# I'm going on an adventure! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** liquor-alcohol\ **Created:** [June 16, 2025, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-on-an-adventure/1019704 "2025-06-16T14:52:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-on-an-adventure/1019704/1 "2025-06-16T14:52:32Z")
Feeling pretty anxious today! I am going with a group of five other ladies to hike the Nootka Island trail. We’re taking a float plane from Gold River over to the island and then will take five days hiking the trail where we will be picked up at the other end by the float plane again. I’ve done a three day hike before so this will be my longest. It will be good prep for West Coast Trail which I will be doing in August. I’ll also be having my 55th birthday out on the island. I’m packing a freeze dried ice cream sandwich and a tiny bottle of whiskey to celebrate on the day. > **[Nootka Island](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nootka_Island)** > > Nootka Island (Spanish: isla de Nutca; French: île Nootka) is the largest island off the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is 510 square kilometres (200 sq mi) in area. It is separated from Vancouver Island by Nootka Sound and its side-inlets, and is located within Electoral Area A of the Strathcona Regional District. > Europeans named the island after a Nuu-chah-nulth language word meaning "go around, go around". They likely thought the natives were referring to ... > **[Gold River, British Columbia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_River,_British_Columbia)** > > Gold River is a village municipality located close to the geographic centre of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. In terms of the Island's human geography it is considered to be part of the "North Island", even though it technically is on the Island's west coast. > Taking advantage of its deep water and abundant forests, Gold River developed in 1967 as a prototypical logging and pulp and paper industry community. Gold River quickly sprang into prosperity and established excellent comm... ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-on-an-adventure/1019704/2 "2025-06-16T15:08:11Z")
What kind of gear will be using? How long are the hikes? What are the campsites (or cabins) like? Sounds fun – happy birthday in advance! Brian ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-on-an-adventure/1019704/3 "2025-06-16T15:14:02Z")
Beach camping. I have the usual sort of gear for multi day hikes. A nature hike one person tent, all my cooking/kitchen gear fits into one small pot. Dry bag for food with rope to hang because apparently the wolves on the island will steal not only your food, but your shoes if you leave them outside your tent. Water filter. I splurged on two items last year: a Nemo sleeping bag and a Helinox zero chair. All my stuff fits in/on a 50 litre Gregory pack. Pack, all in, weighs 35 pounds. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-on-an-adventure/1019704/4 "2025-06-16T15:17:38Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > We’re taking a **float plane** from Gold River over to the island and then will take five days hiking the trail where we will be picked up at the other end by the float plane again. First part of user name checks out; will you be sore & walking funny at the end of it? ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-on-an-adventure/1019704/5 "2025-06-16T15:21:05Z")
I’m hoping not but most likely yes. I do a lot of training hikes but with 15 pounds on my back. But I’ll take that on a 15 km hike with a 500 mt elevation gain. I did a couple hikes last week with my full pack and yes, I was a bit sore after. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-on-an-adventure/1019704/6 "2025-06-16T15:38:56Z")
Here is an account of the trail (not sure it is exactly the same, but probably similar) > **[Nootka Trail Hike: A Complete 2025 Guide](https://hikebiketravel.com/nootka-trail/)** > > Presented is a complete hiking guide with all the information you need to hike the gorgeous 37 km long wild Nootka Trail over 4 - 8 days. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-on-an-adventure/1019704/7 "2025-06-16T16:41:18Z")
That sounds divine! Enjoy! 💓 ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2025, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-on-an-adventure/1019704/8 "2025-06-23T17:06:34Z")
Well I’m back! Nootka Island was amazing. One of the hardest things physically I’ve ever done, hiking through muddy swamps, bush whacking, climbing up and down steep rock faces, and along an ancient lava flow. But so worth it. Woke up on my birthday to a wolf on the beach. I was about 10 feet away from a gray whale scraping barnacles off its belly on the rocks. Everyone in my group was lovely. Total hiking was 45km which took 24 hours of hiking time. Amazing amazing adventure. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2025, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-on-an-adventure/1019704/9 "2025-06-23T17:36:39Z")
Muddy swamp doesn’t sound ideal, but the whale and wolf sightings sound literally awesome. Brian ---
**Author:** ![MacDoc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/macdoc/32/18696_2.png) [@MacDoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacDoc)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2025, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-on-an-adventure/1019704/10 "2025-06-23T17:40:51Z")
Awesome 🎂 🥳 Very impressed. 🙏 ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2025, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-on-an-adventure/1019704/11 "2025-06-23T17:43:25Z")
That sounds amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-on-an-adventure/1019704/12 "2025-06-26T01:16:26Z")
A post was merged into an existing topic: [Sonny Troll Posts](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonny-troll-posts/1020150/12) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2025, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-on-an-adventure/1019704/13 "2025-06-23T21:31:43Z")
That sounds amazing! I admire your enthusiasm and health. It somewhat reminds me of the wilderness camping I did when I was younger, where getting to our camping spot required a good deal of paddling of the canoe with all our supplies, and periodically portaging the canoe and all our stuff over ground between the lakes. Those were truly beautiful and memorable experiences. Not so much the schlepping of all our stuff, but the wilderness experience itself. Today the most hiking I do is from the kitchen to the car in the garage, or the front door to the driveway, depending on where the car is. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2025, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-on-an-adventure/1019704/14 "2025-06-23T22:51:25Z")
I’m just wondering why this thread is tagged “liquor-alcohol”. ---
**Author:** ![motu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/motu/32/259_2.png) [@motu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/motu)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2025, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-on-an-adventure/1019704/15 "2025-06-23T23:05:16Z")
[quote=“FloatyGimpy, post:1, topic:1019704, full:true”] I’ll also be having my 55th birthday out on the island. I’m packing a freeze dried ice cream sandwich and a tiny bottle of whiskey to celebrate on the day. [/quote] In the OP