he begins to wear zip-lock bags around his socks before putting them in his boots. It is quite a hoot.