Strategy for Hiking the Nootka
When hiking the Nootka the plan is simple. Stay on the coast until forced inland by the tides or when you find scrambling the headlands too difficult. The coastal route is more scenic & almost always preferable — especially on the tidal shelf which can be like walking on a sidewalk.
As with all of the coastal hikes of the Pacific NW, look for fishing floats in the trees marking beach access points. (Beach floats also mark all manner of other things. The access points are not at all well marked on the Nootka. Feel free to improve the float marking system.) In fact, on the Nootka, don’t be overly concerned with finding the floats. You are likely to find as good a route bushwhacking.
You may tire of slogging through sand & sucking wet pebbles. But the forest bushwhacking route is almost always worse.
If you’ve got time, take a rest day when the sun comes out. STOP. ENJOY. If it rains you’ll stay warmer by hiking. If you don't have time for rest days, stop anyway to dry any wet clothing in the sea breeze.
