Bedwell Lake Hike

Today we tackled one of the more challenging hikes on our itinerary - a ~14km out-and-back hike to Bedwell Lake on Vancouver Island. Leslie and I were a little concerned given that the kids were up late last night and this climb is advertised as fairly difficult, but we figured that worst case scenario we could abort if things weren't going well - and also it would be a good test to see if these kids are ready for a couple of the longer hikes ahead of us later in this trip when we reach Alberta. 

Our day started with ~90 minutes of navigating twisting roads and hairpin turns, culminating in a rough rocky climb where we were thankful for our rental car's all-wheel drive. When we arrived the trailhead was covered in fog and light rain, reminding us all that we are in a temperate rainforest. But any fears we had about the kids were allayed when we parked the car and I asked if the kids were ready for this, and Zoe replied in a computerized digital-assistant-style voice with "hardcore mode: engaged."

Luckly the rain eased off and we were on our way. In no time at all we were immersed in a humid, dense forest full of towering trees, ferns, moss, and other interesting flora and fauna. And Rosie was quick to spot a prime example of a banana slug, which she was very excited about. 

Old growth roots

Leslie the rock nerd had a GREAT day

Leslie is living her best life

Funky mushrooms everywhere

This alone made Rosie's day

About a kilometre or so into the hike the trail became noticeably more challenging, with steep switchback turns on a path consisting mostly of knotted tree roots and slippery rocks. In no time at all we were panting and sweating and feeling the burn in our legs, but we pressed onward. We were relieved that our sure-footed little hikers weren't put off in the least by the challenging conditions. 

Rosie in particular tapped into some sort of energy and was quickly leading the pack, pushing us to match her pace. At the beginning of our trip she had nicknamed herself "mountain bean" (presumably because she thinks of herself as part mountain goat, and part... bean?). As she pushed on, she started singing a song to announce our presence to keep bears away, and also to goad us a little. The lyrics were:

Off goes the bean on a bean adventure! 

Off goes the bean on a bean adventure! 

Off goes the bean on a bean adventure! 

They don't wait for bean; bean waits for them. 

And every time she reached the fourth stanza in her verse, she would stop and turn around to look us dead in the eyes just to emphasize the point that she was in the lead and waiting for us to catch up. Zoe turned to me more than once and whispered "where is she getting this energy?!" 

Rosie leading the way

The second individual in this photo - who is bent over panting for air after having finally caught up to Rosie - demanded not to be identified, lest this picture contradict the reputation they have carefully crafted amongst their peer group as a "hardcore hiker."

Eventually the steep climb gave way to a plateau, and we officially reached "Baby Bedwell Lake" where we stopped for a short rest and snack. In no time at all Zoe made friends with some of the local birds who were apparently well-accustomed to charming the local hikers for snacks. 

Glorious

After our break we resumed our hike, aiming to reach Bedwell Lake itself and it's scenic lookout. Unfortunately as we got closer the fog got thicker and thicker - although "fog" is probably a misnomer because at this height we were legitimately up in the clouds. Here is my photo of the "scenic lookout" of Bedwell lake where you can admire the beautiful clear blue water framed by the towering trees, with majestic snow-capped mountains in the background:

The scenic lookout of all scenic lookouts

For reference, here is what is typically seen by hikers on clearer days:

That being said, the lack of the photo op barely detracted from the hike, which the entire family thought was amazing. Leslie and I were also incredibly impressed by the kids, who at no point complained or seemed remotely in danger of quitting - they actually sang songs together all the way back to the car. All in all we did 14km of hiking including 600m of elevation. 

After a long day of hard work we headed back to Campbell River and treated ourselves to some amazing fish & chips and donuts at a local place on the pier. All in all, a pretty amazing day :) 

After our big kayaking/camping trip and this hike, tomorrow will intentionally be a "light day" as we make our way to Port Alberni with a little sight-seeing along the way.