Cape Scott Provincial Park Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

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Yahooooo ... we always look forward to this rugged multi day backpacking hiking adventure exploring the tip of Vancouver Island exploring the west coast Cape Scott Provincial Park and trail system. A wonderful backpacking opportunity to experience the spectacular remote sandy beach coastlines and lush forests, sometimes, running head-on into a west coast storm with gale force winds and thundering rain. The ultimate backpacking storm watching experience when properly prepared in shoulder seasons.

 

The Cape Scott Provincial Park hiking experience is one-notch down in difficulty to the West Coast Trail. For years Cape Scott has been a popular destination for backpackers, bird watchers and naturalists looking for a wilderness camping adventure. The trail is beautifully maintained with more than enough boardwalk. But do not let this decieve you, the trail is by no means easy. There are rugged swamp-like hiking areas with mud, stumps and roots. This is tropical rainforest country you know. This is not a running shoe, sandals hike.

Cape Scott Provincial Park is located near Holberg which is accessed by a 63 kilometre (hour and a half) drive over active logging gravel roads starting from Port Hardy, BC, Canada. The Cape Scott trail is a 50 kilometre return hike from the active Cape Scott Lighthouse. On route to the Cape Scott Lighthouse the trail enjoys strategically located wilderness campsites, pit toilets and food caches for protection of food from the Black Bears of the area. Be alert, but not afraid, as the bears tend to stay away and are more afraid of you.

Cape Scott was named by Captain George Guise and Captain Lowrie in recognition of David Scott , a Bombay merchant who played a large part in establishing trading links to the area. Today Cape Scott Provincial Park is a world renown backpacking trail that leads explorers through dense rainforests, pass lakes, along kilometres of spanning sandy beaches, through ancient building remains left behind by the early European Settlers when they tried to establish a life in the harsh conditions on the northern end of Vancouver Island, BC during the winter seasons.

In 1897 and 1910, a group of Danish settlers established a fishing community near San Josef Bay and Hansen Lagoon in Cape Scott. The rainforests and storms in the fall and winter season exposed the village to harsh conditions. The will to survive proved not enough for the Danish settlers to entice them to stay - leaving them no choice but to leave behind their dreams, buildings and tools. Today the evidence of their community is still visible from the historical delaptatated buildings and tools left behind found along the Cape ScottTrail.

Cape Scott Provincial Park was established in 1973 named after the site of the lighthouse situated on the point of Cape Scott which has been guiding mariners pass the harsh rocks and coastlines since 1960. Cape Scott Provincial Park has some of the islands most private sandy beaches boasting up to 100 kilometres of fine white sand including San Josef Bay Beach, Nels Bight, Guise Bay, Experiment Bight and Nissen Bight.

San Josef Bay is the most easily accessible of the sandy beaches in the park and is only a 45 minute hike from the Cape Scott parking lot along mostly well maintained boardwalk trail. At low tides take the time to explore the sea caves and the sea stacks between the first and second beach of San Josef Bay. Rusty artifacts, cement foundations of the home, store and post office of Henry Olsen which operated until 1944 can be found alongside the trail leading to San Josef Bay.

Further up past San Josef Bay - about a 3 kilometre hike - is Eric Lake. There are tent platforms, food cache storage units and some pit toilets. The partial remnants of a wharf is still visible that use to serve as the transportation link before the trail system was constructed leading to Eric Lake. Evidence of the 1908 Corduroy Road connecting Eric Lake to San Josef post office located on the south end of Eric Lake is still visible. Just a 20 minute hike from Eric Lake one can be mystified by the giants of the rainforests with Sitka Spruce trees reaching 7.2 meters in circumference.

Fisherman River is 9 kilometres (3-4 hours hike) from the Cape Scott parking lot. Along this route you will observe the remnants of old fence posts from the settlers, old telegraph communication lines, an old wooden cart near the 1956 Spencer Farm and the first motorized tractor can be found wedged between two trees further up the trail. There is also a warned down tool shed near the Spencer Farm interpretive sign.

Hansen Lagoon is15 kilometres (5 hour hike) from the Cape Scott parking lot. Hansen Lagoon is where the three tributaries of Fisherman River empty into the sea. Civilization and history is not lost here either with evidence of the old dyke the settlers used to reclaim pasture land and a boiler can be found that was used in1898 for milk condensery and for a sawmill.

Guise Bay is 20 kilometres (7-8 hour hike) from the Cape Scott trail head. Here, a small trail 50 metres before Guise Bay leads to the remnants of a store used during the second World War and from the beaches of Guise Bay are two cabins used as barracks during the war.

There is wilderness camping facilities at San Josef Bay, Eric Lake, Fisherman River, Nissen Bight, Nels Bight and Guise Bay. When backpacking to Cape Scott or embarking on a day hike to San Josef Bay - everyone should be prepared for adverse weather conditions. High winds and heavy rainfall is a common experience on this rainforest trail system. Trail can be muddy and slippery and proper gear should always be used. Bear bells, proper camping equipment, rain gear and walking sticks are a welcome necessity and wise precaution.

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