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In the West Coast Temperate Rainforest
It is a magically beautiful walk from the Bear Cove Highway, near Port Hardy at the north east end of Canada’s Vancouver Island, to Storey’s Beach, Fort Rupert.
I think the forests of British Columbia (BC), Canada must be my Spirit Home.
It was my first time to the north end of Vancouver Island, at the very west of Canada, but I felt right at home!
I was on a BC road trip, and was booked to take the long ferry trip north from Port Hardy, at the northern tip of the island, through the Canadian portion of the Inside Passage, to Prince Rupert on the mainland (watch this space!). After spending a few days in Sayward (see: Wet, Green, and Beautiful) towards the middle of Vancouver Island, I allowed myself an extra day in that little coastal town where the ferry terminal is.
With a local map in hand, and after a conversation with a resident, I decided to walk the Fort Rupert Trail.
The trail – which is also known as the Commuter Trail because it links Port Hardy and Fort Rupert – is listed by All Trails as being an easy 3.9 kilometres (2.4 miles) each way. I added a walk along Storey’s Beach to what was once the Hudson’s Bay Company trading post of Fort Rupert, and is now a predominantly Kwakiutl First Nation unincorporated community called Tsax̱is. By the time I returned to my car, I had clocked up 13 km (8 mi), was wet from the intermittent rain, and was tired but happy.
It is a beautiful walk from the highway, near Port Hardy, into lush West Coast temperate rainforest, past a lake, whose name I never found, and onto the tidal beach on Beaver Harbour. Wandering through the Kwakwaka’wakw (spellings vary) totem poles and other artworks in the community of Tsax̱is, and drinking a hot coffee from the Fort Rupert General Store before walking back, were added bonuses!
Join me for another walk in the woods:
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Fort Rupert Trail
The western end of the trailhead is clearly marked and easy to find along the Bear Cove Highway.
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Misty Forest
The woods are a rich green mix of conifers – Douglas firs, Sitka spruce, and cedars – and deciduous trees. This is temperate rainforest, and mists or rains are never far away.
Little Bird
High in a tree – a western red cedar, I think – a little bird attracts my attention with its song.
Bunchberry Dogwood – Cornus Canadensis
These ground-hugging perennial plants are named for the flowering trees they resemble.
Salmonberry – Rubus Spectabilis
The shoots and berries of these brambles are a traditional food source for the local First Nations people.
Into the Firs
The trail continues across a bushy hilltop and into another section of forest.
Bunchberry Dogwood in the Boardwalk
The trail features a variety of terrains, including gravel paths, wooden walkways, and dirt and bark tracks.
Unnamed Lake
A boardwalk section skirts a pretty lake …
Yellow Pond-Lily – Nuphar Lutea
… which is dotted with patches of lilies in bloom.
Western Bog Laurel – Kalmia Microphylla
Around the Lake
Path in the Tall Trees
The boardwalk finishes at the end of the lake, and the path changes to a soft dirt track into the tall trees.
Winding Track
On some of the boardwalk sections, the trail is laid with a rough material to prevent people slipping on the wet wood.
Red Alder – Alnus Rubra
Amphibian in the Leaf Litter
In the leaf litter on the forest floor, small creatures are almost impossible to spot. I think this is a boreal or western toad (Anaxyrus boreas).
Boreal Toad – Anaxyrus Boreas
Further along the track, I found another little toad that was much easier to see.
Onto the Beach
The path finishes on Beaver Road, which runs into Fort Rupert. Like other walkers, I crossed it to access the harbour instead.
Beaver Harbour Park (Storey’s Beach)
The beach here was named for the first non-Indigenous residents, logger George (Paddy) Storey and his wife Sannie. Paddy got a logging permit for the area in 1941.
Waves in the Sand
It was low tide when I arrived; it’s about a twenty minute walk across the beach to the municipality of Fort Rupert – known to the local people as Tsax̱is.
Nature’s Artwork : A Shell with Seaweed
Rocks on Beaver Harbour
The snow-capped mountains of the BC mainland can be seen across the waters of the harbour and Johnstone Strait.
Kwagu’ł First Nation Longhouse in Tsax̱is
Fort Rupert was established as a Hudson’s Bay Company fort in the mid-1800s. Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations People moved into the new community soon after to take advantage of the trading post.
Cemetery
The community has a small, grassy cemetery, …
Burial Poles
… which is home to some unique carved and painted burial poles, the likes of which I had never seen.
Thunderbird
Thunderbirds, on the other hand, are represented across many Native American nations. This enormous bird is a powerful spirit – possessing the capability to protect humans from evil spirits.
Wooden Totem
You see the thunderbird everywhere; this one on a weathered totem pole sits atop an orca, or killer whale. These, too, are frequently represented in West Coast Indigenous art; they represent the strength of love and the bonds of family.
Fortified by my tradingpost sandwich and coffee, I followed the road back to the trailhead, and retraced the track back to my car.
What always amazes me is how different the same track looks from the other direction!
Even in the misty rain, it was a lovely walk, and I can’t wait to go back.
Until then,
Happy Walking!
Photos: 04June2022
