The Sunshine Coast Trail Illustrated Atlas

ELK LAKE TO WALT HILL HUT  This section is pretty much the most isolated section of the trail.  With the exception of one "easy access" route to Elk Lake off of Old Alaska Pine Road that involves a 2.5 kilometer hike uphill, there is no easy access to this section for extraction or re-supply. Having said that, this is pretty much my favorite part of the trail: the views from the ridgeline between the Walt Hilton and Walt Hill Hut at least rival the vista of Tin Hat.  It will be no secret that the ridge between the Walt Hilton ( an ironic name as the reader will see) and the Walt Hut is my favorite part of the trail. The number of pictures I have taken from that meandering ridge-walk shows my bias.    I still don't have it quite right, but, again, to get it right I need to camp out, preferably on Penstemon Bluffs so I can get sunset golden hours, sunrise golden hours and, of course, the night sky.  That would mean camping.   Camping? No shower? No ...

 LEWIS LAKE THROUGH TO ELK LAKE: yes, it is a long haul, but there really is only one hill-climb. this section of the trail is really understated.  I actually find it to be very pleasant; it's easy enough to allow one to actually enjoy the views of the valley below. Well, I'm going to admit that this entry is going to be a bit of smoke and mirrors.  I have not actually hiked the entire length of this section in one jump: it's along haul and I really don't like overnighting it.  I'm just too addicted to my morning shower, clean sheets, and cold beer.  Doing the section between Lewis Lake and Elk Lake as a "there and back" requires feet of steel and an iron constitution that I lack.  I probably could do this as a "two car" hike, but the access roads I frequent are not always user-friendly and I'm not sure I want to subject any truck other than my own to the "Powell River Pinstriping" that is inevitable from the overgrown access roads....