british columbia | Jims Walking Journey

Walking the Wild Pacific Trail, Vancouver Island

The Wild Pacific Trail is a series of footpaths exploring the untamed natural beauty of the wild and rugged coastline near Ucluelet on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Originally the vision of ‘Oyster’ Jim Martin, the Wild Pacific Trail Society was formed in 1999 and over the decades this community project has created a series of footpaths through the rainforests along the coast with interpretive signage, benches and viewing platforms. Having already walked the Tonquin Trail further north on the island I was keen to experience more of the ancient, atmospheric rainforests that stand on the edge of a continent watching over an ocean spanning half way across the world before it meets land again.

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A walk to Kinney Lake – Mount Robson Provincial Park

By any measure Mount Robson is a mountain lovers mountain. Our first view of it is driving south on Highway 16 where it appears like a giant at the end of a long straight stretch of highway. The tall regimental green pines flanking the roadside act like a funnel drawing our eyes towards it’s huge bulk, long narrow ridges, vertical drops and snow plastered peak. It’s a mammoth mountain and it comes as no surprise to learn that at 12,972ft it’s the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies.

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A walk in Ancient Forest/Chun T’oh Whudujut Provincial Park

The Ancient Forest/Chun T’oh Whudujut Provincial Park is one of the newer national parks in British Columbia, being established in 2016. It’s a relatively small park with only a short hike around it and the walking is almost all along boardwalks that have been put in place to protect the delicate ecosystems from human feet. Some of the western red cedars in the forest are a thousand years old or more and the park is a rare example of inland temperate rainforest, an environment unique to North America. And who can resist a walk in a rainforest.

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The Lighthouse Loop Trail – Vancouver Island

When ‘Oyster’ Martin moved to Vancouver Island in the 1980’s he fell in love with the rugged landscape and rocky headlands of the west coast that he saw from his fishing boat each day and had a dream to create a trail along the coastline that could be accessed and enjoyed by all. Forty years later that vision has grown into the Wild Pacific Trail and today I’m walking the Lighthouse Loop section, which happens to be the first section that was completed back in 1999.

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A walk around Emerald Lake, Yoho National Park

The alarm goes at 6am and by ten past we are on the road, half awake and unwashed with the bed still warm in the back of the van. All is quiet as we drive out of Lake Louise Campground through the sleepy town and out onto the Trans Canada One heading west. The sun is breaking through but clouds still cover the higher peaks and mist floats over the Bow river as we head up Kicking Horse Pass and back into British Columbia and Yoho National Park. The only other vehicles on the road are gigantic trucks, engines labouring up the incline.

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Walking the Tonquin Trail on Vancouver Island

It’s a six hour drive from Victoria, the capital of British Columbia on Vancouver Island to our campsite in Tofino and my nerves are tested on the narrow bendy bit of the Pacific Rim Highway beyond Port Alberni. I am after all, driving on the wrong side of the road and sitting on the wrong side of the vehicle. The journey passes without incident though and as we park up at Tsawaak RV campground a gossamer thin sea mist is drifting in from the ocean obscuring sight and muffling sound. The cold dampness on our skin is refreshing though after the heat of Vancouver and Victoria where temperatures were in the mid 30’c.

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Walking the Wild Pacific Trail, Vancouver Island

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A walk to Kinney Lake – Mount Robson Provincial Park

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A walk in Ancient Forest/Chun T’oh Whudujut Provincial Park

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The Lighthouse Loop Trail – Vancouver Island

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A walk around Emerald Lake, Yoho National Park

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Walking the Tonquin Trail on Vancouver Island

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