Great Scott - Backpacking the Northern Island

There are no signs to tell you where the trails are, just buoys tied to trees; almost feels like mermaids are running the place. Those looking to reconnect with nature don’t have to look much further than Cape Scott Provincial Park, not that there is much further to look.

The Cape Scott Trail is not widely known even amongst the backpacking crowd, but this spot is a true wilderness gem for those who like their nature big. Located in the Canadian province of British Columbia, Cape Scott sits at the very northern tip of Vancouver Island, North America’s largest pacific island. To say the Cape is remote would be an understatement.

The directions are simple, once on the island, head as far north as you can, then turn west. Once winding down the well-maintained gravel road, all modern comforts being left behind in your dusty wake, it is then you pass a sign that says, “Expect the unexpected”. Looking closer, you see the sign is nailed to a large tree that has fallen on and crushed a car. Time to slow down. Or maybe speed up?

Fifty miles from the pavement and you are at the trailhead. No more roads, it’s time to strap on your pack and begin the ten-mile hike north to the Cape. The mud is legendary so expect it to be deep at anytime of year. Even if drought like conditions persist everywhere else, it has probably rained at the Scott, with an annual downpour of 200 inches this park is no stranger to the wet.

Cape Scott gets its name from Danish settlers who attempted to tame the place for agriculture in the 1890’s. The wrath of the ocean and the lack of a reliable road scuttled their dreams, the rough seas being an unreliable form of transportation. Remnants of their failure are everywhere: rusted pieces of tools, ruins of buildings, telegraph wires that go nowhere. The debris from another era lends a haunted feel to the place and adds a layer of intrigue for explorers.

The exposed western coastline of Vancouver Island is well known to nature buffs, but somehow the Cape Scott Trail has escaped its rightful place on outdoor to-do lists. The most famous trek in this region is the unimaginatively titled “West Coast Trail”, which draws in wanderers from around the globe, so much so that reservations are required. You don’t need reservations for Cape Scott, but you will need guts, this is wilderness camping at its wildest.

The hike-in is generally flat with wood boardwalks to aid in crossing the nastier sections. Rangers comb the trails frequently throughout the summer months making repairs as needed. There are several pullouts for camping along the trail but the real action starts at the beaches, so suck it up and do the march through the forest in one go. Once you have reached the mile and a half of white sand known as Nels Bight, you can set up camp and see the rest of the park in day hikes from here.

There are so many beaches, many aren’t even named on the maps. Amazingly, each one is unique: from the impossibly soft sands of Guise Bay, the wave riddled dunes of Experiment Bight, to the steep rocky shores of Nessen Beach, the high and low tides performing twice daily. Everything is moving with the slimy business of the inter-tidal zone.

Those looking for isolation will have no trouble finding it, all you have to do is walk a little more with the backpack on than absolutely necessary and alone you are. Most people dump their stuff and set up shop the first chance they get, inches from the trailhead. The key is having a freshwater source close by or you will find yourself walking to the stream quite often. All water must be boiled or treated, pit toilets and bear caches are provided, but beyond that, you are on your own.

The weather provides constant entertainment as the fast moving skies keep you guessing what will happen next. You are so much closer to the storm production happening over the northern pacific - things can change quickly. You certainly don’t leave your tent for five minutes without battening down the hatches.

Other attractions include the wind swept tidal islands known as sea stacks. Only accessible at low tide, you don’t want to chill out on them for too long or you might end up spending more time out there than you bargained for.

Cape Scott is a long way to go to get away from it all, but once out there, it all is a long way away. The inconsistencies of living on dehydrated food and treated water are well worth the sense of accomplishment you get when finally you stumble back up to your car, dirty but smiling.

With the open ocean surrounding you on three sides and the immense rolling sky as your backdrop, it is hard to imagine someone not being impressed, you really feel like you are at the end of the world. Don’t be surprised if you start contemplating starting your own settlement, all you need is the love of a good mermaid.

For more info see: wlapwww.gov.bc.ca and victoriabc.com