Cape Scott Finale
We woke up around 8:00am on Monday morning, and decided today was going to be a relaxing one. At the far end of Nell’s Bight is Fredrickson Point. The sun was out and Fredrickson Point looked like a great place to explore at a lazy pace. I would say it’s a 2km walk, along the beach, from the ranger cabin to the point.
After taking some pictures and exploring the coastline, Matt and I got off the rocks and hit the sandy beach of Nell’s Bight. Matt brought a Frisbee, so we chucked it around for a bit and enjoyed the day. We had two friends arriving around 5:00pm and we figured it would be a good idea to be around the ranger cabin when they did.
Once back at the cabin, I went and worked on getting water for the night while Matt collected firewood. There is a definite shortage of wood around the cabin, so it’s probably a good idea to bring a small axe to chop up some bigger pieces lying around. There’s no shortage of wood heading down to the far end of Nell’s Bight, however one would have to pack it a ways.
Matt found a skim board on the deck of the cabin and decided to try it while I took more pictures. The late afternoon was moving along quickly and we began to wonder if Sonny and Monique were going to make it. Matt started to make some dinner and as we turned the camping stove off, Sonny and Monique popped out of the trail, on to the beach, and began making their way towards the cabin. They both seemed relieved we had secured the cabin. Instead of setting up camp, they could just sit back after their hike in.
As the sun began to fall out of the sky, Matt and I made our way back to the far end of Nell’s Bight for our traditional evening fire. Sonny and Monique decided to stay at the cabin. Monday was by far the best day and it led into the best sunset. Once the sun disappeared for the last time, we headed back to hang out with our guests for the night.
Tuesday morning brought another sunny day. Unfortunately, it also brought the end to the adventure. After a great morning, Matt and I hit the trail back to the parking lot around 9:30am. We pounded through the first 6km with relative ease. I figured we were going to smash the 4 1/2 hour mark we set on the way in. However, I was terribly wrong.
The first break came, like I said, at around the 6km mark. After that first break, our bodies broke down and we began breaking every 2km. The sun was high in the sky, pounding down on us. Each blown down tree we approached along the trail became the work of the devil. Marching 200m uphill only to gain 8 feet was wearing on both of us. When the sign finally read 900m to the parking lot, I put my head down and marched the last stretch, peeling of gear as I approached the truck. The one thing a person cannot forget to bring on the trip to Cape Scott is a couple of beers. But, the beers need to be left in the vehicle, so one can enjoy them at the end of the trip! This is exactly what Matt and I did. One of the best beer’s I’ve ever tasted.
Story and Photography Greg Miller
