![]() ![]() A short while after we saw our pilot coming back with another plane full of hikers, but appeared to take a sharp turn back to Gold River after hitting the fog bank. We carried on our way and watched as a wall of fog slowly drifted in from the open ocean. We saw a large group of other hikers packing up here and we wondered which direction they were headed. However, it wasn't long until we popped out the other side of the forest onto Third Beach. The start of the trail was pretty rough: mud pits, logs, and roots to navigate. That was it, we were left to find our way to Friendly Cove. He tossed out our bags and taxied back across the lagoon without us. We had heard mention of a wet exit from the aircraft and were pleased to find that our pilot was able to run the floats of the plane slightly onto shore so that we could hop onto dry land. We touched down in Louie Lagoon after what seemed to be a very short flight. Seeing it from the air was really unique. I was so excited to see the coastline I had travelled as a kid on the Uchuck. We took the first flight out of Gold River at 0800. ![]() She confessed to packing four tall can beers as a luxury item for the trip. We weighed our bags before the flight, with Darryl taking the cake for heaviest hiking bag. We arrived at the Nootka Air office eager to hit the trail on what appeared to be a magnificent sunny day. Then we would take the Uchuck back from the end of the trail in Friendly Cove to Gold River. Darryl, Lauren, and I decided that we would drive to Gold River and fly to the start of the trail in Louie Lagoon, chartering a float plane from Nootka Air. Getting to the trail requires a bit of planning, since it is remote and off the coast of Vancouver Island. The Nootka trail runs 37kms along the west coast of Nootka Island. They would speak of finding Japanese glass floats, camping on remote sandy beaches, and taking in breathtaking sunsets. Here I met many hikers coming off of the Nootka Trail. As a kid I would accompany my family and enjoy the pleasures of weekly trips to Friendly Cove (Yuquot). The Uchuck is an old mine sweeper that has been converted to take supplies and tourists around the Nootka Sound. While growing up in Gold River both my mom and Grandma worked on the Uchuck III. Hiking the Nootka trail has been a dream of mine ever since I was young. ![]()
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