Outdoor Essays, Photography on Without Baggage
by Allie Comeau on November 28, 2008 
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I was reading the Best Hike blog this morning and came across an interesting post about two brothers who hiked the acclaimed West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. One of the brothers, Hank Leukart, wrote a beautiful essay, complete with stunning photography, for his online travel magazine Without Baggage – a fantastic resource for backpacking essays and photos.
Leukart and his brother were drawn to the West Coast Trail because the coastal region, known as the Graveyard of the Pacific, has seen more than 2,000 shipwrecks since the 1800’s. After 136 people died in 1906 when the S.S. Valencia wrecked just offshore, officials built a 75 kilometer coastal trail with huts every 8 kilometers for future shipwreck survivors. The trail is maintained by Canadian park officials and provides an incredible multi-day hiking experience for those brave enough to risk it.
When the two brothers arrived at the trailhead, and before they could begin their hike, a park official warned them about the dangers of the park and trail…
We were warned to use tide tables to time our coastal hiking and avoid being trapped by dangerous swells; we learned that if a helicopter flew overhead dropping tsunami warnings in bottles (seriously!), we would need to immediately drop our backpacks and sprint up towering ladder networks to avoid being swallowed by the sea; we were told to use the cable cars whenever possible to perform river crossings, which made us laugh due to “our extensive river crossing experience”; and we were urged, once again, never to run from a bear (or a wolf or a cougar).
After reading their account (divided into four essays) I suddenly had a strong urge to hike the West Coast Trail. That’s exactly what a good trip essay should do – make you want to take the trip yourself. You can expect to want to take many treks after visiting the Without Baggage site. Leukart, a freelance journalist and television producer, is a great writer and not a bad photographer either. His skills, combined with his extensive travel experience and seeming fearlessness, create an engaging travel website. You simply must check it out.
