I am fresh and wide-awake just after 5 but stay in the tent until shortly before 6. As usual, there is a light mist falling. Tent shake is not until 7:30. Steve and Doug are up shortly and there is plenty of time to wander the beach and find the privacy point.
After a very, very relaxed early morning, we start off at 9:30 for a short 30-minute hike to hole-in-the-wall where we break to explore and take pictures. An easy hike follows along the shore to Tsusiat Falls at 11:30. Philipp has avoided camping at the Falls as it tends to be crowded. At midday, the falls are deserted. It is a stunning location with a waterfall descending into a large deep fresh-water pool. Everyone but Philipp and Kelsey swim. The water is cool but you can stay in for quite a time. You can swim under the falls and sit on a shelf behind them. It is a like a tropical paradise, just 15 degrees Celsius cooler. To add to the perfection, Martin (our keen fire starter) has found embers and half burned wood from the previous night’s fires and so there is fire for warm and entertainment.
We have forgotten to soak the beans for today’s lunch so we eat tomorrow’s lunch of cheese, salami, cream cheese on crackers as well as the remainder of the PB, jam and nutella.
Our break at Tsusiat is long and we do not start again until 2:30. After a steep uphill and a ladder, it is a relatively short hike on good trail to Klanawa River. The tide is still relatively low but coming in. Steve, Doug and I take off our boots and wade across with the water above our knees. The rest do upstream to take the cable car. We are setting up camp by 4:00 pm
After setting up camp, Doug and I swim in the river. It is very nice and I swim about 100 meters up to under the cable car and back.
Dinner is sweet and sour pork with veggies on couscous. Philipp reads us the history of Valencia – a shipwreck that was the instigation for the WCT. People wander off at various times to bed. Once again, Joy, Marlene and I see the fire to bed and follow just before 10.