July 06, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Ucluelet, Hiking
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We pulled into He-Tin-Kis Park, on the southern end of Ucluelet, near Terrace Beach. The trail to the water was wide with gnarled trees bending to create a canopy over our heads. The ferns grew up the mossy banks beside the trail. We felt like we were in Jurassic Park.
At Terrace Beach we walked along the headlands on the left hand side of the bay. The waves lapping into rock pools, home to purple starfish and florescent green anenomes.
At the mouth of the cove we found a set of wooden steps. After a steep climb we found ourselves looking over Terrace Beach on the right and the open Pacific Ocean in front. We had arrived on the Wild Pacific Trail.
“I’ve seen humpback whales breach off of this trail,” I told my hiking companion. The trail, carefully cut through old grown rainforest, ran along the rugged cliffs that make up that part of Ucluelet’s shoreline. From benches and look outs you can watch the waves rage against the black rocks, catch a glimpse of the Broken Group Islands in Barkley Sound, and look out forever into the open ocean.
We came around the bend to the Amphitrite Lighthouse. Visitors were on the park benches, the steps of the lighthouse, the rocks, the trail, the beach, swarming to take in their wild pacific surroundings.
That day the water was calm and the sun had come out. It shone its late morning light on the ancient spruce and cedars, and glistened off the wet black rocks. The Wild Pacific Trail truly was “hiking on the edge” ...of something amazing.