Hikers on Vancouver Island’s West Coast Trail needed to be pulled off the trail due to recent heavy rainfall.
Parks Canada has issued a warning saying sections of the trail are currently “impassable” and recommends not crossing creeks or rivers on foot at this time.
They also say the visitor safety team is responding to a significant number of evacuation requests on the 75-km hiking trail.
The owners of the Crab Shack, a floating restaurant at the midway point, say they haven’t seen conditions like this in years.
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“Not of this magnitude and not in July,” Carl Edgar said. “It feels like winter weather here and feels like October.”
He added that hikers were coming into their establishment drenched and cold.
“Everyone that arrived at our place was soaking wet right through — sleeping bag, spare clothes, everything,” he said.
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Parks Canada said that anyone with a reservation until Aug. 1 can get a full refund.
Just completed the full trail. We left the day this video came out. Trail is passable but very muddy, got rain a couple of days, some things got wet, but it is doable now. All river crossings are safe just use wisdom and have a lot of backpacking experience before you start.
I hope that Parks Canada is picking up the tab for these evacs and paying for it from the money collected as trail fees.
Since this was largely a “inconvenience” evac rather than a safety evac, I hope that the evacuees are paying something too.
Some real morons commenting.
Maybe read the story before you make a complete fool of yourself
So, why are these hikers there? If the trails are burning, impassible, WHY THE F*CK ARE YOU IN THE FOREST!!!!???
Oh I know, it is your RIGHT to go into the forest during any season! danger or not cause you are all PERFECT PEOPLE LOADED WITH COMMON SENSE AND INDESTRUCTABLE! Thats why we have to constantly rescue your stoopid arses!
So this is an issue?
Sure better than the trail being on fire.
People have nothing better to do but complain
Just relax and enjoy the summer, if you are not burning