MB Guiding

20/01/2025

Learn how to plan West Coast Trail trips like a pro! Join ACMG hiking guide Mike Blake for an interactive chat, Q&A, and prize giveaways. Stay tuned for special VIP backstage access and live demos!

14/01/2025

🚨Updated West Coast Trail Guide and new Trip Reports!🚨

Check out the 2025 updates and our refined trip report format with daily images, weather observations, route maps, and track data. Message m.me/MBGuiding with any questions!

Welcome to our West Coast Trail Guide! This resource includes information and tips to help plan your adventure in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

09/01/2025

Mount Washington has been an epic ski destination this year! In early January, the mid-mountain base reached an impressive 340 cm. Weather conditions were perfect, with sunny blue skies, a +5°C temperature inversion, and a gentle breeze. The mountain was immaculately groomed, and there were even some snow ghosts on the summit, adding to the ambiance. It made for a truly unforgettable Magic Monday!

01/01/2025

Year in Review

Our fifth and final West Coast Trail trip for 2024 was another custom-designed private group adventure that took place from September 2 to 8. The epic journey was completed by a team of friends from a local women’s hiking club, and it was an absolute blast for everyone involved!

This was our second southbound guided trip of the season, and we planned to follow a traditional itinerary. However, we made some last-minute adjustments and decided to camp at Darling River, Tsusiat Falls, Cribs Creek, Walbran Creek, and Camper Bay. On day six, we skipped Thrasher Cove and made a bivouac at Log Jam Creek to conserve energy for the final day. The weather was perfect for late summer, and the route conditions were ideal. We viewed tons of amazing coastal wildlife and filled our days and evenings with lots of experiential learning.

It was a delight to share the trail with such an enthusiastic and determined group of hikers who pushed themselves to the limits, cursed a lot, and kept me thoroughly entertained along the way. Despite a few minor bumps, bruises, and scrapes, they had the backpacking trip of a lifetime, creating unforgettable memories and countless stories to share with friends and family back home!

31/12/2024

30/12/2024

Year in Review

Our fourth trip on the West Coast Trail in 2024 was a custom-designed private group adventure from August 4 to 10. This time, we had an incredible group of friends, all well-trained and efficient on the trail. They broke numerous long-standing MB Guiding course records, including six out of seven of our fastest daily times on the 75 km route! This was our first southbound guided trip of the season, and we followed the traditional seven-day, six-night itinerary. We camped at Michigan Creek, Tsusiat Falls, Cribs Creek, Walbran Creek, Camper Bay, and Thrasher Cove.

From the very beginning, the team felt like a well-oiled machine. We quickly found our ideal pace and enjoyed each other’s company. I was also deeply inspired by one of our team members, Jason, who is a recovering burn survivor. You should check out his story in the 2023 documentary film, Courage Rising. It follows eight burn survivors as they climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

As mentioned in my previous post, my favourite part about guiding is meeting all the fascinating people. Jason was one of the most inspiring team members I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. He thoroughly enjoyed the southbound trip and was so impressed that he booked a northbound trip with a new group for 2025.

It was an unforgettable week filled with incredible weather, superb route conditions, abundant wildlife viewing, and lots of experiential learning. We had a fantastic and inspiring team, and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to guide them on this epic adventure!

28/12/2024

Year in Review

Our third trip on the West Coast Trail in 2024 was a custom-designed, guided family group adventure that took place from July 19 to 25, during the peak of the summer season! This was another northbound journey following the traditional seven-day, six-night itinerary, camping at the same spots we had visited a couple of weeks earlier. However, this time, we had a new group, which made it an entirely different experience for all of us. This family group was super keen to learn and collaborate together both off and on the trail. They were incredibly engaged for months before our trip began, actively participating in our pre-trip planning phase, and making the best use of their personalized coaching sessions. While on the trail, we experienced another week of exceptional weather, and the dry conditions created an ideal learning environment for us to practice and hone our backpacking skills together. I'm frequently asked if I ever get bored leading trips on the same trails repeatedly. One of my favourite aspects of guiding is the opportunity to meet new and interesting people, and to share an unforgettable experience with each of them. Every trip is unique, even when we follow the same trail, adhere to the same itinerary, and experience the same weather and route conditions as my previous trip!

21/12/2024

Learn how to plan trips and hike like a pro! Join ACMG hiking guide Mike Blake and surprise guests for a special holiday Q&A session, informative interactive chat, and super fun prize giveaways!

19/12/2024

Year in Review

Next up is the inaugural of four West Coast Trail guided trips in 2024, during the peak summer season, from July 7 to 13! This was a northbound expedition from Gordon River to Pachena Bay spanning seven days, accompanied by a team of six participants. Our campsites included the traditional overnight stops at Thrasher Cove, Camper Bay, Walbran Creek, Cribs Creek, Tsusiat Falls, and Michigan Creek. The early summer weather was exceptional, with super dry and dusty route conditions. We were fortunate to enjoy breathtaking views and abundant wildlife, including numerous grey whales, seals, sea lions, humpback whales, river otters, mink, squirrels, a black bear, a variety of birds, and a plethora of intertidal life. The team underwent months of personalized coaching in trip planning, lightweight gear selection, and menu planning before our departure. In the field, they honed their backpacking skills, practicing risk management, wilderness navigation, efficient hiking, wildlife safety, and Leave No Trace camping. This guided trip was an exhilarating adventure filled with lots of experiential learning!

12/12/2024

Year in Review

We’ll start off with our West Coast Trail season opener from May 1 to 4, 2024! On opening day, we were the first to embark on a southbound hike, starting from Pachena Bay. I had the pleasure of meeting Jesse Hebenton from geartrade.ca at the trailhead, where we participated in the inaugural orientation meeting before setting off on our adventure. Our destination for the first night was Tsusiat Falls, a breathtaking sight. The total distance covered was 25 kilometers, and we completed the hike in 6 hours and 37 minutes. The weather and route conditions were excellent for early May, and we navigated through all the terrain in a timely manner. Upon arriving at our second campsite at Walbran Creek, we found it completely deserted. This was the first time we had encountered no other parties there, and we thoroughly enjoyed the company of the whales while gathering around a large campfire. The total distance covered was 28 kilometers, and the journey took us 10 hours and 24 minutes. The next section to Thrasher was a bit more challenging and muddier, with its ups and downs on large ladder systems. I didn’t see Jesse that day until camp because I was taking my time to enjoy the incredible dry conditions, taking lots of pictures and videos. The boulder field was in perfect shape, making for a quick crossing and arriving at camp in the early afternoon. The total distance was 17 km, and the time taken was 7 hours and 29 minutes. An early start on day four allowed us to complete the final section of the West Coast Trail that morning. We arrived at the first ferry crossing on the Gordon River and returned to civilization for a refreshing shower and a home-cooked meal. The total distance covered was 6 kilometers, and the journey took 2 hours and 58 minutes. It was an incredible experience, and I’m thrilled to have shared it with such a great hiking partner. I can’t wait to embark on another adventure together on the opening day of the West Coast Trail in 2025!