Route planning

Jenny and I have been studying our maps and books to plan our route along the Juan de Fuca trail.  It will take us 5 days.

Day 1
China Beach trailhead to Bear Beach
(10.5km)
5-7 hours intermediate
Open forest and beach hiking
High tide at 3am and 4pm

Day 2
Bear Beach to Chin Beach
(10.5km)
5-8 hours most difficult
forest on hilly terrain, beach hiking
High tide at 3.30am and 4.40pm

Day 3
Chin Beach to Sombrio Beach
(8km)
4-6 hours difficult
Forest, beach, old gravel road
High tide at 4.30am and 5.20pm

Day 4
Sombrio beach to Parkinson Creek
(8km)
4-6 hours intermediate
Boulder beach; rough dense low-bush trail; forest; old logging road; trail above cliff; boardwalk
High tide at 5.30am and 6pm

Day 5
Parkinson creek to Botanical Beach trailhead
(10km)
4-6 hours intermediate
Logging road, mature forest, reef shelf, beach
High tide at 6.40am and 7pm

We will be arriving using the Trail bus at about 7.30am on day 1 which gives us a good start for the first days walking and we should be in camp by 2pm ready to prepare for day 2 which is the most challenging. We will make an early start each day so that we will arrive in camp by early afternoon.  This will allow us to plan the next days hike and get a good camping spot.

Sombrio Beach

Tide times will be important along the trail at Bear Beach we may be delayed as the beach cut off is impassable at high tide and we will be arriving there at high tide! Also at Sombrio beach the alternate hiking route has experienced a slope failure so we will have to use the beach at low tide. (29.3-29.9km section of trail). We have a window between 8am and 1pm on day 3 to get across this section.