Keeha Beach, Bamfield, Vancouver Island
/Far on the west coast of Vancouver Island, accessed only by a harrowing dirt road, is a wild and rugged coast begging to be explored. Bamfield is about a 3 hour drive from Nanaimo, half of which is on the gnarliest (and most active) logging road I've ever been on - and I grew up driving on logging roads on Haida Gwaii. Let me tell you: it's worth it. I can't even count how many times I've made the drive over the last year. Twenty? Thirty? Fifty? Whatever the number, it's going to keep growing. We have only started to scratch the surface of all the places to explore in the area, and it's so wonderfully west coast! This summer was my first time going to Keeha Beach, one of the most desired surfing spots on the island. The trail head is right in Bamfield, where you park and start walking through immediate lush forest.
The trail is about 6km, and it took us less than an hour at a medium pace. It was a fairly straightforward hike, but it felt longer than it really was because of all the leaping and scrambling over mud pits and logs.
NOTE: make sure that you wear proper footwear. Even though we went in the heat of summer, the trail was super muddy and a few soakers were unavoidable, even with hiking boots.
Juno had a blast. I didn't take many pictures of the trail because I was too busy trying to keep my footing. This was as we neared the ocean; we could hear the waves crashing and smell the salty spray.
You push your way through a last wall of trees and BAM! This is what you get.
I wouldn't hesitate for a second if someone asked if I wanted to hike to Keeha again. Next time, though, I'll bring my wetsuit so I can get in the water and a lunch so I can stay longer.
See you soon!
