The Keeha Death March

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Today we went on a death march to Keeha Beach. The track is called Keeha Trail but I think it should be renamed Keeha Creek! It’s only 3km long but it took us four hours to hike in and back. It was another fine and sunny day but we didn’t leave until after lunch because we thought it would be another short and pleasant stroll like Brady’s Beach. How wrong we were! It was the toughest hike any of us had done.

We took the boat up the inlet to East Bamfield and then drove the car up the South Bamfield Road which runs parallel to Burlo Island. Luckily we wore our gumboots because this trail made the West Coast Trail look like a walk in the park!

The track was all bogs, puddles and lakes. There were tree roots everywhere, large holes and jutting steep climbs. It was so muddy our pace was considerably slower than normal. We often had to find alternative routes around the track by climbing up and over slippery, mossy tree stumps and logs. The mud was so deep in spots that if you stepped in it you would sink in well above your gumboots - something I found out the hard way!

The further we got in the worse it got, and all the time we knew we had to come back. With about 30-40 minutes to go we ran into other hikers. Pippi and Quin were ahead of me as I found it harder going with my short legs and injured knee. Pippi didn’t see the guy hiking towards us and when he said hello, she screamed! It was starting to get dark and we asked the hikers if we should push on. They encouraged us to because they said it was really worth it.

A little further up we came to Kiccha Lake, a huge lake surrounded by pine trees. At some spots we were able to stand right on the edge of the lake. We crossed a board walk that went over a marshy inlet and started the climb to Keeha Beach. The terrain and scenery changed and we found ourselves in a dark wood climbing steep earthy tracks that ran up the hillside. Coming down the other side, there were thick ropes to help you descend. At the bottom, we walked a short way to the beach. As we approached, there was a clearing that you suddenly enter. It was a bit surreal because there were different coloured buoys strung in the trees. There was also a bear-proof cabinet made of steel. There was actually food in it to, proof perhaps that this is no mere stroll!

We climbed up the dune and walked down onto the beach. The sand is a gravely grey and strewn everywhere is stuff that has washed up - logs, buoys, crab pots, thick rope, chains and more. I sat on a log to rest while Pippi photographed the scenery. Quin decided to scour the beach for glass balls which apparently wash up from time to time. He started racing up the beach, jumping over logs, and even managed to face plant into the sand. But the best he could manage was a tennis ball!

By this time it was approaching 4pm. Dark was setting in and we had a bit over an hour of light left. To top things off, it had become overcast and storm clouds were approaching. We quickly started the hike back with none of the care and deliberation we took on the way in. The further we went the more we stumbled and sloshed through the mud. About halfway in it was too dark to see and it started raining. Thankfully, Quin had the foresight to pack torches. We kept up a cracking pace and stumbled through. In no time, we seemed to be back towards the start at key landmarks. We finally got to the road, doing the trek in an hour and a half, half an hour quicker than the walk in. We fell into the car, so relieved to be back. Once home, I peeled my outer pants and gumboots off and mud rained down everywhere!

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Photos

Negotiating Keeha
hhmmm where to next?

Quin finds a tennis ball
No glass balls today...