Safety & Staying Healthy
updated Is there bear risk?
The good news? No Grizzly bears on Vancouver Island. Most hikers do not see black bears or even tracks.
We’ve been told that there has never been a confrontation between bear & hiker on the West Coast Trail. Fortunately bears have not yet become habituated to human garbage at the campsites in the way they have in California, for example.
Brash bears that come too close are occasionally shot by wardens -- with beanbag pellets.
If you are still concerned bring bear spray & noise makers.
An emergency whistle is a good idea. Stick together while hiking as bears are much less likely to approach a group than a solo hiker.
Where you might surprise a bear, clap, shout, sing, or give a short blast of your emergency whistle, especially before turning blind corners.
If you do sight a bear it will be a black bear. Do not run. Face the animal and back away slowly. Avoid eye contact. If approached or charged (likely bluff charged) you should stand tall, lift your arms to appear larger, shout & try to scare off the beast.
More information on black bears.
Hanging food safely
At night you should cache food out of reach of animals, including bears, mice & mink. Ravens are the biggest nuisance — we've seen them perch on one food bag & peck through another. For this reason we've switched over to hanging food & trash in rugged kayak bags or in one of the packs.
Hang your rope as soon as you arrive at the campsite to avoid having to get the rope up in the dark. It can be difficult to find a good tree in some spots on the WCT. Be inventive. It's a good idea to hang your pack while you set-up camp — this keeps the mice and slugs out of your gear. (One of our hikers found 2 slugs in his pack days after arriving home after hiking the WCT!)
Due to problems hanging food, by 2002 the Parks service had installed locking bear cache lockers at 6 campsites (more will be added):
- Michigan
- Darling
- Tsocowis
- Walbran
- Camper
- Thrasher
Al Brawn recommends you hang your entire pack at night, not just the food, to keep it safe from mice & floods. You could hang your food from a tree & the pack from a sloping log or cable car tower.
Some hikers prefer to use a bear vault instead.
Ticks? Lyme disease?
We have heard very little regarding ticks on the West Coast Trail, nor have we seen any.
But WCT hikers have been bitten, and some have even contracted Lyme disease from ticks.
The western black-legged tick lives in vegetation on the coastal areas of Vancouver Island and along the mainland from the U.S. border to Powell River. Its range extends eastward along the Fraser River to Hope and north to Boston Bar.
The ticks are tiny and may go undetected. Be attentive. The tick must remain on your skin for 24 hours or more before there is any risk of disease transfer.
The bite is often painful and may result in a slow-healing ulcer. In rare cases, some western black-legged ticks carry bacteria that may cause Lyme disease, with symptoms such as a red skin rash, fever, headache, fatigue, sore throat, and swollen glands. Lyme disease may not be diagnosed for years after infection! Vaccines are in development but were not yet perfected by 2003.
Advice:
Wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck pants into socks, and shirt into pants. (Spraying insect repellent containing DEET on your pants may help repel ticks.)
Avoid walking or resting in areas overgrown with vegetation.
Closely examine your body and clothes for ticks.
Remove ticks immediately upon discovery.
More information:
updated Is there wolf risk?
No, almost zero. There have been some sightings but wolves are very elusive.
This may be changing. Fearless wolves were several times reported in 2005. Time to review the BC wolf page.
Is there cougar risk?
Each year sightings are reported. We’ve not seen a cougar on the West Coast Trail — though we saw one dash across Highway #14 near Sooke, BC.
Cougars are elusive, avoiding people. You’d be very fortunate to see a cougar. Most local residents have never seen one.
That said, in August 2002 Bonilla Point & Kulaht Creek Campsites were closed due to cougars. Earlier that season cougars approached hikers at Cheewat beach & Walbran River.
The risk of attack by cougar is minuscule. It’s interesting, however, that Vancouver Island is by far the most likely place for a cougar attack. Stay vigilant.
If you ever see a cougar, be aggressive making noise & waving your arms.
Look for the photo of the cougar posted at the Pachena lighthouse.
More information on cougars and safety advice on the BC cougar page.
Is there raven risk?
Yes! One of our contributors is still trying to hunt down a WCT raven that stole his breakfast bagel. Another hiker had a raven fly off with his cup!
Ravens are big, smart, fast & fearless. At the campsites you need to keep all food hidden out of sight, even while cooking.
Are there any dangerous snakes?
No, none. You may see a garter snake sunning itself; they are friendly creatures, often with yellow or red stripes running the length of the body. (genus Thamnophis)
Is there PSP (paralytic shellfish poisoning) risk?
Parks Canada will tell you not to take a chance on eating mussels or any other shellfish from the sea. The WCT is closed for bivalves from May to October. There was red tide off-and-on throughout the summer of ‘99. Many on the west coast have died from PSP. If you were to be stricken, medical care is far away.
It may be true that you cannot get PSP on an open beach like the WCT — but better safe than sorry unless you know what you are doing.
Don’t use the months which have an R in them rule. If you want to check on PSP closures call the Department of fisheries & Oceans’ 24 hour line 604 666-2828.
