Another fun backpacking trip in the books with Todd, featuring Julia!

Unique to the Sunshine Coast Trail is its hut system. This played perfectly into my plan for staying in a dry hut during inclement weather. I normally would use an underquilt to insulate the bottom of my hammock. But I opted to use an air mattress for double duty of insulating the bottom of my hammock or sleeping in a hut.

The pellet stoves, while really difficult to start and maintain, did a great job of heating the huts and drying out clothes, boots and gear. Ventilation could be better. I felt like I had been transported way back in time to high school going to smokey beer halls, bars and clubs in Munich, Germany. This was at a time when airplanes still had smoking sections.

The picnic tables and flat surfaces made this backpacking trip civilized. Backpackers are treated to boil their water on flat surfaces and places to sit!

Bear lockers are a huge plus! Hanging bear bags is hard. Bear cans take up tons of space and add weight.

Outhouses were all top notch. They do their best to maintain them and keep them composting properly. SCT users can help greatly by following the detailed instructions.

Now I know there are rainbarrels at Tin Hat and Walt Hill Huts. So, carrying up water isn't always necessary. We were lucky a heavy rain storm caught us in the middle of our trip.

The trails are in great condition except for only one short section of the spicy shortcut getting to Walt Hill Hut. The PAWS group does an amazing job. Please consider donating.

In my opinion, I would rate the physical exertion level as moderate. The climbs didn't require rest breaks with a slow-and-steady pace. I was able to forego trekking poles on descents, my usual kryptonite. But I was taking 800 mg of ibuprofen daily. Or is that 0.028 ounces?

Seaplanes made the trip fly by! Literally and figuratively. But this wouldn't have been possible without Katherine and Todd's ground support driving to/from Seattle.

We'll need to mark our calendars for the British Columbia Day holiday around this time of year. It made road travel and accommodations more crowded.

The amazing thing about the Sunshine Coast Trail was how few people there were! The few folks we did meet became quick friends at Tin Hat Hut: Angel, Evan, Shannon, Grace, Nick, Timber, Chrissi, Jasmine, Michaela and Scotia! Apologies for misspellings.

Permits and fees are not required to stay in the SCT backcountry campsites or huts... yet.

Happy trails!