HIKING IN STRATHCONA PARK

1st – 4th August HIKING IN STRATHCONA PARK

The August long weekend had been designated for a backpacking trip with Al and Emi and our destination was Strathcona Park. Eric and I were very excited and poised for an adventure. The week before had been cool and somewhat wet so we prepared for chilly and rainy, while keeping in mind that we needed to be as lightweight as possible. This entailed downsizing in the tent department so after a lot of helpful discussion with Al and checking out all the options, we chose a 4lb, 2 person, 3 season MSR Hubba Hubba (MSR name not ours, the 3 person tent is called a Mutha Hubba!!). It’s a 2 door (we each have our own personal entrance), 2 vestibules (1 for each backpack and boots) design, and we can JUST fit our 2 thermarests onto the available floor space. But it is VERY LIGHT.
We picked up Alan and Emi after work on Friday and complete with food, topo maps, guide books and rain protection, we headed out of Victoria, north towards Campbell River. From Campbell River we travelled west along the Strathcona Highway and into Strathcona Park. It was about 11pm by the time we began looking for a campsite. First we tried at the Buttle Lake campground but it was full, it was after all a long weekend. Fortunately Al is very familiar with these parts having worked at the Strathcona Park Lodge, and knew of a couple of unofficial campsites tucked away in the woods. After a couple of tries we found one away from the road and close to a river. By the lights of the van we pitched camp and headed to bed, falling asleep to the sound of flowing water. I discovered that Al and Neil had camped in the same spot 2 years ago and the next morning Al pointed out to us where they had spent several days rock climbing.

The trail we were taking is the Elk River Trail, which lies in Central Strathcona Park. This is also the region where the highest mountain peaks are on Vancouver Island, the highest of which is the Golden Hinde (7219ft). “Central Strathcona is marked by several huge watersheds blanketed in some of the largest tracts of old growth forest on Vancouver Island”.
The trailhead is about 60km from Campbell River, and the trail follows the Elk River south. Saturday was spent hiking the 10 km to a campsite about 2 km north of Landslide Lake. It took me a while to adjust to carrying a loaded backpack, especially as at first the trail zigzagged up and up and then did the same thing down and down. Overall of course we followed the river up its course, over rocks and roots and through the beautiful old growth forest, periodically being reminded of Christmas by the fragrant whiffs of cedar. We stopped for lunch in a sunny spot where the path crossed the river, which was fairly small by this time. We sat on some flat rocks with the river cascading over a small fall above us and dropping down below us. There’s nothing quite like the taste of lunch or fresh-from-a-fall mountain water, after several hours of hiking!
We reached the designated camping area at about 4.30. There were several other camps already established, but we found a perfect site on a gravelly open and therefore warmer section, close to a tributary of the Elk River. We were pretty weary by this time and had just enough energy to pitch tents, make tea and have a rest while admiring the view of huge cloud covered mountains rising up around us.
Supper, made on a one-burner stove, was dished up into and eaten out of a plastic jug. Washing up consisted of adding a small amount of water to the jug, swilling it around until a personally satisfying degree of cleanliness had been reached, and drinking the resulting soup. I really appreciate this level of “leave no trace” camping, leaving this beautiful wilderness that we’re so lucky to still have access to, without any evidence of human presence. In this way the animals whose home this is, bears and cougars in particular, do not become habituated to people and come looking for food.
After we’d eaten we explored the area around us, and watched as the clouds moved slowly across, exposing a sharply pointed peak adjacent to Elkhorn Mountain. The dying sun sent a sliver of golden light onto the side of the mountain. Before bed the bag of food was pulled up into a bear cache out of reach of the aforesaid bears.

The following morning we watched as the early rays gradually announced the coming of the sun until it was high enough to pop over the top of the mountain. At last we could feel its warmth.
After a breakfast of muesli and tea we set off from our camp, carrying day packs, for a day of exploring, hiking further into the upper Elk valley in the direction of Elk Pass. Quite soon the path became much narrower, rougher, and at times difficult to follow, disappearing and then reappearing. We trekked through areas of old growth, enormous trees that are 600 to 700 years old!! As we got higher up it became very rocky and there were sections where we had to scramble. I was so relieved not to be carrying a heavy backpack. It was enough for me to concentrate on staying upright and watching where I put my feet. As we walked we noticed what seemed to us like perfect dens for bears or cougars. I wasn’t sure whether to talk loudly so as not to surprise a bear, or whisper so as not to awaken a cougar. In the end I decided not to think about stuff like that, and enjoy the lush vegetation instead. What an amazing experience. I loved every minute!
Higher and higher we went and now we had to contend with angled sections of crusty snow. The others moved across these like mountain goats but I was not as sturdy on my pins, so dear Al gave me a steadying hand so that I wouldn’t tumble to the bottom of a slope. I’m glad to say that on the way back I did begin to get the hang of it.
We did not actually reach the top of the pass but stopped for lunch and a rest in a large rocky area and among sub alpine mosses and heather close to the chilly waters of the now small but fast moving Elk River. Words can’t really describe the extraordinary experience here. Unlike being on the top of a mountain looking outwards and down, it felt as though we were in an enormous bowl looking up at high peaks all around us, with ridges coming in steeply on different intercepting planes, then dropping down into the valley. At first when I looked up it was like watching an Imax movie and I felt dizzy and disoriented. Gradually I would find my balance and could take in the enormity of the great imposing mountains. The various greens and greys were brilliant and the sky was a crystal clear blue. The sun was hot with a dry heat.
We were looking up at Rambler Peak, Slocomb Peak and Mt. Colwell with Elkhorn behind. These summits are evidently fantastic for alpine climbing and attract mountaineers from all over the world. Totally out of my league!!!
After a good break we returned down the same way.
Once we got within a couple of km of our campsite we took a short hike up to Landslide Lake. This is a beautiful circular mountain lake that looks as though it belongs in a Harry Potter book, and from its edge we looked up at Mt. Colonel Foster. In 1946 an earthquake triggered a huge landslide off the north side of this mountain. “The resulting wave as the debris swept down into the lake flushed old growth trees and scoured soil down to bedrock for several kilometres down the valley.”
Sitting on a rock in the evening light looking across the lake at the enormous scar on the face of the mountain and the scoured out path into the lake, I found it hard to imagine what it could have been like. The sound of falling rock alone must have been unbelievable.
On Monday morning we packed up camp, loaded the packs onto our backs, a little bit lighter now since we’d eaten most of the food, and hiked out, reaching the trailhead hot and sweaty and ripe. We stopped off at Buttle Lake for a swim and lunch before heading back the 41/2 hours to Victoria.

What a memorable trip made extra special by the spending of 3 whole days with Alan and Emi.