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West Coast Trail: Hike of a Lifetime

[Parks Canada beaver logo]
[title: parkscanada.gc.ca]

[a dense forest and rocky shoreline pass underneath]
Narrator: This wind and water sculpted landscape speaks of the ancient rhythms...
[title: Pacific Rim National Park Reserve]
Nar: ...of the sea. When you're here, you are in one of Canada's special places,
[a waterfall pours from a forest down to a smooth shoreline]
Nar: ...a national park protected as a treasured piece of...
[water flows through a natural archway in a rocky point that juts out into the sea]
Nar: ...Canada’s Pacific Coast.
[mountains provide a serene backdrop for a group of forested islands]
Nar: Backed by the Vancouver Island Range and...
[gentle waves lap upon a shore]
Nar: ...facing the open Pacific Ocean, Pacific Rim...
[waves crash against a rocky shore backed by a dense forest]
Nar: ...National Park Reserve protects both the coastal low-land forests...
[waves lap gently upon a smooth beach backed by another dense forest]
Nar: ...and the near-shore marine environment of Canada’s west coast.

[an old drawing depicts First Nations paddling hard in canoes]
Nar: This national park falls within the traditional territory of...
[First Nations students perform a traditional dance]
Nar: ...several Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations, who have inhabited...
[First Nations men pound a traditional drum]
Nar: ...Vancouver Island’s west coast for countless...
[First Nations women dance to the beat of the drum]
Nar: ...generations.

[a couple hikes along a foggy beach]
Nar: One of the best ways to explore this national park is through its backcountry. [a woman talks about exploring Pacific Rim's backcountry]
Female Hiker A: The most memorable moment for me was...
[sea lions float in the water]
WHA: ...seeing the sea lions...
[seals lounge on a rocky shoreline]
WHA: ...and the seals and the...
[shower of water shoots up as a whale breathes out]
WHA: ...whales in the ocean and...
[hikers travel along a pebble-riddled beach]
WHA: ...walking all over the rocks and looking under our feet and seeing crab...
[clusters of starfish and sea anemones are piled in and out of the water]
WHA: ...and there’s star fish everywhere and just...
[dozens of mussels cover rocks]
WHA: ...the ecosystems that are out there, it’s...
[a fern sways in the breeze]
WHA: ...just amazingly beautiful.

[title: The West Coast Trail; hikers tramp along a forested trail]
Nar: The West Coast Trail is a...
[a tiny path cuts through a forest of towering trees]
Nar: ...5 to 7 day backpacking route that winds through...
[a hiker travels along a path where the forest meets the sea]
Nar: ...temperate rainforests along beaches, cliffs and...
[a hiker passes by an impressive cave on a sandstone shelf]
Nar: ...sandstone shelves.
[a group picks their way over roots on a path up a steep hill]
Father: It’s both a humbling experience...
[a father stands beside his daughter and talks about his experiences of the west coast trail]
F: ...and learning not only...
[the father and daughter hike along a boardwalk through the forest]
F: ...about the nature but about yourself, and you...
[the father and daughter chat with another pair of hikers]
F: ...meet superb crowd on the trails every...
[a group of hikers sit around a campfire]
F: ...night by the bonfire sharing the experience.

[A map of Vancouver Island's west coast shows areas of Pacific Rim. The southernmost is the west coast trail.]
Nar: The West Coast Trail spans 75 km along the south western coast of Vancouver Island.
[hikers trek along a pebbled beach in the fog]
Nar: Thousands of visitors visit this park each year and over...
[hikers travel along a wooden boardwalk to a steep ladder]
Nar: ...5,500 of them take on the challenging West Coast Trail.
[a couple stands on a beach. The man talks about the west coast trail]
Male Hiker B: It’s the first two days were just blew us away at how difficult... [boots squelch through mud]
MHB: ...they were compared to what we expected but it was a real,
[a hiker climbs a steep rocky hill]
MHB: ...a real life changing trail – it was just a fantastic experience.
[on the beach, the man's partner comments on her experiences] Female Hiker B: Yeah, I think it’s a eye opener to think of actually what we can do...
[hikers climb a steep, rocky hill]
WHB: ...and what we can accomplish.

Nar: Today, hiking the west coast trail is about challenging yourself,
[a couple pulls themselves over a body of water in a cable car]
Nar: ...creating fantastic memories and exploring...
[hikers travel a forested road]
Nar: ...Vancouver Island's temperate rainforests...
[hikers travel along a foggy shore]
Nar: ...and rugged coastlines.

[a seasoned hiker describes the magic of Pacific Rim National Park]
Older Male: There’s nothing like a west coast sunset,
[sun streams through the clouds, silhouetting the forest that tapers off as it
reaches the shore]
OM: ...absolutely gorgeous sunset.
[a wave breaks on the ocean]
OM: Huge waves crashing in on the beach.
[the hiker smiles as he continues his description]
[dozens of seagulls crowd along a rocky beach]
OM: Flocks of seagulls just
[seagulls begin to take off, streaming from the beach in a giant flock]
OM: ...you walk through them and they fly up in front of you and land behind you,
[the hiker motions with his hands, picturing a cloud of seagulls]
OM: ...walking through this cloud of seagulls.
[footprints have been pressed into the sand by several types of wildlife]
OM: Glimpses of wildlife that you won’t see anywhere else. Just, [the hiker smiles again]
OM: ...just magical!

[three girls sit in front of a tent; one describes an eagle encounter]
Female Hiker C: ...and then the eagle flew...
[an eagle perches on a rock]
WHC: ...up right behind her head while I was talking...
[the girl holds her hands up to show the fish was a foot and a half long]
WHC: ...and it was holding a fish this big and it was so...
[the eagle takes off from its perch]
WHC: ...close behind her head. I could see all its feathers and I could see the fish’s face.

[trees are silhouetted by a pink, sunset-lit sky]
Daughter: We had a really wicked red-orange sunset...
[a young woman remembers her experiences on the west coast trail]
D: ...and then when it was nightfall there were thousands of stars out. It was a sensory overload but the good kind. Not the sort you find in the city so it was great.

[title: You're watching a series of videos on...]
[title: ...The West Coast Trail]
[title: parkscanada.gc.ca]
[title: Parks Canada/Parks Canada government logo]
[title: Copyright - Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by Parks Canada, 2010]
[title: Government of Canada logo]
[end]

West Coast Trail: Hike of a Lifetime

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Discover the hike of a lifetime! The West Coast Trail is a 5 to 7 day backpacking route that winds through temperate rainforests along beaches, cliffs and sandstone. When you are here, you are in one of Canada’s special places—Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, protected as a treasured piece of Canada’s Pacific Coast.

Parks Canada... Real. Inspiring.