“Is that the mountain we’re
hiking?” asks Paul nervously as we drive into the picturesque town of Tofino,
B.C. on Vancouver Island.
“Yes, I believe it is,” I
reply with a forced giggle, not expecting the mountain that dominates the skyline
to be so daunting.
It’s my 34th
birthday and I wanted to do something challenging to prove to myself that I’m
still a young pup at heart. And after doing much research on hikes with the
best views of Tofino, Lone Cone seemed like the perfect challenge to test my
aging legs.
Located 6 km from Tofino on
the northwest end of Meares Island, Lone Cone is described as a difficult, very
steep trail. The hike is only 6.6 km return, but has an elevation gain of 730
metres in 3.3 km. It would be my most intense hike yet.
I wouldn’t exactly call
myself an avid hiker. It’s only within the last two years that I started to get
hooked after wandering off the beaten path and into the backcountry of the
Rocky Mountains in Alberta.
Now living on Vancouver
Island, I was pumped to explore my new surroundings and tackle one of the more challenging
hikes the island has to offer. Paul, however, was less than thrilled; only
humouring me because it was my birthday.
“Are you sure you want to do
this? There’s another hike on the island that’s easier and way shorter,” I ask
Paul as we get onto the water taxi for the 15-minute boat ride to the trailhead.
I could sense his apprehension about the grueling task that lied ahead of us
all afternoon. I was feeling the same way, but Paul didn’t waver and stuck to
the plan.
After a short stroll down a
gravel road, we arrived at the trailhead and paid $10 each to the local natives manning the
trail. The trail starts by winding its way through low-lying trees and shrubs. Rocks
and roots sticking out of the well-beaten path make it difficult to take our
eyes off the ground.
Watching our footing, we keep
an eye open for the pink ribbons tied around trees, guiding which way to go
when the trail isn’t clear. The path soon opens to forest lined with dazzling
green ferns and some trees as thick as a car. I marvel at their size. They make
Paul look like a child when he stands next to them.
The hike is meant to take a
minimum of five hours return, but I’m determined to crush that, and Paul set
the pace to do so. It doesn’t take long, however, before my boots start feeling
like concrete blocks once the trail turns to a 45-degree angle that never seems
to end.
Drenched in sweat, our pace
gets slower as we frequently stop to catch our breath. But we manage to pass three
younger hikers, filling us with pride as we charge up the trail.
In order to ease my discomfort,
I focus on the views that lie ahead, knowing we’re in for an incredible reward
if we make it without having a heart attack. Even though our spirits are high,
I promise Paul there won’t be any more challenging hikes planned in the near
future.
Two hours after starting the
hike, we’re standing on top of the world, soaking in panoramic views of Tofino
and its many surrounding islands packed with a carpet of trees. Some of them
harbor secluded beaches lined with white sand. The ocean sparkles like a jewel
in the hot afternoon sun.
I look at Paul as he
excitedly chats with a handful of other hikers soaking in the rewards of a
grueling hike. Even though he’s not a hiker, a smile is etched upon his glowing
face.
“That was hard,” said Paul. “Scratch
that one off the list.”
