Three teens hike 178 km in 10 days

BY DUSTIN FAIR

Rugged mountains, countless lakes, old growth forests, and more – all in 178 kilometres. We have always wanted to hike the Sunshine Coast Trail but never had the time. COVID-19 stopped the world and gave us the perfect opportunity to go on our adventure.

Cedar Butler, her brother Kohen, and I woke up at 6am on June 4 and drove out to Sarah Point. The trail was quite flowy and forgiving for the first few kilometers, but we were drenched in sweat as we scaled Manzanita.

We were given our first taste at how difficult the trail was going to be when we woke up sore the next day after hiking 22 km. It was never the hiking that was difficult; it was waking up early in the morning still sore and dreading having to do it again.

However, once we were going again, reaching each hut and seeing some awesome views made the experience extra rewarding and gave us the motivation to keep trucking along.

Some of our favourite sections were Appleton Creek, with many waterfalls, and the top of Tin Hat, where you feel like you’re on top of the world. The old growth section near March Lake featured some massive trees that almost smothered the sky.

There were a couple sections of the trail that were long and tedious, such as Inland Lake to Confederation Lake, because it felt like we just kept going straight up. Those difficult sections made finishing all 178 kilometres over 10 days feel like even more of an accomplishment, even though it made us a whole lot more sore.

To anyone who is thinking about going on any sort of adventure, just go out and do it, it’s totally worth it!

SOLO TRIO: Despite the rain, at the end of their hike at Saltery Bay, Kohen Butler, Dustin Fair and Cedar Butler were all smiles, having conquered the Sunshine Coast Trail.