We went on a week-long backpacking trek on the West Coast Trail in the Pacific Rim National Park, in British Columbia, Canada. This famous trail is a difficult-but-rewarding trek upon the beach and through the rain forest, along the Straight of Juan de Fuca on the southern coast of Vancouver Island. Over the 75 kilometers of trail and beach, we faced many fun challenges, such as 70 wooden ladders climbing hundreds of feet up (and down) steep bluffs, four hand-pulled cable cars spanning wide rivers, two boat rides across even wider rivers, 130 bridges, slippery rocks, mossy logs, muddy bogs, and uncountable wooden walkways in various stages of decay. We saw wild bears, several snakes, a bald eagle, flocks of sea birds, breaching whales, spawning salmon, tidepools full of marine life, and islands covered with ornery sea lions. We camped on the beach every night, and lit fires from sea-bleached driftwood. The weather ranged from magically foggy in the morning to warm sunny afternoons, and on our final night (and day) it rained and rained, behaving exactly like the Pacific Northwest is famous for. All in all, it was an absolutely beautiful trip, the trip of a lifetime.
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