Cape Scott is a BC provincial park, located at the northern tip of Vancouver Island. Boasting beautiful beaches, lush forest and marsh-lands, this historical park is an interesting expedition. Cape Scott has two destinations which may be reached in a return day-trip. A short hike to San Joseph Bay leads to the western side of the park, or one can hike to Eric Lake and back. The rest of Cape Scott is meant for expedition hikes, for backpackers. As the first half of the trail is muddy, sturdy-broken-in hiking boots are a must. Consider checking the weather forecast before heading out into this park, as the winds and rain can ruin a trek. Many hikers regret not carrying in a tarp, as these can be used for building cooking shelters, which are useful for keeping backpacks dry overnight. Tarp shelters also provide shelter from the wind, for both cooking, and for tent. Other gear to consider, are mud-gators, as there are many mud-holes at Cape Scott, and Parks Canada asks hikers to walk through the mud as opposed to walking around the edges, as this only widens the hole, and kills off vegetation at the edge.
Cape Scott is easy terrain, as it is very flat. One walks through forest along the old Danish trail, and there are no ropes, ladders nor beach walking on this journey. Even-so, Cape Scott should be respected as a harsh environment, as it's located at the northern tip, and is burdened with heavy rains and strong winds. Tents and shelters are sometimes blown over in the night, and one must have proper foot gear and equipment for comfort and safety. There have been incidents where hikers have abandoned tents and left in a hurry for the parking lot.
HISTORY
Settled pre-contact by two First Nations tribes, Cape Scott was then re-settled in the late 1800's by Danish settlers. During World War II, the army came in and built corderoy roads and army barracks, with listening stations, as they feared bomb raids from Japan. At some point in time, they believed they could hear plane-engines, and became fearful, only to discover later the sound was the hum of Canadian Geese. When Spencers Farm was abandoned in the 1950's, Cape Scott was completely deserted, though the Danish Settlement had increased to 1000 citizens between San Josef Bay and Guise Bay. The Danish had a very hard life at Cape Scott, and there are several grave sites in the park, one of which has been hidden due to visitors taking letters from head-stones, and one grave that was actually exhumed. The Danish came to call Cape Scott "The Land of Broken Dreams."
There are several parts of the trail to explore, for signs of life. Donaldson Farm was a settlement, as well as Spencers Farm. Near Spencers Farm, there was a community hall, and army barracks. Before the crossroads for Nissen Bite and Nels Bite, is the famous Christianson grave, for a 12 year old boy who died from a foot infection. He had been adopted, and was the son of the school teacher. His grave stone reads "The sun went down while it was yet day."
Heading to Nissen Bite, from the crossroads, the stretch of trail is known as "Lard Hill" as the women of Cape Scott made butter, which was shipped out. Beside Nissen Bite is a small rocky beach called Fisherman Bay. Here, there is a small boat tied up between two trees, an old barrel, and an old ship, which was turned into a barge, then later bought and sank by the Danish Settlers, to make a break-water so they could construct a dock. Unfortunately, this breakwater stayed in the water for only a few days, before a storm came in and spat the entire wreckage back onto the beach, where it remains today. If this had worked, life would have been easier, as the ships could never come into shore to offload supplies. On one occassion, a piano was floated in from the deep bay, and had to sit on the beach for a few tides before enough men were rounded up to carry the piano back up Lard Hill, to the community hall. When the owners left, they took the piano with them. Another sign of life at Fisherman Bay is a native midden near the edge, where land turns into rocky shore. If you find this midden, you'll see bleached shells and very fertile soil. The point leading into Nissen Bite is full of sealife, including black katy chitons, sea anemones, sea urchins, starfish, etc. Nissen Bite is a mile long sandy beach, with water at the far end, around the next point.
Heading back up Lard Hill, a new extension leads off to Shushartie. The trail to Shushartie is new, rugged and requires a lot of strength, due to ropes and marshlands. It is described by hikers as comparing with the ruggedness of the south end of the West Coast Trail in the 1980's.
