In 2021, a group of friends and I set out with the intent of finishing the entire Sunshine Coast Trail. Our plan: Depart from Sarah Point, end at Saltery Bay, over 11-12 days. Alas, due to the 2021 “heat dome” in the Pacific Northwest, we had to cut our trip short. We were able to complete the first 68km of the trail, from Sarah Point to Inland Lake, before turning around.
Three years later, after three broken bones, two surgeries, and one torn tendon between us, we completed the middle section of the SCT. We were able to start at Inland Lake and made it to Lang Bay over 5 days.
Due to weather and injuries, there was a lot of Type 2 fun on this leg of the journey. We both felt proud that we were able to finally complete this section of the trail, even if it was harder than it would have been a few years ago.
Here is some beta for you to use while planning your hike on the middle section of the SCT.
Trail Stats
Distance: 180km (plus or minus some due to trail re-routes)
Elevation: 8,133m (cumulatively)
Route type: Point to point
Difficulty: Moderate to hard
Hiking Season: This section of the trail is at a higher elevation so hiking between June and October is recommended.
Planning Resources
- We took a copy of The Sunshine Coast Trail Guidebook by Eagle Waltz, and it had lots of information about the trail conditions and water sources. If you would like to get a copy check out this link for information.
- The Sunshine Coast Trail website has lots of information and maps to help you plan your trip
- The Sunshine Coast Trail Hikers Facebook group is a good resource for recent trail conditions
- Alltrails is always a good resource for recent trail conditions
Preparing for the Trip
Itinerary
On our last attempt of the SCT, we planned our route aiming for an average daily mileage of 20km/day. Given our current state coming back from various injuries, we wanted to slow this section down. We aimed to do no more than 15km/day, and wanted to make our climb up to Tin Hat Mountain as short of a day as possible. The spacing between the huts works well for that target.
Transportation to Trailhead
We parked our car at the Lang Bay General Store – they offer a few long-term parking spots for $5/day. From there we hitched a ride to Inland Lake with the kind folks from Sunshine Coast Shuttles.
On the Trail
Day 1: Travel from Vancouver to Inland Lake, hike to Anthony Island
Distance and Elevation: 3km, +/-0m elevation
Our intrepid group took the morning ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale, and from Earls Cove to Saltery Bay. We had lots of time to divvy up food, and to discuss our game plan for the trip. By mid-afternoon, we arrived at the Lang Bay General Store, where we paid to leave our car, and waited to get our ride to Inland Lake.
Once we arrived at Inland Lake we decided to walk the 3km to Anthony Island, to stretch our legs a bit and start where we left off. Note: As of July 2024 the trail along the lake between Inland Lake campsite and Anthony Island hut was closed due to a broken bridge. An official detour is recommended. We decided to risk taking the original route anyways.
We arrived at Anthony Island hut in time for a quick swim before setting up camp, playing some cribbage, and falling asleep.
Day 2: Anthony Island to Fiddlehead Landing
Distance and Elevation: 15km, +600m / -600m elevation
We woke feeling a sense of deja vu as we packed up our campsite, backtracked a few hundred metres along the trail, and began the climb up to Confederation Lake. The trail felt very familiar but was much, much cooler than the last time I was here.
It is a steady climb for a couple of hours up to Confederation Lake through a lush forest, before the grade tapers off and continues along the lake. We felt good despite our heavy packs, and felt a huge sense of accomplishment once we arrived at Confederation Lake Hut.
With the goal of a “restorative and chill” day, we had a leisurely lunch, napped in the sun, and went for a swim in the lake. There is a small boat near the hut that folks can use to paddle around.
We decided to continue onwards to Fiddlehead Landing to keep the climb to Tin Hat summit as short as possible. The next section of trail had a deceptive amount of climbing, and we were glad we decided to complete this section today rather than the following day.
After 2.5 hours of climbing and descending through the woods, we arrived at the junction to Fiddlehead Landing. Take care here to ensure you follow the correct path to the hut instead of walking down someone’s driveway.
Fiddlehead Hut is located right on Powell Lake, and provides excellent water access for swimming, which we took advantage of. After some macaroni and cheese and a couple of rounds of Cribbage (which I won) we decided to set up our sleeping pads in the hut and call it a night.
Day 3: Fiddlehead Landing to Tin Hat Mountain
Distance and Elevation: 8km, +1000m elevation
The trail from Fiddlehead Landing to Tin Hat mountain starts off fine. For the first couple of kilometers it is mostly flat walking through an old orchard. After a few kilometers, you will start to climb, and climb steeply.
On this day it felt like a grind to keep my feet going one foot in front of the other. Hourly snack breaks were required. After about 3 hours of climbing we ended up at this viewpoint, where we stopped for lunch.
