West Coast Trail - Sept. 2003 Sept. 22 - 28 - Rogier, Will, Tova, Gillian and Jason head out to do the West Coast trail. With packs full, we had an amazing time - without hardly a drop of rain (that's what you get for planning for a monsoon!). Click on a small image to view a larger version :: View as Slideshow :: Flash Fullscreen Display :: Back to All of Jason's Pictures ::
Special Features: Movies taken on the West Coast Trail! The first cable car ride (3784kb) A mistaken shot of Will on the cable car (736kb) Quick one of the bear foot print (also a mistake) (1060kb) Indonesian wishes from Chez Monique (1651 kb)
	Rogier and Gillian filling out the trail use forms		Tova and Gill before the river crossing
	Tova and Gill before the river crossing - notice how clean they are!		Will seeing if everything will fit in his pack
	Tova, Gill and Will ready to load for the southern crossing		Rogier, Gillian, Will and Tova all nice and clean and smiling!
	have packs, will trek (for food!)		Jason getting in on the group picture at the start of the trail
	Jason showing how clean his pants are to begin with		Day 1 - ladders galore!
	Gill loving the ladders		rules rule: only one person on a ladder at any time (these rules were soon tossed)
	Awaiting a descent with massive packs		Rogier descending with a big, new, clean pack
	snack break on day 1		Going down ladders to the campsite at Thrasher. Down was much easier than up.
	Gillian, Rogier and Tova do their WCT Gap commercial		Will at Camp 1 - Thrasher
	Water pump and bottles		Tova's nick-name soon became Twinkle-Toes Tova due to these cool socks.
	Tova and Gillian enjoying the fresh air		Jason at Trasher cove, in the hand of driftwood.
	Tova resting without a pack		With the fire bans gone, we could have campfires every night. Rogier even packed along marshmellows!
	Breakfast on Day 2		The view from the composting toilet at Trasher
	Sunset - west coast style.		Up up and away for day 2
	Just a small sample of the mud that makes the trail interesting		Tova's clean feet hovering above the mud (somehow Tova kept even her gaters clean!)
	Tova and Gillian navigating a muddy area		One of the first river crossings
	The old way of crossing over the ravine - hope you had good balance!		A view along a bridge.
	The spectacular wet coast forest		Lunch on Day #2 (at Beach Access B) - Pita bread with peanut butter and cheese
	Energizer Will seen through the mist		the view down a narrow and *very* deep surge channel
	Gillian posing by the surge channel.		Rogier, Tova and Will going to explore a hidden paradise.
	The trail up Will's killer surge channel		Tova and Gillian at the hidden waterfall grotto
	Tova and Gillian at the hidden waterfall grotto		A view into the abyss
	A view into the abyss. The water went into this grotto, through a cave, and out through the very narrow surge channel (pictured previously)		a beautiful hidden place just off the beaten track.
	cool rock formations.		Will and Gillian explore where the water comes from.
	Tova having a mid-day nap		It's such a tough life.
	Jason and Tova in the sun.		Gillian along the sandstone shelf area
	Rogier taking the task of walking on slippery sandstone very seriously.		Garden home of the elves and fairies.
	A day wouldn't be complete without ladders		Rogier ensured that hygiene wasn't left at home.
	The dinner area of campsite 2 at Campers Cove		Tova cleansing herself.
	Tova doing a wonderful dismount with load. Rogier judges her progress		Rogier competes in the horizontal beam competition
	Checking out the miserable views along the coast.		Day 3 ladders. Due to the mental preparations done before, the masses of ladders was taken easily in stride.
	Tova flying on the ladders		The other side of the valley. Can you see the ladders going up up and more up?
	Group lunch spot		Hot rock therapy at the lunch break spot.
	Mixed emotions from the troops. Will looks like he wants to go home!		The group taking in the glory of the coast
	Looking south along the coast		Looking north along the coast
	Rogier on a ladder		Gillian, Rogier and Tova watching the sunset at Logan creek campsite
	Everyone is having a misserable time.		Hating our time together.
	"Energizer Will" doing his stretches		Logan waves
	Logan waves		Logan waves
	Logan waves		Logan waves
	Logan waves		Logan waves
	Logan waves		Logan waves
	Logan waves		Logan waves
	Logan waves		Logan waves
	Logan waves		Logan waves
	Logan waves		Logan waves
	Logan waves		Logan waves
	Gillian and Jason. Jason has a clean shirt on!		Rogier geared up at Logan ready for day 4.
	Does Gillian like the colour blue?		Will ready to snap the award winning picture
	Gillian on Logan suspension bridge.		Rogier on the suspension bridge
	Will going up the longest individual ladder of the trip - 54 rungs spaced around 1 foot apart		Rogier consults the map.