After the crossroads, enroute to Nels Bite, is another crossroads, where one trail veers to the right, and out to Nels Bite, or the other trail that leads into an open field with trenches that were dug out so the sea could irrigate the field. This communal project was meant for grazing fields for cows. The settlers built a dyke across the end of Hansens Lagoon. The project took them one year. They celebrated the completion in the community hall, but by morning were devastated to find a storm had wiped the entire dyke out. There are remnants of this to see at low tide. That very day, they began construction of a second dyke, which still works to this day. Fence posts remain standing, and one must be careful crossing the field, as the long grasses shroud the many narrow trenches, which fill with water at high tide. At the end of the field, another trail leads to the left, and into the forest. Crossing over the many forks of the Fisherman River, there are remnants of old army bridges, and at the end, are two old cabins that were built for the military who built the Cape Scott Trail. These cabins are worth a visit, as the walls are covered in poetry, of folks who were stranded there. At the second cabin, at low tide, it is possible to see the old saw mill boiler, which was hauled in from Fisherman Bay, up Lard Hill, and out across the fields to this location. Beside the cabin, is a marked well - though it would be common sense to purify water from the river, as this well has been long abandoned. One thing to note, if heading out this way, is to check the tide charts. At one time, there was a bridge over the river. A group of hikers got stranded out here, as they expected the bridge to be there. At low tide, the river is so low one can hop across, but when they returned, the tide had come in, and they then realized the bridge was gone and tried to escape by borrowing the boat (which had a leak, so they took a bailer pot from one cabin) - and this boat also lacked oars, so they used 2x4's. They were lost in the woods for hours, having gone up the wrong fork. After hiking upstream for hours, being tracked by a bear with a cub, and warry of unmarked wells, they returned to the boat, and steered back to the cabin. They resorted to waiting for the tide to go down low enough, to wade across the river, and made it back to Nels Bite, after hiking for over an hour in pitch black.
Heading past Nels Bite, more signs of life may be seen at Guise Bay. There are army barracks here, and a sand-neck, which was once forested. The Nakumgalisalia First Nations had logged the sand-neck, in order to take their canoes across to the eastern side of the island. This saved them from having to canoe around the dangerous cape. As they logged the narrow neck, it became a desert landscape, full of interesting sand-flowers and sand dunes. It is also a burial ground, as a tribe down south attacked the Nakumgalisalia, and most people were killed. There were so few people who survived, proper burial was impossible, so the people were buried in the sand, and have been shifting in the dunes ever since. Nels Jensen arrived, and built a homestead at Guise Bay, and his grave is also near the dunes, but up on the grassy lands between Experiment Bite and Guise Bay. Some odd farm equipment, a cougar trap built by his children, and fence posts remain.
These are just a few signs of life to be discovered at Cape Scott. Other aspects to enjoy here, are the beautiful stretches of sandy beaches, and the most fantastic sunsets. Falling asleep to the sound of the ocean waves lapping against the shore, and surviging the elements, are just the beginning of why Cape Scott is a worthwhile place to visit.
SUGGESTED VISIT
DAY ONE: Hike to Nissen Bite. (Keep in mind, this is not possible if you are starting late in the day) - Water is located at the far right end of the beach, around the point. Hike up-creek to get water, as near the shore, it is brackish. Bear bags and outhouses are located where the trail leads to beach, so camping mid-way is advisable. (Beach is one mile long - and hauling water across sand is tiring)
DAY TWO: Relax and explore Fisherman Bay.
DAY THREE: Set up camp at Nels Bite - see the sites along the way, as it is a short journey. Water is located near the Rangers Cabin, and is piped in, so no worries about brackish water.
DAY FOUR: Set out to Lighthouse, and see Experiment Bite and Guise Bay. Carry water. At low tide, there is a trail heading back from Experiment Bite, though experience knows at high-tide, access to the trail is hard to find. This is a rugged and unkept trail.
DAY FIVE: Set out for Hansens Lagoon. Carry water. If you have a water filter, there is plenty of water near the cabins. Go for low tide, and take the lower trail, which leads into the bottom end of the field, at the tip of Hansens Lagoon.
DAY SIX: Hike back to parking lot.
FOR THE ADVENTUROUS: Spend one extra day bushwacking behind the Nels Bite water-hole, carry a hip-chain, or mark your trail. You'll eventually find the old corderoy road, which is frequented by bears. As you reach the end of this road, there is an old homestead marked by monkey puzzle trees. (The cabin is now gone) - Carry water, bear-banger/spray, survival kit.
If you don't want to move camp from Nissen Bite to Nels Bite, just head straight to Nels Bite. Spend one day-hike backtracking to Nissen Bite, as it is a great way to spend a day. All other day-hikes are easy to reach, from Nels Bite. If you have the time, spending ten nights in the park is a wonderful way to truly enjoy your stay, as it allows days for relaxing on the beach, and doing nothing.
Boil your water, remember a map for all day-hikes, First Aid/survival Kit, use the bear bags (there are scads of bears at Cape Scott) and enjoy your journey.
TO BE ADDED:
Visitors who have treked out to Shushartie, Otter Bay, or Mt Patrick - please contribute!