Otro Camino

My sisters and I preparing for another hiking path called the West Coast Trail along the coast of Vancouver Island, B.C. We will be starting at the south end by Gordon River and Port Renfrew on July 3rd. Over the course of a week we will travel the 75 km or so along the coast to Bamfield. It's been a challenge trying to figure out what to pack for clothes, for food and for gear because we will need to carry everything. I am not sure I am ready and I am not sure really whose idea this trip was originally, but we've been talking about it for a couple of years. I have skimmed sections of the guide books 'Blisters and Bliss' and a pocket guide that my sister owns. Different people I have run into say different things about it from 'it's beautiful' to 'I heard there is a ladder six storeys high' and 'you will give anything for a dry pair of socks on the last couple of days.' Maybe now seven years after the camino de Santiago I have more fears. I am afraid of being wet for the entire trip, of the weight of the back packs, of not being able to sleep at night, of getting sick from the water and did I mention the wildlife we could meet. I have done minimal preparation by walking to work with my camino back pack weighted with a couple of bottles of laundry detergent and a practice camping trip on a rainy Saturday a couple of weeks ago at Sask Landing. Last weekend I did some shopping for clothes at Value Village, dried food at the Bulk Barn and luckily got some gear for my birthday yesterday. I will try to write about part of the experience and upload it after I get back.  Here is the Parks Canada website that my sister Lisa made the reservations on in April:  http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/bc/pacificrim/index.aspx