9/27/08 - 9/28/08

Seeking some outdoor adventure after our ferry travels, we set out for Cape Scott Provincial Park.  The park lies 64 km west of Port Hardy at the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island.   The road is unpaved and rough with plenty of logging trucks, potholes and roaming bears to avoid.  It will most likely take longer than anticipated so be patient, enjoy the scenery and learn a bit about the forestry industry along the way.  A central parking lot lies at the end of the road with access to a trailhead leading to several hiking and camping options. 

We opted to hike to and camp at San Josef Bay, a beautiful stretch of beach 2.5 km from the trailhead.  While there are no specifically designated campsites, there are plenty of great spots to set up camp.  We picked a sheltered bend in the treescape which afforded us both grand vistas and a bit of wind protection.

San Josef Bay has two beaches, one accessible only during low tide.  There are also lots of shellfish harvesting opportunities at low tide.  Mussels galore!  We enjoyed some fresh veggies, pasta and wine with this gorgeous sunset.

In the morning we decided to check out the hiking options and headed north on the Cape Scott trail toward Eric Lake.  The trail conditions vary widely from boardwalks to mucky pits with sinking logs and balance hazards.  Definitely wear your waterproof boots and heavy socks. 

Conditions notwithstanding, I found the integration of the surrounding environment to be particularly inventive on this trail.  The work put in to maintaining this changing and mushy landscape is incredible and commendable.  Check out these steps carved into a fallen log (with traction!) and a skinned log with attached railing used for a river crossing. 

We reached Eric Lake and ate lunch.  The campground there is quite interesting, with elevated wooden tent pads and a connecting boardwalk system.  We wandered around a bit and were rewarded with a close encounter with one of the resident bald eagles.

Back at camp, we had an early dinner and settled in before too much condensation collected on the outside of the tent.  In the morning we unzipped our rainfly to see a black bear and her two cubs taking a stroll on the beach.  While the bears noted our presence they went about their business and soon disappeared into the forest.

We were very happy to wake to the bright sunny day as it meant we could actually pack up a dry tent for once.  However the humidity in Cape Scott is intense and required some innovative hanging techniques to fully achieve the level of dryness we were hoping for.

Camping at Cape Scott was one of the most peaceful and tranquil experiences on this trip.  I highly recommend it for a relaxing rustic getaway, provided you are not afraid of a few bear encounters.  Be sure to use the food caches, kick back and enjoy this excellent forest/beach combo!