Hiking The Juan De Fuca Trail A Solo 47km Coastal Adventure

#hiking #outdoors #adventure Hiking The Juan De fuca Trail was a 47km mental and physical test I will not soon forget. I managed to conquer it in 2 nights 3 days. Day 1 Botanical Beach to Litte Kuitshe Creek Campsite 14km. This section was fairly straightforward with some mud, roots, slippery bridges, and beautiful scenery and an amazing start to this unforgettable journey. Day 2 Little Kuitshe to Chin Beach Camp 13km. This section posed even larger mud pits, tougher obsticales such as ropes and collapsed boardwalks, and decrepid bridges and stairs, not to mention climbing tree roots as ladders it was unbelievable. Along this coastal stretch, I passed east sambrio and got to see the most majestic hidden waterfall I have ever laid eyes on. Woke up this day with some pretty serious knee pain took everything I had to navigate and persevere and push past the pain but not like I had a choice my vehicle was still 20km away at China beach parking lot where I caught the trail bus that took me up to the start at Botanical. Day 3 ooo day 3, the toughest leg of the trail, Chin Beach to Bear 12km, and woke up to rain. i was soaked head to toe in the first 20 min. This was nothing short of exhausting up and down through creek valleys just when you think you can’t take anymore there was another one along with parts of the trail in the forest section needing some serious route finding abilities the trail disappeared on me and wasn’t to well marked balancing on skinny logs and more roots, mud, climbing ropes and unbelievable views. This section really tested your mental and physical capabilities. I managed to make it to bear beach shortly after 11 am and decided to push the final 9km to my vehicle instead of hanging out on a rainy beach for half the day waking up and doing it for another day. After navigating the beach and finding the trail, I was greeted with my first ladder, which was tiring 100m later. After another 3 stacked on top of each other, it hurt so well. This last 8km was slow going and on an easy section of trail non the less. It was a grind. I had to push myself past what I thought I could handle, making it to mystic beach around 2 pm and my second waterfall and last beach of the journey. Was a beautiful thought knowing I had only 2km to go till I was off trail little did I know that 2km was all up hill with massive amounts of staircases and took me another 2 hours to get through as I was pushing 21km on foot that day and beyond exhausted. Seeing the 1km marker was bitter sweet the trail was comming to an end which on one hand I was looking forward to on the other it kinda hit home that this amazing experience was comming to an end and was a bit emotional knowing I tackled the 47km Juan De Fuca Trail A day faster then the original 3 night 4 day plan. Having done this hike in 2 nights 3 days was an accomplishment I still can’t explain the feeling of. I pushed myself harder and farther than I have ever done before. It was an experience of a life time my body will always hate me for but it’ll be in my mind for the rest of my life knowing that if you want and go for it there is nothing you can’t accomplish. It was a journey of personal growth, ambition, and an experience I’ll have for the rest of my life. If you want to challenge yourself and see what you’re made of go hit the Juan de Fuca marine trail on Vancouver Island, it’ll test you mentally and physically, and when you persevere, you’ll have memories for a lifetime I met some amazing people on trail, which only made it more memorable. All in all I’m beyond grateful for the experience, the lessons learned and knowing that I’m capable of such and extensive journey not only in body but in mind and doing solo on my own. The Juan de Fuca chewed me up and spit me out the other end but it did not beat me and only made me stronger mentally and physically. Get out there hit those trails that are larger then life you won’t regret it. #thruhike #thruhiking #backpacking #vancouverisland #jdftrail #hikers #coastal #backpacker #hiker #solohiking #backpack #hikingtrails