The Edge of the Pacific
by Rick Hudson
T 32 FALL2002
The trouble with Canada’s well-known West Coast Trail is not
simply that it’s being trampled to death, which it
is.The problem goes deeper than that. It’s an eight day thrash through damp West Coast flora, squelching in and out of mud swamps, skinning knees and elbows on wet roots, suffering days of dripping fog, trudging hours across soft sand with a thirty kilogram pack, competing for moist tide line camp sites and avoiding copious amounts of unburied human waste, all in the name of wilderness recreation. Folks, there has to be a better way to enjoy the highlights of this
justifiably famous coastline, with its beach vistas, rolling Pacific swells and moss-draped forest edges but without all that rainforest hassle. Better yet, wouldn’t you like to experience the wild shore and get back to a hot tub in the evening? It may take over a week to hike, slither, slide and climb those
mud-encrusted ladders but,as the grey whale glides, it’s a mere two fair-weather days of paddling down the
coast.Not only that,but the very reason you’re on the West Coast Trail (to see the beaches,head- lands and inter-tidal zones) are all better seen from a kayak, than from the inside of a damp forest trail.
Starting this year, the luxurious Tyee Lodge in Bamfield is offer-
ing a fully supported sea kayaking package. It includes a twenty-six foot launch to whisk you rapidly along the shore to your chosen starting point and a certified paddling guide to help those who might otherwise be intimidated by the ubiquitous ocean swells.You then play all day among the cliffs and reefs and arches.Watch the surf burst and fly. Approach the sea lion colonies on their foam- ringed pull-out rocks. See whales spout and bald eagles
hunt.And then in the evening that same launch brings you back to the lodge, with its hot tub, elaborate dinner and clean sheets. Can life get any better?
When is the wilderness not the wilderness? In recent years the dramatic growth in outdoor and adventure
sports has meant that more and more people are looking for wilder- ness. Individual definitions and expectations of wilderness vary, but any time the government declares a new park, the ink is barely dry in the Gazette before squads of wilderness groupies and adventure companies are swarming the place.
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