The Time I Hitchhiked

It was a brisk morning in September (of 2018) on the Sunshine Coast Trail. I woke up at the Fairview Bay Hut to the smell of the ocean and sun shining through the trees. I had a short hike of 6 km to get off the trail and find myself at Saltery Bay Ferry Terminal.

You might ask how I got here in the first place. It was day five, the final day of my hike on the Sunshine Coast Trail, these last 6 km were finishing off my 60 km hut to hut hike. This hike was the toughest terrain I’ve faced yet.

Cars lined up as I waited to board the ferry as a pedestrian. I knew when the ferry arrived in Earls Cove on the other side that I had a 53 km stretch with no form of transportation. No taxis, no buses, only the cars getting off the same ferry as me. The logical thing would have been to ask someone onboard for a ride to Sechelt, BC. Not even my destination, but where the bus route started that would get me to Up the Creek Backpacker’s Lodge in Roberts Creek, BC.

I lurked around the ferry looking for the perfect person to ask. If you could hear my inner dialogue you might think I was crazy.

“I wonder where they are going?”

“Are they dating...or are they siblings? Oh I can’t ask them.”

“Oh look at the cute old couple, heck they want nothing to do with me.”

“Oh a dog, adorable I could ride with a dog….no don’t ask him”

“Oh no, we're docking...everyone’s going to their cars. It’s my last chance”

“Com'on Katelyn….you can do it”

But of course, I could not build up the courage to ask anyone onboard. I was one of three people that walked off the boat. I thought to myself “great I’m not the only one, I wonder what their plan is”. They proceeded to get into parked cars at the ferry terminal. Now, it was just me. Two feet and a heartbeat, I started my trek; just when I thought I was done trekking. I knew I wasn’t going to move fast enough to get 53 km with a 45 lb pack on my back before sunset. My back up plan was to pitch my two man tent I had been carrying in my pack for the past five days... that I hadn’t used once.

Well I had walked about 4 km before I worked up the nerve to stick my thumb out at the next car to pass me. I truly believed that the first car I tried to hail down would stop for me, but they didn’t, nor did the next one, or the next one. I was clearly a young innocent female that had been backpacking, why wasn’t anyone stopping for me? I walked another FOUR KILOMETRES before I was able to hail down a ride! That’s 8 km people! I guess just because the trail is done, doesn’t mean your trekking is done!

It was the nicest guy, about my age, fellow Ontarian, from Owen Sound that was living in BC at the time. I do not remember his name, but I’m so thankful he picked me up. I always pictured it being so awkward in a car when you pick up a hitchhiker, but it wasn't; we talked about life, school, Ontario, BC, he even offered for me to charge my phone and a snack he had in his car.

We made it to Sechelt and he dropped me off at Shoppers Drugmart. I headed straight in for some kind of painkiller, as my hip had been killing me for two days. Then to the laundromat, where I stripped in the middle of the place and threw everything I could in the wash. While I waited for my laundry, I walked down to McDonald’s for a Big Mac.

The hiking portion of my trip was over so I ditched my hiking shoes in the garbage, packed my bag up again and headed for the bus stop. Finally arriving in Roberts Creek at sundown, I spent the next three days here RELAXING. I kindly donated my 5 lb tent to Up the Creek Backpacker’s Lodge.

This part of Canada is a beautiful place and I will most definitely be back again...but next time by automobile, with a one woman tent and a bottle of painkillers locked and loaded.

PS. Sarah, thanks for the ride on the way there. I definitely appreciated that ride while I had my thumb out on the Sunshine Coast Highway.

Kate