(Guest Post) Sunshine Coast Trail: First Hikes

Regular contributing writer Peter here.

In 2022 Pearl and I embarked on our first backpacking trip. Neither of us had ever backpacked before. On one of our many holidays to Powell River we took a short walk along a section of the Sunshine Coast trail. Six-yea-old Pearl had just finished kindergarten and was excited to hear that all these trails connected into a 180km path that wound its way all along the coast and asked if we could go someday. I jokingly told her that if she finished the first grade I would take her. She brought it up all year. And eventually I was forced to plan a real trip.

There were some challenging questions to answer: will a seven-year old be able to walk all day when she sometimes complains about walking to school? Will she be bored just walking all day? How do we fit enough camping gear for two people into my backpack? Two days after the school year ended, I defended the final project of my online masters program. Ten minutes after the zoom call had ended Pearl and I were in the car heading for the Earl’s Cove ferry. We covered 24 kilometers on that 3 day trip; we swam in Rainy Day lake, turned around after making it part way up Mt. Troubridge, ate melted Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, slept in a leaky tent during a rainstorm, had a slug attack our water bottle, and endured the final challenge where I got the ferry times mixed up and made Pearl run the final seven kilometers in order to catch the boat. About 200 meters from the ferry ticket booth Pearl said she couldn’t take another step, I picked her up, ran to the booth (one of the benefits of hiking with a seven year old), grabbed a ticket for the ferry, and walked on the boat just as they lifted the ramp. The next sailing was not for another 4 hours.

Rose, being the youngest, likes to be comfortable, and to stay close to where there are plentiful snacks. We weren’t sure if she would want to walk for days on end. However, after years of hearing stories from her older sister, Rose was determined to have the same adventures. She reminded me all spring that she was coming to the end of grade one and it was time for her first multi-day hike.

Last week we set out on Rose’s first big adventure and covered the tracks of my first foray with Pearl up to Rainy Day Lake. The beginning of the trail is very steep and the weather was hot, so we rationed our water and leapfrogged between pockets of shade. Rose made it the initial 9 kilometers and 600 meters of elevation to Rainy Day Lake without a hitch. As soon as we arrived we jumped into the lake for a dip. This is the last stop for people completing the full 180km trail and we met a number of very tired hikers who had been on trail for over a week and were excited to be almost back to civilization. Lots of people were very impressed to see a 6-year-old this far into the backcountry.

We made a rule this year that the girls are allowed to bring a stuffy hiking as long as it weighs less than 300 grams. Lucky for Justin the Beaver we got out the kitchen scale and he just made the cut. He spent most of the trip peering out of the top of Rose’s pack.

The following morning we went for another swim, and had the lake to ourselves, being the last ones to leave, and dove for a shiny old pot on the bottom of the lake. We made it down to Fairview Bay where we scouted out a water source (which turned out to be a swimming hole for garter snakes), had frequent snack breaks, and scoured the beach for crabs and schools of fish.

After a solid sleep at Fairview Bay, I learned from my adventure from 2022 and left lots of time to make it to the ferry, so we didn’t have to run. We enjoyed the views, found the towers that anchor the power lines that cross the channel, and celebrated our journey with a victory hot dog on the ferry.

I am blown away by Rose who at six years of age can do difficult things, have a sense of curiosity about what’s around the next corner, and seems to also appreciate the raw beauty of our corner of the planet (even if it’s covered in barnacles and cougars). It was nice for me to repeat a hike I had done a few years before. It made the trip much more of a holiday, knowing which way to turn, how much food I should carry, and where the next source of water would be. A few weeks ago I lamented planning two separate trips this summer, one for each girl. But, in the end I really appreciated the time I got to hear their jokes and stories, one on one for a few days.