Day 5 on the West Coast Trail is a stunning, very difficult and tremendously enjoyable day of hiking. Walbran Creek is gorgeous campsite to wake up to. Your tent will open up to a sweeping view of Juan de Fuca Strait, with the ocean just a dozen metres away. Waking up at Walbran is particularly nice as it exhibits so many great features of the West Coast Trail.
Walbran Creek is a very scenic campsiteInteresting beach to explore at WalbranWalbran Creek is nice to swim inSmall sea caves across the creek to seeVery hard section of trail, but rewardingThe Logan Creek crossing is extraordinary!Cable car crossing to finish your dayCullite Creek is great to swim inCullite Cove is frequently deserted
Brutally challenging section of the WCT 
Prologue 1: The West Coast Trail 2: When to Hike & Fees 3: Trailheads 4: Getting There 5: Considerations 6: Campsites 7: Shipwrecks 8: Routes 
Day 1 Pachena to Darling Day 2 Darling to Tsusiat Day 3 Tsusiat to Carmanah Day 4 Carmanah to Walbran Day 5 Walbran to Cullite Day 6 Cullite to Camper Day 7 Camper to Thrasher 
Michigan Creek at 12k Darling River at 14k Orange Juice Creek at 15k Tsocowis Creek at 16.5k Klanawa River at 23k Tsusiat Falls at 25k Cribs Creek at 42k Carmanah Creek at 46k Bonilla Creek at 48k Walbran Creek at 53k Cullite Cove at 58k Camper Bay at 62k Thrasher Cove at 70k
Ever present ocean views, big and wide body of water flowing from the forest, cliffs with sea caves to explore, nice relaxing beach, fun cable car crossing and challenging, yet exhilarating hiking terrain in both directions. The West Coast Trail is so amazing, because it is so difficult. Long ladders, narrow bridges and steep terrain ensure that you don't get bored while hiking.
You have to focus on every step or you may sink into mud up to your knees, or slip on a tree root that topples you into the mud. You must be aware of every ladder rung, as some are missing and they are always slippery. It never escapes your mind that one misstep could send you crashing down hard. The kilometre markers on the West Coast Trail indicate that the hiking distance, Walbran Creek to Cullite Cove is 5 kilometres. Normal hiking speed on a nice, flat beach is about 5 kilometres per hour. You will be lucky to cover the distance today at a speed faster than 1 kilometre per hour. The trail is constantly up and down, zig-zagging left and right. All the time through a thick tangled rainforest with sections of trail destroyed by giant, fallen trees from the previous winter. This section of the West Coast Trail has you crossing the extraordinarily elaborate network of ladders and narrow bridge that gets you past Logan Creek. Though the creek is an average creek size, the gorge that surrounds it is enormous.
The suspension bridge that spans it is over 100 metres long(330 feet)! The astounding length of the bridge is only part of what makes it fantastic. The other is that it is very narrow. The entire length is a collection of 4x10 inch wood boards running end to end with wooden ribs underneath. Two sturdy iron cables run the length and serve as your handholds. Certainly the reason for this design is because of the long length, cost cutting or both. But the result is sensational. It is narrow, bouncy and sways. It is an exhilarating feeling crossing a long bridge with the surface under your boots is just 10 inches wide! When you finally get across to the other end you find a ladder, then another ladder, a wooden walkway to another, very long ladder, then another wooden walkway, some stairs to another wooden walkway, then one last, very long ladder. Looking back to the bridge and a hiker midway looks very small. Looking across to the other side, you can't even see the ladder through the curtain of forest. Some hikers groan about the abundance of ladders on the West Coast Trail, but most see them as a work of art and the Logan crossing is the masterpiece!
Day 5 Walbran to Cullite Continued...
