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by Jennifer Dart
The Westerly News
Apr. 25, 2005

Parks Canada announced last week the opening date for the West Coast Trail has been pushed back two weeks to allow time for more repairs to the storm ravaged hiking trail.

Repairs to two major structures in particular aren't going to be done for the trail's regular opening date of May 1 - the Logan Creek suspension bridge and the Klanawa cable car crossing.

The popular trail, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, was devastated by wind storms this winter, especially in the first 12 km from Pachena Bay starting point. Pacific Rim National Park Reserve staff estimated 600 trees were blown down in this section alone (2,000 throughout the 75km trail) in addition to the damage to park infrastructure.

In March, PRNPR received $500,000 in emergency funding from the federal government to cope with the massive repair. And although Parks staff report making "excellent progress" in clearing fallen trees and debris along the route, as well as in restringing the Carmanah cable car, not everything is ready to go.

PRNPR business and client services manager Louanne Ralston said crews will first concentrate on the Logan Suspension bridge, then the cable car.

Ralston said they expect the Klanawa cable car to be repaired by June 15th and until then, a boat will be kept continuously staffed to ferry hikers back and forth over this crossing. There are a total of four cable cars along the WCT, including one over Walbran Creek, Culite Creek and Camper Creek. Fortunately, the other three sustained no storm damage.

PRNPR is asking that trail users delay their trips until May 15. Ralston doesn't expect the delays to cause a major backlog on the trail, however, because they don't begin accepting reservations until June 16.

The north end of the trail from Pachena to the 15km mark will be open for day use on May 15. The Broken Group Island section of PRNPR will open on schedule May 1.

This year marks the centennial for the 75km West Coast Trail, which was first begun as the Dominion Life Saver Trail in 1907 and added to PRNPR in 1973. According to information from Parks Canada, 5,000 people hike the trail every year and it is a significant contributor to the local economies of Port Renfrew, Bamfield, Sooke and Port Alberni.

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Copyright The Westerly News, a Canwest Company. Reproduction of this article or photographs, in whole or in part, is illegal without the written consent of The Westerly News (westnews@ukeecable.net).
The Westerly News is published each Wednesday in Ucluelet. Phone: 250 726-7029

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