CHARLIE PARKER WAILS ON THE WEST COAST TRAIL

Carmanah Lighthouse, West Coast Trail – The beagle Charlie Parker dives down the long-rung ladders: 50, 70 feet, no problem. But he never wandered, until a cougar – or something big and nasty – smeared his sister all over the river bank.

"He's looking for her," insists Monique, proprietor of the mid-trek burger stand on Ditidaht territory.

She serves me an omelet on a bun, since vegetarians clearly have no spine or, indeed, taste buds. Mon dieu, no! Ever the pushy Yank, I long to confiscate all the fresh ingredients and whip up a proper meatless entree. Next time, I just might try to blarney into the kitchen. Monique, I sense, could appreciate the sheer cheek of such an endeavor, if not the results...

Maria, David and I share a bottle of Malbec, as hikers snooze in the hammock and fog creeps in on little cat feet. It's all so cool, cats, but soon like Kerouac we have to shoulder the rucksacks and hit the road...