Day Three: 42km-17.5 (Cribs Creek to Tsocowis)
It was bound to happen. We just didn’t expect it to be this petty.
“I thought we decided we were going to mix it up,” I said as I traipsed down the umpteenth ladder of the WCT, literally balancing the two poles and the cumbersome weight on my pack with my desire to finish this portion of the hike.
“You said you didn’t care,” Nick said, exasperated at trying to understand why I was upset. “And the beach has interesting things to see.”
“But we talked about it this morning!”
For all of the time that we spend together (largely in periods of 2-3 weeks, 24/7), our arguments aren’t so bad. But they are dumb.
With the previous days’ sand-lugging (definition: the act of trying to drag the weight of oneself and one’s heavy backpack through thick, sinking sand) fresh in my mind, I wanted as little to do with the beach as possible. And, since we had the option of going inland or on the beach for the next few kilometers, I figured we would mix it up. Nick, however, had different plans.
Did I mention we’re both incredibly stubborn people?
Our argument eventually subsided into a silent truce in which we walked thirty feet apart along the beach, taking turns silently stooping low to individually inspect whatever sea life we spotted.
The culmination of our petty fight happened after we wordlessly agreed to stop for a rest. We pulled snacks from our packs and sat at opposite ends of the log until we accidentally made eye contact. Suddenly our serious, angry faces cracked and we broke into laughter. To think that you could be walking along a once-in-a-lifetime trail and fight about which was prettier: a wild, rugged coastline or a wild, rugged forest.
After we unanimously agreed that we couldn’t have made up this argument if we tried, we trekked on in much lighter spirits.
The biggest highlight of the day was Nitinat Narrows, the channel running through the middle of the West Coast Trail (and a boat ride between sections). A Ditidat First Nations family runs a spectacular restaurant at Nitinat complete with several tables, a simple kitchen, a map displaying the hometowns of WCT hikers, and the option between salmon, crab or halibut. Although the meal isn’t cheap, at $25 I would have spent four times that to eat more of the delicious, grilled salmon. Our meals came with a baked potato loaded with butter.
After our meal, we boarded a boat driven by one of the daughters of the family. Her nephew, a curious 4-year-old boy, hung to the boat’s railing as we crossed the channel but was swiftly scolded for doing so. Last year he had fallen into the cold water; wearing a lifejacket at all times was now his consequence.
By mid-afternoon, we arrived at the acclaimed Tsusiat Falls. Thanks to the summer’s drought, the falls trickled. Unimpressed, we continued on, hoping to get to the next campsite at Tsocowis Creek. Our total for the day would be 27km, a silly argument, one cable ride, a million and one ladders and a big dose of humility.
Our last campsite of the trip was by far the prettiest. With only one other group there, it was certainly the most private too, allowing for a cold water shower and our first campfire of the trip.
Daily Animal Count: grey whale, orcas, bald eagles, black tailed deer, blue heron, sea star, falcon, wilson’s warblers, american dipper, seagulls, american robins, jellyfish, octopus, crabs, stellar’s jays, kingfishers, banana slugs, sandpipers, wren (yet again!), an angry wasp nest
Did you miss days one & two? Check them out here & here.
So what’s next? Click here to find out about day 4.