Day 6 (July 8th) Tsusiat Falls to Michigan Creek (13 km) 8 hours

Just as we were about to go to bed the night before, we saw the group of girls beside us moving their tents.  One of the girls from the Polish volleyball team came over to explain that they thought they were too close to the tideline, so we followed suit. In the morning we saw wet sand just next to where our tent had been. 

To start the day we had a series of ladders to climb to get back onto the forest trail at the top of the falls and then we were on our way to Klanawa River.  Up until this point

we had just waded across the creeks, but at this river we were going to take the cable car. There was a small metal car that fit two people with their packs. It had a cable pulley system to take you over the water.  Lisa and I got in and our weight took us about halfway across. Just as we started to pull, a German man named Johanus from the group ahead us came running out of the forest to help pull on the cable. He spoke little English, but he was always helping others out.  

Every morning as we hiked, a dozen or so hikers would pass us heading the opposite direction.  This morning we crossed paths with some trail runners. The idea to me is almost unthinkable, but some extreme sport lovers run the 75 km trail in one day. I overheard them explaining that it would take about 14 hours.  We had planned seven days and we were carrying heavier packs.

When we arrived at our last campsite, the teenage girls from the family next to us explained they had just seen a bear.  They had been collecting small pieces of driftwood to build a fire and a yearling had come towards them. It was a curious young bear, so they had to throw rocks at it to scare it. I was confused because in my bear reading it always said to back away and not to make eye contact. I guess it depends on the animal’s reaction. 

It was a day for wildlife siting because just after we had supper on the beach, a whale swam by close to the shore. A group of hikers gathered on a rock near the water to catch glimpses of the large mammal’s body appear above the waves. Once we saw a fin and a couple of times a spray of water. There were beautiful colours as the sun lit up the beach. 

It was the last night, but again I was worried about the hike the next day.  It was only a distance of 12 km, but the one bus out of Pachena Bay left at 12:30pm. We didn’t have a reservation for the trip, but I knew my sisters would like to be on it. I told them I didn’t want the pressure of having to hike quickly. We agreed we could stay in the town of Bamfield, but I still felt like I should try to make the bus.