Kim Dayman, a visitor from Regina, opted to abandon her planned hike to Gordon Bay on Sunday after trail conditions deteriorated rapidly near Darling River.
"It was raining when we were setting up camp and everybody just basically stayed in their tents and went to sleep, at four o'clock in the afternoon," said Dayman.
Dayman and her group attempted an early departure the following morning to navigate the trail before water levels crested further.
"When we were hiking the trail on the Sunday, it was like water up to your mid-shin through the entire trail," said Dayman.
She expressed disappointment over cutting the trip short after traveling from Saskatchewan, while acknowledging that high tide made continuing unsafe.
Local Indigenous guardians and bus companies also adjusted operations to support the influx of evacuees.
Edward Johnson of the Huu-ay-aht First Nation executive council noted that guardians monitored Darling Creek to instruct hikers against crossing.
"A lot of times the trail can turn into a creek itself, a little bit more mud," said Johnson.
Johnson emphasized the unpredictable nature of extreme weather along the coastal terrain.
Other visitors chose to turn back early after witnessing coastal erosion and hazardous path conditions firsthand.
Heather Millar, a 61-year-old hiker from Victoria, decided to return to the Crab Shack on her second day on the trail.
Despite the abrupt end to her trek, Millar indicated plans to attempt the 75-kilometer trail again under improved weather conditions.
"I'm looking forward to hitting the West Coast Trail and doing the whole thing next year in good, sunny weather," said Millar.
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Parks Canada stated that travelers remaining on the trail must be self-sufficient and prepared to wait out high water levels for several days or self-evacuate through their starting point or Nitinaht Lake.