One important thing to consider on this leg of the trail is that there is no water at Tin Hat mountain; you will need to carry up whatever you need. There is a large sign before you start the climb to Tin Hat announcing that it is the last reliable place to collect water before the summit. In reality, there was a seasonal stream about 500m past the viewpoint where we stopped for lunch that we stopped at to fill up our water.
We continued at a slow pace uphill and finally reached Tin Hat hut (km 89). We set up our tent on one of the tent pads and took in the 360 degree views from the hut. The “true” summit is about 10 mins past the hut and worthwhile to check out the views. There were a number of day hikers up here, and one other group occupying the cabin, so this was without a doubt the busiest hut on the trail.
It was at this point that it started to rain … and it continued to rain, relentlessly, for the rest of the evening.
Day 4: Tin Hat Mountain to Elk Lake Hut
Distance and Elevation: 14km, +300m / – 500m elevation
That morning, we woke up in a puddle. Turns out my old trusty MSR Hubba-Hubba was no longer waterproof … and the bottom of the tent and everything inside of it was sopping wet from all the rain. We surveyed the situation, and sorted our “wet” belongings versus our “dry” belongings. Except for the clothes I wore to sleep, everything was soaked. We triaged our dry clothes in dry bags at the top of our packs, and everything else that was wet was shoved at the bottom of the pack to deal with later. We began our descent shortly after, unable to see anything due to clouds and rain.
There are two routes in the official SCT guidebook to get you to Elk Lake Hut – one is a much longer day but passes the scenic Lewis Lake. One is a shorter day but takes logging roads instead of trails. To keep the day within our 15km/day threshold, we opted to take the shortcut. It was not particularly scenic for the first half of the day. We just kept putting one foot in front of the other while walking down the logging roads. Poles were very helpful on this section to avoid rolled ankles on the cobble.
We stopped at Spring Lake (km 98) for lunch during a slight break in the rain. This is where the two routes meet back up. The next few kilometers of the trail follow a grassy and low-grade rail trail, which was much appreciated after a morning of logging roads. We particularly enjoyed this section and celebrated when we hit km 100.
The trail weaves through the forest for the next 8km at a moderate grade. The rain continued to pour down on us as we traversed this section, grateful for some tree cover. At km 108 the trail swings upwards for one last climb up to Elk Lake Hut at km 109.
Elk Lake Hut is more rustic than Tin Hat or Confederation Hut. It has an open bottom and an A-Frame shelter to sleep in above. Grateful for shelter of any form, we proceeded to hang all our gear to drip dry while the storm continued around us. After a bowl of hot soup and some tea, we set up our sleeping bags in the upstairs part of the hut and slept soundly as the rain continued throughout the night.
Day 5: Elk Lake Hut to Walt Hill Hut
Distance and Elevation: 13km, +100m elevation
We donned our damp clothes in the morning and set off for the next objective: Walt Hill Hut.
This day was generally a lot of moderate to low grade walking through the forest. It continued to rain so we didn’t get many views on this day. We stopped for lunch at Coyote Lake (km 116) and rehydrated hummus – very delicious.
Just before you reach Walt Hill Hut (km 123) there is a sign indicating a water source. This is not marked in the guidebook but was a well-flowing creek and is only a 10 minute round trip from the hut.
Walt Hill Hut is almost identical to the hut at Tin Hat Mountain. Like Tin Hat, it is fully winterized, with a small pellet stove and double-glazed windows. We proceeded to claim the cabin by hanging our wet gear on every available surface, in hopes of it drying. Although we attempted to light the stove, despite instructions from a previous visitor, we were unable to maintain a fire. Our efforts did significantly warm the hut, and kept it cozy as we cooked dinner and went to sleep.
Day 6: Walt Hill Hut to Lang Bay General Store
Distance and Elevation: 16km, -900m elevation
Unfortunately it was still overcast when we left Walt Hill, so we did not see the views it had to offer. From the hut down to the main road, it is entirely downhill. We were grateful for our poles on the first few kilometers, which were slippery. After the first few kilometers the grade petered out and we continued to descend, just not as quickly.
As we got closer and closer to civilization, the amount of clear cutting became evident. This section was not particularly scenic as you are essentially just walking through clear cuts. We were grateful to arrive at Dixon Road (km 134) where we exited the trail. From here it was a 30 minute walk on a gravel / paved road back to the Lang Bay General Store. An older gentleman offered to give us a ride, but we did not accept as we did not want to get his beautifully restored vintage truck dirty with our six days of grime!
We finally arrived back at the Lang Bay General Store, relieved to see our vehicle, and looking forward to a good bite to eat before the journey home.
This was a Type 2 fun type of trip but it felt great to have completed this section so long after our first attempt in 2021. Maybe at some point we’ll get to finish the section from Lois Lake to Saltery Bay. Stay tuned for Part 3!
