Pacific Rim National Park's West Coast Trail, running some 70 kilometers from Bamfield southeast to Port Renfrew, is a walk that rewards its hikers well for its many strains and challenges.  That said, when referring to the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail -- which is immediately southeast of the West Coast Trail, running some 50 kilometers from China Beach northwest to Port Renfrew -- it is very important to note that the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail is not its more pleasurable neighbour to the northwest.  True, each trail follows the coast of Vancouver Island over similar terrain and, granted, each has its roots in the path that accompanied the old telegraph line that ran from Victoria to Bamfield (and then overseas from there).  But, just as there are similarities, there are many differences -- the foremost of these being that, for the Juan de Fuca Marine Trails strains and challenges, the rewards are far fewer.

That said, there are numerous rewards to be had, among them some quite spectacular views, challenging terrain, friendly folks on the trail, and something that many of us try not to encounter when hiking: clearcut (several kilometres of it!).

The pictures below are from a hike that I took with a friend, Paul Lumsden, on the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail in late April of 1998.  We had unseasonably-spectacular weather – nothing but sun and warmth, for the most part.  The numbers in their filenames correspond with the approximate place they were taken on the trail; i.e.  "jdf09c" is a picture that was taken at the 9 km mark from the trail's beginning at China Beach (see map, below).
 
 

 

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A Hike on the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail. [Full Stride Publications, Trail Head / Footpath 3]. Ray Siemens.

Copyright (c) 1998, 1999- by the author, all rights reserved, and may be used and shared in accordance with the fair-use provisions of U.S. copyright law. Archiving and redistribution for profit, or republication of this text in any medium, requires the consent of the author and Full Stride Publications.

[Updated: 1998, 1999.]

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Full Stride Publications
Nanaimo, BC, Canada.
siemensr@mala.bc.ca