The coastal scenery, the coniferous forest, the squirrels and bird sounds are beautiful but the path is so rocky it's really difficult to take it in. Constantly watching where you place your feet takes all of your attention. I'm grateful it was only gentle rolls not seriously hilly! With the exception of about 2kms (dispersed over the whole trail), the entire thing was rocks in one form of another. Lots of clamouring up and down, a fair bit of scooting down and the 'beaches' of stone, worse to walk on that any scree I've ever done! Just bone breaking stuff! And just to add some flavour the terrain added a 1/2 metre crevasse to traverse. I stared in horror but my buddy thankfully in front helped before my pants became brown! The pics I've taken don't tell it like it is.
My buddy rolled an ankle a couple of times and fell once. Tough day.
We arrived into camp about 1/2 hour after the rain started. We so wanted to get in dry, but there was no hurrying and we were both totally knackered. It took every effort to just get our act together and set up camp. Hedley had rigged the tent for a wet pitch thank goodness and while the ground sheet and fly were wet the inner was nice and dry. We had a fabulous rock overhang to put all of our stuff under and keep it dry.
Hedley then went to the lake to filter water so we could get dinner on and cooking. Cleaned up and had to think about it a bit. A little different than home because of the bears. Can't drop a scrap of food or even toothpaste near camp or they come to visit! Washed up on the lake ensuring everything went that way. Even have to brush your teeth in the lake because they've allegedly gotten a taste for toothpaste and raid your packs for it. The campsite provides a 'nah nah nah nah you can't get my food Mr. Bear' hanging system that's high in the air and works on a pulley system with hooks. You put your food on, haul it up and then put the other hook into the pole. Beats stringing it up yourself and hoping you got it high and clear enough. And certainly a task we didn't need being so tired. See pic.
Being so exhausted and sore (1st day of hike) I hit the bed by 6 and slept till dawn!
No internet, can't post and if I tell the truth I only jotted notes before my fuzzy brain forgot anything but the rocks!