	The entrance of Walbran Creek to the ocean		Gillian at the Walbran creek cable car
	Jason is free without a pack!		Crossing Walbran in style
	Rope perspective at Walbran		Bear footprint! Who's carrying the porridge?!
	Rogier loving his desk job.		Lunch spot on day 4. Everyone is misserable.
	Despite the tsunami warning, we went for a swim in the ocean right after this picture was taken.		Everyone's ready for a swim!
	The fourth picture should work.		Jason's boot showing mud and sand - the 2 hilights of the trail.
	Rogier testing if the tsunami alert was for real. This is just before Vancouver point.		Gillian testing the water temperature.
	After swimming the fog came in giving a spectacular effect		Jason and Gillian hating the West Coast Trail experience.
	Jason on the beach		A sight for sore eyes. This scene was amazing.
	A massive something or another. 1 of 2		A massive something or another. 2 of 2
	Bear on the beach!		He's coming closer!
	And closer still! (after smelling us, he bolted up a sheer rock face!)		Enjoying some brew at Chez Moniques, close to Carmanah
	Resting after a horrible day of spectacular views, too much sunshine, and too much fresh air!		The group enjoying the finer points of life at Chez Monique's
	The group at Monique's		Sioux the dog loves his frisbee. Toss it and you're his friend forver!
	Jason enjoying Chez Moniques		We camped at Monique's, and got up early for a walk to the Carmanah Giant (the tallest tree in Canada)
	The Carmanah Lighthouse seen in the early morning light.		Gillian wading through the river early.
	You have to go for around 45 minutes up Carmanah creek (there's no path) to find the Giant on the right hand side of the river bank (it's easy to miss)		This sign is hidden on the up-hill side of the tree at the end of an overgrown trail. There's no sign by the river. 3meters in diameter and 95 meters high.
	The Carmanah giant		The tree was too big to hug, so we sat underneath it.
	Smiles all around for finding this gem in a forest.		The Carmanah lighthouse
	Carmanah lighthouse - Gillian checksout the sealions.		Cheewhat river crossing
	Deep in the dark jungle Will and Rogier find a good water source		Tova was the chef extraordinaire - never have a eaten so well on a trek.
	Where are all the clouds? Where is all the rain?		A west coast sunset
	Who needs the tropics for spectacular sunsets? This one was amazing.		Will on dish duty
	Energizer Will ready to do dishes		Jason and Will using the natural "wave action" dishwashing machine.
	Rogier with the sunset going on forever.		Is this a painting?
	Will, Tova and Rogier enjoying the huge number of stars.		Gillian on the boardwalk with Rogier peaking around.
	Waiting for the ferry at the Nitinat crossing. We missed out on the crab and beer, but had Chai instead.		Tova and Will on the short crossing
	We were supposed to just have lunch at Tsusiat Falls, but the amazing splendour of the area made this the best camping spot on the trail.		Going for a swim to cleanse our soiled bodies
	Tsusiat Falls from Will's Camera		After swimming in the beautful water, lunch was had.
	In this paradise?		To get everyone even cleaner, a natural sauna was built
	Dinner at Tsusuat Falls.		Everyone watching the nightly movie titled "the Sunset"
	Yet another amazing sunset - this went on for a long time - we watched it like a movie		Jason and Gillian watching the sunset
	Jason and Gillian and the sunset.		Watching the movie
	Incredible colours		The "mondo" sauna pit is ready and the rocks are being heated in the coals.
	A fire was made to warm people up after plunging into the pool after the sauna was spent.		Star watching
	The view from the sauna pit of the star gazers.		Packing up at Tsusiat Falls. The fog has finally come in.
	Checking out the local mushrooms.		The last cable car crossing
	Gillian on a suspension bridge		Jason with paradise behind
	Lunch spot on day 2 at yet another spectacular place.		Rogier and Tova with a relic from the ship-wreck days
	Tova getting mucky making vegetarian hamburgers		The cooking spot at Michigan - the last camp spot.
	Rogier's marshmellows survived the entire trip!		Enjoying the fire, with huge drops of fog making picture taking hard
	"Energizer Will" prepares for the last day.		The lovely composting toilets with adornments at Michigan
	Pachena Bay lighthouse		Huge numbers of sealions just past Pachena point
	Big, loud beasts of the ocean		They were making a huge amount of noise
	Blurry group watching the sealions		This picture has disturbed some serious nature watching!
	Gillian on the last leg of the trip		The last mile (pretty flat!)
	Gillian at the second to last bridge crossing.		We made it!!!
	Tonnes and tonnes of junk food at Bamfield's docks		The packs at their final destination, ready to celebrate Rogier's 40th birthday.