Who needs snow when we have mud? Two-day (one-night) Juan de Fuca Marine Trail (S → N), Saturday, January 13 - Sunday, January 14, 2024
Day 1 (Saturday, Jan 13) - Meet at Sooke Chevron (6610 Sooke Rd) at 5:00 a.m. Take attendance, head to South trailhead (West of China Beach)
- On Day 1, Hike south end of trail to Sombrio Beach (~22km) where we’ll make camp and enjoy a nice dinner. The hike will take roughly 7-8 hours.
- On Day 2, we’ll get up around 7:00 am and hike the remainder of the trail from Sombrio Beach to the North end of the Trail at Botanical Beach (~6 hrs). The second half of the trail is slightly shorter than the first, and I plan to make a 5:00 pm reservation at the Renfrew Pub in Port Renfrew for a celebratory dinner.
- Following dinner, we will likely call a taxi back down to the south end of the trail and our waiting vehicles. Depending on numbers, we also may drive up a vehicle on Friday Night to park it at the north end of the trail (Botanical Beach)
- We should be back to the Greater Victoria area by 9:00 pm on Sunday, January 14.
What to Bring
- Dress for and expect cold temperatures, rain, possibly snow, and of course… plenty of mud
- Expect poor, slippery, muddy conditions on the trail.
- Camp and Sleeping gear and equipment (definitely include a headlamp)
- Food for two days
- Hiking Poles (I’ve done this before in the winter, and poles are very useful for navigating across the mud pits)
- Any medications you may require
- Some cash for backcountry camping permit, potential hitch-hiking or cab fare, and dinner at the Renfrew Pub
- I will bring an emergency GPS messaging device
- I will bring an emergency first aid kit
- I will bring a mirrorless camera to take cool pictures of you as you balance on tree roots, trying to stay out of the mud pits
Interested in Joining?
- Trip Leader: Chad Katunar
- Feel free to bring a friend or two, your spouse, etc.
- There’s not really any hard cap on numbers for this trip. I don’t really mind if the group is two people or fourteen people.
- If you’re interested in joining, please feel free to send me an e-mail at ckatunar@gmail.com or a text or call on my cell at 250-883-2423
- I will contact all confirmed attendees to finalize plans the week before departure