Cogomov

First time on the Sunshine Coast Trail (SCT). This is a 180 km trail from Sarah Point to Saltery Bay on the Sunshine Coast. I only did a small portion of it.

I was going to start at Sarah Point and hike down to Powell River(PR), or Powell Riviera as it's sometimes called, but the logistics of getting to Sarah Point are complicated so I simplified and started in the middle of the top half, where that trail crosses Malaspina Rd, and did a back and forth to Sarah Point. 

Day 1
Drive - ferry - drive - ferry - drive, eventually reaching the Malaspina Rd/SCT junction at 4pm. 
Arrived at Manzanita Bluffs Hut around 6:30 and set up my tent. I don't think I've ever seen this concentration of Arbutus trees before. Perfect West Coast conditions. There were 6 other people camping at this site. No one using the hut for sleeping. 

Had a great chat with a couple from Surrey. Great view from the bluffs as we talked away the dusk about life, camping, kids, Sam Harris and Free Will!

There's no water at this hut. I naively assumed all huts would have water. I supposed technically there is water, rain barrels reserved for fires, with little fishies. Fortunately I had enough to get me through the night and morning.

Day 2
Manzanita Hut to Bliss Portage. 8km. 
8km does not sound like much but with a 35 lb pack and not much experience, it shows. Wednesday Lake is half way. Stopped for a swim, after dodging a huge garter snake, and loaded up the water bottles. I checked the place out as I was planning on stopping here on the way back. 

Bliss Portage camp. Not much to this campsite, but it is half way between Sarah Point and Manzanita, and Bliss Portage itself is a trail access point. 

Day 3 
Bliss Portage to Sarah Point. 8km. 
There's a water stop at Holman Lake at km 5.4. I filled the extra bottle, for a total of 3.5 litres or 7 lbs of water, as there's no water at Sarah Point and the next water will be here on the way back. 

Stopped for lunch at Feather Cove and watched kayakers gearing up. Feather Cove is a real kayakers campground. Many kayakers stop here for the night on their travels. 

 

Walked into Sarah Point around 2pm and setup my tent off in the woods. The platforms are exposed and the sun was really hot in the afternoon. Fortunately there's a path down to the ocean and swimming was incredible. Cool not cold, comparable to 3rd beach in Vancouver. 

Met a quartet of women from Bellingham who were planning on doing the entire 180km of the SCT in 10 nights out (16-18 kms per day). They had planned a 10 night out around MT Baker, but got smoked out so quickly pivoted to the SCT.

Day 4 
Sarah Point to Wednesday Lake - 12km. 
My longest day, but nothing compared to the 'Women of Bellingham'. 
Stopped at my old campsite at Bliss Portage for lunch.

Arrived at Wednesday lake around 3pm and immediately went for a swim. 
I thought I would have the site to myself but a older Czech couple arrived about 6pm. They were real pro trail campers with all the camping mod-cons. They even shared some of blackberry pound cake they had carried in. 

It was really humid and so another after dinner swim was required. 

Day 5
Wednesday Lake to Malaspina Rd. 9km.

Couldn't help but have another swim before leaving. 
Stopped in at Manzanita Hut for lunch, and happened to meet the Czech couple there. 

Back at the car by 3pm and we're done. Thanks to Susan for the post trip support and meal!